KOTA KINABALU: Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Haji Noor has pledged to assist residents at Taman Penampang, who have yet to receive their strata titles despite the apartments being 14 to 16 years old.
Hajiji said he had met with the residents and would strive to help them.
“There are solutions to whatever problems.
“We are a responsible government, whatever we can expedite, we will help by involving the relevant government agencies and departments,” he said when asked by reporters after officiating at the fifth Malaysia Geospatial Forum and second Sabah International Surveyors Congress here yesterday.
Over 30 Taman Penampang residents attended a meeting held at the residential area’s functional hall to discuss issues pertaining to the residents’ strata titles, facilities and security in the area in February this year.
Taman Penampang Resident Organizing Committee representative Lee Pun Yee said the delay in issuing the strata titles was due to the developers encroaching into nearby government land and roads.
Lee has urged Hajiji and the Chief Minister to settle their problems within a month, failing which they might refuse to pay their management fees.
Asked if the residents can expect good news from the ministry soon, Hajiji said what the ministry worked for would be for the common good.
On another matter, Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (SHAREDA) president Francis Goh has said that the issue in which many Sabahans could not own a house could not be effectively solved by the Private Affordable Ownership Housing Scheme (MyHome).
Goh has also pointed out that banks have imposed more stringent criteria on loan applicants, causing many housing loan applications to be rejected.
He has proposed a quota system for banks, whereby the financial institutions provide housing loans up to 90 per cent for first home buyers as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR).
In response to this, Hajiji said the MyHome scheme was a government policy aimed at assisting the people, to enable them to own an affordable home, especially in Sabah.
However, Hajiji said he had not read Goh’s statement and would do so with his officers.
As to whether the government could assist the lower income group in home ownership, Hajiji said the ministry would call for a meeting with the banks, Shareda and stakeholders to determine how they could help first-time home buyers.
On the quota system for banks, Hajiji said his ministry would study proposals from all parties involved.