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Allegations of low-cost flat abuse continue

By KW Mak

May 14, 2010

THE following is my second press statement on the matter of improper ownership of low-cost flat units. My first press statement dated 24 Feb 2010 revealed that I had found several senior Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) staff owning low-cost apartment units. This was despite them drawing a salary of more than RM2,500 at the time of purchase, making them ineligible.

In that statement, I also said that I had formally requested the Select Committee for Competency, Accountability and Transparency (Selcat) to investigate the matter. I have received no official word that Selcat would pursue the matter since then.

MBPJ Major Datuk Mohamad Roslan Sakiman had also assured the media after the March 2010 full board meeting that the matter would be investigated by the MBPJ disciplinary committee. However, the matter has not been tabled to date either.

Then on 28 Apr, I received an anonymous letter alleging there are more than 500 MBPJ staff who own a low-cost flat unit. The allegation was that they were all not eligible to purchase these houses, as their household income was above RM2,500.

The letter further alleged that the information on these MBPJ staff could be traced using the following methods:

• A search through the assessment tax records for details of property owners available from the MBPJ valuation department.

• A search through the records of individual certificates of fitness issued out to each low-cost flat unit purchaser by the MBPJ building department.

• A search through the records of a named bank that provided most of the loans for low-cost flat unit purchases.

    As proof, the anonymous writer provided a copy of a bank loan statement for a low-cost unit. The copy of the loan allegedly bore the names of persons who were related to a senior MBPJ officer.

    As a result of the allegation, I wrote a request to the mayor on 29 Apr to conduct an investigation to ascertain the relationship of these persons to the senior officer.

    I requested, in the same letter, that an audit of all low-cost housing ownership be done using the prescribed method in the letter to trace these alleged 500 MBPJ staff. I also requested that the results of the audit be forwarded to the Selcat for further investigation and action.

    The request was copied to all MBPJ local councillors, the MBPJ secretary Puasa Md Taib, Selangor Executive Councillor (Exco) Ronnie Liu, Selcat chairperson Teng Chang Khim, Selcat deputy chairperson Haniza Binti Mohamed Talha and Selcat committee member Edward Lee.

    Criteria listed in low-cost unit application form (click to view scan of document section)

    I have in the past received complaints from former squatter village residents who were promised a chance to purchase a low-cost unit. They claimed they had never received the offer once the construction of the low-cost flat was completed. These former squatter residents have shown me proof that they were interviewed and promised alternative accommodation. All this happened prior to them waiting for the demolition of their village to make way for development and subsequent relocation to the completed flat in their former locale.

    The plight of these former squatter residents may be related to the purchase of low-cost flat units by these allegedly unqualified MBPJ staff, thereby depriving legitimate qualifiers from getting their homes. This is the reason I am requesting for an audit and for thorough investigations to be done.

    I hereby attach a section of the low-cost unit application form that states the criteria for purchase of low-cost units set by the Selangor government. The same criteria are also listed on the Selangor Economic Development Corporation website. favicon

    KW Mak

    MBPJ local councillor

    13 May 2010

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    Filed Under: Letters to the Editor Tagged With: 2500, bank, corruption, KW Mak, letter to the editor, loan, low-cost house, Malaysia, mp, ringgit

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Arion Yeow says

      May 14, 2010 at 6:11 pm

      This is old news. However, I appreciate local councillor Mak’s gesture of sharing the details with us. I wonder if he could also add a suggestion on what the public can do to help apart from feeling outraged.

    2. KLF says

      May 14, 2010 at 11:45 pm

      Not only MBPJ, some staff of GLCs involved in property development earning above RM10k also own low cost flats.

      How pathetic & greedy, these people!

    3. Mikazuki says

      May 15, 2010 at 12:16 pm

      This might be old news but without anyone taking actions to stop these unscrupulous people from getting their grubby hands on the low cost flat, well I think this tradition will continue. The ones who suffer are the masses of deserving poor people who really do deserve to own a low cost flat of their own.

      Is there any way to stop this rot in our system? Can we get back the low cost flats that were bought by these unscrupulous people and give them back to the deserving people?

      I hope the state government can take stern action against the “rottens apples” that have deprived the poor of their basic necessity!

    4. Paul Long says

      May 16, 2010 at 12:34 pm

      Thank you for your courage in going public with this! We need more of such councillors.

    5. Tan says

      May 19, 2010 at 10:12 am

      Perhaps it will be useful for you to forward a suggestion to the State Government in Selangor to look into ways of confiscating the unit if the owners have deceived the State in their disclosure in the application form for low cost units. Even if it is not possible to do it retrospectively but at least this should prevent it from recurring.

    6. malaysianagenda says

      May 19, 2010 at 1:19 pm

      YOU HAVE OUR SUPPORT MAK. Do not relent, besides Kapar MP, your determination to unearth corrupt practices is admired. So easy for so many former opposition members now in government to remain silent on this issue. The poor are being deprived of the help promised before the 2008 elections. Is it incompetency, laziness or indifference among the elected representatives to act? Why the silence from SELCAT and the MBPJ?

      It is always easy to criticize the former BN state govt, now that the ball is in their court, what is the Selangor government going to do? I know Mak will not just let it go away…many others will wish he does.

      PERSEVERE MAK!

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