TAWAU: More than 1,000 buyers of the Taman Residensi Ranggu PR1MA Tawau housing project here are still unable to occupy their homes even though they have been paying the bank instalments the past five years.
The housing programme to assist first or second home buyers who are Malaysians in the middle income bracket ranging from RM2,500 to RM15,000 (single or joint income) was introduced by the Barisan Nasional Federal Government.
One of the buyers, Alfian Wahid, said they were burdened by having to rent elsewhere while at the same time pay the house instalments through salary deductions since 2017.
The buyers who are mostly civil servants and pensioners hope the issue can be resolved soon.
“According to a report from the developer, the occupancy issue is to be resolved at the end of this month (November) but until now there is no sign of us receiving the keys.
“We want to voice our frustration because some of us have to pay rentals all this while,” he said, at a demonstration at the entrance to the project.
Another buyer, Addulisin Saruddin, a former Defence Ministry staff, said he bought the PR1MA house in preparation for retirement in 2020 to live with his family.
However, almost two years later nothing had changed as had been the case since 2017.
“I cannot accept the developer’s excuse because the problem is almost same as the housing estates nearby. Yet those buyers have been living in their homes for a long time,” he said.
Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk Nizam Abu Bakar Titingan, promised to look into speeding up the certificate of occupancy.
According to him, the certificate has not been issued yet by the local authority (PBT) due to basic requirements still not having been met by the developer.
“I was informed water supply is the main issue and that the PBT could not issue the certificate of eligibility to occupy the houses,” he said.
Nizam said the Government has already built a pumping station and the water reservoir tank in the Southwest and Jalan Mariano which was built by the Sabah State Water Department (JANS) is also almost ready.
Therefore, the Tawau Municipal Council (MPT) would be told to re-inspect the water reservoir tank.
“I will ask the MPT to issue a certificate of occupancy, if the water reservoir tank is fully completed,” he said.
