GEORGE TOWN: A group of shop owners of Prangin Mall are crying foul over the developer’s failure to issue them with strata titles over the past 12 years.

Prangin Mall Joint Body Management chairperson Terri Yeoh Mooi Sim said the shop owners had suffered great losses as the market value for the 611 shoplots at the mall were all devalued.

“The developer Gerak Unggul Sdn Bhd did not apply for the strata titles from the land office under the Strata Titles Act 1985.”

She added that under the Act, the developer has to apply for the strata titles within six months of the certificate of fitness being issued.

“Without strata titles, we are facing a lot of problems. For example, an owner who bought a unit for RM200,000 in 2000, can only sell the unit for RM80,000 according to market prices three months ago.”

Yeoh was speaking to reporters at a press conference held at the mall in Jalan Lim Chwee Leong here yesterday.

Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik, who was also present, said that the problem started when Prangin Mall land was sold to a company in 1994.

“But the Lebuh Lintang stretch leading to Jalan Lim Chwee Leong in between the mall was not sold so this means the road still belongs to the state government.

“The mall technically ‘belongs’ to two owners, and this is the reason why the strata titles cannot be issued to the shop owners,” he said.

Prangin Mall opened for business in 2001.

Source: The Star