The hill-slope housing project in Paya Terubong caused mudflow to the houses nearby.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) has issued a stop work order on a hill-slope housing project in Paya Terubong with immediate effect.

The construction site behind the residential area in Lebuh Rambai 6, has been the cause of mudflow to the houses nearby.

MPPP said the notice was handed over to the developer and architect yesterday .

The developer is required to carry out mitigation work to prevent such incidents from recurring by cleaning up the affected roads and its surroundings as well as proposing new ways in tackling the mudflow.

MPPP also ordered the developer to make sure the construction site would not cause any harm to the residents.

“They (the developer) must meet with the residents to identify the houses affected by mudflow and give them compensation on the cleaning works,” MPPP said in a statement.

The council added that the developer would have to clean up the muddy roads, carry out mitigation by covering the exposed slopes and prepare more sediment ponds and drains.

It was reported that residents of Taman Lau Geok Swee, situated in front of the construction site, were fed up with the tedious work of washing mud from their porches every time there is a downpour.

A resident who gave her name only as Chin, claimed that the mudflow incidents started about two years ago after work at the construction site took off.

When contacted, Paya Terubong assemblyman Yeoh Soon Hin said he was glad that MPPP had taken immediate action.

Source: StarProperty.my

Taman Lembah Permai, a luxury residential development by Welcome Development Sdn. Bhd., located off Jalan Song Ban Kheng in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. This is a gated and guarded housing scheme comprises 103 units of 3-storey zero-lot and 84 units of 3-storey bungalows.

With the Auto-City and the Juru toll just 4km away and also a 10 minute drive from the Penang Bridge, Taman Lembah Permai is within close proximity to various other housing communities, shopping, eateries, schools and many other key destinations.

Property Project : Taman Lembah Permai (Serene Homes)
Location : Bukit Mertajam, Penang
Property Type : Zero-lot & Bungalows
Land Area: 3,400 sq.ft. (40″ x 85″) onwards
Built-up Area: 3,500 sq.ft. (26″ x 47″) onwards
Tenure : Freehold
Total Units : 103 (Zero-lot), 84 (Bungalow)
Indicative Price: RM888,000 onwards
Developer : Welcome Development Sdn. Bhd.
Contact No: +604-351 3813

Location Map:

Teoh said the RM30mil building plan was unanimously passed and endorsed in a full council meeting.

THE Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP) has given the necessary clearance for the construction of the Jit Sin High School Bukit Mertajam’s branch school in Valdor, south Seberang Prai.

Municipal councillor Teoh Seang Hooi said the RM30mil building plan was unanimously passed and endorsed in a full council meeting at the MPSP headquarters in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam, recently.

“The council’s One-Stop Centre (OSC) had on May 8 given its preliminary approval to the project’s building plan after receiving the application on March 14.

“This was carried out through a fast-track approval that took less than two months to process,” he told reporters after council president Maimunah Mohd Sharif chaired the full council meeting.

He said the project developer could start construction any time as it was given three years to complete the project, noting that in most cases, it could be completed in two years.

Teoh said the school project in Jalan Valdor, would feature five main structures — three four-storey buildings, a five-storey building and an eight-storey building.

“There will be a total of 63 classrooms, 14 science labs, a multipurpose hall, a co-curriculum room, library and administration office.

“There will also be a separate courts for basketball, netball, tennis and handball as well as a football field,” he said.

Teoh said the council would closely monitor the project’s construction work to ensure necessary safety measures were taken to protect those living in the neighbouring area.

Source: StarProperty.my

SP Setia Bhd Group’s annual ‘Setia 4U Showcase’ is back at Gurney Plaza, Penang.

The four-day exhibition, at the mall’s atrium, opened yesterday and will be on from 10am to 10pm daily until Sunday.

Visitors and investors flocked to the expo to find out more about the developer’s prime projects in the northern, central and southern regions of the country, as well as those in Singapore, United Kingdom and Australia.

SP Setia North general manager Khoo Teck Chong said the property featured at the roadshow focused on the developer’s top Penang projects, including the luxurious V Residences condominiums on Gurney Drive and Sky Vista in Relau.

He said SP Setia roadshows offered the best deals and easy ownership packages for its projects.

He said more than 50% of the V Residences Tower A units had been sold while Tower B would be launched soon.

“Tower B comprises units measuring between 1,300 and 1,800 sq ft. They have both city and shoreline view options.

“At less than RM2mil (per unit), the units are for those who want to live on Gurney Drive but do not require a big space,” Khoo said at the opening of the showcase.

He said the project, to be completed by 2016, had attracted both local and foreign purchasers.

Sky Vista, a mid-range condominium, with units priced between RM500 and RM600 per sq ft, comprises two blocks totalling 426 units and separated by a sky bridge.

“There are 10 units per floor with a built-up area of between 900 and 1,500 sq ft. Sky Vista are premium homes sold at mid-range prices.

“We took into account that when people move in, they will want things like air conditioning and water heaters already in place so that there’s no need to re-do the piping layout,” Khoo said.

Slated for launching in October and November respectively, V Residences’ Tower B and Sky Vista are both open for registration and will be ready in three years. Both are freehold projects.

The roadshow will move to Johor next where it will be held on July 5 to 7 and after that to the Klang Valley (Aug 16-17).

Source: StarProperty.my

The short answer is: No, you don’t need a lawyer when you do a property transaction.

Everything about conveyancing is spelt out in the National Land Code 1965, Stamp Act 1949, Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966, Strata Titles Act 1985, Banking and Financial Institutions Act 1989, and a few other statutes related to buying and selling of properties. Let us not forget Contract Act 1950, lest you will not be able to draft a proper Sale & Purchase Agreement for the transaction of a property in the secondary market.

There are also those who make a living by doing all the work a conveyancing lawyer does. In some parts of Malaysia, not even that far off from the Klang Valley, I know of these runners. They make a living out of helping people to register their registration documents at the land office. All for a fee, of course. They even have a Bahasa Malaysia term for this service which is called potong nama (canceling of names).

These runners charge way below the market price unlike lawyers who are bound by the Legal Profession Act 1974 when it comes to such conveyancing matters. Conveyancing lawyers are also subject to a set of fees they cannot divert from when they charge their clients.

I have helped a few of my clients who hired these so-called runners but later found problems in the matter they have entrusted these runners with however.

You can also get some help understanding the laws involved by checking out my books 40 Questions You Should Ask Your Lawyer Before Buying A Residential Property in Malaysiaand 40 More Questions You Should Ask Your Lawyer Before Buying A Residential Property in Malaysia.

I have been told that my books have revealed secrets held for so long by lawyers. A friend, who is a lawyer, told me about one of his clients who brought my book to him and used it as a reference to counter what my lawyer friend had advised.

Unluckily for the client, my lawyer friend was one of the persons who gave a testimonial for my book. The client finally agreed to take my friend’s advice as he was impressed with my lawyer friend as someone who gave a testimony for one of my books.

The point here is anyone can learn how to do conveyancing on his or her own. You need the basic knowledge and voila! You are set to fill up forms, file them, pay up the requisite fees and make sure everything is in order.

Unlike runners, however, lawyers endeavour to ensure you have the best protection under the law in your transaction. A lawyer needs to weigh all the worst case scenarios when he is advising a client.

A lawyer has to understand and justify each clause of the agreement so that they will not be questioned in a court of law. This is true even for the so-called ‘standard’ Sale & Purchase Agreement found in the schedules of Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act 1966.
To compare, in an internet world full with knowledge and knowhow, people still need a doctor when it comes to treating a disease. There are self-appointed armchair doctors who try to diagnose and treat their own maladies. Some may find that this method works and some may not be so lucky. Some will finally acknowledge they need a real doctor in treating their ailments.

There is no hard science in drafting sale & purchase agreements or performing the tasks set out by these agreements as terms and conditions in it are not empirical in nature.

Clients are also protected by indemnity insurance if any claim of negligence or unsatisfactory work is filed and found to be justified.

A lawyer is also subject to disciplinary action by the Malaysian Bar, the body governing lawyers in West Malaysia or Sabah Law Association or Advocates’ Association of Sarawak for breach of any rules by lawyers in Sabah or Sarawak, respectively.

That is why, in answering the question I set out to answer in the first place, ultimately, it helps to have a lawyer in property transaction but choose a good one to get your money’s worth.

Khairul Anuar bin Shaharudin is a lawyer and author of books related to property law. He can be found on his Facebook page www.Facebook.com/AskTheLawyer.

Source: StarProperty.my