Owners of units in shopping mall seek SUPP help to get individual strata titles

Yap (second left) meeting the members of the Association.

KUCHING, August 16: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Public Complaints Bureau (PCB) has made an appeal to Land and Survey Department to expedite the issuance of individual strata titles to units within a shopping mall in Kuching as owners have been waiting for six years.

SUPP PCB chief Wilfred Yap was recently approached by members of an association, who were purchasers of 73 commercial units in the shopping mall, seeking assistance as their individual subsidiary strata titles to the units have not been issued after a period of six years.

According to the members of the Association, the shopping mall project was completed and occupation permits were issued in 2013 while vacant possession of their properties had been delivered to them.

“This is despite Section 17(1) of the Strata Titles Ordinance 1995 which provides that application for the issue of separate subsidiary titles should be made within six months after the issuance of occupation permit,” he explained in a press release today.

Without the issuance of the individual strata titles, the members stressed that a Management Corporation comprising owners of units in the shopping mall cannot be formed.

“Many of the affected members were unable to secure tenants for their units and many tenants have also vacated prematurely because of the low customer crowd to the shopping mall,” he said.

“Some members are facing financial difficulties to service their bank loans without the benefit of tenants,” he pointed out.

He added that the members believe that they will be able to contribute positively with ideas and suggestion through a Management Corporation in the maintenance and management of the shopping mall building to boost popularity and attract more customers and visitors.

The letter has also been copied to Chief Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg and Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Sim Kui Hian, for their assistance on the matter.

SUPP PCB is always ready to highlight to the relevant authorities and lend a helping hand to anyone or association facing problems or who come across problems of public interest but does not know how to deal with it.

Anyone requiring assistance can always call SUPP Public Complaint’s mobile number at 016-7797688 or 082-246999 or go direct to SUPP Head Office to request for assistance.— DayakDaily