By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 18: The Sarawak government has identified the townhouse housing project at Jalan Deshon in Sibu as one of the most critically ‘sick’ projects in the State.
According to a TVS news report, Sarawak Deputy Minister of Local Government, Housing, and Public Health, Datuk Michael Tiang, said that his ministry is managing the process to officially declare the project as ‘sick’ or abandoned under the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Ordinance 2013 and is currently awaiting final confirmation from the Sarawak Minister of Public Health, Housing, and Local Government, Datuk Amar Dr Sim Kui Hian.
He said that by doing so, it marks the starting point of the recovery process for the project, which has been stalled for over a decade.
Tiang also added that it opens the door for buyers to renegotiate with banks regarding the loan interest that continues to accumulate even though the houses are not yet completed.
“Once this project is officially declared abandoned or ‘sick’, buyers can apply for interest payment exemptions from their respective financial institutions. This is one of the earliest steps to ease their burden,” he said after visiting the project site today.
The housing project involves the construction of 80 townhouse units and was initially scheduled for completion in 2015. However, it only reached around 70 per cent completion before coming to a halt.
He stated that the development company involved was declared bankrupt by the Sibu High Court in 2022 and is now under the management of a liquidator, with the assistance of the Malaysian Department of Insolvency.
Tiang added that discussions will also be held with the landowners to explore ways to revive the abandoned project, including identifying a new qualified developer.
He also informed that several other projects categorised as ‘sick projects’ are being closely monitored by the ministry, and the State government will continue to go on-site to assess the real situation on the ground.
“Our commitment is clear—the welfare of the buyers must come first. We don’t want them to remain trapped in a situation with no resolution,” he said. — DayakDaily
