KUCHING, Sept 20: The state government will be tabling a bill to amend the Strata Titles Ordinance 1995 in the coming State Legislative Assembly (DUN) sitting in November to streamline issues of land scarcity in urban areas.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg revealed that developers in the state have been facing issues of not enough land for development, and had sought help from the state government to resolve the issue.
Abang Johari said the proposed amendment bill came about from the lab set up by the Ministry of Housing together with Ministry of Urban Development and Natural Resources to find ways for developers, especially members of the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda), to mitigate the rising cost of development and land scarcity.
“We have a broad view of how to assist the developers, while at the same time to make sure that the costs are being mitigated while able to meet the market demand which is currently quite soft,” he explained
“As a result of that lab, we are looking into one pertinent issue that is the Strata Titles Ordinance 1995. A proposal (to amend the ordinance) has been submitted to us (state government) and we will table it in the cabinet,” he said.
“We hope that we would be able to introduce the new amended Strata Titles Ordinance in the coming DUN sitting in November,” he revealed while delivering his speech at the opening of Sheda Property Expo 2019 at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) here this afternoon.
Abang Johari hoped that once the amendment bill has been introduced and implemented, it would be able to streamline the issues faced by local developers in the state particularly in constructing high rise buildings and their management.
Another issue raised by Sheda was on changing the titles of some native land to Mixed Zone in which Abang Johari said to let there be a mix of Native land and Mixed Zone.
“In certain areas where it is necessary to convert to Mixed Zone, we will convert. But in other pockets, we have to maintain the status as Native area because as you know the market will be affected,” he explained.
Abang Johari however assured Sheda that the state government has identified some lands that could be converted to Mixed Zone which were located along Kuching-Bau, Kuching-Serian and Kuching-Lundu.— DayakDaily
