SPEEDING UP OCCUPATION PERMITS

DATUK Haji Daud Abdul Rahman (seated centre) with MPP Chairman Lo Khere Chiang (seated second left), and others having a photograph taken with the recipients of the Taman Hillside Matang Occupational Permits (OP) after the OP presentation ceremony yesterday.

 

KUCHING: All of the 315 of houses in Taman Hillside are expecting to receive the Occupational Permit (OP) by next year after waiting for 10 years since 2004.

Assistant Minister of Infra-structure Development Datuk Haji Daud Abdul Rahman said that the government will work harder to ensure that all of the residents in Taman Hillside will receive the OP.

“Today, 61 of the houses have received the OP while the rest, we are still working for it and hopefully we will be able to settle this long awaited episode soon.

“We will try our best to speed up the process and continue to work closely with the local authorities as we want all of the residents in the area to be happy,” said Daud to the media after attending the First Level of Occupational Permit Handing Over of Taman Hillside houses ceremony held at Sinar Serapi Eco Theme Park here yesterday.

Daud also said that even though the OP for the houses in this park had not being issued, the buyers were able to stay at the house while waiting for the OP.

When asked to comment regarding the legal extension that had been done by the residents, Daud said, for houses that had been doing serious extension and causing weakness to the building structure, they would be urged to demolish the extended structures for safety causes.

This kind of extension also, he said, will delay the issuing of OP to their houses; however for the minor extension, we will consider but still need to fulfil the safety aspect as well.

Daud, who also Tupong assemblyman, said this was seriously taken into concern to avoid any blame to be put on local authorities, stating that this area was under the responsibility of Padawan Municipal Council (MPP).

He said, so far, no serious action had been taken against the developer who had failed to comply with the law because it would involve long legal action.

As long as this problem is able to be settled, said Daud, no legal action will be taken but they needed to learn from this lesson in the future and ensured that it would never be repeated.

MPP had written to the developer for the Taman Hillside in November 2004 advising them on the offence to occupy a building without permit and the offence of letting out and sell unauthorised building.

Unfortunately the developer had failed to adhere to the council’s advice and continued to allow the purchasers to occupy the houses even when the developer was aware of the fact that no OP had been issued.

Since 2004 and after a few dialogue sessions with the developer and the residents of Taman Hillside, finally this year, the Ministry of Local Government and Community Development had agreed for the council to issue OP to first batch of 61 units of terrace houses.

Also present at the ceremony yesterday was the Political Secretary to the Minister of Works Fazruddin Abdul Rahman and the Chairman of MPP Lo Khere Chiang.

Sarawak Tribune

Date Posted : Sunday 28-Dec-2014