43 housebuyers in Simpang Ampat finally get keys to home

NIBONG TEBAL: Forty-three housebuyers of the Taman Murai Jaya phase two project in Simpang Ampat here are relieved that their occupancy certificate (OC) was finally issued by the Seberang Perai Municipal Council (MPSP) on June 20.
Goh Lie Kim, 61, said she had been waiting for this moment for almost 10 years as she bought her bungalow, costing RM288,000, at the end of 2006.
She said her family was depressed when the developer was declared bankrupt and the whole project failed to obtain the OC as the developer did not build the low-cost houses as required by the Penang government.
"My family was unable to move in and we still had to continue paying the housing installment over the years. Finally, we are happy to know the OC has been obtained and we can receive our house keys soon," she told theSun after the ceremony to hand over the OC in Taman Murai Jaya today.
Under phase two, the developer was to build 24 semi-detached houses, 19 terrace houses and 56 low-cost houses in 2007.
However, the project was abandoned when the developer was declared bankrupt in 2008.
Another housebuyer, Alvin Tan Yew Koua, 40, said their houses were about 80% completed when the project was abandoned in 2008.
"Finally we can get our house keys from next week," he said.
Earlier at the ceremony, Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said to settle the abandoned housing project, the state government decided to relax the requirements for the developer to build 56 unit of low-cost houses.
Tentuan WMS Associates, which was appointed by Malaysia Building Society Berhad (MBSB) as the receiver and manager, had only to complete work on the uncompleted houses and agreed to hand over 0.3ha of land to the state government to build the 56 low-cost houses.
Lim said WMS Associate's initiative was a good example to other developers in the state.