Legal action against those who submit false information to get public housing

GEORGE TOWN: Those who furnish false information to secure public housing units are liable to face legal action.

Penang Housing and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh (pix) said those who purchase such units have to sign a statutory declaration (SD).

He said the SD stipulates that those who provide false information have violated three sections of the Penal Code.

He said this was punishable with a term of imprisonment which may extend to three years and shall also be liable to a fine.

"These applicants will allow the state government to repossess the unit if they failed to follow the terms in the SD," he said in a press conference today.

Parti Cinta Malasyia (PCM) vice president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan had raised the issue of those who were ineligible managing to get such units in a press conference on Thursday.

Jagdeep said such abuse was intolerable and urged those with information to contact the state authorities.

"I have requested the State Legal Advisor to furnish me with a legal opinion as to our legal rights and powers against such suspected individuals," he added.

Jagdeep also said the issue of those who are not eligible for affordable housing but still managed to obtain units was not limited to Penang but other states too.

He said he has written to the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry to introduce measures to address the matter in March but there was no response yet.

"I urge and call upon the federal government to urgently convene a meeting with all State Housing Excos and Ministers so that this issue can be addressed," he added.

On the issue of units being rented out to large numbers of foreign workers, Jagdeep said the State Legal Advisor has advised that action could be taken under the Local Government Act 1976.

Section 79 of the Act defines a house to be overcrowded "if it or any room is found to be inhabited in excess of the proportion of one adult to every three hundred and fifty cubit feet of clear internal space".

The provision is read together with Section 78 which provides for a maximum six-month prison sentence, a maximum RM2,000 fine and a further maximum RM100 fine per day for each day the offence continues after conviction.

"In such circumstances, those who are aware of such cases are advised to forward their complaints to the local authority for further action," he added.