KUALA LUMPUR, July 29 — The Housing and Local Government Ministry will set up a committee to study a legal loophole where the architect of a development project is able to issue its Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC)

Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the committee will work to ensure any problems resulting from the loophole will not arise in the future.

“Prior to the CCC, it was called the Certificate of Fitness and was issued by the local authority.

“But some time in 2008 legal amendments were made which changed it to CCC, and which architects as a professional entity could issue it,” she said during a meeting with the residents of the 1Malaysia Civil Servants Housing Project in Bukit Jalil.

Along with the project’s developer Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd, and representatives from various government agencies, Zuraida chaired the four-hour meeting to determine the residents complaints.

They allege that since moving several months before, structural defects have been found in some of the units and that there has been no mention of the units’ Sales And Purchase Agreement until now. 

In turn, she announced another committee has been formed to look into the residents’ grouses and to see its seriousness.

“The committee will consist of individuals from the developer, the residents and agencies’ representatives,

“Within a month the Institution of Engineers Malaysia and the Public Works Department will do proper checks on the units to see if the problems have been rectified,” Zuraida said.

Following this a report will be submitted to the ministry covering both the issues and the proposed remedies, which will be looked into.

“The developer has also been given a three-month period to address the complaints of the residents, which they have consented to,” she said.

Despite the project completing 17 months ahead of schedule with a 25 per cent occupancy rate, Zuraida discouraged the other tenants who have already taken up the lease from moving in.

“I would advise the other tenants from moving in for at least one month from now, so that the issues can be resolved as quickly and efficiently as possible,” she said.