Buyers thank Mayor, Daily Express for Occupancy Certificate
Published on: Saturday, March 16, 2024
By: David Thien
Sabin (third left) handing over the OC to Chan.
Kota Kinabalu: The buyers of One Jesselton Condominium heaved a sigh of relief, Friday, when developer Bina Puri Properties Sdn Bhd was presented the Occupancy Certificate by Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Haji Sabin Samitah.
It ended nine years of suffering over a technicality which was not the buyers’ fault but which the Mayor’s predecessors could never solve for reasons unknown.
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The 125-units project near Queen Elizabeth Hospital 1 and the Kepayan LPPB Low-Cost Housing started in 2015, according to Chan Jiunn Liang and its architect Ar. Kong Wing Dat.
The Building Plan for the One Block of 11-Storey Condominium with Subsidiary Titles to be applied for on Town Lease No. 017544777 at Jalan Banjaran, Kepayan, was submitted by Ar. Kong Wing Dat of Arkitek W.D. Kong in November 2013, and the buyers expected to have their units handed over to them in 2018.
Some unit owners have passed on and the buyers were forced to rent outside, incurring unnecessary financial constraints while serving the bank loans.
They also thanked Daily Express for helping in their plight. Binapuri was represented by Senior Contract Manager Chan Jiunn Liang. Also present were Ar. Kong, DBKK Director General Junainah Abbie, DBKK Deputy Director General of Planning and Development Abdul Manaf Rajikan, DBKK Building Director Kalvin Liaw and DBKK Planning Director Tantinny Fung, besides other consultants.
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Sabin urged professionals involved in projects in the city to always liaise closely with DBKK from the early stage till completion, in compliance with the approved development or building plans and the Building By-Law 1951.
“This is to avert any complications as to the issuance of the OC upon completion. DBKK has the right to inspect any projects approved by it, so it will be better that all consultants work closely with DBKK during the construction period to ensure prompt application and issuance of OC.”
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Sabin also said DBKK is looking at the relevant laws on the adoption of the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) under the Uniform Building By-Law (UBBL) 2022 to replace the OC process that Shareda President Datuk Chua Soon Ping has campaigned for.
Deputy Controller of Housing Stanley Chong Hon Chung mediated at a meeting on Feb 6, 2024 to solve the OC issue between the buyers, developer, consultants and DBKK’s Department of Building Control and its Legal Department representatives.
A spokesman for the buyers, Kalvin Liaw, said: “Thank you to Daily Express for such an example of effective journalism where the plight of the underdogs is addressed.
“We appreciate your contribution in expediting the issuance of OC for One Jesselton.”
Daily Express highlighted that the issuance of OC hinged over the impasse pertaining to the ceiling height at the car park entrance which was resolved following mediation by the Deputy Housing Controller.
It was not the first time that the Daily Express responded to help resolve such issues as a matter of public duty. It has a long history of being community service oriented and cooperating with the authorities and professionals to seek solutions as also evidenced the 1Sulaman Condominium and The Gardens projects, among others.
Residents in these affected housing also credited the authorities, professionals and Daily Express for ending their nightmares.
Lately, buyers of the abandoned StarCity and the PacifiCity development projects also had their plight highlighted in the Daily Express.
However, Sabin had no new information to share on the PacifiCity project. Buyers wanted the State government to declare it as an abandoned project to facilitate a white knight rescue effort.
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