Setia Alam house buyers sue developer, PKNS

SHAH ALAM: Ten house buyers in Setia Alam here, have filed a lawsuit against a housing developer and Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS).

Ruhani Baharum, 46, Tham Kok Pew, 53, Wan Mohd Wan Hashim Yusoff, 40, Mohd Nizam Abdul Rahman, 38, Hong Hong Chik, 41, Hing Aik Choong, 37, Ng Kim Thong, 45, Razmair Shah Abdul Razak, 37, Nordin Hisham Mohd Hanapiah, 46, and Ku Kean Thong, 45, filed the suit on Wednesday, through law firm S.Surendran  and  Co.

In their statement of claim, the plaintiffs said in 2010, Sazean Development Sdn Bhd initiated a residential development project on a 143-hectare freehold property known as Anjung Sari@ Bandar Setia Alam, owned by PKNS. 

They alleged that in 2010, they respectively entered into a sales and purchase agreement to buy a three-storey terrace house valued between RM548,888 and RM741,902.

They said a clause in the agreement stated that Sazean Development (first defendant) must provide vacant possession to the plaintiffs within 24 months from the date of the sales and purchase agreement.

The plaintiffs claimed they had not received vacant possession of their house, and Sazean Development's response to repeated queries was that the snag was due to PKNS' delay in giving the required approval.

According to the plaintiffs, they had paid nearly 95% of the purchase price of their house through bank loan to the first defendant.

The delay by Sazean Development in delivery of vacant possession was a breach of the terms in the sales and purchase agreement, they alleged.

The plaintiffs also claimed the first defendant's breach of the agreement was due to negligence, and PKNS' failure to ensure that the project was given to a reputable company with experience and financial standing, and able to complete it on schedule.

The actions of both the defendants, the plaintiffs claimed, had caused hardship as they could not reside in their dream home and consequently suffer losses as they were forced to pay rent while waiting to occupy it, or forego income from rental.

In this regard, the plaintiffs are seeking specific performance compelling Sazean Development to fulfil its obligations under the sales and purchase agreement.

Alternatively, should the first defendant fail to abide by the order, the plaintiffs want a declaration that PKNS together with Sazean Development must complete the project and deliver vacant possession of their homes in six months from the date of judgment, and bear the plaintiffs' losses incurred for rent and/or rental income opportunities.

The plaintiffs are also seeking a declaration that the two defendants were liable for liquidated ascertained damages, general damages, interest, costs and any other relief deemed fit by the court.

Meanwhile, Hong who acted as the plaintiffs' spokesman, told reporters that the action was taken as a last resort.

The writ of summons would be delivered to the two defendants Thursday. - Bernama

This is the default headline

KUALA LUMPUR: Property developer, GuocoLand (M) Bhd, is bullish on its flagship project, Damansara City, which will be launched by the first quarter of the year.

“We are very optimistic of a positive take-up rate,” said managing director Tan Lee Koon of the integrated development worth RM2.5bil in gross development value.

The project, comprising the high-rise luxurious “DC Residency”, office tower, an open street concept lifestyle mall and hotel, was likely to be fully completed within a 15-month period.

It would also coincide with the construction timeframe for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station being built next to Damansara City. Tan said the project would see its residential towers as the first component to be completed, within mid-2015.

“Sales for DC Residency will only start in the first quarter but we have already received tremendous queries and encouraging response from potential buyers.

“The most important thing is location and being the first mixed project in this sought-after area and with a supply limited, we are confident,” he told Bernama.

DC Residency comprises 370 units of contemporary designed homes – one bedroom to 3+1 bedroom units and penthouses.

For the mall and hotel, Tan said Guocoland planned to make the towers attractive to people staying in the neighbourhood, focusing on the food and beverages strategy, as well as, luxury lifestyle that comes with a five-star service. – Bernama

MCT to unveil RM3.6bil residential projects

MCT Consortium Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Tong Seech Wi. (Pix provided by MCT)

KUALA LUMPUR: MCT Consortium Bhd is set to launch RM3.6bil worth of affordable residential property projects in Subang Jaya and Cyberjaya.

Managing director Datuk Seri Tong Seech Wi (pic) said the landed property projects would be priced between RM500,000 and RM700,000 each. The other half would be serviced apartments priced up to RM500,000.

MCT Consortium’s current focus would be on affordable housing within this price range due to current soft commercial property outlook.

Tong was speaking to reporters after GW Plastics Holdings Bhd’s shareholders gave their approval for the reverse takeover by MCT Consortium at an EGM on Thursday.

He pointed out the projects would be carried out in phases and they would hinge on the market outlook for residential projects.

“Our strategy is to focus on long-term gain and not short-term,” he said about MCT Consortium which has a total gross development (GDV) of RM9.43bil of projects.

MCT Consortium will focus on the affordable market sector to deliver quality products in strategic locations such as Cyberjaya. 

“We are optimistic as demand for landed properties and products in the affordable market segment have been resilient, especially in the Greater KL area. Cyberjaya stands to benefit from improvements in accessibility and infrastructure, and our properties are located in close enough proximity to Putrajaya, KLIA and KLIA 2,” he said.

MCT Consortium chairman and co-founder, Tan Sri Barry Goh Ming Choon said the company, which started as a builder in 1999, has successfully transformed to become a property developer and asset owner. 

“The adjusted net assets of MCT Consortium stands at RM1.154bil while the market value of the real properties has been appraised by independent valuers at RM1.47bil,” it said.

MCT Consortium has leveraged on its modular construction technique and design-and-build capacities; and successfully completed five property development projects in USJ One Avenue and its flagship development, One City since 2004, totalling over RM1bil in GDV. Both of these projects are in USJ, Subang Jaya.

Of the RM9.43bil worth of projects, MCT Consortium completed projects with a total GDV of RM1.08bil spread over 16.2 acres in Subang Jaya, including USJ One Avenue and Park Residence @ USJ One Avenue.

Its on-going projects have a GDV of RM2.26bil covering 37.1 acres and future projects with a GDV of RM6.09bil over 183.8 acres.

Tong said its OneCity development in USJ 25, Subang Jaya, had a GDV of RM4.227bil and is spread over 28 acres. It is an integrated mixed commercial and leisure development.

The Cyberjaya projects include the Lakefront @ Cyberjaya with a GDV of RM2.69bil and over 60 acres. The mixed development will have landed and high-rise residences amid a lake-front setting.

Sky-Park @ Cyberjaya has a GDV of RM1.09bil and the 11 acres site will have mixed resident, commercial and leisure development units. 

He said that the The Place @ Cyberjaya, with a GDV of RM239mil, is nearing completion. The project, which covers three acres, is a mixed residential and commercial development of office suites/ small office and home office towers and retails space.

Its CyberSouth project is in Dengkil with phase one having a GDV of RM994mil where there is a mixed development township covering 128 acres.

Its future phases in CyberSouth will cover 289 acres and there are plans for a mixed development including commercial and condominiums.

MCT Consortium set to launch RM3.6b residential projects. - The Star

IOI Prop’s Bandar Puteri Bangi hits 70% sales

BANGI: Phase 1 of IOI Properties Group Bhd’s RM4 billion Bandar Puteri Bangi township has achieved a take-up rate of 70% since its launch last weekend.

The first phase comprises Almyra Residence serviced apartments, The Terresse terraced houses and Kubica Square shop-offices. 

“[The residential properties within the township] will cater [to] the growing demand for affordable housing [following] the recent spike in property prices within the Klang Valley. [It] will fulfil the needs of first-time homebuyers, young professionals, singles, early nesters, upgraders and investors within the Kajang-Bangi-Semenyih area,” said the senior central marketing executive of IOI Properties Ling May Yuen.

The freehold mixed-use township development covers 370 acres (150ha) and is adjacent to the Putra Mahkota toll. It is expected to be completed over the next 8 to 10 years.

According to the senior sales and marketing manager of IOI Properties Mohd Ezuddin Samian, the development is strategically located between Kuala Lumpur and Seremban and is 30 minutes away from both cities. The township is accessible via the North South Expressway (NSE) and the Kajang Seremban Highway (Lekas).

Almyra Residence features 669 units of apartments spread across four blocks. Each block will have 25 to 30 storeys. There will be three types of apartments — three bedrooms two bathrooms; three bedrooms three bathrooms; and four bedrooms three bathrooms — with built-ups between 969 sq ft and 1,217 sq ft. The units have a ceiling height of 3.3m. Prices range from RM360,800 to RM707,800 and completion is scheduled for November 2017.

The Terresse comprises 111 units of 2-storey terraced houses with a built-up of 2,510 sq ft. Prices range from RM728,800 to RM1.35 million. The terraced houses are expected to be completed by November 2016.

Kubica Square comprises 116 units of 3- and 4-storey shop-offices. With built-ups ranging between 5,237 sq ft and 17,465 sq ft, units are priced between RM1.526 million and RM4.85 million. The shop-offices will have 1,045 public parking bays and are expected to be completed within 2½ years.

The township will offer amenities such as the ecoOasis Clubhouse and arenaOasis Parkland, which are expected to be ready in three years. Other amenities include the Bangi Gateway Shopping Complex, universities, commercial hubs, government agencies and hospitals. A Tesco hypermarket is also expected to be opened in the area in approximately two years.

Ling told The Edge Financial Daily in an email in December last year that the group has approximately 1,000 acres of land in Ayer Keroh, Melaka. It is to be built into a township in the future which will comprise commercial and residential developments with common facilities and amenities at a development cost of RM4 billion. 

Ezuddin said the group’s project in Sepang, known as Bandar Puteri Warisan, is expected to have two phases of its development completed within two years. This mixed-use development is located 5km from klia2 and 1km from the Salak Tinggi Express Rail Link.

The township is located 30 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur and Seremban. Photo by IOI Properties

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on January 16, 2015.

SP Setia's Precinct 11 new launches exceed expectations

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 13): SP Setia Bhd ( Financial Dashboard), the country's largest property company by market capitalisation, saw the launch of its 3-storey terrace houses dubbed "Caffra" fully taken up, as well as its 3-storey semi-detached Serrata homes 95% taken up, at Precinct 11, Setia Alam, Selangor within a day on Sunday.

Caffra offered 100 units, with a built-up of 2,330 sq ft and priced from RM783,000 per unit, while Serrata offered 44 units, with built-up of 2,800 sq ft and priced from RM1.13 million per unit.

"Response to the launch was overwhelming. Prospective buyers were seen lining up at Setia Alam Welcome Centre since Wednesday for the opportunity to book one of the 144 units released for sale," said SP Setia divisional general manager of property division (central) Tan Hon Lim in a statement today.

“The response from the market exceeded our expectations. This is a testament of the strong brand SP Setia has built based on our track record for the past 40 years,” he added.

Construction of the two projects have reached 50% completion, with full completion targeted by end of 2015.

Conceptualised in 2004, Setia Alam is a 4,000-acre township development, of which 2,550 acres and 791 acres are developed by SP Setia’s Bandar Setia Alam Sdn Bhd and Bandar Eco Setia Sdn Bhd, a joint-venture company with the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) and Great Eastern Life ( Financial Dashboard) under the development name of Setia Eco Park respectively. - The Edge Market

Illegal gated-and-guarded scheme raises residents’ ire

No permit: Teh (left) showing the illegal fence that was built between the two neighbourhoods in Taman Tasik Prima, Puchong.

LAKE Vista residents thought they had bought gated and guarded (G&G) property in Taman Tasik Prima, Puchong, but they have been told by the council that the guardhouse has to be torn down as it is illegal.

They aired their grouses at a dialogue, which was also attended by representatives from the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) and developer Symphony Life Berhad, at the Lake Vista playground on Sunday.

According to the council representative, MPSJ did not receive any application for a G&G scheme hence the guardhouse is illegal.

Lake Vista Residents Association (RA) president Phillip Teh said the development was advertised as a “single entry gated and guarded precinct”.

“This is also stated in the deed of mutual covenants.

“Why did we have to pay RM135 per month for management and security fees if the G&G is illegal in the first place?” he questioned.

The residents now pay RM60 per month for security fees.

Representatives from the developer told residents to write in to their legal department. 

Teh added that they hope to form one RA instead of two (Lake Vista and Cascadia).

Residents highlighted that they were not allowed to access their amenities freely as they have to register at the “second illegal guardhouse at Cascadia (the adjacent neighbourhood)”. 

“An illegal fence (between both neighbourhoods) was also built without permit and without notifying us and the developer,” he said. The Lake Vista RA claimed that the Cascadia RA built the fence.

Residents hope the council could step in and act as the middleman between the developer and property owners.

Developer reveals new phase of luxury development

Part of the larger picture: Tan with a rendering of Broadleaf Residences in Kota Kemuning. He says the company will be launching another residential development and two commercial developments in the area over the next five years.

KOTA KEMUNING in Shah Alam will be welcoming new luxury residential projects in the near future.

Developer BCB Bhd recently held a preview of its Broadleaf Residences project, the second phase of the company’s larger HomeTree development in Kota Kemuning. 

BCB executive director and general manager Sean Tan said the Broadleaf Residences project comprises 209 bungalow units.

He revealed that the new development is the second of five developments that will be built in the neighbourhood within the next five years.

“We will be coming up with another phase of residences and two commercial projects,” he said. 

He said that Broadleaf Residences is a luxury brand that will meet the demands of consumers who are looking for private bungalows. 

“There is a market for bungalows and a need for gated and guarded ones at that. This residential project is designed for privacy and for a better neighbourhood,” he said. 

Tan said that the new development is perfect for those between 40 and 45 with a family. 

Tan added that design played an important role during the planning stages of the new development. 

“We did not compromise on the design. It took us a year to be certain with the design for this place. The design of the homes and landscape was carefully thought out,” he said.

Broadleaf Residences will feature pedestrian walkways and cycling paths around the neighbourhood and open green spaces.

Residents will also be relax or mingle with one another in a two-storey clubhouse that will feature a gym, yoga room, and a lounge. 

The development’s landscaping will feature pocket gardens and stretches of linear parks linked by pathways that also connect the residences. Broadleaf Residences will have two entrances with guardhouses, separate exit and entry lanes for residents and visitors, and boom gates monitored by high-resolution CCTVs. 

Each home will be equipped with an alarm system along with a panic button. The residential area will also be surrounded by electric fencing. 

Broadleaf Residences is a leasehold development on a project site spread over 49.27acres. 

The project’s bungalows starting from RM2.7mil will feature five different designs with built up areas ranging from 4,942sq ft to 6,081sq ft. 

Each bungalow comes with either a six bedrooms of seven-bedroom layout with up to eight bathrooms. 

The homes will come with high-end electrical and sanitary fittings along with extra features such as rainwater harvesting systems and solar-powered hot water systems. 

The township of Kota Kemuning where Broadleaf Residences is located, is accessible via a network of major roads and highways, including the Shah Alam Highway, North-South Expressway, Kesas Highway and Federal Highway.

Broadleaf Residences is expected to complete in three years. 

For more information, go to bcbbhd.com.my. - The Star

New guidelines for hillside development

Selangor Mentri Besar Azmin Ali driving a tractor during the flag off the convoi heading to Kelantan for the post-flood clean up at the Selangor State office yesterday

THE Selangor government will introduce new and stricter guidelines for development projects in slope and hillside areas.

Mentri Besar Azmin Ali said the guidelines will be implemented in all local councils in the state.

“The recent floods in the east coast should serve as a lesson for us to learn from. 

“This is why we have decided to introduce the new guidelines for development projects on slopes and higher ground,” he said.

The guideline will also include requirements on the drainage and drain maintenance as well as the building of retention ponds in all new housing estates.

“We also want to ensure 30% of forest reserves in Selangor remain untouched,” he added.

The state’s legal advisors have also been asked to look at provisions in the law to ensure strict action is taken against those trespassing into forests and state land.

Azmin said this was to ensure that the deforestation which led to the landslides and floods in Gua Musang and Cameron Highlands did not occur in Selangor.

“The committee was just formed this morning and once the guidelines are ready, the state exco will scrutinise so it can be implemented immediately at all local councils as soon as possible,” he said after flagging off a convoy of local council staff from Selangor at the Selangor state secretariat yesterday.

All 12 local councils have sent 304 officers as well as 180 Penggerak Belia Tempatan to help clean up the disaster hit areas in Kelantan.

The teams will go to nine districts in batches until Jan 12.

A total of RM5mil has also been raised from state subsidiaries as well as corporations to rebuild homes that have been destroyed.

The Federal Government has also asked Selangor to assist in post-flood relief assistance in Pahang as well. - The Star

Developer unveils large luxury villas in Sungai Buloh

New addition: A rendering of the Park Manor development located in the award-winning Sierramas residential estate.

TAN & Tan Developments Bhd recently announced the launch of its family-focused development called Park Manor. 

Located in the award-winning Sierramas residential estate in Sungai Buloh, Selangor, Park Manor comprises 41 villas provide residents a private urban oasis nestled among lush greenery and beautifully landscaped gardens. 

These homes are the largest that Tan & Tan has built in Sierramas. 

Designed to accommodate today’s modern family and their evolving needs, Park Manor offers elegant five to six bedrooms, three storey family homes with built up areas of between 5,000 sq ft and 7,000 sq ft. Buyers have the option to pick three designs, each benefiting from generous and well-proportioned living, dining and kitchen areas on the ground floor, as well as spacious bedrooms with en suite bathrooms upstairs. 

Additionally, each upper floor boasts ample common areas that can be used as family or hobby rooms.

A home that accommodates the whole family, each villa also has an annex, which is wheelchair accessible from the main house, containing the guest or parent’s suite. With a covered porch for three to four cars and a home lift within the villa to facilitate travel between the three floors, Park Manor caters to the varied and evolving needs of today’s modern family.

Tan & Tan head of sales and marketing Fern Chong said, “Park Manor is the latest addition to the exclusive Sierramas community, offering residents large family sized homes in a gated and guarded development. With direct access to the city, close proximity to a wide range of amenities, and with selling prices ranging from RM4mil to RM5.2mil, we expect to see strong interest from local buyers and residents in the Sungai Buloh vicinity.” 

Park Manor features a design concept rooted in sustainability. In addition to each unit having its own water harvesting system for the irrigation of their private garden, each villa benefits from bright, natural lighting as well as ventilation, allowing for a comfortable living space and lower energy consumption.

Complementing the greenery and private meandering foot paths, are common facilities for residents to enjoy. These include a beautifully landscaped jogging path, a clubhouse, children’s wading pool, as well as an infinity edge lap pool and lounge deck.

The Park Manor show house is open from 10am to 5pm daily.

For enquiries, call 017-3612266 or 017-3572266. - The Star