By Neil Brian Joseph
Gardens Bundusan homebuyers seek help of new govt
KOTA KINABALU: The 500 homebuyers of the Gardens Bundusan, who have been left in the dark for 18 months due to an Occupancy Certificate (OC) fiasco, are now turning to the new state government for help.
They expressed their hope that Chief Minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal and Penampang member of parliament Darell Leiking would look into their plight.
Prior to the fiasco, Marvelgold Development Sdn Bhd claimed to develop and construct the Gardens in accordance with approved development plans, duly approved by all the relevant local and state authorities.
“Without such approved plans, construction could not have even started.
The developer had completed the construction and their architect had issued the certificate of practical completion and therefore had been applying for the Occupancy Certificate since November 2016,” Eppe Charles Constantine, a spokesperson for the disgruntled homebuyers said when met at a press conference on Tuesday.
“However, there is a dispute over the road matter leading to the Gardens. We as the buyers would like to see all relevant parties discuss amicably the road matters with the presence of the Housing Controller and Penampang District Council,” he added.
It is understood that, as of now, there is no proper road access to Gardens and therefore none of the 500 homebuyers could move in yet.
“If the requirements of obtaining the OC is to be through Taman Mahkota, then Marvelgold Development Sdn Bhd as the developer must fulfill the requirements and cooperate with City Hall in ensuring the road completion within the stipulated time.
“In the meantime, we also suggest that the Marvelgold Development Sdn Bhd’s appointed architect to amend the development plan to include the Taman Formosa Road Reserve as access in order to get temporary road access to obtain the OC,” Eppe said.
The homebuyers had also expressed their hope that both roads may be utilized to ease the anticipated traffic congestion.
They suggested that Marvelgold Development should approach the neighbouring developer to hold a peaceful discussion about obtaining a temporary access through Taman Formosa, concurrently with the construction access through Taman Mahkota.
Eppe added that the previous local government and the housing controller under the Barisan Nasional ruling had only stood as ‘unconcerned bystanders’.
“We have been suffering so much injustice without anyone daring to give us a helping hand under the former BN government,” he said.
Eppe further described the current appeal as their last shot as some of them may be in danger of default in their bank loans or even face the possibility of bankruptcy.
“We, the 500 buyers have emptied our savings to buy the condominium as our home for our children, we have borrowed loans from banks, we have been paying the installments and interest to the banks and we still cannot move in,” Eppe said.