‘The people deserve certainty'
State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said an action plan will strengthen approval policies and regulatory controls over new developments to ensure they are well managed with 'past mistakes not repeated'.
'The people deserve certainty, not indefinite waiting,' he said on the abandoned commercial projects in Johor.
Mohd Jafni said several abandoned residential and commercial projects have been taken over by local developers, adding that they included the apartment and commercial development in Greenland in front of Istana Bukit Serene.
'The Skudai Parade shopping complex is also undergoing redevelopment under new ownership.'
On the stalled Waterfront City Mall project, also known as Lot 1 building, he said the challenges were significant as it involved 354 individual owners.
'There is a lack of unity among the owners, making it difficult to reach a consensus or solution, which is further complicated due to the project having been abandoned for over 20 years with the building officially closed since 2003.
'The structure has deteriorated severely and is now considered a derelict site,' he added.
The exco member said despite many discussions over the years, there was no deal clinched and no company has been willing to take over or rehabilitate the building due to the high risks and complications involved.
On a brighter note, Mohd Jafni said 15 problematic housing projects have been revived, involving 3,265 housing units with a total value exceeding RM752mil as of June.
All the housing projects have been granted with Certificate of Completion and Compliance or Certificate of Fitness for Occupation.
In SEREMBAN, state transportation, housing and local government committee chairman J. Arul Kumar said 57 sites have been classified as brownfield areas in Negri Sembilan.
These included projects which were not completed or abandoned with previous occupiers having moved out.
He said Seremban topped the list with 22, followed by Rembau (nine), Port Dickson (eight), Jempol (seven), Kuala Pilah (six), Tampin (three) and Jelebu (two).
'Together with PLANMalaysia, we have come up with an action plan to see how best we can rehabilitate these sites, many of which have become an eye sore,' he added.
Arul said the authorities had problems rehabilitating certain abandoned projects as the owners were not cooperative.
Citing an example, he said owners would pay the quit rent on an abandoned project as failure to do so can lead to the state seizing the property.
However, they defaulted on assessment payments for years as there was no provision in state laws allowing seizure of properties under such circumstances, he added.
The exco member said once the proposed Urban Renewal Act was approved and enforced, a simple majority of owners could approve the redevelopment of an abandoned project.
He said abandoned projects on government-owned land such as in Gemas and Kuala Pilah were easier to resolve for redevelopment.
Arul said a building in Seremban city centre was being redeveloped to feature a hotel with over 170 rooms and suites, with its opening set for the year-end.
In KLANG, the stalled 28-storey Boss Service Suites is not only an eyesore but also poses a danger to those living nearby.
Resident Norliza Ismail said the building looked as if it could collapse and come crashing down on houses in the Padang Jawa neighbourhood that lies behind the massive structure.
'The design itself is creepy as it is a bottleneck structure with a wide top.
'I think a small tremor could bring it crashing down,' said Norliza who lives in the area.
She said the local authority must cordon off the building to prevent anyone going near it.
'The developer that built the structure must take responsibility and get another company to complete the construction or tear it down,' she said.
Restaurant manager D. Siva also said the presence of the building at the entrance to Klang city is an eyesore.
'For me, it is like a big hex hanging over Klang.
'Amidst all the beautification and landscaping initiatives, this white elephant is casting a dark shadow over the city.'
Siva urged the Klang Royal City Council (MBDK) to do something to shield those going in and out of Klang from the structure.
'MBDK should either order that the abandoned building be demolished or get the developer to sell it off,' he said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
5 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Johor exco: Revoke licences of car wash centres serving only Singaporean vehicles
JOHOR BARU: Local authorities have been urged to revoke the business licences of car wash centres in the state that cater exclusively to foreigners. Johor housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said the state took the matter seriously following viral claims on social media alleging that a car wash centre in the district only accepted vehicles from Singapore. He said the municipal councils would be instructed to investigate the matter and take firm action if the practice continued. "If someone is doing business in Johor but doesn't prioritise the people of Johor, and is only thinking about making huge profits, the local councils will take action to revoke the licence if this continues. "I wish to warn this car wash operator who only allows Singaporean vehicles to be washed at his premises, I will instruct the council to cancel his licence," he told reporters at the closing ceremony of the Johor Property Expo (JPEX) 2025 at Angsana Johor Baru Mall today. Mohd Jafni also issued a warning to all traders in the state who prioritise large profits without considering the needs of locals. "I wish to remind these business operators not to focus solely on making money by prioritising foreigners. "Yes, we understand they want to maximise profits, but they also have to understand their corporate social responsibility (CSR). "It's just like with the Johor Affordable Housing Scheme, we want developers to profit, but at the same time they must fulfil their CSR obligations by building affordable homes so that Johoreans do not feel left behind by rising costs of goods and property," he said. Earlier, a video went viral on social media showing a car wash in the district accepting only Singapore-registered vehicles. The outlet, which is staffed by foreign workers, also turned away local customers wanting to have their car washed there, claiming all slots had been booked by customers from across the Causeway.
New Straits Times
6 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Revoke car wash licences of centres catering only to foreign vehicles
JOHOR BARU: Local authorities have been urged to revoke the business licences of car wash centres in the state that cater exclusively to foreigners. Johor housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said the state took the matter seriously following viral claims on social media alleging that a car wash centre in the district only accepted vehicles from Singapore. He said the municipal councils would be instructed to investigate the matter and take firm action if the practice continued. "If someone is doing business in Johor but doesn't prioritise the people of Johor, and is only thinking about making huge profits, the local councils will take action to revoke the licence if this continues. "I wish to warn this car wash operator who only allows Singaporean vehicles to be washed at his premises, I will instruct the council to cancel his licence," he told reporters at the closing ceremony of the Johor Property Expo (JPEX) 2025 at Angsana Johor Baru Mall today. Mohd Jafni also issued a warning to all traders in the state who prioritise large profits without considering the needs of locals. "I wish to remind these business operators not to focus solely on making money by prioritising foreigners. "Yes, we understand they want to maximise profits, but they also have to understand their corporate social responsibility (CSR). "It's just like with the Johor Affordable Housing Scheme, we want developers to profit, but at the same time they must fulfil their CSR obligations by building affordable homes so that Johoreans do not feel left behind by rising costs of goods and property," he said. Earlier, a video went viral on social media showing a car wash in the district accepting only Singapore-registered vehicles. The outlet, which is staffed by foreign workers, also turned away local customers wanting to have their car washed there, claiming all slots had been booked by customers from across the Causeway.
The Star
7 hours ago
- The Star
Singapore only car washes will get business licences revoked, says Johor govt
JOHOR BARU: Local authorities in Johor have been instructed to revoke the business licences of car wash operators who refuse to serve locals and cater only to foreign customers. State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said he viewed such behaviour seriously following viral social media posts alleging that a car wash outlet here was only serving vehicles from Singapore. He said local councils would be directed to investigate such businesses and take firm action if the practice continues. 'If someone is doing business in Johor but only prioritises foreigners while sidelining locals just for the sake of bigger profits, then we will not tolerate it. 'I will instruct local councils to cancel the licence of any car wash operator that insists on only accepting foreign-registered vehicles, especially from Singapore,' he added Jafni said this when met during the closing ceremony of the Johor Property Expo (JPEX) 2025 at Angsana Johor Bahru Mall here on Thursday (July 24). He added that the state government would not hesitate to act against business operators who fail to consider the needs of the local community. 'I would like to remind all business owners in Johor that while it is natural to seek profits, they must also fulfil their corporate social responsibility (CSR) and not neglect locals. 'This is the same principle applied to the Johor Affordable Housing Scheme (RMMJ). While developers are allowed to make profits, they are also required to contribute through the construction of affordable homes to ensure that Johoreans are not left out amid rapid development,' he said. Social media users recently highlighted a car wash outlet allegedly refusing to serve local customers and only accepting vehicles bearing Singapore registration plates. The outlet, reportedly operated by foreign workers, was said to have rejected local walk-in customers, claiming that all available time slots had been booked exclusively by Singaporean clients.
