KPKT appoints more tribunal presidents to clear backlog of housing disputes

Zuraida Kamaruddin said the appointment involved both Home Buyers and Strata Management Tribunals. (Pic by Muhd Amin Naharul/TMR)

By AFIQ AZIZ / Pic By MUHD AMIN NAHARUL

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) has appointed up to eleven new tribunal presidents under the ministry’s Housing and Strata Management Tribunal to expedite the settlement of a backlog of housing disputes and tribunal cases.

Zuraida Kamaruddin (picture) said the appointment involved both Home Buyers and Strata Management Tribunals.

“The appointment of the six-teen new presidents is needed as some of their contracts have ended, and it is an addition to the existing presidents,” the minister told reporters in Putrajaya yesterday.

Following the appointment, the Home Buyers Tribunal will have 15 presidents, while the Strata Management Tribunal will have up to 29 presidents, bringing the total to 44.

Previously, the Home Buyers Tribunal only had 10 presidents, while the Strata Management Tribunal consisted of 23 presidents.

The Home Buyers Tribunal was formed in December 2012 to hear and decide on any claims or disputes arising from sales and purchase agreements between buyers and developers.

The Strata Management Tri-bunal began its operation in July 2015 as a channel to hear and determine matters relating to building maintenance disputes. Since the inception of Strata Management Tribunal up to June this year, Zuraida said 9,787 cases were filed, of which 7,654 of them have been resolved.

In 2017, up to 4,390 strata management cases were recorded, while 2,082 cases were filed under sales of housing dispute.

As at the second quarter of 2018, the minister said the claims have increased up to 709 and 2,355 reports filed for house buyer claims and strata complaints respectively.

“The statistics showed that there are many issues raised by the buyers and strata owners.

“In some cases, when the buyers appealed to be legally represented, it will take a longer period to be resolved,” Zuraida said.

Among the complaints filed to the Strata Management Tribunal are claims of maintenance charge and inter-floor leakage incidents with the highest cases recorded in Selangor, Johor and Kuala Lumpur.