BY JAROD LIM

Beware: Yee warning the crowd about the scam.

A SCAM involving the sale of PPR units in Kepong has caused several victims to lose as much as RM40,000.

Of the 1,600 units in the PPR flats in Jalan Bentong Utara, 1,300 units are reserved for the residents of the Jinjang Utara longhouses and not meant to be sold to the public.

Jinjang Tambahan resident Sim Chui Hua, 42, felt something was amiss when she received a flyer on the sale of the units.

“I contacted the agent’s telephone number in the brochure and ask to view the unit.

“I was told by one of the officers that the units have been taken up and not for sale,” she said.

The officer had also warned her that it could be a scam.

Sim said she was asked to relocate because of the Mass Rapid Transit construction.

“I was given a place to stay in Bukit Jalil but it is too far for us,” she said, adding that her family wished to remain in Kepong.

Construction worker Lau Foo Ming, 37, said he had friends who were being duped into buying the units by an agent and the agent ran off after they paid the money.

“My friends were asked to pay an amount ranging from RM5,000 to RM8,000 as part of the ‘fee’ where the agent promised to help sort out relevant documents for the units.

“However, the agent never got back to them.

“I knew this is too good to be true, so I did not fall for it,” he said.

On May 25, StarMetro reported that the National Housing Department had denied that the PPR Kepong units meant for Jinjang Utara longhouse residents have been sold to others.

The units, which are about 60.5 sqm each, are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

The project under Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT), which is built in place of the Jingjang Utara longhouses Zone D and part of Zone C, was supposed to be completed last December.

Chang Yoon Foo, 46, who was staying in the longhouse, said he knew about the sale of the PPR units and urged DBKL to take action on those involved in the scam.

“A lot of people have fallen for the scam and DBKL must step up and identify the wrongdoers,” he said.

Kepong Community Centre head Yee Poh Ping said the public must be alerted about the fraud.

He also claimed that those selling the PPR units said they have “connections” with officers in KPKT.

“The public should check on the legitimacy of these so-called agents before paying,” he said.

Yee also urged KPKT and DBKL to consider keeping the remaining 300 units for other residents on the waiting list.