The disgruntled buyers holding a banner to voice their grievances as they appeal to the state government to look into their plight. — Photo: CHARLES MARIASOOSAY/ The Star
GEORGE TOWN: A group of people who claim to be buyers of the once abandoned Majestic Heights (Phase 2A) in Paya Terubong are alleging that their units have been sold to others.
About 20 of them staged a peaceful demonstration at the ground floor of Komtar (near Maybank), urging the state government to look into their plight.
They held a banner, claiming the developer which revived the project had sold their units to a third party without their consent.
Some of them claimed they were still servicing the bank loan while a few had settled the loan for the project which was abandoned in 1998.
The group’s representative Yeap Chye Seng, 40, said they were excited upon learning the project was revived by a developer in 2015.
“We have been waiting for more than 20 years but we got nothing in the end.
“We want justice,” he said at the demonstration.
Yeap said when they wanted to claim the keys to their units, they were shocked to learn that their units had been sold to others.
“The developer’s representative told us that they had advertised in the newspaper asking the original buyers to pay an extra RM10,000 to secure their units but we were not aware of this at all,” he said.
Yeap said they sought help from the state government after learning that the units were no longer theirs.
He said the state government then arranged three meetings for them to meet up with the developer since March.
“We were given two options, either to get back in cash, which is 30% of the original purchase price, or to buy another unit from the developer and pay the difference in price.
“With regret, we could not come to an agreement.
“Many of the buyers are old and retired, and some could not even obtain bank loans any more as they still have outstanding bank loan for their units.
“We hope Chief Minister (Lim Guan Eng) could step in and give us a fair solution.
“One of the options that we could accept is to pay between RM10,000 and RM20,000 to get back our unit,” he said.
According to Yeap, 92 buyers did not get back their units. Only 43 had come forward.
Another buyer Chew Chiew Hong, 47, claimed he was blacklisted by Bank Negara for not repaying the loan he obtained to buy a unit at Majestic Heights (Phase 2A) in the 90s.
“I am just a printing operator. I can’t afford to service the monthly instalment while paying rent at another place at the same time.
“I don’t know why we still have to pay the bank loan since the developer has already sold off our unit to others.
“I could not accept the developer’s offer as I couldn’t obtain a loan any more,” he said.
Chew said he did not receive any written document from the developer asking him to pay RM10,000 to secure his unit.
The project, which was abandoned in 1998 when its construction was 70% completed, was revived in July 2015.
Many of the original house buyers were happy after receiving their keys in January this year upon completion of the project.
Penang Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo and Paya Terubong assemblyman could not be reached for comment.
