News

Proposed Claim Sum Limit Increase Under Housing Tribunal To Be Considered - Noh

Last update: 27/10/2016

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The proposed claim limit increase from the existing amount of RM50,000 under the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims will be considered, taking into account the current high price of houses.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar said any policy implemented by the government could be changed based on current needs and suitability.

"We (ministry) are in fact studying to increase the claim sum under the tribunal. The amount of RM50,000 does not correspond with the spiralling price of houses currently," he said in reply to a supplementary question from Anthony Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Seremban) in the Dewan Rakyat, here, Thursday.

Loke had asked whether the government planned to raise the claim sum limit to RM100,000 under the tribunal, taking into consideration the high price of houses.

The Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims was established on Dec 1, 2002 as an alternative to resolve disputes between house buyers and licensed housing developers by hearing claims not exceeding RM50,000.

The tribunal handles two types of claims, namely non-technical (such as late delivery of vacant possession of the property) and technical (for substandard work or non-adherence to the specifications stated in the Sales and Purchase Agreement).

Noh said that between 2010 and September, this year, 13,905 cases were registered under the tribunal and out this number, 13,611 cases were resolved.

He said the filing of the high number of cases showed increasing house buyers' trust in the tribunal in resolving their housing disputes.

"This is a positive sign. Through the tribunal, house owners don't need to resolve their cases in court but can go to the tribunal instead by just paying RM10," Noh said.

-- BERNAMA