Penang Watch

Guan Eng: Developer failed to prevent damage in houses
Opalyn Mok

GEORGE TOWN (May 30, 2008): Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has criticised the Penang Times Square developer for failure to take initial steps to prevent damages to houses located near the development along Kuantan Road.

Lim, who visited the site after chairing the weekly exco meeting at noon today, said the state government considered the complaints of cracks in houses along that road as a serious matter.

"The developer, Ivory Properties, has explained the steps they are taking now but we are not satisfied with the explanation," he said in a press conference after inspecting the cracks on one of the affected houses.

Lim said the Penang island Municipal council will study the case. "Local government exco Chow Kon Yeow and council president Datuk Zainal Rahim Seman will be discussing the action to be taken in this case."

He said the developer could have taken preventive steps in the early stages to prevent this from happening, so that they need not spend more to repair the affected houses.

Ivory Properties's executive director Datuk Nazir Ariff, who was present, said they had taken preventive measures from the beginning and had conducted a dilapidation survery back in 2005.

"We envisaged all this back then and even before the project started, some of these houses already had cracklines," he claimed.

He admitted that the construction of the project could have made the cracks worse and they are equally concerned over this.

"From now onwards, we will take all necessary steps to minimse any damage to surrounding houses and we will also repair all the affected houses."

He urged the council to evaluate the situation fairly and inform them if they need to do anything further.

The issue surfaced about a week ago when Lim's political secretary and Komtar assemblyman Ng Wei Aik alerted the council after receiving a complaint from a resident there on May 21. The council visited the site and found that cracks were detected in 18 houses at Kuantan Road and Kampung Jawa Baru.

In response, the developer set up a special committee to handle the complaints.

The RM450 million Penang Times Square project is situated on a 5.3ha land that used to be where a tin smelting plant was located.

Phase One of the project comprises a four-storey shopping mall with over 300 retail outlets. Three other phases are scheduled for completion by 2012.

The heritage building of Birch House, which is part of the mixed development project, was also restored and is now the corporate head office of Ivory Group.