My article that appeared in TheStar last Friday...

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THE Housing and Local Government Ministry can and should do more for potential house buyers, rather than just caution them to be extra careful (“RM220k ceiling for full loans stays” – The Star, Jan 14).
The first thing it can easily do is put up on its website the list of blacklisted property developers. It can also go a step further, and list all developers and housing projects for which the Housing Developer Licence and Sales permit has been approved.
That will make it easier for potential buyers to ascertain if a particular development has the necessary approvals to take off, and also reduces the risk of buying a house in a project that may potentially be abandoned.
Another measure the ministry can take is to ensure that any change to the project, including to the building plan, must get the buyers’ consent.
There have been cases where the developer applied to the local council to modify the building plan, and the buyers were in the dark until they received the keys to their homes.
It is only natural that they feel cheated, and often there is not much recourse for them as the sale and purchase agreement often allows the developer to make such changes with the consent of the local council.