Nine years to transfer ownership of flat

The Malay Mail

By Dawn Chan

THE Malaysian Association for the Blind must explain to the six blind house-buyers why the transfer of ownership of their Pantai Baru flats in Section 20, Shah Alam, took nine years.

That was the view of RC Deaf Missons Malaysia, Independent Living and Training Centre and Women’s Collective Develop- ment on the plight of Leong Tak Keong and Wan Zainun Wan Mohamad, who paid in 1998, RM25,000 each for two low-cost flats in Shah Alam.

Highlighted by The Malay Mail on their front page yesterday, 52-year-old Leong, Wan Zainun, 48, and four other blind friends who opted to pay instalments for their flats, were given the keys to the flats the following year (1999) and have been paying utility bills, insurance and quit rent.

After nine years, the ownership of the flats remained under MAB.

The six said the association turned a deaf ear to their pleas to transfer ownership.

RC Deaf Missons Malaysia director Agnes Peter, when contacted, questioned why the transfer took so many years when the keys to the flats were handed to Leong, Wan Zainun and their friends in 1999. She said MAB has a lot to explain to regain the confidence of Leong and his friends.

Peter added that if MAB’s executive dir- ector George Thomas claims he has been facilitating the process all along, he should prove the claim.

“Does it take that long to complete a sales and purchase agreement? “This case did not have to reach the level where it needed the intervention of MCA Public Services and Complaint De- partment head Datuk Michael Chong and The Malay Mail to be solved.

“Shouldn’t the transfer be executed at the time the keys were handed to them? It is unfair,” she said.

Claims by Thomas that there was a communication breakdown between the as- sociation and the blind is not enough as an excuse.

“The six people have been victimised. It is sad that instead of having their trust in MAB to help them, they have to resort to putting pressure to see the progress of their house ownership transfer. They should not be made to wait any longer,” said Peter.

Independent Living and Training Centre secretary Gurdip Kaur echoed Peter’s view.

“The six deserve an explanation as to why it took so long. Those involved in the buying of the flats for them should step in and settle the matter,” she said.

“They are not living in their flats for free, or have the support of MAB. They should rightfully have the ownership of flats. MAB should be helping them,” said Gurdip.

Gurdip added that MAB, being a big non-governmental organisation, has the power to quickly transfer ownership. Gurdip said time should not be wasted and hoped the six would gain ownership of the flats soon.

After reading the plight of Leong and his friends, Women’s Collective Development executive director Maria Chin Abdullah was concerned if the documents that they had signed to buy the house, through MAB, provided any guarantee on the property. Chin added that MAB should ensure that the welfare of the six is taken care of.

“They are the vulnerable ones who are relying on the association. If there are more delays in the transfer, perhaps PKNS could ensure there are follow-ups with the association, ” she said.

In 1998, Leong and Wan Zainun, who paid in full for the flats, along with four others who paid via instalments were assured that once the flats were ready, own- ership would be transferred to them.

After they were handed the keys to the flats in 1999, they agreed with MAB’s request that the flats be put under MAB’s trust for a few years until the sales and purchase agreement is executed. They were assured that the ownership would be transferred to them.

However, till today, this promise has not been kept. Leong, who also spoke on behalf of Wan Zainun, felt that since they paid for the flats in full, they deserved to get ownership immediately.

“We feel that it is not right for the flats to remain under MAB. For the past few years, we have asked MAB to give us ownership of the flats but they turned a deaf ear on us,” he said.

Despite countless lawyers’ letters and endless calls, Leong claimed MAB refused to budge and he had to seek the help of Chong in February. The six subsequently filled ownership transfer forms, given by PKNS to MAB on March 30 and signed the documents at the commissioner of oaths.

MAB submitted the documents to PKNS on April 9. “We later learnt that PKNS had, in Au- gust, returned the documents to MAB be- cause they were incomplete. Sadly, MAB decided to sit on it and not inform us,” said Leong.

Leong also said they were misled by MAB into believing that they got the flats cheap, at RM25,000 each, instead of RM41,000.

He said a friend, who is also blind, bought a unit at the same price (RM25,000), which was the price set by PKNS.

Leong and Wan Zainun lamented that if they had known that the price was the same, they would have bought the units directly from PKNS and got the ownership immediately.

Expressing his disappointment with MAB and with their patience running thin,Leong said he has lost confidence in the association.