EUROPLUS CONSTRUCTION SDN BHD ABANDONED HOUSING PROJECT

The housing project is located at Seri Kembangan, Serdang, Selangor. The construction of this project
involved several phases of development. These phases are Phase 1A (238 housing units), Phase 1B
(150 units), Phase 1C (68 units) and Phase 2 (133 units). The percentages of completion of each of
these phases as at November, 2007 are 86% (for Phase 1A), 80% (for Phase 1B), 70% (for Phase 1C)
and 90% for Phase 2.

Lestari Permai was lauched in the early 2004. This project should have been completed in 2 years after
the date of the sale and purchase agreement executed, it should be duly occupied by early 2006. The
main reason for the abandonment of this project was the financial problems faced by the developer
Europlus Construction Sdn Bhd, being a subsidiary for Kumpulan Talam Corporation Berhad
(TALAM). The holding companyTALAM too faced financial difficulties as they failed to balance
the cash out flow and the cash in flow of their housing ventures, as the result of the repayment
obligations they have to make to their financiers for an investment of a land of 11,878 acres, overdraft
facilities and repayment of the company bonds in maturity against the cash in flow from the expected
progress development claims and receipts, which Talam failed to obtain, due to termination of the
construction works. The termination was caused by the shortage of steel supplies and sands.
To overcome the problems of their abandoned housing projects, TALAM have taken the following
steps:
a) Making new appointment of a new contractor and undertake certain joint ventures with
other housing development contractors such as IJM (Corporation) Sdn. Bhd., IJM (Projects) Sdn. Bhd
and Salam Kurnia Sdn. Bhd; and,
b) Refund the deposit payments made by purchasers of eight housing projects.

These are among the problems faced by purchasers as the result of the abandonment:
a)

Inability to occupy the housing units on the date as promised by the developer

b) They have to pay monthly instalments to their respective financiers, as the financiers have
released substantial portion of their housing loans to the developer
c) They have to rent other houses in the course awaiting the completion of the purported housing
units
d) There are purchasers who have been blacklisted by the financiers as they are unable to regularize
their housing loan accounts
e) There are purchasers who have divorced due to the mounting living expenses and insufficient
incomes, partly due to the abandonment
f) Meetings and discussions with the authorities, for example, the Ministry of Housing and Local
Government (MOH), always failed to render any positive outcomes and MOH, hitherto, have unable
to solve their problems
g) There are some purchasers who have received wrong information regarding their housing project,
from MOH
h) MOH does not categorise the late and problematic housing development projects undertaken by
Talam and its subsidiaries as abandoned housing projects in accordance with the MOH common and
official definition of abandoned housing project on abandoned housing project. This has caused
problems to purchasers, in their attempt to obtain confirmation of their projects as abandoned housing
projects for the purpose of getting reduction of monthly instalment payment from their respective
financiers etc
i)
MOH failed to enforce and carry out the legal provisions in the Housing Development (Control
and Licensing) Act 1966 (Act 118) and its regulations and this had resulted in certain losses to the
purchasers due to the abandonment.

Apart from Lestari Permai, there are many more housing development projects carried out by TALAM
and its subsidiary companies, which are also facing the same problems late delivery and
abandonment, viz:

a.

Bukit Beruntung (Europlus Sdn. Bhd);

b.

Putra Perdana (Kenshine Sdn. Bhd);

c.

Taman Puncak Jalil (Maxisegar Sdn. Bhd);

d.

Lagoon Perdana (Tenaga Gagah Sdn. Bhd);

e.

Ukay Perdana (Highrise) (Ukay Land Sdn. Bhd);

f.

Bukit Pandan Bistari (Supreme Precious);

g.

Ukay Perdana Superlink (Ukay Land Sdn. Bhd);

h.

Saujana Putra (Galian Juta Sdn. Bhd);

i.

Lestari Puchong (Lestari Puchong Sdn. Bhd);

j.

Bukit Pandan (Mudi Angkasa Development Sdn. Bhd);

k.

Bandar Pinggiran Cyber (Perspektif Perkasa Sdn. Bhd);

l.

Sierra Ukay (Terang Tanah Sdn. Bhd);

m. Lestari Perdana (Abra Development Sdn. Bhd);

n.

Saujana Puchong (Expand Factor Sdn. Bhd);

o.

Saujana Putra (Galian Juta Sdn. Bhd);

p.

La Cottage (Metro Tegas Development Sdn. Bhd);

q.

Saujana Putra (Sanjung Hemat Sdn. Bhd);

r.

Templer Saujana (Abra Development Sdn. Bhd); and,

s.

Kinrara Perdana (Sentosa Restu (M) Sdn. Bhd).