KPKT appoints more presidents to tackle rising tribunal cases

PUTRAJAYA (July 9): The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) has appointed 16 presidents to the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims and Strata Management Tribunal to tackle the rising number of tribunal case in the country.

Following their appointments, the number of the housing tribunal presidents has increased from 9 to 15 while the Strata Management Tribunal will have 10 more presidents, bringing the total to 29.

"The appointment of these 16 new presidents is necessary as the cases need to be heard quickly. Hence, more presidents are required in this aspect," KPKT Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said at a presentation ceremony here today.

"In order to improve our efficiency, we will review the COB (Commisioner of Building) and building management system to come up with simplified system and procedures for the public to follow and thus reduce the number of cases that come to us," she noted.

She added that majority of the cases filed at the housing tribunal and the Strata Management Tribunal are related to late delivery of vacant possession and maintenance charges respectively.

In the first half of 2018 (1H2018), the housing tribunal and the Strata Management Tribunal received 709 and 2,355 cases, respectively.

In 2017, the number of cases filed at the housing tribunal and the Strata Management Tribunal were 2,082 and 4,390.

Since the inception of the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims in Jan 2003, the tribunal has recorded a total of 44,581 cases as at end-June 2018, of which 44,308 have been solved.

Meanwhile, since its inception in July 2015 until 1H2018, the Strata Management Tribunal has registered a total of 9,787 cases, of which 7,645 have been solved.