Riverdale Park Apartment in Bukit Antarabangsa is among the properties identified by MPAJ to receive assistance in the strata title issuance process.
SELANGOR government plans to announce measures to resolve strata issues in Budget 2025.
This is part of the state’s efforts to help owners obtain strata titles for their properties, a long-standing issue affecting thousands of homeowners.
A task force, headed by Selangor Housing and Property Board (LPHS), has been set up to identify strata schemes that have yet to receive their titles.
It is also expected to present a working paper offering solutions to help owners obtain individual strata titles.
Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) is facilitating the strata title process for selected properties.
It is also expediting issuing titles to several older developments.
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MPAJ formed the Monitor and Resolve Strata Title Issuance Processes (JKPPHS) sub-committee to identify issues and propose solutions.
The sub-committee, formed last year and which comprises different agencies, meets every three months.
MPAJ president Dr Ani Ahmad told StarMetro that each strata property had its own issues that needed to be addressed.
This included problems such as incomplete documentation, units still under master/block title and cases where the developers have gone under liquidation or been deemed insolvent.
“MPAJ has started to help with the strata title process of some properties which are more than 20 years old, upon requests from affected residents.
“We estimate that at least 30% of strata properties in Ampang Jaya are affected, with most more than 20 years old.”
Ani says at least 30% of strata properties in Ampang Jaya are affected.
Ani said the sub-committee had identified Flat Al Ridhuan, Estana Court and Riverdale Park Apartment under a pilot project.
The case of Riverdale Park Apartment in Bukit Antarabangsa, she said, was complex because the developer was under liquidation.
“However, a new developer has shown interest in developing several parcels of land in this property.
“We’ve made it a condition that if they want to develop the additional parcels, the strata title process for the existing units must be completed.”
A briefing was held in July between MPAJ, the liquidators and residents on the matter.
Ani said the sub-committee was also tasked to compile data on the exact number of properties without titles and to identify the specific issues involved.
She added that the municipality was working with LPHS, Department of the Director-General of Lands and Mines Selangor (JKPTG), resident associations and surveyors.
Ani agreed that although resolving strata title issues did not fall directly under the council’s responsibilities, in the long run it would affect MPAJ as the assessment tax rates cannot be adjusted accordingly.
“In the future, if there are redevelopment plans, it will be hindered by strata title issues.
“There are many strategic properties that could be redeveloped but without the resolution of these strata title problems, we cannot move forward,” she said.
Ampang Jaya People’s Consultative Council advisor M. Thomas said homeowners had approached him over the years for help.
“In the Ampang and Pandan areas, owners in over 30 property schemes are unable to get their strata titles.
“At least 40% of the cases are due to the developer no longer being in the picture,” he said.
With the task force, he hoped a workable solution would be found.
Ampang Jaya resident Jeyaseelan Amalu, who owns a unit in Taman Dagang, said only 30% of owners had managed to get their individual strata titles in his condominium project.
“There needs to be proper guidelines to resolve this problem, especially with older properties.
“This (lack of titles) can delay the sale and purchase of strata units and affect their value.”
In July, StarMetro reported Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari saying that the state would present a working paper to resolve strata ownership woes when tabling the state’s budget.
He had said strata issues were less prevalent in newer developments, as with updated laws and regulations, developers were required to resolve land issues before getting approval for development.
Selangor housing and culture committee chairman Borhan Aman Shah was reported saying that the issue was prevalent in low-cost housing projects built in the 1990s.
He had said some owners of 549 low-cost housing schemes in the state were not issued strata titles.
