Housing developers look forward to resume work with easing of MCO
Sheda State Office managed to obtain an approval from MIPD which allows Sheda State Secretariat to help its members submit documents, undertakings, and notices to resume work for their construction sites.
Augustine Wong Chung Ho
KUCHING: Developers can commence construction works after the State Disaster Management Committee’s (SDMC) recent announcement that critical construction works, repairs and maintenances are allowed to resume for private sector projects in the National Recovery Plan.
However, Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) president Augustine Wong Chung Ho said in a statement yesterday they must first notify the Ministry of Infrastructure and Ports Development (MIPD).
He said Sheda State Council members look forward to progressive easing of lockdown and removal of containment restrictions as the state is now on track to achieve herd immunity by August with 80 per cent of Sarawakians vaccinated.
“Sheda State Office managed to obtain an approval from MIPD which allows Sheda State Secretariat to help its members submit documents, undertakings, and notices to resume work for their construction sites.
“By practising self-regulation, Sheda could streamline the submission process and provide valued-added services exclusive for our valued members by allowing them to resume construction work at sites subject to standard operating procedures (SOP). Members who are interested to resume its construction work could contact the Sheda State secretariat at 082-366334,” he said.
Wong added that Sheda is thankful to the Sarawak Ministry of Local Government and Housing (MLGH) and the Land and Survey Department for having taking into consideration recommendations by Sheda to amend guidelines affecting federal housing loan under Public Sector Housing Financing Board (LPPSA).
Previously, LPPSA required housing developers to pay land premium in full for issuance of individual title while Sarawak Land and Survey Department does not provide for payment of land premium until at a later stage which resulted in qualified federal loan applicants having their loans rejected by LPPSA.
“The proactive steps taken by Sheda and receptiveness of MLGH and Land and Survey in the needs of the industry and house buyers is a positive step forward which has truly benefited the industry and house buyers ,” he said.
Wong noted that the Movement Control Order (MCO) imposed to curb the Covid19 pandemic had disrupted most construction activities in the state putting property developers and house buyers under tremendous stress.
“In support of our state government’s quest toward achieving herd immunity, Sheda State had joined hands with Sarawak Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) to participate in mass vaccination programme for its members at the industrial vaccination centre in tHe Spring shopping mall.
“The response to the two-and-ahalf-day vaccination programme saw a total of 2,400 Sheda, SCCI and Sarawak Business Federation (SBF) members being given the first dose of vaccine. The same 2,400 members have also been confirmed to receive their second dose of vaccine this coming July 23 and 24.”
Wong said that recently, Sheda embarked on a meal-aid initiative by teaming up with food outlets to provide free packed-lunches to the needy public who were badly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Sheda Council members helped in the distribution of the free packed-lunch and were honoured to have Dato Sri Dr Sim Kui Hian, Lo Khere Chiang, and Datuk Sharifah Hasidah joining them in the packedlunch distribution. The food aid initiative saw some 10,000 packets of food being distributed over period of two weeks.”
To comply with social distancing, Wong said Sheda has taken a more active role when it comes to educating its members on latest issues affecting the industry via online Zoom forums, which was first held on June 10.
“To ensure that the audience could bring home with them new piece of information that was beneficial and relevant to their companies, questions by participants were also put up for discussion.
“As the Sheda Webinar forum series rolls out, more industrial related topics will be covered which would greatly benefit Sheda members,” he said.