KUALA LUMPUR: The Strata Ownership Special Fund (TKHS), which was established by the government to resolve the ownership issue of old stratified buildings known as special buildings, has approved funding worth RM1.5 million so far.
Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC) minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad said the approval was given to special buildings in Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kelantan.
"We understand that there are circumstances where the original owner or developer of the strata building failed to register the strata title, especially if the developers had been wound up, causing the buyers to be burdened with various costs to resolve the issue.
"Among them are arrears in tax or land premium, cost for land measuring process, strata title application and strata title transfer cost.
"Strata title might not be an issue for the T20 group, but it is a serious matter for other people who are less fortunate.
"Therefore, NRECC is committed to continuing assisting the owners of special buildings to solve the issue regarding the failure of getting the strata title application by the original owners or developers through TKHS," he told reporters after the handover of mock title for Pangsapuri Taman Batu Permai Blok 24 and 26 scheme today.
Present was NRECC secretary-general Datuk Rosli Isa and Lands and Mines Department director-general Datuk Muhammad Azmi Mohd Zain.
Nik Nazmi added Pangsapuri Taman Batu Permai Blok 24 and 26, which was completed and occupied since 2004, became the first scheme that was funded by TKHS that had successfully registered their strata ownership.
He said a total of RM86,440 were approved by TKHS for the scheme.
He said the Land Surveyors Board had contributed RM3 million to the fund to resolve strata title rights.
"To allow this fund to assist more schemes, NRECC is always open to any interested party to contribute to the fund, and enjoy tax deductions from the Inland Revenue Board."
Meanwhile, when asked about the update on the National Water Policy, Nik Nazmi said it was still ongoing, along with the Water Sector Transformation 2040 (WST 2040).
In January, Nik Nazmi announced that the ministry will be formulating a National Water Policy, which will also focus on flood management.
On the announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday that work on flood mitigation projects worth RM600 million or more will begin in June, Nik Nazmi said his ministry would scrutinise it with the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (DID) to identify the areas that desperately needed it.
"We will detail it based on the projection made by DID and areas that have an urgent need for it."
Anwar said the government decided to expedite projects worth RM600 million or more to avoid a recurrence of flood disasters.