By GEETHA KRISHNAN | Feb 9, 2009

Taman Mudun folk rejoice as 12-year wait ends

Too close: Taman Mudun residents standing in front of the steep rock face near their houses. On top is Tower 4 of the Venice Hill Condominium.

A GROUP of Taman Mudun residents who have lived in constant fear of a landslide near the Venice Hill Condominium Tower 4 were in a jubilant mood after a recent meeting at the Kajang Municipal Council (MPKj).

They learnt that a 12-year wait for 18 new homes in Cheras would end come April 2010 with the Selangor government topping up the remaining funds for the project that stalled after the developer, Venice Hill Resort Living Sdn Bhd, went bust.

Council president Datuk Hasan Nawawi Abd Rahman, who chaired the meeting, said the state government will come up with the additional RM1.32mil to meet the estimated cost of RM2.5mil.

“Rimbun Capital Sdn Bhd, one of three companies appointed by the state to revive stalled or abandoned housing projects, has appointed a quantity surveyor to work out the costing,” he said.

“Before going bankrupt, the developer had deposited RM1.18mil with the MPKj. We have finally achieved a breakthrough with the state government agreeing to come up with the rest of the sum,” he added.

In 1995, homeowners at Jalan Petunia and Jalan Lantana began voicing their fears of a landslide due to the construction of the tower on a steep ridge near their houses.

Two years later, the previous state government decided their houses were under threat and ordered the developer to build new homes on a separate plot of land in Taman Mudun.

When contacted, Taman Mudun relocation action committee chairman Soofi Ali, 59, said the residents were happy with the state government’s decision.

“It would take between 18 to 24 months to build houses so we are happy that the state is going to achieve this within 14 months,” he added.