Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Little Napoleons at Land Office.

I would like to refer to the article
'fourteen years and no strata titles.'As a developer I
sympathise with owners of such building.The
fundamental problem lies not with the developer but
with the respective land office that are responsible
for the issuance of the strata titles.This problem is
endemic in all states and in all building that
requires strata titles to be issued.
It is common knowledge that those who are
responsible to issue strata titles in the land office
are reluctant to do so unless and until they are paid
by the developers.The developers on the other hand
having completed their work and having obtain their
certificate of fitness are reluctant to pay any under
table money to those corrupt land office staff.Hence
we have a stalemate which in many instances can drag
on for twenty years or even more.
The case of the apartments build at Vista
Komanvel is an example.The Commonwealth games
apartment were completed in 1998 and used to house the
atheletes.After the Games the apartment were sold.
Nearly 10 years down the road those unfortunate enough
to buy are left without a strata title.What reason can
the land office have for not issuing starta titles
when the apartments were initially certified fit to
house atheletes and subsequently deemed fit to be sold
to buyers for occupation?
When buyers fail to obtain strata titles the
blame no longer rest with the developer.Their duty and
obligation ends when they obtain the certtificate of
fitness for occupation.In such instances the full
blame rest solely with the land office where the
little Napoleons will not budge unless and until they
are paid under table money.

Friday, April 07, 2006

National Schools Doomed to fail

The govt don't seem to know why non malay
parents dont want to send their children to National
schools.In the 9MP, the govt propose to introduce
mandarin, tamil classes and then went on to suggest
that this will solve the problem of poor enrolment of
non malays in National schools.Sadly this will not be
the case and National schools are doomed to fail.
The issue here is not about language.It has not
always been about language but because of other
issues.During the time of Tuanku Abdul Rahman, when
National schools was conducted in the English medium
droves of chinese and indians together with malays
were enrolled in National schools.Vernacular schools
were slowly forced to close because of lack of
enrolment.During that time there was no mandarin or
tamil taught in those schools and inspite of this it
was the choice of every parents irrespective of race
to send their children to National schools.
Why has the situation changed since then and why
are non malay parents shuning national schools?The
answer lies with the present set up and structure of
national schools.Time and time again this have been
brought to the notice of the relevant authorities but
the problem has never been addressed.
National schools in its present form has been
transformed to semi religious malay
schools.Headmasters and headmistress of these schools
have deemed it fit to impose their islamic standards
on attire, morality and conduct to all and sundry
without regard whether they are muslims or non
muslims.Relgious obligations are performed during
classes in the presence of non muslims who are suppose
to follow the rituals.
There was a time when National schools have a
healthy mix of malays and non malays teachers but now
National schools are predominantly of one race.When
this happen there is no longer any racial and
religious sensitivity.Collectively it was alright to
propagate their religion to all and sundry
irrespective of race.
Unless and until such time when the relevant
authorities come to appreciate the realty of the
situation it is unlikely there will be any significant
response to the govt's effort in promoting enrolment
of non malays in national schools.