This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 18, 2024 - November 24, 2024

On Nov 8, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) issued a stop-work order for the J Satine project in Wangsa Maju.

In its statement on Nov 9, DBKL said residents nearby had complained about an explosion on the site and, during their investigation, found cracks in the shear walls, columns and floors of units on the eighth floor and above.

This is a nightmare for all — the developers, contractors and, of course, all homebuyers. Much remains unknown — the cause or causes of the cracks, and the extent of the problem, among others — leading to massive speculation on social media.

Finger-pointing will get us nowhere until the experts investigate and come back with a report.

To recap, J Satine is a joint venture between Platinum Victory Group and textile wholesaler and retailer Jakel Group’s property development arm. TCS Group Holding Bhd’s (KL:TCS) wholly-owned subsidiary TCS Construction Sdn Bhd secured the contract from the JV company Jayyid Land Sdn Bhd in June 2021.

According to TCS Group’s website, J Satine is a mixed-use development comprising 3,600 units of Residensi Wilayah apartments, 661 units of SoHo and 42 commercial units. It is understood that the affected Block C is part of the Residensi Wilayah apartments, which were sold for around RM300,000.

Gandingan Jakel Sdn Bhd has been mentioned in several articles as the project developer. In a company search, Gandingan Jakel appears as one of the top five shareholders of Jayyid Land. Radium Development Bhd (KL:RADIUM) is also a shareholder.

This incident is very unfortunate as it will affect public confidence in affordable housing projects that are meant to provide homes for the general public.

These units, and homes in general, are the largest purchase most of us will make in our lifetime. Therefore, the concerns of homebuyers, both J Satine and future purchasers, are more than valid.

TCS, as the main contractor, and DBKL have issued statements, while both Platinum Victory and Gandingan Jakel have the standard notice on their websites and social media platforms.

They should not stop there but provide regular updates instead.

Merely telling the public to stop speculating will do little in an information vacuum.

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