THE public is advised not to fall prey by paying between RM5,000 and RM10,000 to unscrupulous syndicates which promise to secure low-cost (LC) or low medium-cost (LMC) units.

Penang Town and Country Planning, Housing and Arts Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai said several syndicate members were going around promising applicants that they would get a unit at certain projects for a fee.

“The public should not believe such scams.

“We have never introduced such a policy,” he told a press conference in Komtar.

He was commenting on talks that the public could pay ‘under-the-table’ money of between RM5,000 and RM10,000 to secure a unit in a project in Sungai Ara.

At the same press conference, Wong urged eligible individuals to submit applications for i-Park (an LC project) in Sungai Ara and Taman Bukit Erskine (an LMC pro-ject) near Lebuhraya Halia in Tanjung Tokong as soon as pos-sible.

“To date, 1,500 people have obtained the PN1 forms (for new LC applicants) while another 866 applicants have submitted their appeal to the Penang Housing Department for i-Park units.

“Meanwhile, out of the 554 LMC units in Taman Bukit Erskine, 303 applicants have accepted the offer,” he said.

“The remaining 251 units are still available to eligible applicants,” he said.

The Taman Bukit Erskine pro-ject, developed by Ivory Villas Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary company of Ivory Properties Group Berhad, is now 30% completed and ex- pected to be fully completed in 2014.

Source: The Star