Answer for Oral Question PL290

QUESTIONS

Yang Berhormat Awang Lawi bin Haji Lamat

YANG BERHORMAT AWANG LAWI BIN HAJI LAMAT asked MENTERI PEMBANGUNAN to state, considering that the abundance of vacant flats and abandoned buildings in Bandar Seri Begawan have now become shelters for the homeless and are creating security concerns, what drastic legal action the Ministry is taking against irresponsible premises owners and what integrated action plan is in place between the Municipal Board and JAPEM to monitor and clean these abandoned areas regularly in order to preserve the image of the capital?

ANSWER

Yang Berhormat Menteri Pembangunan

The responsibility for attending to the condition of privately owned buildings lies with the owners or occupants of those buildings themselves. Any vacant building still needs to be maintained and monitored by its owner for the safety of members of the public who may pass through the area and building.

The Ministry of Development has also taken several actions against abandoned buildings, as follows:

In 2023, a building at Lot 100, Jalan McArthur, Pusat Bandar, Mukim Kianggeh, had been vacant for several years following a fire. Considering the risk to the structural condition of the building and the occurrence of several cases of trespassing, ABCi invoked the provisions under Section 35 (1) of the Building Control Act, Chapter 256, to close and subsequently demolish the building in order to safeguard the safety and well-being of members of the public passing through and present in the area.

For information, the demolition works were completed on 17 July 2024 by the Government after the building owner failed to carry out the order. The matter was brought before the court, and the building owner was recently sentenced under Section 35(5) and fined $40,000.

Another vacant and abandoned building against which action was taken was a five-unit building comprising Lots 144, 145, 146, 147 and 148, Jalan Pemancha, Bandar Seri Begawan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs. The demolition works were completed in June 2023.

Regarding the action plan, the Ministry will also continue coordinating with the Municipal Board and relevant agencies through regular inspections, enforcement action and information sharing to ensure that abandoned buildings and areas are monitored more effectively.