These apartment owners have lost the ENTRANCE to their homes due to a legal quirk |

[@TheFourth]

Read the full story about "The Apartments With No Entrance": thefourth.media/apartments Help us produce more impact-driven journalism as a Fourth Subscriber: thefourth.media/subscribe

[@tiefblau2780]

Maybe the landlord was from XiXiP.... Or admirer of TofuDreg... Something like that

[@Type_I_9]

The PTG allowed it?

[@finn2020]

who was the developer?

[@smartguy6717]

IF the legality support THIS... Then WE should change the legality, it is WRONG !!

[@qiemyyshimee767]

​@@smartguy6717nope , if u think malaysian is to blame , ask those chinese who teach malaysian this trick? 😂 its always money talk , then they tried to blame local malaysian 🤭 , how does it felt to lose ur home? yes welcome to poverty 😁 if we can take the hit why cant u guys take it? if u guys cant afford it , thats mean u guys was not meant to be there , u guys just went bankcrup , just admit it 😂

[@MentalEdge]

Dr Suraya said it best: If this is legal, then the law needs to be changed, because this is wrong.

[@allesindwillkommen]

The law should require the private owner to take care of this piece of land, and since it's part of public area, the owner should pay for cleaning, garbage collection and other street maintenance, so it's free of charge for the residents.

[@SP-ny1fk]

If law is wrong, then might is right.

[@eragonawesome]

​@@SP-ny1fklaw itself is not wrong, merely this part of it

[@wellesradio]

@@SP-ny1fkWhat? You mean if law is right, then might is right. Law is might.

[@SwiftHDX]

I don't know if you watched the video, the law was changed to stop this happening, but only after the land was sold to the new owner. By that point it was too late, the land belongs to the owner already so you can't turn all communist and take it or parts of it away from the owner.

[@LambentOrt]

Basically the owner of the surrounding land of the condo wants to degrade the living conditions so much that the residents are forced to sell their homes at a loss back to the developer. Real estate developers have been doing this kind of thing for decades all over Malaysia. For developers, the land is worth something because they can demolish the current buildings and rebuild fancy new condos at a premium.

[@Aeybiseediy]

I agree.. somemore the location at the heart of PJ.. the land is super valuable. Developers just can't resist building super high density tall condos anywhere they could get their hands to. Pity the surrounding landed or low rise neighbors, all view and sun light blocked by building view. Worst if you're facing the condo parking lot or trash area.. like some terraces behind Maxim Sentul...

[@chochylindt]

Exactly. If the developer really plays dirty, it will harass the residents e.g. have sewage facilities fail, do noisy works on the roads at odd hours, damage water pipes that run thru its lots. And the MC is illiquid and can't initiate legal action. RM400k is a damn steal.

[@chochylindt]

We forget that 1960s-70s carried over the corruption from colonial Malaya.

[@fendi2785]

spot on

[@Bigjoe99]

My father had a flat originally promised a car park with the parking lot later developed into shop houses. That was the idea of the crooked developer from the start in the early days of these developments. The original developer was planning to take the car park away and develop shops but never got to it. These properties can go up over 40 stories compared to the low rise. Each low rise degraded, they will sell for RM100psf or less. The developer can easily 10x the square footage and sell for RM600-800psf. Its extortion, racketeering..There are a few other types of cases of developers resorting to such racketeering technique

[@kucingrempitex5917]

Very rarely I see Malaysian journalism discussing important issues at a superb editing level, I hope you continue exposing such topics to us Malaysians 👍

[@TheFourth]

We’ll do our best! Hope you’ll subscribe to our channel - it’ll help us continue producing our work.

[@alexlarson2466]

Well I wouldn't necessarily call it superb, considering nowhere in the video did it inform me it was in Malaysia, but i wanted to know where this story took place, and your comment was what informed me

[@SlytherinTina777]

​​​​​@@alexlarson2466well at the beginning of the video states that the apartment is in Petaling Jaya... it's a city name in Malaysia. Also, the car plate number and the currency used which is Ringgit Malaysia (RM) points that this place is in Malaysia. I'm Malaysian so I know. And the environment really screams Malaysian typical old apartments environment. Hope this helps.

[@Physis_88]

@@alexlarson2466 5:16 "Laws of Malaysia | Act 318" does point to Malaysia

[@Physis_88]

​@@SlytherinTina777 All of which tells you very little for someone who is not familiar with Malaysia or has lived in Malaysia.

[@JustRaiHere_2023]

I feel sorry for these unit owners. The developer obviously had the intent to defraud them. The brochures clearly showed the carpark as part of the community. I'm sure that the owner is waiting for the land to be bought cheaply so he can buy it, reunite the property, and redevelop it.

[@melonjuice7441]

Right? Shouldt that be enough to sue or whatever?

[@jackmarshall2496]

​@@melonjuice7441I know right? The brochers stating the facilities avaliable are communal implies that they belong jointly to the residents, saying that they are not entitled to some form of compensation is like saying that fraud is legal in Malaysia. No doubt the courts were bribed to uphold their ruling otherwise anyone with common sense would see that the residents have the right to the land given the premise under which they were sold the property in first place.

[@seatheparade]

Exactly. The developer hasa special place in hell for putting people in such vulnerable situations

[@rickmarr8784]

But what is in the brochures would not hold up in court at best is would be weak argument. Now if the residence has legal papers when they bought their units stating the car park as part of the the deal then they can sue because they did not receive what they were promised.

[@pushansengupta7045]

I am not Malaysian. I have my own sob story from India where I paid for an apartment (along with 30,000 other hapless individuals), and have not been delivered anything even after fighting in the Supreme court for 17 years. But despite not being Malaysian, this story made me so angry. I wish I could go and fight on their behalf. The developers know that the owners are all senior citizens and don't have much fight left - so they are bullying them😡

[@JessicaPradoHanson]

Your comment makes me wonder how many people in the world are dealing with toxic situations like this because the systems are so corrupted we are all losing…. The corruption just rots everything from within and then this shit happens slowly festering like mold within our society. Enslaving people by seeing how much they can push them to suffer until they get the land for cheap and build something for rich assholes. But if nobody has money and the slaves all die what will the slave masters do? They need us more than we need them. Those that need slaves got us addicted to them and we can learn the truth and come together. That is why they work so hard to divide us. Also where in India are you from? I dated a guy from Kerala that beat me unconscious and learned that in his area what he did is treated as a parking ticket would be treated in the usa. But here he only spent 55 days in jail, anger management then deported back to India…. Women in India have it HARD! Sending you love! Such beautiful culture and people but the colonizers royally fucked up the world.

[@bencarkner20]

Wow that is crazy! Something similar happened in my own suburban town near Toronto Canada. A developer sold units for a condo downtown and then tried to increase the price before the condo was even built. It became a legal issue and the development company lost their right to build, had to refund the future tenants and a new company started construction all within a year. Same people doing horrible dealings, but the laws were a lot more honest towards the tenants.

[@ewill3435]

I wish you and yours the best, and hope you can get ahead of scummy developers. We're pulling for you from the states.

[@CrackheadHuntersDopeDealer]

Damn.😢

[@RRsqx324]

Same with the ashiana senior citizen living in lavasa. These apartments are having no resell value, and old retired owners are left struggling to pay fees without having any ownership deed even after paying crores. It's literally illegal

[@SoushinSen]

I got angry at how unjust this situation is. This is pure evil.

[@john012wei3]

It is, I know how you feel but this is the reality of Malaysia. Everyone knows it is not alright but the law said otherwise.

[@qiemyyshimee767]

​@@john012wei3yup , welcome to local malaysian zone wich is we always lose because we dont have money 😂 0

[@Bestow3000]

@@john012wei3 Both the landowner and the judge are both scumbags. This is corruption at its absolute finest working harmony. This applies to other countries too, not just Malaysia.

[@SprakanaKerum]

​@@qiemyyshimee767it's the same everywhere in the world. In Canada and the USA, if your house was suddenly occupied by a squatter, you need $$ to fight them in court. And the process takes many months. If you want to end the situation quick, you pay the squatters to move out. Still cheaper than hiring a lawyer to evict them

[@yuuunarukami7006]

greedy bastards being greedy? im not sure how ur surprised by all this... humans have thought of worser things to do

[@specialopsdave]

In the US, the entrance to houses would automatically be granted "easement" status, where someone else still owns the land, but must allow access to people who need to pass to get to their land or homes. This is typically done to give access to farms that are surrounded by other farms, but that law would apply here too.

[@MiyannVlog]

Same in Philippines, the government will give access, their law should change but the courts sucks

[@jamyw]

In Kenya too

[@NomadMao]

I think in this case, the entrance is not the major issue, but rather a catchy phrase for the video title. The bigger problem is the utilities and amenities built on the surrounding land. Without proper common amenities and parking space, the value will go down and living condition will deteriorate. Not to mention the sewerage system is also sitting on the damn surrounding land.

[@simsreject5925]

This happens in the US all the time. Condo developers and HOAs evict people and turn off services and utilities to force people out so they can drive up prices. People only own their loving space, but everything else is controlled by somebody else.

[@Dennan]

@@NomadMao pretty sure in sweden a landowner is by law forced to keep that stuff in working order to prevent infestations and health risk

[@steverogers8163]

With the way the land was divided up to begin with its pretty clear the developer was always planning on doing this. At a minimum they were likely planning to charge a permanent "entry" fee to the owners in the buildings since they can't get to their homes unless they cross the developers land. Thus the owners somehow end up with both a mortgage and a rent fee. But at this point yeah I agree they are trying to bankrupt the owners or turn the land into a public blight so they can buy it back on the cheap and redevelop it.

[@nw6gmp]

it is almost as if... i correct my self.. this was 100% done with malicious intent.

[@Nonameron]

But then again, when the prices go down, one can buy a single apartment cheaply just to hinder redevelopment. In other words, holding an apartment hostage.

[@Professor-Badger]

People like that make me want to hold onto a property like that out of sheer spite. They don't deserve to have it at that point

[@lilypudd]

🤔☹

[@ethribin4188]

Yeah,this is definitely what they planned.

[@iuprising1551]

I felt the stress those home owners have been put through for years.

[@TheFourth]

And this video is just a quick snapshot of their stories. You can read the full story here: thefourth.media/apartments

[@lynth]

In Germany, this kind of situation would never be enforceable. After 3 years of being allowed to do something, it becomes Gewohnheitsrecht (an established right). Even if someone doesn't legally own something, the real owner not raising concerns about the misuse of property would lose his full control over that property (although not the actual ownership).

[@dani33300]

I believe the real owner ("third party") sued the residents and won, bankrupting them.

[@Zimiorg]

In the first place you ensure "Wegerecht" (the right to use other land to get to your land) in the Grundbuch 😀

[@MikeBaxterABC]

Same in Canada, but 7 years, we call it " .. by Occupation" ... I had a property (my home) whereby I allowed my Next door nieghbour to use my water well (a small underground pipe) .. After 7 years they are allowed to use it, and my water even after I sold the property, "in perpetuum"

[@FrancSchiphorst]

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right_of_way is also common in the Netherlands

[@ColonelSandersLite]

@@FrancSchiphorstWow. That's the first time I have seen a working link on youtube in a pretty long time. The bots usually kill them pretty much instantly regardless of their legitimacy.

[@graceng7986]

This video was recommended to me on KZbin and within 25 secs into the video I realized this is where my aged aunt lives. I had no idea this has been going on for so many years! Ironically I am back in the country, staying at my parents’ house, in front of the apartment blocks.it’s tragic that the residents are facing this and I feel the developers should be sued.

[@arvinmarkflores5725]

Problem is, the law wasn't there before so how to sue? Laws cannot be applied retroactively. Good to know that with current laws, these kind of things won't happen anymore.

[@taserrr]

But the law wasn't there before, how can you sue when what they did was perfectly legal? It's because of previous backwards laws.

[@hailyrizzo5428]

It's possible to sue for fraud, meaning the buyers were misled to sign the contract to buy the apartments. But that really goes down to who said what exactly and who heard it. it is very difficult to succeed, but not impossible. But the big problem is that the developer may no longer exist. Was it a company? It could have already been wound up. I suspect that is one reason the developer sold to the new owner. The new owner will say he has nothing to do with the developer's fraud so the residents can't sue him.

[@SawJermine]

Since they have the brochure that clearly promised carparks and facilities, they can sue on the developer I believe.

[@taserrr]

You're basing on this on what? Your almost non existing knowledge on US laws which 1. don't apply here 2. Did something completely legal 3. Is literally explained in the video@@SawJermine

[@sylviadyme9597]

I happen to click this doc on accident but Dr Suraya nailed what i've been thinking after watching this. It apparently is legal, but it's still morally wrong. How can one build a community, a society when greedy corporates destroys it first? I know this type of monopoly happens everywhere but wtf. It's reckless.

[@Gusburg]

same i clicked this by accident

[@primetimehome]

Corruption is big in Malaysia

[@FineWine-v4.0]

It's how capitalism works buddy

[@laylaminrir]

Cant pull this shit off in every country so its not a norm/standard.

[@geo8rge]

In US law there is something called an easement, a right to cross or otherwise use someone else's land for a specified purpose. Also there is Adverse Possession Claim, essentially, a squatter, after residing on a property for some time, can claim ownership of it. Who was paying the taxes on the land?

[@speckdratz]

Powerful closing statement: *If the legality is wrong, we need to change the legality.* If everyone introduced to this issue is surprised or shocked, clearly the law enabling this needs to be changed.

[@cyrilkarpenko691]

Or maybe the State that allowed this situation to happen should right the wrongs and buy the land back from the developer? If it damages human rights so much.

[@apmanda]

Did you watch the video? The laws have been changed. However, you cannot apply new laws retrospectively in most places with regards to land ownership and the like. There’s many beneficial reasons for this. But the govt in this case is absolutely responsible for settling and mediating this dispute for sure.

[@Nishiemoon]

This is so cruel. The lady at the end really nailed it. If the law doesn’t support this kind of problem, then what are they there for? The regulations of planning permission came in affect after the apartments was constructed which was unfortunate therefore taken advantage of by evil developers. Where I am living right now, the government/council would forcefully buy the land surrounding land for the good of the people. 800k is not a bad price for the council to save the livelihood of all the residents there. That’s what taxes are for. It is disappointing that the gov/law is protecting the developers but fail to support their people.

[@ERROR-CitationNeeded]

They follow the money, and also generally see the residents as peons in the first place so it's not a net loss to them.

[@terramarini6880]

85,000 converted to USD is what it actually sold for, they were offered price of 169,000. Sounds shady, like the developer intended to shake them down as a retirement plan. If there is no legal remedy their only recourse may be to consider the money they lost in their home FU money and make sure the new owner can never profit from them. Prime example of an appropriate occasion to employ eminent domain in order to prevent this kind of graft but then I remember this is china we're talking about.

[@jennytan4509]

Mankind is basically very unkind.

[@jennytan4509]

LET US FIGHT AGAIN, TO THE COURT'S OF EQUITY.

[@desktopkitty]

I have not the words to describe my own frustration for these residents' treatment. The fact that the owners were willing to sell the surrounding property for RM400,000 to someone else to me shows they were intentionally being nasty. Why couldn't have have offered that price to the people living there? Or better yet, include it since that was what they advertised to start with.

[@smchua99]

Thanks for this. A fellow lawyer shared this on her social media and I shared this as well in our telegram group. I'm so glad that the laws have changed for the better, but at that time, the developer clearly took advantage of the loopholes, and the purchasers became the ultimate victims. I wouldn't be surprised once the remaining owners pass on, this third party would have swop in and the place would be developed into another mixed development of sorts.

[@SticksTheFox]

I disagree that the purchaser of the land is a victim here, all they have to do is make it a horrible place to live and it'll force people out their homes and given them even more cheap land.

[@smchua99]

@@SticksTheFox the purchasers I am talking about are the ones who bought the apartments. Not the 3rd party that bought the common property. That 3rd party was never a victim. He is the current villian in the story.

[@TerryChaves-h3d]

This was obviously an intentional scheme by the original developers. They intentionally split up the land that way so they could double-cross the residents. So disgusting. The evil lengths people would go to just for a little bit of profit. Ugh.

[@lynth]

In Germany, this kind of situation would have never been enforceable. After 3 years of being allowed to do something, it becomes Gewohnheitsrecht (an established right). Even if someone doesn't legally own something, the real owner not raising concerns about the misuse of property would lose his full control over that property (although not the actual ownership).

[@TheLonet]

@@lynthIn Portugal there is a way to aquire ownership through possession. I think in German Civil Law is the same thing… in English is usucaption (Usucapião, in Portuguese, Usucapione in Italian, Ersitzung in German?)

[@smharyanto4660]

Agree with the closing statement from that lady. Even if its legally acceptable, it doesnt mean its not wrong. So in this situation, they should change the law and protect the residents, not the crazy rich investor. But deep down we all know, the investor will win. Such a sad word we live in

[@hellosammy4105]

Lol, that’s extremely biased. The laws exist precisely because people like you attribute ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ arbitrarily to what you find kesian or not. It is not reliable. All in all, this was because the laws were flawed back then and have since been fixed. These people are just unlucky.

[@yangmagic0703]

Slavery was legally acceptable once upon a time

[@pandecocojam]

The courts did a bad thing by not acting on the bad faith shown by the developers. They are in cahoots. No public service happened. The law should serve public good over the greed of businessmen.

[@nullproxy9639]

@@yangmagic0703 still here, different methods and names but its still here.

[@raerohan4241]

​@@pandecocojam Sure, but they can't bend or break the law to that end. That would be corruption. What actually happens in these situations is that the law is changed to close any loopholes. This channel is doing the right thing by increasing social awareness on the issue, because that is what puts pressure on lawmakers to bring this change

[@Esangle31]

Thank you for telling this story. Share and hope more people know about it. These people need real help. The state government needs to step in and do something!

[@smartguy6717]

Yeah... **PAY the LAND owner, settled lah. (Question is WHO going to pay the Land Owner??! ). Govt paid HALF + the Residents pay HALF lah.... Come on, YOU all buy the apartment, not knowing the FULL story/Info, So have to PAY to settle the issue for GOOD.

[@lovethisvelvetry]

​@@smartguy6717bro what the developer scammed them what we're they supposed to do

[@JadeCanada237]

Unfortunately this happens all over the world. Innocent people getting screwed over because of greed! 30+ years ago the Ontario government sold the land that my parents neighbourhood backed onto. Land that was full of old growth forest and filled with wildlife. Us kids would go sledding on those hills and play in the forest.The residents of the neighbourhood tried to buy this land many times but the government refused to sell and told them they would never sell it, that it would stay a natural area for families to use freely. Then in the 80's, without notice, they sold all the land. The developer levelled the forest and built a huge neighbourhood with homes higher up than theirs which resulted in spring flooding for those unfortunate neighbours who had their homes next to the former fields. My parents basement was flooded and there was nothing illegal about it. They had to fight for compensation from insurance because the land owner was not considered at fault. My dad had to spend his own money and labour to put in a drainage system to prevent further flooding.

[@Serge-cm5my]

I'm very sorry about that. Did you win the lawsuit?

[@zeroibis]

To bad the homeowners did not pay off the officials. I guess they misunderstood how the gov actually works lol. What is interesting is how no one said anything about the zoning. I guess it works a lot different in Canada but in the US the land would have needed to be zoned to allow for homes to be built there. From the original request for buying it you would think that the land was zoned so "that it would stay a natural area for families to use freely" here that would be to literally zone it as a park for example thus banning development on the land. Here it is a matter of public record as to the land zoning and so it would be easy to see if the land was still zoned for allowing development or not. In order to change the zone a public notice must be given and so the residents can have a say for or against change requests.

[@jacquelinemcgowan8164]

Councils distract us with issues like racism, and so many live in poverty, when most people just get along ok but live in housing with damp mold and vandalism, they deviate from the truth. 😢

[@apmanda]

@@zeroibis Canada is less tetchy about their land rights than the US. But the US was founded with land ownership being a human right so it makes sense that we are way more stringent about how, why, and when land is sold and developed. Doesn’t stop corruption, but it does make it more difficult for developers to make headway against whole communities, particularly with the way local governments work in the US at large.

[@Conernforthesedogs-iw7lf]

😪 I feel for you, we just had something like that happen here. Still in shock.

[@marag885]

There were also several such cases in Latvia in the 90s. It's illegal now, but like in this case, the law can't be applied retroactively. Therefore, forced lease was introduced - the owner of the land is forced by law to rent the land to the owners of the building. There is also a fixed rent limit and the landowner does not have the right to deny access to the building's communications.

[@grouchostarx531]

They could apply the law retroactively if they wanted to. In the US they put clauses in new laws that are referred to as a “grandfather clause” which allows people/structures/property to “be grandfathered in” to the new legalities. This means that things that already exist would have the new laws applied to them. As for the land rights of these people in Malaysia, the government land office could’ve written the new law to include pre-existing structures and they didn’t for some reason. It seems like a heinous oversight on the land office’s part.

[@ReubenLiu13]

This is terrible on so many levels. How the developer literally "ran away" by selling the land to make it someone else's problem is such a chicken move (but somehow legal). Having lived around this area for most of my life, it's sad to see the Sea Park Apartment degrading. It's so iconic and special to the area.

[@jackylim-jc6kv]

By right these lands should either handover to authority or mc when the project completed. The developer just wants to maximise profits by 1)selling back the land to mc 2) operating a property management company with car park rental business 3) waiting the building to be unlivable and buy back those land for redevelopment.

[@play005517]

In my country, no matter how old or flawed the law was when the land was first subdivided. When the land owner wants to make any new changes, including ownership by gift or sale, the actual residents have priority purchasing right to the immediate lands surrounding them. Or at least the right of passage must be negotiated and granted to the residents. If consent cannot be reached, the court will do it for both party.

[@ReubenLiu13]

@@jackylim-jc6kv yes it's such a disgustingly legal way of double earning. The worse part is that many of the original buyers probably weren't educated enough to read between the lines of the contract.

[@ReubenLiu13]

@@play005517 that's great that your country has managed to reach a space where it's seems fair to the owners. Unfortunately, I think my country still has a few decades of law to catch up before we have enough precedents to benefit owners.

[@MINIMAN10000]

@@ReubenLiu13 This is genuinely difficult to do from a laymans perspective. It requires pulling up deed subdivisions and understanding that what you are buying is in fact surrounded by a separate subdivision which as they says, should no longer happen in current practices because the government now knows better.

[@victor_4567]

This is quality journalism that we all need! Unscrupulous greedy developers trying to lower down the value so that can be bought cheap and redevelop and make big fat profit !

[@jeremiahpan5616]

how? the developer offered the owners a way out first but they refused? it could all be settled with 840k/ no of units. (estimated 120) thats 7k perunit. instead kao peh kao bu and now get fk over by new land owner. blame developer again? jokes.

[@car_enthusiasm6411]

Its at the 80' bro not now..in the 80' 840k is alot! and who the hell bought common area land?? u will buy ur common area land if u stay in a condo or apartment?? @@jeremiahpan5616

[@DavidCruickshank]

@@jeremiahpan5616 Have a boot to lick🥾

[@Ltwentytwo]

​@@jeremiahpan5616should not have been subdivided that way in the first place.

[@sikachukuning2473]

​​@@jeremiahpan5616the land supposed to be part of the apartment in the first place. The developer has tricked these people, decades after the apartment has been inhabitated. They should have assumed it's a lost asset and accept the "lost" if the past employees of the developers have made idiot decisions.

[@KennyEatsWorld]

Very beautifully done both artistically and storytelling wise. The people interviewed are also subject matter experts. I've been looking for a local Malaysian channel like yours who's bold enough to uncover social issues and champion justice via highlighting them on platforms like this. Please keep up the good work and help the ones without a voice. Thank you!

[@TheFourth]

Thanks for the support! We'll surely keep doing our best, so hope you'll subscribe to stay in touch.

[@bodhiswayze1892]

Those 80’s photos are amazing. What a beautiful couple! 😊

[@CieMaKat]

In an European country where I live there's a law which says that each house must be accessible from a main road. If it's not possible, court can pave a way between the house and main road through someone's else property (with minimal harm to original owner) and transfers right to that road to the house owner. Of course the new owner must pay compensation for the land, but the law defines upper limit of the compensation.

[@itsalltakenup]

Oh my gosh. How does this channel not have more subscribers? The production quality and storytelling is amazing and I'm so glad we've got some quality Malaysian content. Subscribed!

[@TheFourth]

Thanks for the support!

[@tiefblau2780]

Maybe the landlord was from XiXiP.... Or admirer of TofuDreg... Something like that

[@James-jh3sz]

@@tiefblau2780 Bruh... that's not even the right country.

[@JMarieCAlove]

It looks like this KZbin channel already has a lot of subscribers, but not many know about this channel if it’s not recommended to watch.

[@Mi_Fa_Volare]

A channel that uses atrocities like Chinese simplified deserve no growth.

[@LimReviews]

Such a sad story. But I'm glad I clicked into this really well-told situation. Literally, the state gov needs to do something and show they care. Those are people living there, and for so many years!

[@BarafuAlbino]

Even in my country, where is seems that only people with brain damage are allowed to be judges, the court would declare that locals are allowed to buy out that land for 400'000 (no idea if it is still a big value for that case).

[@ArtificialPerson]

​@@BarafuAlbinoonly people with brain damage lmao

[@blackrx89]

The government should have intervened. It's their responsibility for the lack of their enforcement on law. And it was very suspicious it took them. 20 years to divulge the information on the homeowner This reeks corruption

[@jeromefitzroy]

It’s Malaysia. Of course it’s corruption!

[@AmbasingKam-dr6yu]

The government will intervene if it's beneficial for their pocket

[@ping1xx]

when i read your last sentence i saw your pic and username i imagined u've gone henshin and on your bike heading towards fighting evilness lol

[@Kiyoone]

Absurd. This should not be legal.

[@TheFourth]

GOOD NEWS: Elroi, the producer for this piece, was invited to speak on BFM (a national radio station here in Malaysia) alongside a fellow Sea Park Apartment resident, Gary (0:54). Listen to full broadcast here: www.bfm.my/podcast/evening-edition/inside-story/apartments-under-siege-sea-park-dispute-saga-of-sea-park-siege

[@DamnAwesome]

I really hope the apartment owners can get the rights to own the land around them and everything gets fixed!

[@paladinoestetica]

I'm sure the malicous sale of land must have broken some sort of mayalasion law.

[@seniorchonkza997]

So much for communism

[@CrapIzBad]

This is such a quality documentary. I'm even more astonished that it covers a part of Malaysia since I am Malaysian and hardly hear such stories and documentaries, keep up the great work!

[@TheFourth]

Wow thanks for the kind words! We'll do our best to produce more, but hope you'll subscribe to support us as well: thefourth.media/subscribe

[@amh7282]

As Malaysian, a lot of this happened to old apartment area. As it said on the video, the weirdly shape lots are no longer available but since this area was built before the law enforcement it's actually legal to do this. The developer found some loophole and sold those land

[@klioon8611]

Maybe the new ones will also have the same issue in the future😢.

[@jackylim-jc6kv]

Just sharing real life story for information, some condominium that was built in the 90's in klang valley has similar problem. The developer built condominium with club house facilities (independant building). However, the developer carved out the club house with facilities land from the master title under their ownership while the remaining condominium plot under the mc's ownership. So, all the visitor car parks, open area and facilities do not belong to mc/residents. After 10-20 years upon vp, these developers fenced up the club house land and asked residents to vacate from the club house and facilities and every residents felt shock as they only realised the facilities do not belong to the residents. After dragging for another few years, developer changed their name as the project already completed 20 years ago, the developer will then sell the ownership of company to their business associates. Guess what? These new directors of the developer company engaged property agent and propose a redevelopment on the club house land.

[@jackylim-jc6kv]

New one will not have these issues as the strata laws 2013. Had closed off such loop holes. Just becareful on those development built in 80-90s before year 2013

[@klioon8611]

@@jackylim-jc6kv thanks sharing.

[@oraclerex]

The developer had planned this dirty trick since the inception of these apartments in 1960's! It's just amazing how rotten and disgusting some developers are!

[@narutofanz85]

What saddens me is that fact the developer sold the labd privately for half what residents were offered. There's an element of hatred and personal vendetta here that repulses me.

[@jennifersimmons7723]

We call it landlocked in USA. Makes land value very low unless there is a right away agreement with other property owner.

[@ZhenYaoYin]

Awesome documentary and filmmaking! Such a sad situation for all of you to be in. I find it so disgusting that the previous landowner decided to sell the lot off at a discount rather than reach a settlement with the apartment owners.

[@hakaibunshi]

I live in Central Europe (Poland) so I have no idea why the algorithm recommended this video to me..but I’m happy it did. I subscribed right after watching this documentary and now I’m slowly making my way through your older videos. Thank you for your hard work, it’s really eye opening.

[@TheFourth]

Wow your comment has really made our week! So glad you’ve subscribed, even though our channel is mainly for stories about Malaysia. Of course, many of the themes are universal, so we hope you’ll still enjoy our upcoming videos as well. See you again soon in the comments!

[@Raksaksa78]

This is how some parts of the world are being oppressed, being driven out of their homes and lands. Hope the authorities can get these residents' situation resolved soon.

[@mktj1]

this is where government should step in and compulsorily acquire the four lots and give them to the rightful owners - the residents.

[@Conernforthesedogs-iw7lf]

This is utterly insane, how did it even come to this?! The place was so nice and I appreciate the residents, they keep their places nice within this travesty.

[@jylaw9495]

I have been living nearby, and never knew about this. A very professional documentary. YB LIm seems like hinting 'ya like that lor', you could have done more!!! People voted you to serve them, please show your efforts! Thank you Dr Suraya, You spoke the truth and intention behind all these.

[@kensprogress]

When see yb respond is speechless

[@jackylim-jc6kv]

Those yb also does not want to dirty their hands because what the developer did was technically legal and court already gave their judgement. Do you think yb wants to dig out all these shits that happened btw developers and authority? Moreover, those event happened more than 30years ago.

[@jylaw9495]

Ya these YB in comfort zone now, massive supporters. Don't border to serve the rakyat

[@BrahmaDBA]

Sad but it is what it is, the YB probably takut gaduh with the developer and not get sponsored got next GE. Idiotic.

[@melorrry273]

😢

[@lydialim2964]

Fantastic documentary. I can see you put your heart and soul into it, as it's a matter that you care deeply about (obviously). Kudos, love seeing high quality documentaries from Malaysians.

[@TheFourth]

Thanks for the kind words. Hope you’ll continue to support our work, and subscribe to stay tuned for our upcoming stories 🙏

[@araigumakiruno]

at first i thought this was Singapore or something but shocked to see this in PJ, nice work!

[@choosim6858]

if the subdivided plots information were intentionally omitted, surely this is makes the developer fraudulent. not legal or lawful.. dr. suraya is spot on. this isnt about landowner rights, this is straight up greedy unlawful tactics leading to infringement on basic human rights. dont just fight on land rights which were obtained illegally. you have nothing to lose, keep fighting. create your own community to run the services. not easy but dont give up.

[@hekatewhispers]

Exactly, I wonder if there is scope under Malaysian law for a class action against the initial developers for deceptive and misleading conduct.

[@CheahMichael]

The developer is greedy and immoral, but honestly speaking, the current landowner is a victim of this fiasco too. Yap bought the land with their money and is expected to get return for this investment. Instead, there are people occupying Yap's land. So it is only normal for Yap to assert their right to evict. Put it into perspective, you bought a house from another person. But the house you bought somehow got people living in it. Was it your fault to evict that person? Would you say it is inhumane to evict the trespasser in the house you have just bought? Yap faces the same problem, where they bought the piece of land from the developer, but somehow it is a "common area" for the nearby apartment.

[@richardsimons1234]

@@CheahMichaelI would agree only if the current landowner was mislead and not aware of the situation. Otherwise, if he purchased the land fully knowing the situation, his actions while legal, are also as greedy and immoral as the developer.

[@CheahMichael]

@@richardsimons1234 True, but I can only assume that the landowner is the victim of this. If the landowner is known of the situation and intend to profit out of it, then he or she is indeed a scum

[@thastayapongsak4422]

@@CheahMichael No land owner in their right mind will buy a land with this bizarre and hideous boundary.

[@tkyap2524]

How can what is illogical be legal? The developer must be taken to court for misrepresentation and fraud. The law must rectify this unbelievable situation.

[@6Fiona6_P_6]

Hi from Sydney…. Sounds like this was some vicious scam perpetuated on the poor people who currently live in those apartments. Wish them all the luck they can get in finding justice for their situation and crisis….. ⚛️☮️🌏

[@Kataroku]

Can't believe the courts would uphold such an immoral decision; especially now that there are laws in place to stop this from happening in the future. The courts have the ultimate power to bend the law on moral grounds.

[@TobiNano]

I think we all know why the courts sided with the rich

[@TothArpika-s2h]

wtf are you talking about bend the rules? that is not how law works, okay?

[@RazShape]

lmfao bend the law

[@raerohan4241]

The law can't bend the law wtf. That would literally be corruption, you do understand?

[@shmwmlam3953]

​@@TothArpika-s2hno but law is not permanent it should change with society. You think we still have medieval laws?

[@Tzeyingchew]

The idea of the vicious cycle of urban slums is truly eye-opening and helped me make sense of the 'why’

[@ianyee]

Yeah, it’s so hard to understand why things like this happen. It really is just for money most of the time.

[@Aeybiseediy]

This happens quite often in the US. Some rich people or developers bought a bunch of houses in suburbans nearby a prime city or town and let it go abandoned, essentially making it a dead neighborhood over time that will drive down the market value. Then land developers will buy up the whole town turning it as an expansion of the nearby expensive areas for profits.

[@hukesama8389]

​@@Aeybiseediy I remember watching an interview with the residents of an apartment in New York where a conglomerate bought up all the apartments in a block and purposely raised the rents so much in a short period of time so they could get rid of the tenants. It's sad to see the interviewee was one of the few people left living in a ghost apartment with zero neighbours and community.

[@blackrx89]

there is a term called '"gentrification". and certain point the developer will bought the land cheap and build a prime estate on top of it, once they fill their coffer they start doing the same vicious over and over

[@PangKhaiShuen]

Amazing documentary, really impressive that you got Dr Suraya from Khazanah to comment on this. I can't help to agree with her that this fringes on human rights and liberty. Surprised there is no legal recourse for this mess 😢

[@ribytimtiman]

My heart is with the house owners. Good luck on your long battle and I hope you get justice to this.

[@notashroom]

If this behavior of blatant real estate extortion has since been outlawed, then the government should be on the side of fixing the cases that occurred before the laws were passed. The residents should try lobbying their senator and representative in the Malaysian Parliament, and if that isn't enough, lobby the entire Parliament and get sympathetic media coverage by protesting in interesting and nonviolent ways, and finally lobby the King himself to protect his people from this shameful exploitation. This is a really well done story and I will watch for more from this channel. Thanks from the U.S.

[@TheFourth]

We appreciate the support! We’ll post updates here on this channel as we receive them.

[@ErnestJay88]

This happen in Indonesia too, especially in old housing complex build in 1970s - 1980s, usually houses or apartment complex are owned by residence by strata title (certificate of ownership), but common area like parking lot are with "building use rights certificate" and not a strata title, only valid for 30 years, after building use right certificate is expired, common area usually sold towards third party and there's always a legal battle between residence vs new landowner. New regulation today make sure common areas like parking lot are own by residents collectively or owned by local government and resident can use it for free as long as they maintain the common areas.

[@jonathantan2469]

I was looking to buy an apartment in near where I live in Australia, and upon looking at the contract of sale, my lawyer pointed out that although the advertisement said the apartment would have a carpark... the lot was not mentioned anywhere in the contract. Upon digging, it turns out it was not on title, but leased for $1 a year for 99 years from the organisation. Now, the building was over 70 years old, which meant there was around 25 years left on the lease...

[@novembergrams]

This is so underhanded. How can corporations be this scummy? I hope the residents get a proper settlement

[@kklum6998]

The developer is trying to force the apartment owner to move out by FORCE after selling them the apartment units. That is a dirty move by the developer. I don't need to be a professional or educated to see through their scrupulous long-term plan. The developer needs to be sued for having intent.

[@Unstoppable1241]

We will 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 for all the residents! So unfair!

[@toomnLP]

Amazing storytelling, props to the narrator and whoever wrote the script!

[@TheFourth]

That would be the journalist/producer, Elroi Yee, one of our co-founders at @thefourth.

[@garyheng5201]

Really feel the injustice and a real sense of contempt for those who have such love for money, truly the root of evil is the love for money. They have already made their profit back then but they have schemed to make much more. Also, echoing the others, you deserve full support in your story telling - clearly shows you have honed your skill in telling a story via video!

[@sophiasmith2539]

beautifully produced documentary. it’s unfortunate this was still allowed to happen before the law was enforced. hope justice will be served.

[@azuarc]

At first, I thought I was going to hear a story like the land-owners in the American west who purchase private plots of land that box in public areas and then sue people trying to corner-cut. While that story is awful, this one is in many ways even worse...but it does prove one thing: people will subdivide and shoehorn and finagle whatever is necessary to gain an advantage over others, without taking any ownership over (or in this case, maybe even desiring) those consequences.

[@ayoCC]

the only way to make the world move towards prosperity despite these people is a government willing to sow the seeds of justice. Prosperity cannot exist in a world with hobbes natural law, we do have to come together and stand against injustice and tyranny, or the tyrants will win.

[@edwinsengarch]

This video just makes me realized how much messed up lands divided are there in PJ. As an architect involved in some projects in PJ, I've seen weird shape lands given to us to design something for them. What's worse is that a lot of public land meant for kawasan lapangan is somehow owned by private companies in which they have turned the greens into something else like private parkings and such. I went to a public hearing on some these projects and residents are outrage by all these public land being eaten up by developers. To quote one of them in said hearing, it is "The Rape of their Green Lungs". And nothing can be done, even by MBPJ because the subdivision has already been set in place, ownership of the land was alrd established. Not sure about the more recent public spaces being built something, how legal are those and how the new local land code should have override them.

[@kamenwaticlients]

I really feel for these people. You gotta wonder who is making the calls in favor of the land owner and whether or not there is any corruption a foot or is it really being treated as the letter of the law with no spirit. Heck that sale price was just to spite the residents and I would be surprised if the original land owner still has a stake in it and is waiting for the place to fail. This cycle is the first step to gentrification in the USA. That urban slum cycle is what has been used in many neighborhoods in big cities especially neighborhoods occupied by minorities.

[@maljonesypark]

Love the subtle colors and camera angles/shots!

[@TheFourth]

Thanks! We’re sure the producer Elroi (who also did most of the camera work) will appreciate that.

[@karweng94]

Well done on the very detailed documentary on this social and legal issue that most of us may not know of. I do home visits for physiotherapy and I had a patient in this exact apartment. It got me wondering at that time why there were so many obstacles and barricades around the carpark and everything looked worn down without proper security. This video gave a good answer. Hope justice will be done for the original residents (most of which are retirees by now), despite the challenges in legality.

[@makkurojokergod1262]

I can't imagine what kind of ROI the landowner is possibly expecting from acquiring said land, it's like he's set out to intentionally ruin the lives of the residents there.

[@SportyMabamba]

Drive out the residents and redevelop the land for premium condos

[@courtneykoc3050]

Why with anyone buy a house and not have access to their driveway or front yard that is insane, that's false advertising

[@M1NDCR4WL3R]

This is crazy 😰 Thanks for sharing your story..I hope you can solve this problem somehow... 😞

[@TheFourth]

UPDATE: Electricity to the apartments' common areas were about to be cut, until the local ADUN footed the unpaid bill 👉 thefourth.media/news/local-adun-staves-off-electricity-cuts-to-common-areas-of-sea-park-apartments

[@selilatte]

Exactly, there needs to be a law that can be an exception in cases like this, where the intention is blatantly clear, especially considering the land was sold for half the price it was offered to the apartment owners.

[@johnnamkeh1290]

Exactly. It's blatant greed. Except no regulator here is willing to act against that apparently, hiding behind the law.

[@makslargu5799]

Right? Surely the apartment owners are as entitled to a return on their investment - their properties will have lost value and how could they sell to anyone other than the developer? Who else would by a property with no water and sewage, security or parking facilities. It’s madness.

[@Jeffreypark]

In the US, there is a thing called an “easement”. Someone else can own the land, but if someone else has been using that land for access to their property, the land owners cannot deny that usage right.

[@Celeryman3721]

An obscene showcase of how capitalists exploit a legal loophole at the expense of unprotected buyers. Nicely produced video shedding light on the plight of the less fortunate in beloved PJ.

[@ShawnChang6453]

Very educational....credits to the professional editing.

[@rastafari6336]

The government should enforce a compulsory purchase and sell or give the land to the residents. This has happened purely out of greed on the part of the developer and the new owner. This is just so wrong

[@Klinikfpv]

We often read this kind of journalism abroad, never thought same problem also happening in our own land. Great job covering this 👍🏻👍🏻.

[@TheFourth]

Thanks. We have more content coming up, so hope you’ll subscribe to support our work 🙏

[@mehmetadembarissever]

The kind of content Malaysia needs! Syabas!

[@matthewloh777]

Not sure why it popped out as recommended, but glad it did! Beautifully done, kept me watching till the end..hope the residents get proper justice 😢💪🏻

[@moonwolf9782]

This is outrageous. The law should be changed, and they should all be given a share in the lands they should have owned.

[@lisasama5284]

And the company should just give up its rights to the land without compensation? These people didn’t pay for the land they don’t get to use it, maybe they should ask the landowner if they’re willing to sell it to them.

[@angelmason5108]

The government and courts really let down the home owners.

[@xB-pp3nn]

Who is this new owner of the land and what is his intention for buying it from the developer and then purposely making it harder for the residences there? There's surely no way to develop or make use of the land. Sounds like a local gangster bullying and taking advantage of this situtation. Expose who is this owner; must be still part of the original developer S.E.A Housing Corp

[@TheFourth]

There’s no way to be sure of the new landowner’s intentions. However, he is known to be a business associate of the original developer, SEA Housing Corporation. After buying the land, he has sought to assert ownership through methods that include placing concrete barricades and barbed wire around certain parts of the common area in the apartments. Read the full story here: thefourth.media/apartments

[@jackylim-jc6kv]

If you read the documents, the new owner is some business associates / ex employee of the developer.

[@chiffonkek2]

Production value is through the roof! Keep up the good work!

[@rooowtwx]

Dr. Suraiya is right!!! Although the law is not retrospective and current laws and practices cannot apply, something needs to change to protect residents in urban areas that aren't sold and charged by developers at a premium. The prevention of urban slums need to start somewhere and local governments have to prevent private companies from crowding out locals from places they've called home for decades.

[@Ministry_Of_Silly_Walks]

The person or entity purchased the commons with the clear intent of depriving the residents access to their homes. Greed at its worse. In the Untied States, we are flawed in so many ways, but situations like this is not one of them.

[@jayzo]

Who would look at that common land and go "ooh what a lovely plot of land let's buy it". The best thing you can do with it is turn it into a parking lot which isn't going to be a good return on investment on the purchase of the land. This was done out of spite. Their little scam of not including the land with the apartments to milk the residents for more money failed, so they're punishing them for it.

[@jaymzcheong6582]

i went to this apartment last 3 weeks to deliver parcels, i am shocked to see those construction blocks are everywhere and starting to wonder what is happening here. Now i know why. Honestly, it is kinda quite place and chill place when i climb up to the highest floor. As outside main road is always crowded and noisy, inside the area is comfortable actually if without this law issue.

[@chongccs1]

Amazing storytelling & the amount of effort put into this 9 mins video is insane. Looking forward to your videos. Big Up !

[@TheFourth]

Thanks for recognising the effort! The producer did indeed spend a lot of time and effort on this. Hope to bring you more content like this, so do subscribe to help keep us going.

[@Indyariya]

I had been PJ resident since 1979 and basically grew up in Ss2 market since my parent was operating a food store in the open air market(now it’s Ka covered). I am astonished that I didn’t know where about this PJ apartment. Till I google and found It’s located in the area behind ESH shops lot. Speaking of this dispute, I think the developer is trying to get the money out land and its unfair for the apartment owners.

[@jaytc3218]

After looking at this situation a second time, it appears that the developers want all of the land, including the property owned by the residents. To do that, the developers will try to make the living conditions so uncomfortable that the residents will want to leave. This is not new and, unfortunately, it's not limited to Malaysia. Just because something is legal doesn't mean it is right. History is full of barbaric, draconian, and unjust laws as well as crooked courts and judges that uphold them. Clearly, the courts are bought and paid for by the big land developers. In the United States, there is a judge named Clarence Thomas who sits on the Supreme Court. A billionaire gave Thomas's 93 year-old mother a home that is fully paid for, flights on private jets, and vacations on yachts in the South Pacific. Thomas consistently rules in favor of the billionaire.

[@chardibinx]

Wow. Good on you for elevating this story.

[@TheFourth]

Thanks! And comments like yours help us amplify it further.

[@lcsiew8875]

eye opening story...seems like our country is full of unscrupulous developers..in current days, i have seen condo developers build literally next to a landed property and even has the audacity to share the same perimeter wall with the house

[@eggizgud]

Like The Address in Taman Desa. No regard for the objections of the neighbourhood. Towering at more than 35 storeys and so close to other condos half that height and just a road separating it from a school. So much corruption. And it's not just on the part of the government or corporations. It's ingrained in our everyday lives. We all justify it just because it's already happening...because of this "put ourselves first" and "others would do it anyway even if we don't" mentality.

[@canerson]

Very well made, i’m surprised this doesn’t have more views. I’ll share it around to try and fix that

[@TheFourth]

We appreciate that! Hope you'll also throw us a subscribe - more content to come.

[@NewoolDoge]

Amazing documentary and storytelling! Fully immersed from beginning till the end. You guys just earned a new sub from a fellow Malaysian.

[@TheFourth]

Thanks for the sub! Support for quality, standards-based journalism is so important.

[@hazwanee25]

I love this kind of reporting, very good journalism & resourceful rather than just reading snippets in the print. I hope the apartment owners will get their rightful win.

[@TheFourth]

Glad you like it! Hope you'll subscribe to help us produce even more. Not easy producing this kinda journalism, but we think it's worth it.

[@kiwipalace]

was about to rent an apartment there recently cos it was affordable for a 4 bedroom.. didnt know about these issues then. great location too. really disturbing that this was allowed to happen

[@proxxymax6814]

I'm so sorry & angry to see this unjust happening right in front of my doorsteps (I'm a local PJ boy)! Greedy developer will face their karmic consequences immediately!!!

[@AmbasingKam-dr6yu]

Sadly the law is on their side

[@tomatotom984]

The law is on the side of the one with money

[@ChongYinKoon]

Nope. These developers will not face any karmic consequences. Many such developers still live in luxury.

[@Betaphats]

Wow I’m sorry to hear about the situation. Thanks for producing this insightful video to put things in perspective.

[@AshAhms]

Heyyy a well produced Malaysian channel! Living abroad with barely any Malaysian friends around this brings me back home to the wild disputes and problems we have narrated in heartwarming vernacular accent. Damn syiok, subscribed!

[@TheFourth]

Thanks! More to come from us, so hope you’ll support our work moving forward.

[@CT808]

This was an incredibly well done video. Definitely looking forward to seeing more of your work.

[@TheFourth]

Thanks! We have more content coming up soon, so do subscribe to help us keep going: thefourth.media/subscribe

[@lisahammond1208]

I never thought I would stand in support of Eminent Domain or Easement requirements but this is a clear cut reason to have them. I feel so sorry for those poor tenants.

[@shijianzheng6590]

Leaseholders of the apartment units should have easement right of the surrounding land such as ‘right of way’, regardless of who owns it.

[@ayy232]

Right of way, but unlikely to have a right to park cars, have sewage works, etc. That’s probably why the court awarded mesne profits to the landowner for land unlawfully occupied.

[@09terra90]

My thoughts exactly.

[@naddylinn]

I am deeply sorry for what the residence have to face. This is unacceptable. Btw there's this one single block apartment in my residential area between Taman Sri Bahagia and Taman Minang, Cheras KL, where even after the completion, the developer did not managed to get a legal road to access for the apartment. It ended up not being resided. I pity those who have to continue paying the loan and are not able to even live in the house that they own.

[@chrisflores4788]

The residents should've taken that deal when they had the chance. It came down to approximately US$ 675 per unit. As the saying goes: hindsight is 20/20. Now, the government should buy that land from the new owner and cede it or sell it to the apartment owners before the area becomes a slum (which is the new owner's intention, imo). I hope this issue is settled quickly before it deteriorates any further.

[@omardude39]

The editing, contextual description and use of sources in this piece is excellent. That's real journalism - I learned about a real problem somewhere far away from here because of good journalism work.

[@TheFourth]

We appreciate you saying that! Documentary journalism like this is not always easy, but comments like yours help keep us going.