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No rule to use only bumiputera law firms for gov’t housing loans
There is no requirement for civil servants applying for government housing loans to only engage law firms with bumiputera partnerships to have their loan documents processed, said Deputy Finance Minister Chua Tee Yong today.
He had called the Public Sector Housing Finance Agency (LPPSA) to brief him on this, and was reassured that such a requirement does not exist in government policy.
This is in response to MCA Youth legal bureau chief Ng Kian Nam, who had said this requirement is fostering racism within the legal profession.
Chua explained that bumiputera partnerships should not be a condition for selection to the panel of lawyers approved by LPPSA to process applications for government housing loans by civil servants
However it has a strict assessment and evaluation process of law firms to ensure documents are in order and minimise unnecessary backlog.
This had caused the disqualification of many small and medium law firms, he admitted.
However, he added that he had asked the LPPSA to review the assessment system to include more small and medium law firms in the panel.
MCA objects to rule on civil servants engaging lawyers for housing loans http://ebx.sh/1QFXiu6
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SEREMBAN – The MCA has objected to a new condition whereby civil servants applying for government housing loans will only be allowed to engage law firms with bumiputra partnerships to have their loan documents processed.
National MCA Youth legal bureau head Ng Kian Nam said the rule, which takes effect Jan 1, was unfair as borrowers no longer had the option to engage lawyers of their choice.
“We will write to the Finance Ministry to express our unhappiness on this.
“Borrowers should be given the option to engage whoever they wished as they are the ones who would be paying for the legal service,” he told The Star.
He said the move came following the setting up of the Public Sector Home Financing Board (LPPSA), a statutory body that would take over the functions of the ministry’s Housing Loan Division.
Ng said the new condition was only made public recently.
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On a separate matter, Ng said the MCA would also submit recommendations to the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry on the need to review guidelines for the construction of places of worship.
“We have had dialogues with interfaith groups and developers and have concluded that some changes need to be made on the guidelines,” he said.
Citing examples, he said a ruling which required those who wished to build non-Muslim places of worship in a particular area to first obtain permission from the Muslim community was outdated.
“Also, there is a rule which states that there has to be a buffer zone of at least 50m between them was also impractical,” he said.
PerumahanKerajaanMY @LoanPerumahan
Hebahan mengenai pinjaman perumahan penjawat awam. BPPP akan bertukar kepada LPPSA. Careline : 0196692728
Announcements about civil servants ‘ housing loans. KPWKM will change to LPPSA. Careline: 0196692728
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weehingthong 