PULSEKITA / KNOW YOUR RIGHTS / AKTA 118

Delayed or abandoned housing: which forum can hear your claim?

LAD, defects and abandoned projects need different routes. Avoid the wrong tribunal or missed deadlines.

Source review: 2026-10-11Open Act record 118 →
Deep dive: Abandoned Housing, LAD and Rescue Developers →Project classifications, KPKT responsibilities and documents to check before a rescue agreement.
KEY POINT

KPKT says the Homebuyer Claims Tribunal may hear specified SPA/LAD disputes, but not abandoned-project disputes.

Who is this for?

Buyers dealing with licensed housing developers, delayed handover or stalled projects.

Jurisdiction and scope

KPKT Homebuyer Tribunal guidance: Peninsular Malaysia and Labuan. Not universal to all states or property types.

What does the law and official guidance say?

Delayed-handover LAD is not the same as abandonment

KPKT lists delayed-vacant-possession LAD among non-technical tribunal claims, subject to jurisdiction. Abandoned projects are expressly listed outside the tribunal's remit.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Act 118 and the claim limit

KPKT refers to Act 118 section 16N(2) for disputes arising from a licensed developer's SPA. Its published ordinary claim limit is RM50,000, with written-party-agreement conditions for larger claims.

Filing deadlines differ by claim type

KPKT distinguishes 12-month windows linked to CCC for certain LAD claims, the defects-liability period for technical claims, and SPA termination in specified cases. Check the actual claim category and dates promptly.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Practical first steps

Preserve the original paperwork

Retain the SPA, loan disbursement record, developer correspondence, handover notices, CCC (if any), dated progress photos and communications.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Identify the project status

If the project is genuinely abandoned, do not assume TTPR can decide it. Check status with KPKT and obtain advice on other avenues and loan implications.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Check forum and limitation before filing

Confirm whether it concerns LAD, defects or a dispute beyond the tribunal's remit. Do not simultaneously file the same dispute in two forums.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Important limitations

Abandoned housing is not automatically a TTPR case

KPKT expressly excludes abandoned projects from TTPR jurisdiction. LAD, rebates and cashback depend on the contract and facts; this guide does not decide anyone's entitlement.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Do not ignore the mortgage

A developer dispute does not automatically cancel obligations under the separate financing contract. Seek advice about that agreement.

Evidence: kpkt-faq ↓

Official evidence and references

Each source supports particular statements above. Some dated reprints are older versions, not evidence of every current amendment.

  1. KPKT · Soalan Lazim TTPR

    Jurisdiction, abandoned-project exclusion, RM50,000 threshold, filing timelines

    Open original source ↗
  2. KPKT · Peranan dan fungsi TPPS

    Act 118 section 16N(2), LAD jurisdiction

    Open original source ↗