Bank cancels re-auction and agrees to remove bankruptcy status

KUALA LUMPUR: The house in Subang 2 that Good Samaritan Lee Hui Sen won in a bid was supposed to be up for re-auction three days ago.

On the eve of the auction, the bank decided to cancel it and agreed to remove the bankruptcy status of S, the defaulter of the mortgage, and to offer him a loan restructuring.

These were agreed upon when Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) chief Datuk Nadzim Johan met the bank officers with PPIM muamalat expert advisory panel member Sheikh Abdul Kareem Khadaied and legal advisor Edward Lim.

“We would like to thank the bank for helping to solve this problem in the best possible way.

“After we explained to the officers about the situation faced by S and his wife Nor, they gave us a great response and solution.

“We even prepared a bank draft of RM44,500 using money borrowed from our friends to bid for the house in case the auction is still going to be held,” Nadzim told a press conference here yesterday.

Second chance: Nor, wiping her tears after relating the bitter experience her family went through after the bankruptcy.

It was reported last month that Lee decided to forgo her deposit of RM44,500 for the auctioned house as she could not bring herself to purchase it when she saw a family living there.

Lee wrote a letter to them, apologising for buying the house and hoped that the deposit amount could be of some assistance to the family and also provided feng shui tips to the occupants of the house.

She wanted to remain anonymous and did not want to be showered with attention.

Nor, who was also present during the press conference, said she was relieved that the problem would finally be resolved.

However, she was still waiting for the bank’s next course of action and for their “black and white confirmation” .

“We admit that we have financial problems and were unable to pay promptly every month. We met the bank officers, gave post-dated cheques and made several arrangements.

“We did everything we were told to do, but at the same time, the bank officer also arranged for my husband to be declared bankrupt and we really felt cheated,” said Nor as tears streamed down her cheeks.

The bank involved in the mortgage has yet to give an official response at press time.