Thorn in the flesh for consumers

The frequent setting aside of the Housing Tribunal's awards is not likely to gain the confidence of the people.

Buyer’s perspective: Having won the case at the Tribunal for Home Buyer Claims, commonly known as the Housing Tribunal, and having been granted an award of RM7,500 as compensation for late delivery, the defaulting developer has refused to abide by the award. The developer wants to challenge the award by filing for judicial review (JR) at the High Court. I checked with several lawyers and they say the legal fees and expenses to represent the client would be approximately RM20,000 at the level of the appellate division of the High Court.

The lawyer is uncertain whether he would be able to win the case. Thus, why take a risk?