Penang Chief Minister's political secretary Ng Wei Aik denied today he had challenged a factory worker to lodge a complaint against his boss at the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims.

Ng said he never advised factory worker Soon Lean Huat to file the complaint over his defective flat unit built by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) in Seberang Jaya.

Soon named Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng by virtue of the latter being the PDC chairperson.

"Soon came to see me for help over the defective flat unit. My advice to him was to file a complaint with the tribunal.

"I did not challenge or advise him to file the complaint against the chief minister," said Ng at a press conference.

Ng said one should manipulate facts to undermine the credibility of a leader like Lim. One cannot simply tarnish the image of a chief minister," he said.

The 37-year-old Soon filed the complaint demanding PDC to carry out repair works on a leaking sewage pipeline estimated to cost RM3,000.

Prompted to file complaint

Soon claimed the leakage had been plaguing him for the past 10 years at his flat in Sungai Nibong, Penang, causing sewage water to drip on to the walls of the hall, toilet and bedrooms, and emitting a filthy smell.

He said he was prompted to lodge the complaint to facilitate legal action following advice by Komtar assemblyperson Ng in a letter dated July 28.

Soon Lean Huat_complainant against guan eng 05102009 "He has actually challenged me to lodge a complaint against his own boss, the chief minister," claimed Soon on Monday.

Soon ( left ) said he had exhausted all available avenues to end his predicament by writing numerous letters of complaint to various PDC officials and seeking the help of DAP-elected representatives.

Ng admitted Soon had lodged complaints to at least 10 elected representatives but all of them could not help him because PDC was no longer responsible as the liability period ended in April 2001.

Soon bought the flat unit for RM25,000 in September 1999 and was given the house keys by the PDC in April 2000.

His first complaint to the PDC over the leakage was on May 17, 2000.

PDC general manager Rosli Jaafar who was at the press conference said PDC hired workers had repaired the leakage to the satisfaction of Soon.

Repair works were done

"We carried out the repair works according to the specifications given by the technicians and engineers.

"Soon cannot claim that PDC carried out only cosmetic repair works," said Rosli.

He stressed that as a housing developer, PDC had always acted with accountability and responsibility to its house buyers.

He admitted that Soon had also lodged several verbal complaints over the recurrence of the leakage after the repair.

But the PDC did not rectify it because it occurred inside the unit after the defect liability period had expired.

"We carried out repair works outside the unit, but not inside," he said, adding it would be the house buyer's responsibility to repair inside defects.

He suggested that the PDC would be willing to become the mediator to negotiate with Soon's neighbour staying above his unit to jointly carry out the repair works.