MY HOUSE.

I can only afford a double storey terrace, three rooms and two bathrooms. Some people can live in a multi million mansions and also have several bungalows to their name. I have only two children and a three rooms house would be adequate. No guest room and if my mother is in town, my daughter have to share with her and if my brother with his family pay a visit, my daughter have to squat in the Master bedroom.

I was at Hajjah Hamidah grocery store and she asked me whether I was interested to buy a house. It was in 1980 and the prices of houses were booming sky high. She told me a RM 110,000 house was available and was under construction. We went to the site and the location was most perfect and my wife agreed. Hajjah Hamidah took me to the Developer and I just need to pay RM 11,000 as a deposit. My wife was very keen to have the house and I had only RM 1,000 in the bank account and she had RM 3,000. We need RM 7,000 more. Where am I to get the RM 7,000? I consulted my late father in law and he took his land grant and we went to the Bank. The collateral process for RM 7,000 would take two months whereas I need the money within a week. We abandoned the idea. My friend was willing to advance me RM 2,000 therefore I need another RM 5,000. I have no other choice but to negotiate a 5% loan from Along. It was not call Along then, just an unregistered money lender. Once I got the money I quickly handed to the Developer and I signed the Sales and Purchase Agreement.

With the SPA, I drove to EPF Head Office in Petaling Jaya and filled up a withdrawal form of 10% of my EPF saving. The application letter was written at the nearby coffee shop. The government just implemented the scheme and it was introduced at the most appropriate time. Exactly forty four days later, I got my RM 11,000. The first thing I did was to pay back the RM 5,000 loan with interest and the RM 2,000 my friend advanced to me. The rest went back to my bank account.

I need a bank loan to pay the balance RM 99,000. It was most fortunate that Kumpulan Guthrie had just introduced a 100% housing loan scheme to its Executives and I was proud that I was the first Executive to benefit. I was now eligible for RM 110,000 loan with 7% interest for 15 years. I had now RM 11,000 in hand and I utilized the money to install the grills, lightings and minor renovations to the bathroom.

I wish to record the following people who helped me to solve my problem in order for me to own a simple double storey terrace house.

1. Hue Ah Sang.
2. Ah Liang.
3. Theresa Li
4. How Wan Hong.

And of course, my late father in law, my wife and Hajjah Hamidah.

Housing loan settled but my house was not completed in time. It was delayed for 18 months and I sued the Developer through my lawyer friend, Zainuddin. It was settled out of court for RM 10,000 compensation. With the money, I renovated the car porch and constructed a patio.

My pay check was reduced by RM 1,007 for fourteen years not until the last year when the interest was dropped from seven percent to four with the compliment of Khalid Ibrahim, the CEO.

Now, the house: 128 Jalan Lengkongan, Kampong Raja Uda, Port Klang is fully mine. However, I would not forget the one week of struggling to come out with the balance of RM 7,000 to be handed to the Developer. How I managed to do it, was the grace of Allah the Almighty.