GEORGE TOWN, Aug 27 – Penang State Executive Councillor (EXCO) for Housing and Town & Country Planning, Jagdeep Singh Deo on Wednesday demanded that the Minister of Housing and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan took full responsibility for his resignation for failing to control housing prices in Malaysia.
Jagdeep said that the reports of Khazanah Research Institute recently that the residential property market in Malaysia is not capable of directly owned (“seriously unaffordable ‘) is a surprising statement and that holds the portfolio of Minister of Housing, Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan, should take responsibility by resigning.
“In the same time, the Federal Government should take immediate steps to address and resolve them. In the state of Penang, the Federal Government should immediately direct to the federal agencies in Penang as JKP Sdn Bhd and the Government to revise the selling price of housing units to the affordable level that is, between RM200,000.00 and RM400,000.00 on the Penang Island and RM150,000.00 to RM250,000.00 on the mainland,” he said.
“The price of housing units proposed by federal agencies, which amounted to almost RM2 million on the island and mainland at the top of RM1 million, is the price, which is not affordable, and thus has contributed to the conclusion drawn by Khazanah Research Insitute is that housing prices in Malaysia are not able to directly own! As a government, profits should not come first, but there should be a supply of affordable housing units,” he said.
Meanwhile, the federal government should set aside a profit of nearly RM150 million which will be linked via 15 projects through the agencies of the Central Government, and building a well-unit affordable housing units that really can be owned by citizens, including citizens of the state of Penang. If the federal government can coordinate the selling price to the price proposed, namely the price of low-cost, medium-cost and low-cost affordable, the State Government will approve it,” he added.
Projects JKP Sdn. Bhd. which already comply with the requirements of the course is already approved applications for planning permission for the record. In this, the Penang State Government has demonstrated its commitment to give priority to the supply of affordable housing where so far along the Penang Development Corporation (PDC),” he added.
Jagdeep also added that the Penang state government will build a total of 22,512 units, including units of low cost houses, medium-low and affordable starting next year up to 5 to 10 years to come. He said apart from this, the private sector has also helped the Penang State Government initiative to provide affordable housing where it can be seen, through the Affordable Housing Guidelines-Owned 100% by the private sector.
“So that now the application of 12.606 units of affordable housing had been submitted to the local authorities in Penang. In fact, the record from 2008 until now, 12.471 low-cost housing units and 7,608 units of low medium-cost housing has been built in the state and at the same time, 3,796 low cost housing units and 5,246 units of low medium-cost housing has been approved to be built in Penang,” said Jagdeep.
“Furthermore, since the introduction of affordable housing in 2014, the Penang State Government has submitted 4,973 names of applicants to developers of affordable housing. Apart from this, the Central Government should intensify its efforts in building affordable housing under the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme (PR1MA),” he said.
“In this, I want an explanation from the tree PR1MA whether 194.456 units of affordable housing have been prepared by him, as reported in the newspaper The New Straits Times? If so, where is it built? Since PR1MA Act 2012 was enacted, many announcements were made by various representatives of the Central Government, PR1MA that affordable housing will be built in the state of Andhra Pradesh,” he said.
“The announcement was also made among others including the Prime Minister, Dato ‘Seri Najib Razak and Minister of Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan. However, although I have repeatedly requested that the implementation of affordable housing projects under PR1MA done as expeditiously as possible in the state of Penang, none of affordable housing units PR1MA was built in Penang to date,” he added.
“However, I wish to announce that a meeting was held yesterday between myself and representatives from PR1MA. I described the meeting as a positive step towards the implementation of affordable housing projects under PR1MA in Penang, and is expected to be emotional and political will not contaminate these efforts,” he said.
This is because many issues were discussed, especially the Penang state policy regarding the provision of affordable housing, especially in the sales price ceilings on both sides of the island and the mainland which is RM200,000.00 to RM400,000.00 on the island and RM150 , 000.00 to RM250,000.00 on the mainland.
It was been control by the size which ranging from 750 square feet to 950 square feet, eligibility requirements, in particular the needs of the applicant is a voter Penang. It has no home unless it is a low-cost houses or low and medium-cost ceiling limit of income applicants.
Constructive proposals were submitted by both parties and representatives me PR1MA and will be taken into consideration, particularly the issue of listing the applicant’s name to be used when the selection is made and the parties will be responsible for the implementation of projects PR1MA.
The need for affordable housing is so obvious now, especially in view of reports that the Khazanah Research Institute and the federal government must speed up the implementation of affordable housing projects under PR1MA in Penang. “Related to this, I have reiterated the commitment of the Penang State Government that, if all the conditions and technical planning can be adhered to, then these projects will not experience any resistance to be approved,” said Jagdeep.
“As I mentioned earlier, the State actually welcoming the type of affordable housing by the Central Government through PR1MA in Penang. This is because the people of Penang, which is the third highest tax payer in Malaysia (where in 2014, RM6.9 billion was paid by the people of Penang to the Federal Government), are eligible for affordable housing provided by the Central Government,” he said.
“If all conditions are complied than the Penang State Government will approve the application to build affordable housing by the PR1MA. In the same time, I hope the federal government will provide fair treatment of housing developers in Penang which already comply with all the conditions in their applications for Advertising Permit & Developers’ License – APDL,” he said.
“It should be remembered that the denial of APDL was directly means that the denial of development projects for affordable housing as well, which is so desired now reported that Khazanah Research Institute. I hope that the federal government stop playing politics in order to supply affordable housing to citizens, including citizens of the state of Penang, especially in view of reports that Khazanah Research Institute, which is so surprising and alarming to all citizens of Malaysia,” he added.
