The Federal Government is ramping up efforts to provide affordable housing and eradicate poverty across the country with two separate initiatives in Terengganu and Negri Sembilan benefitting hundreds of low-
income families.
In Terengganu, the Central Terengganu Development Authority (Ketengah) received an allocation of RM971,000 from the Rural and Regional Development Ministry to implement the Rakyat Sejahtera Housing Programme last year.
Ketengah general manager Datuk Tengku Ahmad Nadzri Tengku Musa said the programme was introduced to ensure eligible families could enjoy more comfortable and
conducive living conditions.
“The total also included a special allocation of RM317,000 for the construction of three new houses and the repair of four homes for the Orang Asli community,” he said after handing over three houses to Orang Asli families under the People’s Well-Being Housing Programme at Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Pergam in Chukai, Terengganu, reported Bernama.
Tengku Ahmad Nadzri said the allocation was for the construction of nine new houses and the repair of 13 houses throughout the Ketengah region.
Each new house cost RM79,000 to build, while RM20,000 was allocated for individual house repairs.
Recipients were selected from poor families registered under the e-Kasih system managed by the Implementation Coordination Unit of the Prime Minister’s Department and the Orang Asli Community Information Data System (i-Damak) administered by the Department of Orang Asli Development (Jakoa), he added.
Tengku Ahmad Nadzri said this year, Ketengah received a special allocation of RM440,000 from the ministry to repair 22 houses in the Dungun parliamentary constituency.
For 29-year-old oil palm plantation labourer Kharil Rahim, the initiative has been life-changing.
He and his wife, Nor Basirah Bali, 28, were selected to receive housing assistance under the programme.
“I am thankful because my wife and our six-year-old child no longer have to stay at my mother-in-law’s house.
“For more than seven years, we have been living with my in-laws. Now we can move into a new and more comfortable home,” he said, thanking the Federal Government and Ketengah for the assistance.
In Rembau, Negri Sembilan, the Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) presented 301 offer letters
under the Rent-to-Own (RTO) scheme for Phase 2 of the Rembau People’s Housing
Project (PPR) at Taman Dato’ Undang Haji Muhammad Sharip in Chembong.
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said a total of 2,683 applications were received for the Rembau PPR project, exceeding the number
of units available by more than five times.
“The provision of quality housing at affordable rates will be a key factor in eradicating squatter settlements and breaking the cycle of poverty across the state,” she said in a statement.
Given the overwhelming demand, the government prioritised hardcore poor households with monthly incomes below RM2,000, she added.
Aiman Athirah said the ministry’s housing agenda went beyond constructing homes and focused on creating living environments equipped with quality public facilities to enhance residents’ quality of life.
The RM91.2mil Rembau PPR project, which began on March 4, 2020, comprised 452 single-storey terrace houses, built on a 16.06ha site, including four units specially designed for persons with disabilities.
Each 700sq ft unit is equipped with amenities, with common facilities including a surau, community hall, kindergarten, playground and food court.
Under the RTO scheme, eligible tenants with a household income not exceeding RM5,000 per month pay just RM225 in monthly rent, alongside a RM12 monthly maintenance fee, helping B40 households own a home without a heavy upfront financial burden.
