KOTA KINABALU: A special action committee has been formed to study the possibility of allowing existing tenants to buy the PPR (People’s Housing Programme) flats in Sabah.
State Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor said for a start, some of the 500 PPR houses to be built at Kepayan Ridge will be sold while the rest to be rented out.
Speaking at the Sabah Legislative Assembly session, he said qualified locals working in Kota Kinabalu would be given priority regardless of where they come from.
On the requests by Balung and Klias assemblymen that more PPR houses be built in Tawau and Kota Kinabalu including Sepanggar, he replied that their requests would be forwarded to the national housing company (SPNB).
On the suggestion by the representative from Balung that approval be given for development plans for housing projects on NT (Native Title) land, Hajiji said the matter would be studied.
He also assured that a housing project taking place called Taman Sawit here would include affordable houses costing RM210,000 and below.
On the suggestion by the Sukau assemblyman that the Sabah Housing and Town Development Authority (LPPB) develop housing schemes on its own and not through joint ventures with the private sector to bring down prices, Hajiji said not all LPPB projects were joint ventures.
“For example, projects funded by the state government are developed by LPPB itself,” he pointed out.
Hajiji said that LPPB had its socio-economic CSR responsibilities and that the profits derived from such joint ventures were needed to cross subsidise the low-cost housing projects.
