Penang ready to increase quantum of Affordable Housing Fund

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government is prepared to increase the RM500mil Public and Affordable Housing Fund if it is not sufficient to build 20,000 housing units in all five districts in the state.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said that despite not receiving any funding from the Federal Government, it was able to set up the largest housing fund in Malaysian history by any state government.

“The RM500mil fund is a testimony of a clean government and integrity in leadership,” Lim said in a statement yesterday.

He said the 30,000 people who registered with the state Housing Department should receive the application forms within a week.

“The state government needs to know how many are interested so that we can plan and be assured that there will be sufficient buyers for the 20,000 units,” he added.

Among the 10 locations for the public housing projects are Jalan S.P. Chelliah, Teluk Kumbar, Jelutong and Pintasan Cecil on the island and in Batu Kawan, Kampung Jawa, Mak Mandin, Ampang Jajar, Bukit Mertajam and Juru on the mainland.

Meanwhile, state Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo has urged the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry to respond to their enquiry on the proposed PR1MA affordable housing schemes in Penang.

“We have our affordable housing projects and we need a response from the Federal Government on their PR1MA housing projects,” Jagdeep said at a press conference after presenting school uniform vouchers to 100 primary students in Datuk Keramat yesterday.

PR1MA is an affordable housing scheme in key urban areas for Malaysian citizens earning between RM2,500 and RM7,000 monthly.