Penang puzzled by ad on PR1MA homes

GEORGE TOWN: The state government is puzzled over the omission of Penang in a local daily’s recent advertisement on Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) projects.

State Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the full-page colour advertisement by Perbadanan Prima Malaysia had called for those interested to apply for 13 PR1MA projects in other states.

“This is contrary to the advertisement on Oct 26 last year which mentioned two PR1MA projects in Balik Pulau and Gelugor,” Jagdeep told a press conference at Komtar yesterday.

He said since the projects were announced last year, there had not been any development or indication that Penang would have PR1MA houses.

Jagdeep showed a copy of a letter from Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim dated Nov 25, 2014, which had mentioned the two PR1MA projects in Penang.

In the letter, Shahidan said that several potential sites had been identified since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced on Dec 8, 2012, that 20,000 units of low-cost and affordable units would be built in Penang.

He said Penangites deserved getting the PR1MA units as the Federal Government had promised the units since the inception of the housing agency in 2012.

Jagdeep said the state government had built 22,512 affordable homes and plans had been submitted to build 12,606 more houses over the next two years.

“We would be very happy if the Federal Government contacted us to facilitate the building of the PR1MA units which were announced last year.

“We will expedite the process,” he said.