Baling floods: Rural Development Ministry to build new houses for 17 families

Rural Development Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid and Baling MP Datuk Seri Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim visiting the site to build houses for 17 families affected by the floods.

BALING: The Rural Development Ministry (KPLB) will build new houses for 17 families who lost their homes in the floods and water surge phenomenon in Kupang here on July 4.

Its Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the houses would be built on 1.011ha land owned by the Kedah Regional Development Authority (Keda) in Desa Keda Sadek, Kupang.

"We have identified two locations in the area for the construction of the houses. One of them is used by the youngsters to play football while another location is a vacant land.

"I have discussed with the KPLB’s deputy secretary-general (Mas Rizal Mohd Hilmi) and the Keda general manager (Datuk Kamarudin Abd Akib) and we have agreed to build houses for the flood victims on the vacant land,” ​​he told reporters after visiting the land on Thursday (July 14).

Mahdzir said the construction of the 21 units terraced houses, at an estimated cost of RM1.5mil, was for the families who lost their homes or whose houses were badly damaged and could no longer be inhabited due to the disaster.

He, however, added that the construction might take some time as it required planning permission from the local authority.

Mahdzir also said KPLB had held discussions with the Implementation Coordination Unit (ICU) of the Prime Minister’s Department to expedite works to repair about 400 houses damaged by the floods. - Bernama