People have died waiting for their affordable houses to be built, says MP

KUALA LUMPUR: A government backbencher fought back tears when he recounted the plight of homeowners who passed away before their homes in affordable housing projects had been completed.

Zahari Hassan (PH-Wangsa Maju) made a reference to the Residensi Hektar housing project and said owners had to service bank loans as their homes were not ready.

He said Residensi Hektar is a Federal Territories Affordable Housing Project (Rumawip) in the Wangsa Maju constituency for 2,400 units.

The delay in completion, Zahari said, also saw the rise of social issues.

"There were divorce cases among unit buyers. Unfortunately, some never got to enter their homes as they passed away," said a visibly distraught Zahari during the Budget 2024 debate in Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 25).

"Give justice to homebuyers who have been badly affected by delays in completing housing projects.

"With the government's aid and support, we hope the projects can be completed for all involved," Zahari said.

He also thanked the Local Government and Development Ministry for saving more than 256 sick housing projects as of August 2023.

"This brings hope to the thousands of individuals affected," he said.