GEORGE TOWN: Penang has begun flushing out ineligible tenants from its public housing schemes after rental arrears topped RM2mil, with the first eviction notices already issued.
Penang housing committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo said the state had launched a tenant regularisation exercise (pemutihan) to clean up records and ensure that only those who genuinely qualified continued to benefit from the subsidised rental units.
He said the exercise came as rental arrears under the state’s public housing schemes surpassed RM2mil, involving over 1,100 occupied units.
"Penang has four People’s Housing Programme (PPR) schemes, namely PPR Taman Manggis, PPR Taman Bagan Jaya, PPR Mak Mandin and PPR Permatang Tok Suboh, comprising 999 units, of which 934 are currently occupied.
"Of the occupied units, 268 have rental arrears amounting to RM254,633.
"Under the State Rental Housing (Rumah Sewa Kerajaan Negeri) (RSKN) scheme with 1,931 units and 1,591 of them occupied, 907 units are in arrears involving RM1,770,833.
"As a start, we have sent out 18 notices to Taman Manggis residents who are already confirmed to be ineligible," Sundarajoo said during a press conference in Komtar on Monday (April 6).
He said some tenants had continued occupying the units for decades despite the housing being meant as temporary assistance.
"The rental for all PPR units is fixed at RM124 per month, inclusive of maintenance charges, for a tenancy period of three years, with any extension subject to the tenant’s eligibility and actual need.
"Some of them have lived there for 20 years and have owed rental for years.
"We believe they should have improved their livelihood by now and if that is the case, they should make way for others who are still in need.
"We have over 1,000 people in the waiting list, some who have waited for years," he added.
Sundarajoo said inspections would next be carried out on tenants who had stayed in the units for more than three years as part of the regularisation exercise.
He said some tenants had claimed to still be earning below RM1,500 a month, but checks with the Employees Provident Fund showed otherwise.
"Some claim they still earn below RM1,500, but checks with the Employees Provident Fund found even their deductions had already surpassed their claimed salary," he said.
He added that site visits had also raised questions over whether some occupants were still eligible to remain in housing meant for the lower-income group.
"During our visit, there were many cars and many of them were luxury vehicles.
"It is hard to believe that after years of enjoying low rental rates and seeing their families grow into generations, they are still occupying units meant for the low-income group," he said.
Fortunately, Sundarajoo said the state was prepared to consider appeals from tenants who were genuinely facing hardship.
"If they really face difficulties, they can discuss with us.
"Monthly extensions can be granted for three months, followed by monthly extension up to six months, but the scheme was never intended as a long-term arrangement.
"We urge them to make way for others who are in need," he said.
Also present was Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng.
In March 2019, several Taman Manggis PPR residents staged a sit-in at Komtar after receiving eviction notices, camping at the concourse for about a week.
The state defended the evictions, stating that some of the tenants were no longer eligible, including those who had bought homes of their own or were allegedly subletting the low-rent units for profit, rather than being genuinely needy.
