GEORGE TOWN: Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow has defended the state government’s eviction of tenants from the Taman Manggis People’s Housing Programme (PPR), stating that the affected families have lost their eligibility and are refusing to cooperate with relocation efforts.
The statement follows an operation on Friday (Sept. 4) by the Penang Housing Board, which sealed five apartment units, leaving the occupying families displaced.
Speaking to reporters on Saturday (Sept. 5) after officiating the Free Tamil Language Class programme at the Taman Manggis National Information Dissemination Centre (Nadi), Chow emphasised that enforcement action was not taken hastily. He noted that occupants were granted multiple postponements, extensions, and appeal opportunities over a process spanning several years.
"If the units are not vacated, how can new applicants move in? We have to be fair to everyone because these units are limited," he said.
Chow stated that eviction remains a last resort to ensure fairness for eligible applicants who have spent years on waiting lists. The PPR scheme is designed to provide temporary housing for low-income families, with a standard maximum tenancy limit of five years to allow occupants to improve their financial circumstances and transition to private housing.
"We know the waiting list is long. There are people who have applied for years and are still waiting for a unit.
"So, there is a need to ensure that those who have been waiting for a long time also get an opportunity to be offered units that become available," he said.
Despite the five-year cap, Chow revealed that some residents have occupied units for up to 19 years since the housing project opened in 2007. While the state government has granted three-year extensions to select households on humanitarian grounds, Chow said authorities must balance compassion with the needs of hundreds of families still awaiting public housing assistance.
Currently, about 20 families from the 300-unit Taman Manggis PPR are at various stages of the relocation process. While some households have agreed to vacate or have submitted formal appeals, Chow maintained that mandatory enforcement action must follow for those who refuse to cooperate. Penang has only four PPR developments, providing a total of 999 units statewide.
"People may want to champion the plight of those who have lost their eligibility. But who is going to champion the plight of those who have been waiting?
"We have to be fair to all parties," he said.
