A smart partnership between the government through Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB) and a private company will kick off an innovative public housing development project at sewage treatment plant areas, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi announced today.
The project, he said, will see approximately 500,000 units of affordable houses built at the soon-to-be-announced locations that were previously under Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).
Zahid said the project will be completed in five to 10 years. He, however, did not disclose the private company involved in the project.
“The government is always committed to tackle housing issues not only to help those who can afford to buy houses, but also the less fortunate.
“This is a creative idea. Through a new technology, the sewage treatment plants, which used to take up huge amounts of land, will use only five to 10 per cent of the original area. The remaining 95 per cent will be used to develop public housing projects,” he said at SPNB’s Hari Raya and 20th anniversary celebrations at Menara Felda here, today.
Zahid, who also chairs the cabinet committee on housing issues, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had given him the mandate to coordinate the project.
“The cabinet has approved the partnership and is currently ironing out details for a conclusive approval,” he added.
Present were Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, SPNB chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul samad and SPNB group chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Azizi Ali.