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ALOR STAR: Kedah government plans to build the People's Housing Project (PPR) in all 36 constituencies to meet the demand for affordable housing among low-income earners in the state.
Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah said priority would be given to locals at the respective constituencies.
"We wish to build the PPR projects in all 36 constituencies across the state and we will work with the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry as the PPR projects development falls under the ministry’s jurisdiction," he said in response to a question from Nor Saidi Nanyan (BN-Kuah) at the state assembly sitting on Wednesday.
On the question on the shortage of affordable housing supply in Langkawi, Bashah said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has announced the construction of 1,000 units of affordable homes for the island.
Bashah added that it is crucial to make sure that only local residents are allowed to own the PPR homes as the government has set aside an allocation of up to RM115,000 for each unit, which is sold to the recipients for just RM35,000.
In responding to the same question, state Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Badrol Hisham Hashim said the state government would focus on building more affordable homes in Langkawi due to the high demand.
He said among the efforts that had been taken by the state government include opening the agriculture zone for housing projects and approving 50 pieces of land to build homes under the Rumah Bina Negara programme.
While responding to a supplementary question from Mohd Azam Abd Samat (Pas-Sungai Limau) on the BN government pledge to build 40,000 units of homes by 2018, Badrol said it is within reach.
He added that some 25,000 homes had been approved under the Perbadanan Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) while another 8,000 units will be built by Perumahan Penjawat Awam 1Malaysia (PPA1M).