PR1MA to build 1,000 affordable Langkawi homes with partner

LANGKAWI: The 1Malaysia People’s Housing Scheme (PR1MA) has entered into partnership with the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada) to build 1,000 affordable homes.

The houses will be built about 2km from Kuah town on a 58.27ha site.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who witnessed the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the project between PR1MA and Lada yesterday, said the prices for the homes would be 20% cheaper than market rate.

PR1MA chief executive officer Datuk Abdul Mutalib Alias and Lada chief executive officer Tan Sri Khalid Ramli signed the MoU.

The 1,000 homes to be built on 22.25ha of the site will consist of single and double-storey terrace houses as well as mid-rise apartments. The project is expected to start by the end of 2015.

A statement released by PR1MA said the housing project would have public facilities while the remaining 36ha would be kept for future development under Phase 2.

As of last month, PR1MA had approved 70 projects in various states.

At another event, Najib said the country’s broadband penetration rate was currently at 67.1%, just 7.9% behind the Government’s target of 75% by 2015.

He noted that the Government’s effort to broaden its coverage over the years had produced positive results.

“The rate was only 31.7% in 2009. Development and telecommunications are related, just like an engine and its machinery,” he said at the launch of the Langkawi Communications Empowerment Initiative and the 1Malaysia Broadband Carnival 2014.

He added that by next year, residents and tourists in Langkawi would enjoy better broadband coverage when 90% of the island was connected to the 3G network. - The Star

It is mission possible

Home sweet home: Visitors viewing some of the house models during the roadshow in Butterworth, Penang.

IT took a long time for the Penang Government to start building homes under its affordable housing scheme as it had to save money for the projects, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

He said the state had allocated RM500mil which was generated from the sale of 41.5ha of land on the island for the scheme.

Lim said the state was working with the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) to build 22,575 affordable homes for Penangites, especially those in the middle and lower- income groups.

“It involves 12 projects in all the five districts in the state. For the three Seberang Prai districts, there will be 16,373 low-cost, low medium-cost and affordable units,” Lim said.

He was launching the Mission:Home Possible roadshow in Taman Lucky, off Jalan Raja Uda in Butterworth for the Bagan parliamentary constituency on Saturday.

This is the second roadshow after the first one held in Komtar on Aug 23 for the Tanjung and Jelutong parliamentary constituencies.

Lim said the roadshow series, which will cover all 13 parliamentary constituencies in the state, would run until December.

Also present were state executive councillors Jagdeep Singh Deo, Phee Boon Poh and Lim Hock Seng as well as Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tanasekharan.

It was earlier reported that the roadshow was aimed at informing the public about the state’s affordable housing projects.

The public can also apply for units at these projects or check their application status at the roadshow which is scheduled to be held on Saturdays fortnightly.

Jagdeep, who is state Housing Committee chairman, said the state’s Selection Process Enhancement Committee would select the successful applicants.

To be eligible, applicants must be a Penangite or prove that they have lived in Penang for at least five years, be a registered voter in the state and a first-time house buyer.

Their household income must also not exceed RM2,500 to apply for RM42,000 low-cost homes, RM3,500 for RM72,000 low medium-cost homes and RM6,000 for homes priced RM200,000 and below.

The household income must not be over RM8,000 for homes priced RM300,000 and below and not over RM10,000 for units priced RM400,000 and below.

Jagdeep had said on Aug 23 that there were 51,238 applicants so far of whom 24,399 applied for low-cost units, 23,582 for low medium-cost units and 3,257 for affordable units.

He said the first of the 12 projects to take off was Bandar Cassia Phase One where construction of 149 low medium-cost units and 371 affordable units began last year.

He said the projects in Teluk Kumbar, Jalan S.P. Chelliah, Bandar Cassia Phase Four and Kampung Jawa Butterworth were expected to start by the end of this year.

Projects in Jelutong, Pintasan Cecil, the Sandilands foreshore in Jalan C.Y. Choy, Bandar Cassia Phase Seven, Ampang Jajar, Mak Mandin and Bukit Mertajam were expected to start next year. - The Star

51,000 apply for affordable housing

A TOTAL of 51,238 people have applied for the low-cost, low medium-cost (LMC) and affordable housing units in Penang to date, said state Town, Country and Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo.

Jagdeep said 24,399 people applied for low-cost units, 23,582 for LMC and 3,257 for affordable units.

“The deserving applicants will be selected by the election Process Enhancement Committee (SPEC),” he said at the first ‘Mission: Home Possible’ roadshow by the state government at the concourse on Komtar’s Level 3, on Saturday.

He added that the work on the first phase in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan, consisting of 149 LMC units and 371 affordable units already started last year.

“This is the first of 12 affordable housing unit projects in the state. The other projects in Teluk Kumbar, Jalan S.P. Chelliah, Ban- dar Cassia Phase Four and Kam-pung Jawa in Butterworth are expected to start by the end of this year.

“The projects in Jelutong, Pintasan Cecil, the Sandilands foreshore in Jalan C.Y. Choy, Bandar Cassia Phase Seven, Ampang Jajar, Mak Mandin and Bukit Mertajam are expected to start next year. The remaining two projects and other phases in Bandar Cassia will start in 2016,” he said.

Jagdeep said the roadshow would be held on Saturday every two weeks at 13 parliamentary constituencies in Penang.

The public can submit their forms and check their application status at the roadshows.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who launched the event, said the state was committed to increasing public awareness on the housing projects through the roadshows. - The Star

Housebuyers cautioned against syndicate collecting deposits

BY LOGEISWARY THEVADASS

tlogeis@thestar.com.my

HOUSEBUYERS here need to be more cautious not to fall victim to a syndicate which is going around securing payments for units at an affordable housing project developed by the state.

Penang Town, Country and Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said there were claims that the syndicate was promising and guaranteeing affordable units at a project in Tanjung Tokong.

He said the developer’s company which was developing the project at the site had received several complaints from the public that there were members of a suspected syndicate going around promising affordable units at the project by taking a payment of between RM10,000 and RM30,000.

Speaking after launching a corporate social responsibility programme by KDU College Penang at Cheshire Home here on Friday, Jagdeep said the developer had lodged a police report about the matter on July 22.

“I have written a letter to state police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Abdul Rahim Hanafi to look into the matter.” – Jagdeep Singh Deo

He said he had also written a letter to state police chief Senior Deputy Comm Datuk Wira Abdul Rahim Hanafi to look into the matter.

“I have received a reply from his office dated July 25 that they received my letter and the matter was under investigation.

“I hope the problem can be resolved as soon as possible,” he said.

Jagdeep assured the public that the state government’s low-cost and affordable housing units could not be secured by any agent or syndicate.

“The public must apply directly to the state and the application will be processed before they receive an approval letter from the developer if they are eligible for the units,” he said.

He added that the concerned project in Tanjung Tokong has 390 units of low mediumcost apartments and 859 units of affordable condominiums located on a 4ha site.

Jagdeep said that about 50,000 applicants had applied for affordable housing units in the five districts and the selection by the Selection Process Enhancement Committee (SPEC) would soon take place.

“The housing units will go to those truly deserving.

“So, I hope the public will be aware and not fall prey to such syndicates,” he urged. - The Star

Another affordable housing project for Penang

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Development Corp (PDC) has called for request for proposal (RFP) for what seems to be the state’s ninth affordable housing project, to be located on a former marshland and site once gutted by fire.

The 4.23-acre (1.71ha) tract on Sandiland Foreshore in the northeast district on the island will house more than 321 low-medium-cost (LMC) units and about 482 medium-cost (MC) units, said Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

The land owned by Chief Minister Inc (CMI) and located just 2km from government administration offices in Komtar, has a reserve price for land premium at RM125 per sq ft.

Developers have been given till Sept 3 to submit their proposals for joint development on the Jalan CY Choy land which has a 99-year lease, said Lim.

“Developers submitting their proposal must have LMCs with a minimum 700 sq ft space and a ceiling price of RM72,500.

“The proposer should also ensure that there are 241 units at 1,000 sq ft with a ceiling price of RM400,000, 161 units with a minimum of 900 sq ft at RM300,000 and 80 units featuring a minimum 800 sq ft space at RM200,000,” he said.

He said all 54 families affected by the development would be offered a free unit from the project while extended families who lived with them would be given the priority to purchase the LMC units.

“The families requested that they be given a ‘one for one’ unit after being affected by the development. This project will also cater to first-time buyers in Penang who are looking for affordable homes,” he said.

Lim said the LMC units should include floor tiles for the toilet, kitchen and living room, and wall tiles for the toilet and kitchen while the MC units should have similar features, as well as floor tiles for the bedrooms.

A closed-circuit TV fixture should also be installed in the common areas while the gate at the entrance and lifts should feature an access card security system. 

Speaking at a press conference, Lim said developers would not be allowed to build single-office-home-office (SoHo) units, serviced apartments, business suites, medical suites or any other developments that are similar to SoHo.

Earlier this year, a similar RFP was called by the government for the Sandiland Foreshore project but cancelled despite receiving five proposals due to “legal issues” surrounding the bid.

“We felt it was better to go through the PDC instead of the CMI which is not a builder. This project is a joint venture, and we don’t want to get caught up with the legal issues on whether the CMI can conduct housing development.

“It would be more appropriate for the PDC to carry this out to avoid complications on this matter,” said Lim.

According to news reports, a state survey found that the site had 31 squatter houses, 12 workshops, two temples, five shrines and two godowns, all of which did not possess temporary occupancy licences (TOL).

Conversely, 23 residential houses and an office possessing TOL are located on the land that was a marshland and often suffered floods during heavy downpours and high tides.

About 10 years ago, a massive fire burnt down a large area of squatter homes preceding the construction of the Jelutong Expressway.

The affordable housing project comes on the heels of eight other projects that were announced by Lim two years ago. The eight projects, three on the island and five on the mainland, will provide nearly 20,000 housing units, costing between RM72,500 and RM400,000 each.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on July 22, 2014.

Units priced from RM292,000 to RM390,000 will be built in Paya Terubong

A man checking out the project’s revival and rehabilitation plan.

THE state government has managed to get a developer to build 7,658 affordable homes in Paya Terubong, Penang.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said PLB Land Sdn Bhd had agreed to build the units ranging from 750 to 1,000sq ft priced between RM292,500 and RM390,000.

The developer is also the ‘white knight’ tasked to revive the abandoned 370 units of Taman Paya Terubong (Majestic Heights Phase 2A) which are scheduled for completion within 18 months.

Lim said the affordable homes would be built on a 26ha piece of land, next to Majestic Heights Phase 2A.

He said the state was looking to not only end the woes of the abandoned units’ owners, but to also provide “shelter” to first-time house buyers in the north-east district.

The upcoming development will consist of 1,532 units with a build-up size of 750sq ft priced at RM292,500, 4,594 units of 850sq ft (RM331,500) and 1,532 units of 1,000sq ft (RM390,000).

“The affordable housing scheme is scheduled for completion in six years starting from the date of commencement of work.

“It will only be eligible to qualified applicants registered with the state Housing Department,” he said before inspecting the abandoned Majestic Heights project yesterday.

Lim said: “Traffic management will be an important factor once the vast development takes shape.”

He said the state would construct a paired road from the development site to Bukit Gambier to ease traffic burden.

On the revival and rehabilitation of the abandoned Phased 2A project, Lim said the move was seen as a small step towards achieving the state’s vision that every Penangite would get to a own a house.

“It has been a long 18 years’ wait for these buyers. Now, they need to contribute RM10,000 each for the revival of the project under PLB Land Sdn Bhd.

“It is my wish to see all of you (affected owners) move into the houses eventually but there are still many issues ahead.”

Meanwhile, Taman Paya Terubong (Majestic Heights Phase 2A) pro-tem committee secretary Khor Boon Peng said they had managed to contact about 80% of affected owners.

“Those who have yet to get in touch with us can call me at 016-4969690 or email me at khrbnpng@gmail.com,” he said.

The Majestic Heights project is the largest abandoned housing scheme in Penang and has caused hardship and financial losses to the housebuyers over the last 11 years.

It consists of several phases but only Phase 1 obtained the certificate of fitness on Dec 31, 2003, while Phases 2A, 2B and 3A were abandoned. When Phase 2A was abandoned, the physical completion was already at 70%.