OPPOSITION parties in Penang have appealed to the state government to reconsider plans to seal apartment units of occupants who do not qualify to stay at the Taman Manggis transit housing scheme here.
Parti Socialis Malaysia (PSM) Penang spokesperson Choo Chon Kai said the state needs to refrain from further action pending an outright audit of the 320 units to ensure that only the needy and deserving are allowed to stay.
"We were informed by the aggrieved parties that five apartments were sealed off yesterday. And residents were told that more units may likewise be subjected to a similar form of eviction."
But the state housing board needs to be sensitive that in their haste to evict the alleged defaulters or ineligible tenants, some still cannot find alternative accommodation, said Choo in a statement.
In yesterday's incident, three occupants could not find a place to stay at night - they were technically homeless, said Choo.
One is a bachelor who was evicted because his parents had passed away - while the condition for staying there is that one must have a family.
A couple was evicted because the husband is married to an Indonesian.
He said there is a need to review the conditions of those who need to stay at Taman Manggis, such as by raising their personal income monthly threshold to RM3,000 from RM1,500, which is too low in view of the rising living costs.
Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu)'s Seberang Jaya assemblyman Izhar Shah Arif Shah urged the state to practise restraint on humanitarian grounds.
He plans to visit the housing area over the weekend to personally determine what is going on in the state's transit home scheme.
The scheme allows the destitute to stay there for up to three years until they can earn enough to purchase the affordable housing provided by Penang.
But state executive councillor Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo said that the scheme was abused as many tenants opted to overstay and some even owned two vehicles, yet claimed to be poor.
Sundarajoo, who oversees the housing portfolio, said that the state is patient and sensitive to the plight of the needy, but some tenants should not take advantage.
Penang PAS secretary Iszuree Ibrahim said that the Islamist party views the matter seriously, as the country should be governed based on welfare needs.
"There is no need to be harsh. We need empathy as politicians. If they are poor, we should help them," he said. - September 4, 2026.
