IT took Penang more than a decade to settle on enforcing eligibility rules at the Taman Manggis transit housing scheme, rules that had long been softened on humanitarian grounds, state executive councillor Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo says.
Sundarajoo, who chairs the state's Housing and Environment Committee, rejected suggestions that the state has been heavy-handed in its handling of the matter.
"Penang is never inhumane and never inconsiderate despite claims to the contrary," he told a media briefing, adding that the state had been patient even while aware that some tenants were abusing the privileges of staying at George Town's only transit home.
Taman Manggis houses families in temporary units for up to three years, giving them time to earn enough to qualify for the state's affordable housing units, which are priced between RM42,000 and RM300,000.
As of the briefing, up to 100 tenants at Taman Manggis were on the eviction list for breaching state housing board rules, with 103 names currently being processed in phases.
Sundarajoo said affected tenants still have the opportunity to appeal and submit supporting documents, and that genuine hardship cases, including elderly or disabled tenants, or those who had already bought homes still under construction, had been granted extensions.
"We are not a cruel government. We understand our people's problems, and we know whether a case is genuine or not," he said. "We go down to the PPR housing and allow them to appeal and undergo the verification process. If they come to us, it is not a problem."
At the same time, Sundarajoo said the state cannot allow units to remain occupied indefinitely by tenants no longer eligible, particularly with more than 1,000 applicants on the waiting list.
He cited cases at Taman Manggis where units had been occupied for as long as 20 years, extensively renovated and fitted with air-conditioning, with some tenants owning luxury vehicles and superbikes. The state has offered rent-to-own options to some affected tenants alongside additional time to move out.
"We cannot keep extending it because there are many people outside who do not have a home," he said.
Pannir Selvam Supramaniam, who identified himself as spokesperson for the Taman Manggis PPR residents' association, said affected residents were scrambling for temporary accommodation after several units were sealed in the past week.
Sundarajoo also defended the state's broader housing record, saying Penang had delivered 176,457 units — 80.21% of its 220,000-unit target for 2030 — and had purchased 1,133 units through its trust fund at RM49.26 million for rent-to-own schemes aimed at helping lower-income families overcome deposit hurdles.
On claims that former Taman Manggis tenants had once been promised a chance to buy their units, he said the state found no documentary evidence to support the allegation. — September 11, 2026.
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