GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government is working on an initiative to allow non-Penangites to purchase affordable homes in the state as long as they are skilled workers.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said that the initiative, first reported in the state government’s monthly bulletin Bulletin Mutiara, is part of the state’s efforts to ease housing requirements for skilled workers.
“This is so it can attract and retain talents in Penang,” Chow said during a meeting with Intel Malaysia managing director Chong Aik Kean at the Intel PG8 plant here yesterday.
Currently, affordable homes are listed at RM300,000 on the island and RM250,000 on the mainland. Among the conditions to purchase the property is that the purchaser must be a first-time buyer, was born in Penang and earns a low to medium-low income.
In his meeting at Intel, Chong expressed the company’s hope to work with the state government to attract and retain talents.
Other possible joint efforts include establishing childcare and senior citizen centres while investing in the Penang Future Foundation, which is aimed at tapping the academic potential of talented youngsters.
Earlier, Chow had held a closed-door meeting with Finance Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, in which the chief minister stressed on the importance of federal help in expediting the development of seven major socio-infrastructure projects in the state.
The finance minister is on a visit to Penang to seek feedback for the upcoming Budget 2022 presentation in Parliament later this month.
Tengku Zafrul had revealed that the federal government has poured in almost RM10 billion for Penang in the past few years, benefiting 655,000 residents and 106,000 businesses in the state.
Among the projects mooted by Chow are the redevelopment of the Padang Tembak People’s Housing Project (PPR), the Perai industrial area’s flood mitigation plan, the construction of the Sg Tengah Bridge connecting Bandar Cassia to Byram, and Changkat Construction eco-friendly bicycle paths along the shores of Jalan Batu Ferringhi from Hotel Flamingo to Rasa Sayang Resort.
This also includes the upgrading of the Batu Kawan Stadium and the laboratory for PSDC German Dual Vocational Training (GDVT)-Malaysian Meister Program (MMP) Level 1. – The Vibes, October 10, 2021
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