MIRI – Newly built houses in the peninsular states are much cheaper than those in Sarawak, claim Sarawakians who took to social media to blast the incumbent Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) coalition over empty election promises on affordable housing.
Netizens have bombarded the Sarawak public communications unit’s Facebook page, asking why affordable housing in the peninsula can be priced at RM200,000 per unit while in Sarawak, the cheapest market price of an “affordable home” is RM300,000 per unit.
The Sarawak public communications unit is the official mouthpiece of the state government.
“Is there any new housing project in Sarawak where each unit costs about RM200,000? I know in peninsular states, there is new (affordable) housing costing RM200,000 each.
“In Sarawak, you (the state government) sell at RM300,000 per unit and you think we can afford that amount?” asked netizen Robin Sim.
Another Sarawakian netizen, Mohamad Salihin Hamidi, said GPS should stop taking the rakyat for granted by selling such expensive houses and calling them affordable.
“It is not affordable for me and my family. We can only afford to eat sardines,” he said sarcastically.
Another netizen, Terrence Simpson, said he is “impressed” that there are so many ground-breaking ceremonies for such housing projects now.
“It’s election time and there’s so many projects they (GPS) are doing for us...wow,” he said.
John Timbang said he is accustomed to hearing all sorts of election promises that end up going nowhere after polling day is over.
Harry Michael shared the same sentiments.
“Janji kosong saja (empty promises only),” he said.
On November 24, caretaker chief minister Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg came to Miri to officiate the ground-breaking ceremony at a site for a housing scheme that he described as “affordable homes for B40 groups” at the coastal city.
He had said GPS is constructing similar projects in big urban localities in Kuching, Sibu, and Bintulu too.
Abang Johari said each unit of these “affordable homes for B40” costs RM300,000, and that the state will devise a payment system that will help buyers first pay RM10,000 as a deposit.
However, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) asked the next day how a RM300,000 house can be categorised as “affordable housing for B40 families” when the majority of the B40 families earn around RM2,000 in household income per month.
Pujut PSB branch chairman Bruce Chai said an affordable home in Sarawak should be priced at around RM150,000 each to be considered affordable for low and medium income earners. – The Vibes, November 29, 2021
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