GEORGE TOWN – The Penang government started the new year by submitting a new site proposal to the Housing and Local Government Ministry that has the potential to accommodate 800 residential units under Rumah Malaysia.
State Housing, Local Government and Town and Country Planning exco Jagdeep Singh Deo said in a statement after his site visit to Lot 244, Mukim 9 in Teluk Kumbar today that if the 4.2-acre site is approved, it will be the first Rumah Malaysia Rentals (RMD) in the Southwest district.
However, if the federal government does not take it up to be an RMD in the near future, the Penang Housing Board has the option to develop it under the Affordable House scheme.
Currently, the state has the lowest RMD for rent in Malaysia with a total of only 999 units.
There are 70 units in Mak Mandin at Bagan Jermal, 231 in Permatang Tok Suboh at Machang Bubuk, 316 in Taman Manggis at Padang Kota and 382 in Taman Bagan Jaya at Sg Puyu.
“The Penang government is concerned about the needs of the people and has applied and demanded that the federal government increase the supply of PPR units (now rebranded as RMD) in the state of Penang.
“Currently, there are only four PPR schemes in Penang involving 999 units, two rental unit schemes and two rent-to-own unit schemes.
“The state government has listed five land sites with a total area of 72.3 acres involving each district for the purpose of PPR development in Penang. Two have been approved by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican” the Dato Keramat assemblyman said.
In February last year, former housing and local government minister Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin rebranded the People’s Housing Project (PPR) to ‘Rumah Malaysia’. – The Vibes, January 1, 2022
