Sabah Housing Board must resolve Rumah Pangsa tenants issues

SABAH Umno leader Jeffrey Nor Mohamed wants the state Housing and Development Board (LPPB) to resolve the issues preventing approximately 80 tenants at the Rumah Pangsa Tanjung Aru flats from vacating their units.

The tenants have been ordered to move out since May 21, 2021 but met with opposition.

The agency later declared the apartment buildings as unsafe.

A new eviction notice has now been issued, instructing tenants to vacate by August 31.

"The housing board should be more ‘gentleman’ (considerate) and fair to the tenants," Jeffrey said at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu today.

"They should heed the tenants' calls for a dialogue and interview the remaining tenants to understand what's preventing them from moving out and offer them alternative housing.

“They have contributed much to the housing board when they started paying for the rentals,” he added.

Jeffrey noted that the housing board has offered new apartments to only a few qualified tenants.

Some declined the offer, feeling it was an unfair deal.

"They refused because they have commitments, like school going children. If they move into the new place, they will run into difficulties at the new place because it is too far from school,” he said.

He said some tenants also requested new apartments in Penampang, but only 24 units were available.

Initially, there were 315 tenants, but after the process, only around 80 tenants remained.

The eviction of the Rumah Pangsa Tanjung Aru flats gained attention in 2021.

The state Local Government and Housing Ministry explained that tenants had exceeded the 10-year occupancy limit set for such public housing.

The then minister-in-charge, Datuk Seri Dr. Joachim Gunsalam, stated that the eviction would allow the agency to rent out units to other low-income families.

The tenants also demanded a dialogue, but it seems the housing board had refused.

They also noted the apartments have not been maintained by the housing board for over 15 years while still collecting rent. – The Vibes, June 20, 2024.