PENANG secured a deal to resolve a 70-year-old squatter issue at Kampung Manis in Butterworth with the help of its landowner- Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) where up to 177 families will be accorded free affordable apartments.
The deal was signed through a strategic development package with Rivanis Ventures Sdn Bhd - a special multi-purpose vehicle of two developers - Aspen Group and Kerjaya Prospek Sdn Bhd with the landowner and the state housing board.
State Exco member, Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo was instrumental in resolving the housing issue with the squatters in a saga which took up to 70 - years due to a wide range of issues.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow recalled that he was asked to do a survey sample when he was a Universiti Sains Malaysia undergraduate in 1981 and Kampung Manis was then regarded as an urban slum.
The residents' ancestors hailed from a mixture of fishermen, railroad workers and traders, who resettled there before Independence under the land owned by RAC - a federal agency.
Chow said that Penang has now begun to enjoy the perks of its labour because both the federal and state governments are together as one, unlike the previous years.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook later told a press conference that each family would be awarded a complimentary affordable apartment with a built-up of about 800 sq ft and a market price of RM400,000.
The developer must first build the affordable housing scheme of a 30-storey block before building the commercial elements of mixed - development, consisting of shop lots and condominiums in the coastal neighbourhood of Butterworth.
The village would be redeveloped into a modern township next to the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) main station in Butterworth.
Loke said that the developer should construct the affordable housing units within three years before the commercial element of which the proceeds would be shared with RAC as the landowner.
He also spoke about developing water taxis as an alternative public transport other than public buses and ride-sharing applications in Butterworth.
Loke also touched on the proposed light rail transit (LRT) project, saying that the contractor needs to first develop the alignment between Komtar in George Town with the Penang International Airport in Bayan Lepas through the now-reclaimed Silicon Island before they proceed with the alignment to the mainland (Prai).
Sundarajoo meanwhile spoke of how he had made a campaign promise to the squatters last year and decided to make good on it due to his extensive experience as a developer executive before he joined DAP.
He was given a wide applause by the residents of Kampung Manis who were present. - The Vibes, November 11, 2024.
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