Press Statement by YB Jagdeep Singh Deo, Penang State EXCO for Housing and Town & Country Planning on 10 November 2014 (Monday), in George Town, Penang: Despite my detailed response on Friday, 7.11.2014 to YB Datuk Jahara Hamids request to detail the number of low cost and low medium cost housing built in Penang since 2008, it is unfortunate that certain press have chosen to report that the Penang State Government had failed to build such low and low medium cost housing in Penang since 2008. Clearly, these media are living in shadows and in denial mode of the actual facts. The actual facts have been repeatedly stated by me in my various press statements and can easily be accessed. However, for ease of reference, I categorically state herewith that low cost and low medium cost housing have in fact been built in Penang since 2008. Towards this end, the state government built 435 units of low cost housing in Taman Cempedak (SPU) priced at RM40,000.00 in 2008 and 204 units of low cost housing in Halaman Kenanga (DTL) priced at RM42,000.00 in 2011. Apart from this, the Penang state government together with the Penang Development Corporation have embarked on 12 projects which will see some 22,545 units of affordable housing being built in Penang, which comprises low cost, low medium cost and affordable housing units ranging between RM200,000.00 to RM400,000.00 on the island and RM150,000.00 to RM250,000.00 on the mainland. Although I have repeatedly stated the details of the said 12 projects, for the benefit of those still in suffering from denial syndrome, I herewith reiterate the actual truth, which is as follows:- The 12 locations for these affordable housing projects by the Penang state government are at SP Chelliah (DTL), Teluk Kumbar (DBD), Jelutong (NED),Pintasan Cecil (NED) and Sandilands (NED) on the island, and Bandar Cassia (SPS), Kampung Jawa (SPU), Ampang Jajar (SPU), Bukit Mertajam (SPT), Juru (SPT), Mak Mandin (SPU) and Ujung Batu (SPU). The commencement of work for Phase 1 of the Bandar Cassia project, comprising 149 low medium cost units and 371 affordable housing units (a total of 520 units) began last year. In fact, the Penang state Housing Department has already submitted the name-list to the Penang Development Corporation for this project. The commencement of works for the projects at Teluk Kumbar, SP Chelliah, Phase 4 of Bandar Cassia and Kg Jawa, which will comprise 1,633 low medium cost units and 2,381 affordable housing units (a total of 4,104 units) is expected to be by the end of this year. The commencement of works for the projects at Jelutong, Pintasan Cecil, Sandilands, Phase 7 of Bandar Cassia, Ampang Jajar, Mak Mandin and Bukit Mertajam which will comprise 220 units of low cost housing, 2,382 low medium cost units and 1,861 affordable housing units (a total of 4,439 units) is expected to be next year ie 2015. Whereas the commencement of works for the projects at Juru, Ujung Batu and the remaining phases in Bandar Cassia which will comprise 600 low cost units, 3,725 low medium cost units and 9,223 affordable housing units (a total of 13,528 units) is expected to be in 2016. Apart from the provision by the Penang state government of low cost, low medium cost and affordable housing as stated above, due to the absolutely dismal failure of the Federal government in providing such low cost, low medium cost and affordable housing to Penang in particular under the programs promised to Penang under its Perumahan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (PR1MA) scheme, the private sector has also contributed to low cost and low medium cost housing to Penang under the requirement to provide 30% low cost or low medium cost housing under every development. In this regard, since 2008 to May, 2014, the private sector has built 12,471 units of low cost housing in the 5 districts in Penang, whilst a total of 7,608 units of low medium cost housing were were built in the 5 districts during the same period. Further, a total of approximately 3,796 units of low cost housing and 5,246 units of low medium cost housing have been approved to be built by the private sector in the 5 districts in Penang. It is clear that the Penang state government has delivered low and low cost housing and will continue to deliver the same and also affordable housing units as stipulated above. I reiterate my stand that the provision of affordable housing is in fact a responsibility of the Federal government. This is especially having regard to the fact that Penangites pay one of the highest amount of taxes to the Federal government. Although YB Datuk Jahara Hamid has stated that the Federal government will deliver PR1MA housing to Penang otherwise it will be a blow to BN, such similar statements have been made by representatives from the Federal government including, the CEO of PR1MA, Datuk Abdul Mutalib Alias, Penang Federal Action Council Chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman and even the PM himself Dato Seri Najib Tun Razak, way back since 2012 when PR1MA was formed, that such affordable PR1MA housing would be built in Penang. However, their empty statements have proven to be an actual blow to BN as todate not even one unit of PR1MA affordable housing has been built in Penang. In fact, as I have pointed out, PR1MA has even published advertorials allegedly claiming that PR1MA affordable housing units will be built in Bukit Gelugor and Balik Pulau in Penang. As such, I challenge Datuk Jahara Hamid to get the Federal government to officially respond in writing to the queries both by me and the Hon. Chief Minister YAB Tuan Lim Guan Eng, as regards the status of the implementation of PR1MA affordable housing projects in Penang, by the end of the current state assembly sitting, to show its sincerity in wanting to deliver such PR1MA housing to Penang. As regards the housing projects by JKP and PERDA, we reiterate that we are willing to sit down and discuss with Datuk Zainal Abidin as regards his allegations that we have deliberately delayed approving their projects, which is vehemently denied. It should be noted that the units proposed to be built by JKP and PERDA are not 100% low cost and low medium cost. They include units up to RM1,850,000.00 on the island and RM575,000.00 on the mainland. Further, it should be noted that the lands upon which JKP and PERDA projects are to be built are substantially lands that have been acquired for a public purpose. Surely, this must mean only low cost, low medium cost and affordable housing units should be built as this would be for a public purpose. The Penang state government is prepared to approve their projects if they revise their plans to build only 100% low and low medium cost housing or even affordable housing. They should forgo the RM150 million profit that they are set to reap in their said projects so that the housing units can be priced at a more affordable range for the benefit of the rakyat of Penang. In fact, the projects that will be built by the Penang state government together with PDC as stipulated above, will definitely see the state government incurring a loss. It is no secret that the building of such affordable housing requires heavy subsidies whereby it has been said that current subsidies can go as high as RM40,000.00 per unit. This being the case, even going by a conservative estimate, namely at half the subsidy at RM20,000.00 times the 22,545 units of affordable housing to be built by the Penang state government and PDC as stipulated above, the anticipated loss to the state government for building these affordable housing units is RM450,900,000.00! Once again, it is hoped that the facts and truth will prevail. There is no doubt that the Penang state government has and will continue to build low cost, low medium cost and affordable housing units for the rakyat of Penang. For those still in denial mode, I hereby invite them to attend my Mission Home-Possible road-shows and even the sales gallery in Batu Kawan for the first phase of Bandar Cassia, which has already been almost fully snapped up! It should be noted that such half-truth coverage which amounts to false reporting is a great disservice to the lower income category who most need to know how to access such housing. As such, I thank all responsible media for taking the lead to disseminate the actual truth of the efforts by the Penang state government to deliver low cost, low medium cost and affordable housing to the rakyat of Penang.
Posted on: Mon, 10 Nov 2014 04:49:12 +0000
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