SPNB TO BUILD 500,000 HOMES
It will partner with a private company, says Zahid
SYARIKAT Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB) will enter into a smart partnership with a private company to build some 500,000 affordable homes, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi yesterday.
He said the homes, which would be built in sewage treatment plant areas, would be completed in five to 10 years.
Zahid said the land on which the homes would be built was owned by Indah Water Konsortium (IWK).
He, however, did not disclose the name of the private company or the locations involved in the project.
“The government is always committed to tackling housing issues not only to help those who can afford to buy houses, but also the less fortunate.
“This is a creative idea. Through a new technology, the sewage treatment plants, which used to take up huge area of land, will use only five to 10 per cent of the original area. The remaining 95 per cent will be used to develop public housing projects,” he said at SPNB’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri and 20th anniversary celebrations at Menara Felda here yesterday.
Zahid, who chairs the cabinet committee on housing issues, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had given him the mandate to coordinate the project.
“The cabinet has approved the partnership and is ironing out details for a conclusive approval.”
Present were Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Johari Abdul Ghani, SPNB chairman Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad, Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) chairman Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad and SPNB group chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Azizi Ali.
Azizi said SPNB would not be the main player in the project but a party to the development of the new land.
“The committee chaired by Zahid has identified the locations, which are mostly situated in main cities across the nation.
“If there are obstacles and SPNB is officially involved, our focus would be on building affordable houses,” he added.