KUALA LUMPUR

news@nst.com.my

LIKE many couples, Shatish Nair and his wife were looking for a decent house in the city for their growing family. The 41-year-old chief financial officer and his wife, Anushia Kannan, a human resources manager, have three young children to care for, apart from his elderly parents.

However, instead of buying a landed property, or a condominium unit developed by private companies, the couple decided to buy a house under the Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) programme.

“We have been thinking of buying a house for about two to three years now, especially after having our third child.

“However, we found that properties around the area here in Cheras were priced between RM650,000 and RM700,000, whereas the units under PR1MA were priced around RM400,000 for the same size (over 1,000 square feet). The PR1MA homes definitely offer better value for your money,” he said.

The couple, who managed to secure a three-bedroom apartment in PR1MA @ Alam Damai, Cheras, added that the apartment had similar basic facilities and safety features as of those in upmarket condominiums including a gym, playground, community hall, prayer room for the Muslims, close-circuit television cameras (CCTVs), security guards and even a kindergarten, which will be run by PERMATA.

“Safety is another main concern for us. Most condominium units these days are rented out, including to foreigners, which may compromise the safety of the residents, as well as the quality of the apartment.

“However, for PR1MA houses, owners are required to stay in the house and they are not allowed to sell the unit for a period of five years.”

Shatish said the PR1MA units were located near schools and other public amenities, which made it convenient to send and pick up their children before and after work.

Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) was established under the PR1MA Act 2012 to roll out a thorough and extensive programme in building quality houses for the middle-income group (M40) who live in the urban and suburban areas, with a household income of between RM2,500 and RM15,000 a month.

There are currently 45 projects open for sale nationwide. These include 140,000 units which are under various stages of construction and 15,000 units ready built.

PR1MA @ Alam Damai, which was recently completed, offers four types of units—1,048sq ft (three bedrooms and two bathrooms, 995sq ft (three bedrooms and two bathrooms), 935sq ft (three bedrooms and two bathrooms) and 662sq ft (one bedroom, one utility room and one bathroom).