KKCCCI welcomes govt initiative on affordable housing

KOTA KINABALU: The Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) yesterday welcomed the government’s initiative to provide affordable and quality homes for the middle-income (M40) group.

However, KKCCCI president Datuk Michael Lui advised the government to look into the difficulty faced by house buyers in securing bank loans to ensure that they were able to own affordable homes.

He lamented that the stringent assessment of bank loans has caused the younger generation to miss out on the opportunity to benefit from the affordable housing initiative provided by the government.

Lui said this when commenting on Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA) showcasing 16,000 housing units priced below RM300,000 during its expo in Sabah.

These PR1MA homes were offered at a price about 20 per cent lower than the current market price of RM400,000 with government subsidies, he pointed out.

Lui said the PR1MA nationwide roadshow, themed ‘Ekspo Jualam Perumahan - Ke Arah Sejuta Impian, Alami Gaya Hidup Sejahtera’, was indeed good news for the people, especially middleincome households who wish to own an affordable home.

“It reflects the government’s commitment to put the needs of the people first.

“It would be a shame if the government offers these affordable homes and yet, the people cannot benefit from the initiative as they cannot get bank loans,” he cautioned.

Lui said he also hoped that the government would provide assistance to middleincome first-home buyers, such as by engaging financial institutions to assess, approve and disburse housing loans.