Effort to replicate success in affordable housing

KUCHING: A Sarawak delegation led by Assistant Minister of Urbanisation, Datuk Talib Zulpilip, will make a working visit to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong from March 21 to 29 to learn from their success in developing affordable housing and urban redevelopment.

Organised by the Housing Ministry and Urbanisation and Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association ( Sheda) Kuching Branch, the working visit includes appointments with housing authorities, construction firms and material manufacturers to explore and source for cost- effective construction systems and materials for the development of affordable housing projects in Sarawak.

The delegation, comprising mostly key government officials and industry players from the private housing sector, will include Assistant Minister of Housing, Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah.

On the first leg of the visit, the delegates will call on the Hong Kong Urban Renewal Authority ( URA) and the Hong Kong Housing Authority ( HKHA) to learn from the success of their urban renewal projects in transforming the area into an environment-friendly and sustainable community development.

The delegation will then move on to Guangzhou where they will visit one of the main manufacturers of prefabricated houses to explore this cost-saving construction technology.

There, the party along with Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg will witness the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding ( MoU) between a Sarawakowned company and a China-based investor.

The delegation’s remaining itinerary in Guangzhou will include a visit to the Village in the City, a dual structure of rural-urban divide.

Moving into Qingdao, the delegation is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on the acting mayor of Qingdao, Zhang Xinqi, before heading off to visit Qingdao’s heritage sites and a modular housing project site.

The trip will conclude with a visit to the factory of a Qingdao company producing prefabricated housing systems where both Talib and Abdul Karim will witness the exchange of business memoranda between four Sheda member- owned companies and the hosting Qingdao company.