Miri Housing offers 191 affordable houses
MIRI : Miri Housing Development Realty Sdn Bhd is constructing a total of 191 single- storey terrace houses at Desa Senadin Phase 8 here.
Located not far from Curtin University, Tenby International School and Senadin Commercial Centre, the housing estate sits in a potential high growth area of Senadin.
This is because it is located just beside the proposed Senadin Megamall which will be part of a new and upcoming resort township which incorporates the largest water theme park in East Malaysia alongside lakes and water canals that flow out all the way to the South China Sea.
The estate will also surrounded by lush greenery.
Hence, aspiring home buyers are advised to take advantage of the developer’s April promotion (from April 7– 30), during which intermediate units are priced from just RM268,000. Corner units be are subject to different prices as land sizes vary.
Each unit will have three bedrooms and two bathrooms.
During a press conference, group executive chairman of Miri Housing Group of Companies Dato Lau Siu Wai noted that although the prices of properties have risen well above what the average working class can afford, coupled with the current economic situation that has dampened demand, he still intends to build more affordable houses for the masses.
He explained that based upon his experience— since 1966 when he first launched his three pioneer housing projects, namely Gilbert Estate, Merbau Estate and Piasau Garden until today— the local housing development market has experienced its ups and downs.
He expects the downturn in the Miri housing market to last until the end of 2018 and thereafter from 2019 onwards, the market is expected to slowly recover.
“I became conscious of the need for more affordable houses as not many people, especially graduates and young married couples whose salaries are below RM10,000, would be able to buy a house that costs half a million ringgit.
“For this reason, I built terrace houses that cost only over RM200,000 so as to help these people to have a better chance to own a house,” he said.
Lau revealed that approval for the 191 units of single- storey terrace houses had in fact been for double- storey terrace houses which he could sell at RM388,000 and above per unit.
“Yet, I applied to the Land and Survey Department to built singlestorey units instead of doublestorey houses and reduced the selling price from over RM388,000 to RM268,000 onwards, so that more people can afford to buy houses,” he said.
“I take this as my gift to people who do not own a house. I sacrifice my earnings to help more people, especially the younger generation, to own a house,” Lau said.
After this project, Lau is contemplating the construction of 500 units of affordable apartments at Senadin which incorporates features like lifts, low monthly maintenance fees, and security guard services within a gated and guarded community.
Eighty-seven-year- old Lau, who owns Bintang Megamall and Meritz Hotel is regarded as one of the state’s pioneering business tycoons, who since 1966, has built more than 15,000 houses in Miri.