SkyWorld hopes for govt to shorten Rumawip sell-off period

KUALA LUMPUR: Property developer, SkyWorld Development Sdn Bhd, is hoping the government will consider shortening the sell- off period for the Federal Territories Affordable Housing (Rumawip) scheme to five years in the upcoming Budget 2018.

Founder and Group managing director, Datuk Ng Thien Phing said the gap should be similar to the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme ( PR1MA), which was reduced from 10 to five years.

“Affordable housing projects are our corporate social responsibility programme and we emphasise not just on affordability, but quality as well,” he told reporters at the “Topping Off” ceremony for the SkyAwani Residences.

The event was officiated by Federal Territories Minister, Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor yesterday.

Ng said SkyAwani Residences had been fully taken up and was targeted for handover in 2018.

“Currently, the SkyAwani Residences project, which has a gross development value of RM360 million, is 60 per cent complete.

“We expect it to be ready by August 2018, nine months earlier than the original construction period,” he said.

Going forward, Ng said the company would be launching its next affordable housing project, SkyAwani 4 in Setapak, following the successful take-up rate for previous such ventures, namely SkyAwani 1 (Sentul), SkyAwani 2 (Jalan Ipoh) and SkyAwani 3 (Setapak).

“We urge first time house buyers to take advantage of SkyAwani 3 because the value will increase due to location and facilities, such as the SkyBridge and SkyGarden.

“We try to do better with every Rumawip series in terms of development, as we focus on quality, not quantity,” he said, adding, SkyAwani 4 would not be the company’s final such project. Ng said SkyWorld would keep acquiring new government and private land, while reserving its current landbank of 55.44 hectares for other development. — Bernama