PH govt to review housing project to see if land suitable for purpose

MIRI : The Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led federal government will review the Permy 3 Kuala Baram affordable housing project to see if the land given by the Sarawak state government is suitable for the project.

Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the federal government wants to ensure that the location for the project as well as the soil in the area are suitable for housing.

“We will need to study back the project and if (the land) not suitable, we will ask the state government to give a more suitable location, where there are bacic amenities and facilities,” she told reporters during a working visit to Kampung Pasir here yesterday.

Zuraida said the federal government does not want the Sarawak government to give a location that is too far as this will also cause problems in terms of transportation and basic amenities.

She said if the location given by the state government is suitable, the federal government can reduce the cost of implementation and focus on building better quality houses.

“The state government cannot expect the federal government to spend too much on facilities and amenities as this will increase the cost of construction,” she pointed out.

In view of that, the federal government wants to ensure that the location and land given by the Sarawak government is strategic and within areas that already have basic amenities.

“The federal government is ready to help in policy as well as work together with the state government that really wants to provide the best for its people,” she said.

Elaborating further, she said compliance agencies such as those that provide water supply, electricity and telecommunications services will also have to construct their own facilities in the location.

“This will definitely increase the price of the house, therefore the value of the house itself has to be reduced as to not burden the targeted B40 group,” Zuraida added.

The Permy 3 Kuala Baram affordable housing project was approved by the State Planning Unit (SPA) in 2016.

It is a mixed development project comprising 105 units of shophouses, 278 units of affordable houses, 549 units of medium cost houses, commercial centre and community facilities.