A place to call home – 17 months early >See reports on Page 4
Buyers get keys to their Bukit Jalil PPA1M affordable houses
KUALA LUMPUR: For many years, Bibi Kho and her husband, a police officer, had dreamed of a house to call their own. But they could not afford to buy one in the city on his salary.
Two years ago, they learnt that the Bukit Jalil 1Malaysia Public Housing Project (PPA1M) was open for registration.
Kho, 57, urged her husband to submit an application. They managed to get a unit and were elated when they were recently told that their house was ready 17 months earlier than scheduled.
“We are living in the police quarters in Sungai Besi. We were worried about what would happen when my husband retires and we would have to leave the quarters.
“Now that we have our keys, we are no longer worried.
“I haven’t seen the house but I’m sure it will be lovely,” she said at the ceremony to hand over the house keys to new owners here yesterday.
Kho was among the 1,536 homeowners who turned up at the Bukit Jalil PPA1M to pick up their keys and tour their new homes.
“I am very grateful for the opportunity to finally have a home to call our own. We would not have been able to achieve this without affordable housing schemes like this,” she said.
The Bukit Jalil PPA1M was developed by Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd and was launched in April 2015. It was initially scheduled for completion in May next year.
The Bukit Jalil PPA1M is about 400m away from the Bukit Jalil LRT station, which is connected by a covered walkway.
Other facilities already in place include a clinic, kiosks, prayer rooms, a preschool, nursing home, playground and a multipurpose hall that can fit up to 600 people.
It also comes with a complete security system, including guards on duty at all hours of the day.
Another homeowner, Mohamad Helmi Syafiq Mohamad Awal, 32, was also excited to look around his new home immediately after receiving his keys.
“My friends and I had all submitted applications together when it opened two years ago but I was the only lucky one who managed to get a unit.
“My unit is about 1,000sq ft and costs RM150,000. When I was told that the unit is ready, I could hardly believe it.
“The house looks wonderful and I can’t wait to move in,” he added.
As part of their corporate social responsibility, developer Aset Kayamas will be providing an RM80,000 allocation for renovation packages to 10 lucky homeowners in the Bukit Jalil PPA1M.
All homeowners also get a RM100 rebate and a maintenance fee exemption for one month.
Aset Kayamas chairman Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong thanked the Malaysia Building Society Bhd ( MBSB) and other parties that had worked together to complete the project.
The project, which was worth RM356.7mil, was sponsored by MBSB, he said, adding that they are also the main sponsors for most PPA1M projects.
So far, they have paid for nine projects in other states, including Melaka, Selangor and Pahang.
“It is this kind of support and commitment that makes the PPA1M project successful, and developers always look for financial support to fulfil the Government’s aim in providing affordable housing,” Chai said.
The PPA1M projects are managed by the PPA1M unit under the Prime Minister’s Department, along with the Federal Territories Ministry for PPA1M projects in Kuala Lumpur.