Adenan: Demand calls for high-rises
KUCHING: The government may look into building cities vertically to tackle the issue of urban sprawl in our cities by building more high-rise buildings and undertake mixed development.
This is because cities continue to grow and there is greater need for housing to the extent that demand exceeds supply, said Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem.
Therefore, he added, the government may need to review the current density requirements for housing development, especially for projects situated in urban centres.
“Greater density would enable more houses to be built as urban land is getting more scarce and expensive. At the same time, we need to ensure that this densitification process would not lead to a more crowded living space and traffic congestion,” he said in a text of speech read by Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg at Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association ( Sheda) annual dinner and excellence award 2015 presentation.
He added that the provision of housing is an integral part of any development plan and demand for housing will always happen simultaneously with overall government development efforts.
He also said the government will continue to address housing shortage and affordability issues through the implementation of various housing programmes and schemes. With rapid urbanisation and growing economy, housing demand will always outstrip supply and the state and federal government will continue to allocate funds and resources for affordable housing, he added.
He cited the various key measures to make homeownership more attractive as announced by the Prime Minister in the recent 2016 Federal Budget as a testimony of the government’s strong commitment in addressing housing affordability.
“The state government will continue to bid for greater allocation to be given to Sarawak to build more public affordable housing projects within the next five years under the 11th Malaysia Plan. Not only that, we will vigorously continue to pursue our request under the ongoing devolution of power exercise with the federal government whereby housing provision, being a concurrent list in the Federal Constitution, should be directly handled by the state government through its own agencies such as the Ministry of Housing and HDC. We want to avoid unnecessary duplication of activities and red tape that will only hamper expeditious delivery of housing stock to the people.”
He added that while the government will continue to do its part in housing provision, active involvement of private housing developers is needed to help
Greater density would enable more houses to be built as urban land is getting more scarce and expensive. At the same time, we need to ensure that this densitification process would not lead to a more crowded living space and traffic congestion.
address the affordability issue as they are the main contributor of housing supply.
Profit maximisation alone should not be the end result, but should be tempered with social responsibility, equity and justice, he pointed out.
In this regard, he said the state government was considering introducing a new affordable housing policy not only for the low-income group, but also for the middle-income segment.
“We want to ensure that the new approach would also be in line with the current housing trends and market situation and help to mitigate affordability and house price issues. I would like to thank Sheda in particular for giving their input and suggestions in this review exercise,” said Adenan.
He added that emphasis should be on implementing sustainable urban development strategies in addressing global issues like environmental degradation and climate change.
Thus, green and sustainable development would bring about new and exciting opportunities that could influence the way cities are being planned and developed. It would also help create major and positive lifestyle changes like walking, cycling and less destructive consumption patterns, he said.
“In the case of our cities like Kuching, Miri and Bintulu, we have dedicated ample space for green areas, garden and family parks so that people can mingle with each other and undertake family- oriented activities.”
Sheda Property Man of the Year 2015 award went to Ting Holdings Sdn Bhd Alex Ting, Merit Award for Hotel (Adaptive Reuse) went to Lot 10 Boutique Hotel Kuching, Merit Award for Showroom went to Regas Premium Auto, Commendation Award for Master Plan went to The Isthmus Kuching and Commendation Award for Strata Development went to The Uplands Serviced Suites Kuching.
Themed ‘ Shanghai Nights’, guests were treated to a 24-season drum performance, silk and hoop aerial dances, Italian opera singing and a performance by comedian Harith Iskandar.
Assistant Minister of Housing and Urban Development Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, organising chairman Bobby Ting and Sheda president Joseph Wong were at the dinner.
Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Adenan Satem, Chief Minister