Abg Jo: 200 acres in Sg Bedaun for housing
KUCHING: The state government has identified a 200- acre land in Sungai Bedaun in Pantai Damai constituency as a site for affordable housing.
In disclosing this yesterday at a press conference after closing a seminar on ‘Community Leader Integrity Practice’ at Yayasan Sarawak auditorium here, Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg said these soon-to- bebuilt affordable units would be meant for those with extended families and from the lowincome group living in the constituency.
Asked on the number of units to be built, he said: “The land is about 200 acres, you (reporters) calculate ‘lah’.”
Abang Johari, who is also Tourism Minister, was quick to point out that the project was still at planning stage, in which the government was focused on ensuring a solid base before any implementation.
“Planning is underway and it should take another year or two to actually implement it. We have to ensure that the foundation ( for the housing project) is solid and stable, so that it won’t sink.”
He added that it would take seven to 10 years to complete the housing project.
Earlier, Abang Johari said the government had long decided that each affordable unit should come with three bedrooms to cater for the basic needs of a family.
He explained that parents should have a room of their own, while their children could share the remaining two rooms according to gender.
“Such three- bedroom design has become our policy in building affordable homes.”
Meanwhile, Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi hoped that the state Malaysian Anti- Corruption Commission ( MACC) and Royal Malaysia Police ( PDRM) could help address the malpractice in implementation of projects in his constituency.
According to him, some works are not being adequately carried out as the development funds have been siphoned off.
“There are incidents where RM100,000 was allocated for a development project, but only half of the money was actually spent for the works.”
Dr Abdul Rahman raised a similar issue during a dialogue with Kuching District police chief ACP Roslan Bek Ahmad last November, where the assemblyman said the practice by certain quarters of collecting protection money had impeded the progress of quite a number of development projects in Pantai Damai.
At the closing ceremony, Pemanca Rashidi Junai led community and grassroots leaders in reading out the integrity pledge, witnessed by Abang Johari and Dr Abdul Rahman.