Govt mulls implementing core house concept in rural areas – Abg Johari

KUCHING: The Ministry of Housing and Urbanisation plans to extend the ‘rumah inti’ or core house concept, already successfully implemented in Bengoh Resettlement Scheme, to more rural areas in Sarawak.

Under the concept, modelled after the ones in Bengoh, the detached core houses are built on concrete stilts and each house consists of three bedrooms and two bathrooms.

Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg who is also Minister for Housing and Urbanisation said for this purpose, the ministry had already discussed with State Financial Secretary’s office to increase seed capital in the Mutiara Mortgage and Credit Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of Housing Development Corporation).

This move will enable Mutiara Mortgage to provide loans to house buyers particularly from the lower income group to buy their new home built under this core house concept.

“The core houses will be cheaper than the ones built at Bengoh. We will develop such houses in the new resettlement areas in rural areas,” he said at the staff appreciation dinner for Housing and Urbanisation Ministry at a hotel here on Friday.

Abang Johari hoped this new housing policy would receive full support and cooperation from all the staff in the ministry.

“This means that we have to work together and we deliver the new policies,” he said. He also announced RM10,000 grant for the Housing Ministry Social Activities Committee (Jaskep) which organised the dinner.

On another matter, Abang Johari said new policies introduced by the ministry over the past few years including the introduction of housing tribunal and repealing of the old housing ordinance has led to improvements in the housing industry.

He added the introduction of Spectra, a new housing scheme which is only for Sarawak, would enable more people to own affordable houses.

He also said the ministry was looking into redeveloping old slums in the urban areas.

“We aim to change the urban landscape in order to provide conducive living for those living in urban areas,” he said.

Also present were Assistant Minister for Urbanisation Datuk Talib Zulpilip, Assistant Minister for Housing Datuk Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah and the ministry’s permanent secretary Dr Wan Liz Osman Wan Omar.