Johor plans more affordable houses for M40 group

PASIR GUDANG: The Johor State Housing Development Corp plans to undertake more affordable housing projects with units priced under RM350,000 for the middle-income M40 group.

State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said one of the ongoing projects is at Bandar Layangkasa, Jalan Kong Kong here.

“We already have plans for the B40 housing projects, priced under RM150,000, and right now we are trying to focus on providing houses for the M40 category within the range of RM150,000 to RM350,000.

“This is also in line with the plans of local developers to provide more affordable housing to the people,” he told reporters after the groundbreaking ceremony for the new Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG) office at Jalan Kong Kong here.

Mohd Jafni added that there are about 600 units of housing developed by the Parkland Group at Bandar Layangkasa.

Meanwhile, MBPG mayor Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman said the new office development is part of the first phase of the Pasir Gudang Local Plan 2030 (RTPG 2030).

“Besides the new office, we will also be conducting a rezoning project at the Tanjung Langsat Industrial Area to make sure the Sungai Kim Kim incident does not occur again in the future.

“The project will be conducted together with Johor Corp,” he said, adding that both projects will be completed within the next five years, accounting for 30% of total development under RTPG 2030.

The rezoning will divide industrial areas and housing areas and rearrange the development in the city, he added.

In March 2019, toxic pollution in Sungai Kim Kim resulted in over 4,000 people falling ill and the temporary closure of 111 schools in the Pasir Gudang district.