Constituency grants can help rebuild homes of the poor, says Chor

ALOR SETAR: MPs should step forward to help the poor who live in dilapidated homes by providing aid under their respective constituency allocations, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said.

He added that each MP was provided RM5,000 in grants to assist the poor, whose homes are rotting away.

The MPs should use it and, if they combined their resources with the private sector and non- governmental organisations, around 2,000 rundown homes could be repaired annually, he told reporters after handing over a repaired house under the ministry’s House Build initiative at the Bakar Bata service centre here yesterday.

The ceremony was held in conjunction with World Habitat Day 2012.

Chor, who is Alor Setar MP, said 49 houses of the poor had been repaired since the fund was started in 2009, with 17 homes repaired this year. He said at least 15 more were expected to be spruced up next year.

Headdedthat the ministryworked in co-operation with private companies to help unfortunate families live in safer habitats as part of its corporate social responsibility drive.

“As long as a company is making money - not necessary a huge corporation or listed company - it can step forward to help,” he said.

Fund recipient Nooriza Ahmad, 44, expressed her gratitude that “someone is helping my family”.

Nooriza, who received the aid on behalf of younger brother Fadzil Ahmad, 36, from Kampung Gunung Sali, said the leaking roof of his home was replaced to overcome the problem of rainwater seeping in.

EUPE Corporation Bhd managing director Datuk Beh Huck Lee, whose company carried out the repairs, said it was one of three dilapidated houses it repaired last year.

“We took three months to replace the rooftop and the plywood for Fadzil’s semi-wooden house,” he said.