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Please Consider seriously The Plea Of The People To Buy Low-Cost Houses Statement by Dr Tan Seng Giaw, DAP National Vice-Chairman and MP for Kepong on the policy of the Malayisian Government to rent out integrated low-cost housing units. 16 April 2000. | |||||||
| We do not want squatters in Malaysia. But, we have squatters including immigrant squatters. Two years ago, the National Economic Action Council, NEAC, drew up a policy to build integrated low-cost housing to eradicate squatters. For example, there are over 30,000 squatter families in the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, KL. The Government says it would get rid of all the squatters first by 2000 then by 2005. This morning, a media conference was held in Kepong by representatives of 257 squatter houses at the Jalan Silang (FRI), Pekan Kepong. This is one of the 21 sites indentified for the Integrated Low-Cost Housing Programme in KL. Out of the 257 houses, 192 have indicated that they would like to buy low-cost units. On 17 March 2000, the representatives and I met Dato' Rosli Ibrahim, the Director-General of the National Housing Department which is the developer for the programme, to discuss the cleaning of the squatter areas and relocation of squatters. NEAC has given a directive through the Housing and Local Government Ministry to the National Housing Department to implement this programme. With the cooperation of the KL City Hall, KLCH, the developer has indentified the sites for the programme, building 35,000 units of low-cost houses. The department has given figures of 297 families in Kepong and over 3,000 | |
families in KL affected by the programme. Normally, relocations of squatters in Kepong mean that private deveolpers offer each family compensation of RM8,000, factory RM10,000, and priority to buy a low-cost house. Dato' Rosli has delineated his modus operandi: each squatter will be moved to a nearby temporary housing. Once the low-cost units are completed, they can return to rent the units at the original site. Those who wish to buy low-cost units will be given priority to do so in the area near to their original residence. He would discuss these with KLCH. At present, there are two joint projects between KLCH and private developers at the 7th Mile Jalan Kepong and Jinjang North respectively. But, many believe that the low-cost units will not be enough for the squatters. We hope that there will be better coordination between the various government departments responsible for implementing housing projects. For instance, we should improve coordination between NEAC, Economic Planning Unit (Prime Minister's Department), Housing & Local Government Ministry, National Housing Department and KLCH. The Government should give opportunities for people to rent or to buy low-cost houses. Although the Government has said that this is the case, Integrated Low-Cost Housing Programmes produce units only for renting.
Dr Tan Seng Giaw | |||||
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