PENANG looks forward to having a closer relationship with the Local Government Development Ministry where housing issues are concerned, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“We hope that we will have sympathetic ears in the ministry and Cabinet for Penang issues to be recognised and suitable action to be taken, as well as allocations for projects to be considered.
“There are a few issues. And I believe Penang will always work hard to develop affordable housing for the people of Penang,” Chow said after hosting a courtesy visit by Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming at his office in Komtar today.
Chow presenting a souvenir to Nga. With them are (from left) Noor Ishan, Noor Azman, Mohd Sayuthi and Jagdeep.
Chow thanked Nga and his delegation for calling on him and also for going to visit a few other locations thereafter, in spite of Nga’s hectic schedule.
After his meeting with Chow, Nga was briefed by Jagdeep Singh Deo, the state executive councillor in charge of the Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee, on the first public housing project, called The Millennia @ Bayan Lepas, being undertaken by the Penang Housing Board.
Nga expressed confidence that a smart partnership would be formed between the Penang government and the Federal government to address housing issues in the state.
“I am honoured to come here again. We believe this cordial working relationship will spur us to higher heights. Today, we see one of the success stories by Penang, which is one public housing project with a new concept. It may be even better than Singapore’s HDB,” Nga said.
“The project will be built in Bayan Lepas. It will have as many as 1,197 units.
“We are fully committed to helping Penang. Later, there will be a few announcements during my first working trip here.
“We’re not coming here empty-handed, not just to present a Chinese New Year hamper. We’ve very good news for the people of Penang.
“We will work together just like what our hashtags say; we have three taglines – the first is #StrongerTogether, the second is #UnityInDiversity and the third is #DemiPertiwi (for the country and people).
During the briefing, Jagdeep told Nga that the Millennia project is one of the several projects that the state would be involved with the development. One landed housing project, he said, would be built in Seberang Perai.
“The state government has identified some 73 acres of land to build either PPR (Program Perumahan Rakyat or People’s Housing Programme) or RMM (Rumah Mampu Milik or affordable housing).
“We would like Putrajaya to assist us to build them. We’ve been working very hard with former housing ministers.
“Now that we have a unity government, we can march forward. The key word is cooperation for the public,” Jagdeep said.
Penang Housing Board general manager Ainul Fadhilah Samsudi said the Millennia project, which was earlier known as RMM Bukit Gedung, would be built on 8.7 acres in Bukit Gedung.
It will have a total of 1,197 units, consisting of 282 low medium-cost units (measuring 700sq ft each) and 915 units of affordable housing (measuring 881sq ft each) and 59 commercial units.
The project will have facilities such as a multipurpose hall, surau, and playground.
The construction is expected to start in the third quarter of 2023 and will be completed in five years in 2018.
Among those present were Penang State Secretary Datuk Mohd Sayuthi Bakar, Komtar assemblyman Teh Lai Heng, Local Government Development Ministry (KPKT) secretary-general Datuk M Noor Azman Taib, KPKT director-general Datuk Noor Ihsan Che Mat and Penang Island City Council (MBPP) secretary Datuk A. Rajendran.
Story by K.H. Ong
Pix by Siti Nuratikah Rahmat