SABAH RECEIVES RM67.49 MILLION FOR HOUSING

REPRESENTATIVES .....2nd Left -right Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City Datuk Abidin Madingkir, Chief Secretary Ministry of Local Government and Housing Datuk Arpah Binti Abdul Razak, Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung, State Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor together with representatives of local municipal authorities.

By : M. IZHAM B. HASHIM

THE MINISTRY of Housing and Local Government has distributed annual grants totalling RM67.49 million to 20 local municipal authorities  in the state this year.

“The local authorities are frontline government agecies charged with the responsibility of ensuring a clean, and comfortable living environment in their localities,” Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung said.

Speaking at the presentation ceremony of annual grants on Saturday, Chor said the Federal Government has allocated a total of RM125.776 million in 2012 to finance more than 1,500 housing projects in the Sabah.

He also commended the Sabah State Government’s success in disbursing  about 85% of the budget amounting to RM104.91 million to fund affordable housing developmental projects.

State Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Hajiji Mohd Noor welcomed the grant and said the funding would be used to upgrade local municipal public facilities and utilities in public low-cost housing areas  such as lighting, drainage and infrastructure as well as help local authorities cover day to day operational and maintenance costs.

Earlier during his speech, the federal minister also took the opportunity to formally hand over 8 blocks of completed multi-storey low-cost  Taman Kinarut Ria flats worth Rm 54.89 million to the Sabah State Government.

Fully financed by the Federal Government, the 45 storey flats houses 752 units for the underprivileged to meet the needs of low income groups, the disabled and single mothers.

Equipped with modern public facilities, PPR Kinarut Ria flats can be rented at a low rate of RM 150 monthly.

Datuk Hajiji warned that PPR management will take stern action against errant tenants who take advantage of PPR housing by leasing their units to others for profit.

“We will not tolerate such behaviour and if tenants are suspected of leasing their units to others, they will be forcibly evicted and have their names blacklisted,” he told reporters during a press conference.

Also present during the event were Sabah Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing YB Datuk Ghulan Haidar Khan Bahadar; Mayor of Kota Kinabalu City Datuk Abidin Madingkir;among others. (Insight Sabah)