KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB), an agency set up to revive abandoned housing projects, is examining a new form of “people-friendly houses” for people earning between RM1,500 and RM3,000 a month.
Managing Director Datuk Dr Kamarul Rashdan Salleh said the company was talking to three state governments to start the housing scheme which has been slated for launch in the second quarter of this year, barring any hitches.
“If the first phase, to be implemented in the three unidentified states receives good response from the people, the housing scheme will be extended country-wide.
“We intend to develop people-friendly housing schemes jointly with state governments as was stated by Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah.
“The minister has asked state governments to liaise with SPNB to build quality affordable houses for the people,” he told Bernama in an interview.
Kamarul said the houses might be known as “Rumah Mesra Rakyat 1Malaysia (1Malaysia People-Friendly Houses) as was announced by SPNB chairman Datuk Idris Haron recently.
He said SPNB no longer built affordable houses as such homes have been integrated under the Perumahan Rakyat 1Malaysia (PR1MA) (1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme.
“It will be better if PR1MA and private housing developers work together to provide affordable homes in the market because that is their core business.
“SPNB is not deeply involved in providing affordable homes to the people,” he said.
Kamarul said SPNB “hatched” the affordable homes concept under the 1Malaysia People-Friendly Housing Programme, which still maintains the same set of conditions as the affordable housing scheme — only for people earning between RM1,500 and RM3,000 a month.
On SPNB’s shift in focus to build only people-friendly houses for the masses, Kamarul said the company shouldered a heavy social responsibility and did not see profit-making as the performance indicator index.
He said SPNB’s performance indicator was delivery — how many houses the company can afford to provide at one time.
“SPNB has stopped building affordable houses not because it’s not viable or there’s no demand, but from SPNB’s business dimension, affordable housing schemes are not suitable to be implemented.
“It’s more apt for SPNB to build people-friendly houses because we give priority to delivery not profit,” he said.
He was, however, quick to point out that SPNB was playing a complementary role to government’s efforts to provide affordable houses, particularly to low-income earners.
As at end of last year, he said, SPNB completed building 2,500 units of people-friendly houses country-wide and 3,333 units of such houses built previously have received certificate of fitness for occupation, he said.
Of the 14,713 units of people-friendly houses targeted to be sold last year, 11,840 units have been snapped up, he added.
The SPNB was established on Aug 21, 1997 to provide quality affordable houses for every family in the country. — Bernama