GEORGE TOWN: Hundreds of Penang residents yesterday flocked to the 1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme (PR1MA) booth at the ‘Promises Fulfilled Tour’ programme at the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) campus here to apply for affordable houses.
Visitors approached said they were excited over the online application launched by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak who came to Penang yesterday on a day-long visit.
Noraini Awang, 46, said the prime minister’s announcement on the government building 20,000 units of affordable houses in the state was welcome news.
“We have had enough of renting. We are looking for a more comfortable house as our children have grown up. It is no longer suitable to live in a small flat,” the mother of five told Bernama.
Kelvin Tan, 36, said the online application saved time and made it easier for buyers.
“The prime minister said the selection of house buyers would be transparent and I feel the system is efficient and cost-saving. No need to go to the housing developer’s counter to fill in the form manually,” he said.
Housewife P. Kalarani, 37, said that in this way, the middle-income group would have a better chance under the programme.
She described the visit of Najib this time with his gifts as extremely meaningful to the state.
“I can’t believe that there will be a monorail in Penang. We hope it will help overcome the traffic congestion that we have been facing all this while,” she said. — Bernama