KOTA KINABALU: The Local Government and Housing Ministry will consider deferring the implementation of the newly announced policy of requiring 30 per cent affordable housing in every new development project next year, if there are still many unsold units of affordable houses.
Its minister, Datuk Hajiji Noor, said this in response to the statement by Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (Shareda), asking that the government reconsider the policy.
“We will see how many unsold affordable houses we have in Sabah. Our officers are now working on it and we will have the result soon.
“From the initial report, Shareda has said more than 5,000 affordable houses are still in the market, however, the ministry will check on the figures and will consider accordingly if it is found to be true,” he said.
Last month, Shareda president Datuk Susan Wong Siew Guen said the association is asking for the policy to be deferred because based on their research, there are still a few thousand units of unsold affordable houses in the Sabah market.
“Due to the oversupply situation of these unsold units of affordable houses now, we would need some time to sell all these units,” Susan highlighted during the Shareda 34th anniversary dinner recently.
Affordable houses meant for the low and medium income group come in various floor sizes from studio apartment to three-bedroom houses with price ranging from RM100,000 to RM400,000 a unit. The selling price is fixed at 20 per cent lower than the market price, she noted.