‘State yet to receive federal funds for longhouse loan scheme’

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KUCHING: The Ministry of Housing and Urbanisation through the Housing Development Corporation (HDC) received an allocation of RM40 million for the ‘Longhouse Loan Scheme’ back in 2016, but no funds have been received from the federal government this year.

According to HDC Longhouse Section head Johnson Lapok, the funds received were distributed to 25 qualified longhouses involving 472 doors.

“Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in April 2016 announced RM50 million for the scheme and RM10 million has actually been given prior to his announcement to HDC,” Johnson said.

“As of today (yesterday), there are 652 longhouses on the waiting list involving 17,082 doors,” he added.

“However, for 2017, no funds or allocation has been made available to the Longhouse Loan Scheme by the federal government, and we are still awaiting their response on this,” he added.

Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Dr James Jemut Masing called for the loans to be disbursed quickly during a press conference on Sunday.

“We want the loans to be disbursed very quickly because many people in the longhouses are in need of the funds,” he said.