Kuching, Miri to get more flats-for-rent

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DOING INSPECTION: Abang Johari (front row, second left) tours the housing project with (from left) Ujang, Abdul Karim and others.

KUCHING: Another flat-for-rent housing project will be built in Kuching and Miri with an allocation from the federal government.

Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said such projects were to provide affordable accommodation to those yet to buy their own houses, and eradicate the squatter problem rampant in Kuching, Miri and Bintulu.

Abang Johari said flat-for-rent housing were available in Matang (Kuching), Kidurong (Bintulu) and Rantau Panjang (Sibu).

“In Sarawak, we still have plenty of land for this kind of project,” Abang Johari told reporters during a visit to a similar project at Batu Gong, Siburan, near here yesterday.

According to him, there were about 16,000 squatters, mostly found in Bintulu, Miri and Kuching.

He said the project in Batu Gong would provide accommodation for people working in Samarahan division, which was developing fast.

The rent for a three-bedroom flat in Batu Gong is RM150 per month plus RM30 for maintenance under the care of Housing Development Corporation (HDC).

The project, started in 2006, was supposed to be completed middle of this year but the contractor asked for another six months’ extension.

During yesterday’s visit, Abang Johari noted that the Batu Gong project was about 95 per cent completed.

“I am satisfied with its progress and the contractor has promised to complete it during the first-quarter of next year,” he said.

Among those present were Assistant Housing Minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah, Pantai Damai assemblyman Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi, Debessa Sdn Bhd chairman Dato Sri Celestine Ujang Jilan and managing director Leonard Martin Uneng.