Dr Chou Chii Ming
KUCHING: A Chinese community leader here has lauded the state government for taking the initiative to tackle rising house prices so as to enable more people to own a home.
Dr Chou Chii Ming, immediate past president of Federation of Kuching-Samarahan Chinese Associations, said house buyers and Sarawakians at large would welcome the move of using Daya Perumahan Sdn Bhd to flood the housing market and subsequently bring down house prices.
“It is heartening to read the news that the state government is using Daya Perumahan to halt the spiralling house prices in Sarawak. The statement of our Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Abang Openg on the issue is very timely.
“The same statement is also well received by a great mass of city dwellers who are in great need of housing, and cannot afford to buy houses due to extreme high cost,” he said yesterday in response to the comments made by Abang Johari on Sunday.
Abang Johari pointed out the price of houses in the state had been climbing rapidly in recent years because some private developers had set their profit margin at between 80 and 100 per cent.
He said this quantum was “senseless” and “unreasonable” and as such his ministry would use Daya Perumahan – a fully-owned subsidiary of Housing Development Corporation – to restore sanity.
Chou asserted the minister’s statement went to show his sensitivity on the housing issue, which had been affecting a lot more house buyers particularly those from middle and low-income groups.
“Our housing minister has taken timely action to address the current hot issue of high cost of housing that has hindered young people from fulfilling their basic need of daily life.”
To help curb soaring house prices, Daya Perumahan has embarked on a pioneer project in Kampung Datu in Sibu where 30 units of detached houses were currently being constructed.
Each unit is said to be sold for not more than RM140,000 to prove to the private sector that houses can be built and sold at a reasonable price.