The completed house the Fams can call home.
MIRI: It’s like a dream come true for a poor family of four after they finally moved into a new house they have long been waiting for.
Fam Choon Nyang, 66, and his wife Ten Kim Jin, 53, have applied for the house under the housing assistance programme of the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development about two years ago.
Yesterday, Assistant Minister for Tourism Datuk Lee Kim Shin who is also Senadin assemblyman presented the key of the house to Fam who is sick and unable to work.
His wife has to stay home and look after him as well as their two school-going sons aged eight and 12 years old.
“We are very happy and almost could not believe that we can start living in our new home now.
“I want to thank the government for helping us with the application,” said Ten.
Prior to this, the family has been living in a dilapidated house on the same piece of land.
Their new house is built right in front of their old house.
Meanwhile, Lee told reporters that Fam’s house was the first of 17 houses built under the low cost housing programme in Senadin constituency to be completed this year.
“Seventeen houses are being built in Senadin constituency under the Ministry of Rural and Regional Development’s housing assistance programme.
“Construction started in June and Fam’s house is the first to be completed,” he said, adding each of the 17 houses was about 600 square feet and cost RM50,000.
“The houses were being built by 17 different contractors but the design was the same.
The house applicants were vetted by the Welfare Department for eligibility and among the conditions is that the applicants must have a piece of land for the house.
“Each house has three bedrooms, a toilet, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room,” Lee said.
The contractors must complete all the houses before year-end.