KUALA LUMPUR: The subsidy of over RM200,000 for a unit of people's housing programme (PPR) is likened to an "angpow" to the rakyat, says the Local Government Development Minister.
Nga Kor Ming said the house would cost from RM250,000 to RM300,000 and the unit size would be approximately 750 sqft. He added that it would be sold for RM40,000.
"With the amount of subsidies given by the government, it's like an 'angpow' which is a blessing under the 'Rahmah' spirit," he said when responding to Datuk Dr Alias Razak's (PN-Kuala Nerus) supplementary question in the Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday (Oct 31).
Alias had asked Nga if it was possible to increase the size of the PPR units to accommodate bigger households.
Nga said the current standard specification has already been increased from the previous 500 sqft, and increasing its size will cost more.
Alias then said that such limited space would cause children from big families to spend more time outdoors, which would risk social problems.
In response, the Taiping MP said that the latest design of PPR projects would also be constructed in a well-integrated concept.
"The housing will include several facilities, such as recreational areas, food courts, convenience stores, and we will try to add in clinics," said Nga.
When tabling the 2024 Budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced an allocation of RM2.47bil to implement people's housing projects (PPR) next year.
Anwar, also the Finance Minister, said this included a special RM1bil guarantee fund to encourage responsible developers to rebuild abandoned projects which have been identified.
