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Chin clarifies role of housing agencies
21/11/2000 The Star
The Government has stressed that there is no overlapping of duties between the National Housing Department and
Syarikat Perumahan Negara (SPN).
Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Peter Chin said the department focused on low-cost homes
while SPN's task was to revive abandoned projects.
"A committee in the ministry discusses the abandoned projects with SPN," he added.
The SPN, he said, would discuss with developers and related parties on reviving housing projects.
Replying to points raised, Chin said the ministry would only fix prices of low-cost homes but not other
categories of houses which would be left to market forces.
Chew Mei Fun (BN - PJ Utara) said amending land status to turn proposed residential areas into commercial zones
should be made transparent so that public interests are protected.
She said the relevant rules should be amended to make the change of land status transparent.
Local governments should get a public opinion poll and come up with a comprehensive development plan to be
submitted to the state and Land Department before any land status is amended, she said when debating the Budget at committee stage.
This was because many residents had complained that areas next to their homes were turned into commercial zones
although they had been told otherwise when they first bought their homes, she said.
"Some of them spent hundreds of thousands of ringgit to have a home and were told the lots in front of their
houses were kept aside for bungalow lots.
"But after a few years,
high rise buildings were built instead," she said.
Teresa Kok (DAP- Seputeh) lamented about the late deliver of strata titles particularly for Klang Valley
residents questioning if it was under the purview of the Housing and Local Government ministry or Land and Co-operative Development Ministry.
Husam Musa (PAS- Kubang Kerian) called for better planning to minimise the number of squatters especially in
urban areas.
"Some of them were promised houses but even after three general elections, they are still living in longhouses
with poor facilities."
Datuk Husni Hanadzlah (BN - Tambun) called for government intervention in setting the price of houses, saying
that the country should have a "zoning system" on houses less than RM3000,000.
Lee Kah Choon (BN- Jelutong) said town and district councils should get ISO standards now and what are the
problems plaquing the rest?" he asked. |
