PENANG: Good news for thousands of low-cost housebuyers who are in a dilemma after the housing projects were abandoned by the developers.

The State Exco in charge of Housing, Culture, Arts and Heritage, Syed Amerrudin Syed Ahmad, said 10 of such projects would be revived.

"Other abandoned projects in the State with few or no low-cost houses are to be identified by the respective State Assemblymen for the State Government to look into," he said yesterday.

He said of the 10 identified projects, the Sri Bayu lowcost apartment project in Bayan Lepas was now being revived.

"We thank the project's former main contractor, Public Packages Holding Berhad (PPH), for backing out of a long-standing legal tussle in the name of public interest so that the Sri Bayu project can be continued," he said.

He said a recent court order resulted in Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) being allowed to complete the project.

Following this, the 730 housebuyers are expected to be able to move into their new units in time for Hari Raya later this year.

"After Sri Bayu, we are concentrating on the Taman Widuri housing  project in southern Seberang Prai," he said.

He added that the project, abandoned since 1997, consisted of 637 low-cost houses, 355 and 490 units of two-storey and single-storey terrace houses, 50 medium-cost and 87 high-cost houses.