713 more people

713 more people-friendly houses under construction
The Star 4/5/2005

PETALING JAYA: A total of 502 houses have been completed under the Skim Rumah Mesra Rakyat (people-friendly houses scheme), and 713 more are being constructed, said National Housing Corporation (SPNB) chief executive officer Mohd Amin Mohd Salleh.

He said in a statement yesterday that new houses under the scheme were also being built in Sabah and Sarawak. SPNB was also in the process of approving the construction of 733 more houses.

Mohd Amin was referring to a news article on the problems faced by SPNB in implementing the scheme, including incomplete applications and the problem of securing land.

This was revealed during a meeting between SPNB and the Parliamentary Public Accounts Committee (PAC) last August. A briefing was given by former SPNB managing director Datuk Mohd Zaihan Mohd Zain.

The meeting was compiled into in a report and tabled in Parliament last Thursday.

Mohd Amin also said SPNB had not encountered any problem in acquiring land to build houses under the scheme.

''This is because in order for someone to qualify for this scheme, he or she must have land or have obtained approval from landowners to build houses on the chosen site,'' he added.

The scheme, introduced in 2002, allowed applicants from low-income groups to apply for houses, the cost of which would be partially borne by the Government