Ensuring only deserving people get low-cost homes

The Star 22/4/2006

SHAH ALAM: A standardised online registration system for low-cost house applicants has been put in place to ensure the houses are rightfully allocated to the poor and deserving groups.

The Sistem Pendaftaran Terbuka (SPT) Berkomputer yang Seragam is hosted and managed by the Housing and Local Government Ministry.

“All state governments will use the SPT to register applicants for low-cost houses. The system offers open registration all year long,” Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.

“It will compute the marks given to an applicant based on selected criteria. The marks will determine the successful applicants.”

It would help weed out abuse, such as cases of high-income earners buying low-cost units or an applicant being allotted two low-cost houses.

“We have cleaned up the system and tightened the loopholes. More importantly, we have incorporated valuable input from the Prime Minister himself, who wanted us to be sensitive towards the situation faced by an applicant,” said Ong at the SPT launch ceremony at Dewan Jubli Perak in the state secretariat building here.

“For instance, a person may earn above the cut-off income of RM1,500 per month, but still be considered eligible for a low-cost house if he has to support ageing parents or handicapped siblings.

“Similarly, attention must be given to single mothers, the disabled and parents with many children.”