PENANG will come up with a formula to determine a reasonable
contribution of amenities by developers in new housing schemes.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon said developers had to provide
amenities due to the state’s limited financial resources.
“I agree there is a difference between constructing 700 units of
double-storey houses and 700 low-cost units as the profit margins are
different,” he said at the Real Estate and Housing Developers
Association (Rehda) Penang chapter 32nd anniversary dinner on Wednesday
night.
Present was Rehda national president Ng Seing Liong.
In his speech earlier, Rehda Penang chapter chairman Datuk Jerry Chan
said it was unfair to compel developers to build a school if they were
building more than 700 units, regardless of whether the units were
double-storey terrace houses or low-cost houses.
He said the responsibility of providing the amenities should not be
placed solely on developers.
“We hope the state government can reduce our burden.
“Just because we require approval of our plans from the local
authorities, it does not mean that all sorts of terms can be imposed on
us.
“We have to provide amenities such as hawker centres, surau, garbage
collection centres and community halls.
“We also have to subsidise the construction of low-cost and low
medium-cost units,” Chan added.
“The density guidelines, low-cost and low medium-cost housing
policies and pricing need to be revised every five years,” he said.
He also questioned the requirement for back lanes that were no longer
required for link and terrace units in the Klang Valley and in Singapore.
“We no longer need to carry away night soil. Furthermore, rubbish
collection is done from the front of the houses,” he said.
“The requirement deprives the house owner of additional garden space
at the back of their house,” he said.
Chan also asked that developers be allowed to develop land in rural
areas.