State housing and environment executive councillor S Sundarajoo said under a three-year-old urban renewal guideline, the Penang government had identified six pilot projects, involving 6,837 existing residential units.
Sundarajoo said these pilot projects would provide more spacious and comfortable homes for those currently residing in old low-cost housing units.
Of the six, Sundarajoo said, one had been successfully implemented, the URA Mahsuri, which now sees residents living in units measuring between 850 sq ft and 900 sq ft, compared with the 247 sq ft to 547 sq ft homes they were residing in previously.
“This proves that these projects can benefit the people if implemented properly,” he said in a statement.
Initiatives like URA Mahsuri not only provided spacious and more comfortable homes for 300 families who used to live in low-cost homes, but it also allowed the community to enjoy a better quality of life, Sundarajoo said.
He said residents involved in these pilot projects would receive a replacement unit that was not only more spacious, but equipped with facilities including allocated parking lots.
“This shows that the proposed Act will not impact their rights but will improve their well-being. Therefore, claims that the proposed URA would adversely affect the rights of certain quarters, especially the B40, is baseless,” Sundarajoo said, adding that none of the residents in the pilot projects would be forced to move out.
PAS deputy president Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man had previously claimed that the URA was a “subtle method to push out those who cannot afford it (the homes), particularly the Malays and Indians”.
Tuan Ibrahim had also said that MPs from Perikatan Nasional would oppose the bill as it could disrupt harmony.
Housing and local government minister Nga Kor Ming had previously denied that the bill was targeting any specific race. - FMT
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