Affordable housing a key issue for Penang voters ahead of polls

 

In April, deputy finance minister Ahmad Maslan said Penang had 3,593 units of unsold property valued at RM2.74 billion.

GEORGE TOWN: Affordable housing remains a key issue for Penang folk ahead of the Aug 12 state polls, with some saying it is likely to have a heavy influence on their decision at the ballot box.

Seberang Jaya resident Suraya (not her real name), 47, said she was concerned that homes in most parts of Penang have become unaffordable for the state’s youth.

She said that her daughter, who is in her 20s and works at a hotel on the island, has had to buy a home in Bertam, Kepala Batas, as prices are more affordable in Seberang Perai Utara.

“I hope the candidates contesting in Seberang Jaya have plans to bring in new affordable housing projects in the constituency,” the eatery owner told FMT, adding that the existing units are over 20 years old.

Edward John, 49, a resident in Alma, Bukit Mertajam, lamented the absence of affordable landed housing projects in Seberang Perai Tengah. Instead, he said, the area has too many expensive high-rise apartment projects.

With house prices hitting RM500,000, John, who turns 50 soon, is worried he may not be able to secure a loan to finance his purchase.

“If any contesting party can come up with a plan to allocate land for affordable landed housing projects, I will definitely vote for that party,” the private sector employee told FMT.

Insurance executive, V Krishnan, 29, acknowledged that the state government was building affordable housing projects but said that the application process to secure a unit was time-consuming.

“I feel that the contesting parties should look into these issues,” he told FMT.

In April, Bernama reported deputy finance minister Ahmad Maslan as saying there were 3,593 units of unsold property in Penang worth RM2.74 billion, the third highest in the country both in terms of number and value, behind Johor (5,258 units worth RM4.33 billion) and Selangor (3,698 units worth RM2.74 billion).

Launched on Aug 1, the PH-BN manifesto for Penang promises to build 220,000 affordable housing units.

Of these, up to 100,000 units will be offered through the “B40 Affordable Housing” scheme at a price of between RM100,000 and RM150,000, while another 22,000 rent-to-own units will be made available by 2030.

Traffic woes, rising prices

Meanwhile, Taman Kota Permai resident, Jason Loh, 27, who commutes daily to the Perai industrial area for work, said he considers traffic congestion on the mainland a key issue in the state election.

The supply chain executive said there was a need for road upgrades and public transportation, particularly the LRT, which must be expanded to cover mainland Penang.

Retiree Cheah, 60, said the rising cost of household goods at morning markets was a key issue which will influence his polling decision.

Cheah said the state government could mitigate this by waiving or reducing rental fees for vendors at the city council-owned premises. He said this would help lower prices at the markets.

“If they can bring in free shuttle services, why can’t they do away with rental fees (for sellers) or at least reduce them,” he asked. - FMT