GEORGE TOWN: The state government should consider building low medium-cost (LMC) units on the island instead of pushing such projects to the mainland.

State Gerakan Housing bureau chairman Quah Kooi Heong said that to date, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had only announced one notable LMC project, which is the one located on the mainland in Batu Kawan.

“Lim has failed to realise that there is demand for LMCs on the island,” Quah said.

He said that on Aug 1, Lim denied accusations through the media that the state government had never launched any affordable housing projects.

Lim then revealed that a total of 11,596 low-cost and LMC units had been approved since 2008.

Quah however said: “Of the 11,596 units, he said that 8,175 units were built by private developers while the government and related agencies constructed 3,421 units.

“However, he did not mention that the 3,421 units were in fact inherited from the previous Barisan Nasional government.”

“The state government through PDC should build more LMCs while the state or the Penang Municipal Council should not resort to making quick profits by selling state or council land to private developers.”

Quah claimed that the state government had transferred its social obligations to build LMCs on the island to a private developer, who is overseeing the Bayan Mutiara integrated development project.

“This move does not help resolve the shortage of LMC units on the island. It will in fact increase the cost of LMCs in Penang and defeat the objective of the state to provide affordable housing for the poor,” Quah told a press conference at the state Gerakan headquarters yesterday.

Quah pointed out that in the latest Auditor-General’s Report, not a single LMC was built by the state government between 2008 and 2010.

Source: The Star