The Penang government yesterday announced that the Penang Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) will be extended for another year until June 2022.

State Housing, Local Government and Town and Country Planning Committee chairman, Jagdeep Singh Deo said the HOC had ended on June 9 this year.

“During the HOC, the ceiling price of affordable housing on both the island and mainland will be lowered by up to 10 per cent.

“The original ceiling price on the island and mainland are RM300,000 and RM200,000 respectively, but the prices will be adjusted during the HOC,” he said at a press conference here.

He added that the state had approved the guidelines to increase the density limit of low-medium cost (LMC) units to 120 units per acre on the island.

“These revised guidelines are part and parcel of our war against COVID-19, whereby apart from our priority placed on public security and health, we also want to assist all to rise economically,” he said.

Meanwhile, Jagdeep also announced that the first affordable housing project to be developed by the Penang Housing Board (LPNPP) at Bukit Gedung, Bayan Baru was expected to be completed by 2025.

He said the housing project, occupying 3.076 hectares of land, would consist of 1,014 units of affordable homes and 253 LMC units.

“This project will also include facilities such as shop lots, swimming pool, surau, tai chi plaza and study room,” he added.

Source: Bernama

The Penang state housing board will be building its first affordable housing project in Bayan Baru which is scheduled for completion in 2025.

Housing, local government and town and country planning committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said a total 1,267 affordable units will be built at the site in Bukit Gedung.

“There will be a total 253 low medium-cost units and 1,014 affordable housing units,” he said.

The low and medium-cost units, at 700 sq feet each unit, will be priced at RM72,500 each while the affordable housing units, at 850 sq feet each unit, will be priced at RM270,000 each.

Other than the affordable housing component, there will also be 21 units of a three-storey commercial block.

The development will be located on a plot land in Bukit Gedung measuring 7.6 acres (3 hectares).

Jagdeep said the project will be equipped with facilities such as a swimming pool, a jacuzzi, a children’s playground, a gymnasium and a study room.

“This is the very first project under the state housing board and we want to realise this project as soon as possible,” he said, adding that more projects will also be introduced in the future.

The project is expected to begin next year and it will take about three years to be fully completed, by 2025.

On the state’s objective to have 220,000 units of various types of affordable housing units in the state, he said there are now 119,116 affordable housing units in the state which make up 54.1 per cent of the state’s target.

Out of the 119,116 units, 38,149 units have been completed, 18,519 units are under construction and 62,448 units are under planning.

Out of the 119,116 units, 26,616 are low-cost units priced at RM42,000 each, 30,159 units are low medium cost units priced at RM72,500 each and 62,341 units are affordable housing units priced at RM270,000 each.

As part of the state’s homeownership campaign, which was extended until June 2022, Jagdeep said a 10 per cent discount is given for all housing units across the board.

“Under the buyer oriented initiative, the ceiling price for affordable housing units in Penang have been reduced to RM270,000 per unit on the island and RM180,000 on the mainland for units measuring a minimum of 850 sq feet,” he said.

He said this policy will be ongoing to encourage homebuyers to buy their first homes at affordable prices.

“As an incentive to developers to build more affordable housing units, the state has approved the guideline for developers to build 120 units per acre of low medium-cost housing on the island,” he said.

He said the long waiting list for low-cost and low medium-cost housing meant that there is a need to optimise land use especially on the island.

He said this meant that the state now allows developers to increase the density for low and medium-cost projects to a plot ratio of up to four, which is double of what they could originally build.

Source: MalayMail.com

Without the controversial Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project, the fishing community in the southern tip of the island will remain as they are.

Contrary to a recent statement, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the project would in fact improve the socio-economic situation of the fishermen.

Chow reiterated that through the PSR, now referred to as the Penang South Islands (PSI) project, Penang would create new land for industrial, commercial and residential development as well as create thousands of jobs.

He added that their children would benefit from education, training and job opportunities.

“Without the PSR, the fishermen will just remain as they are. Penang will lose the chance to develop and create jobs for its citizens and the future generation.

“As such, the Penang government hopes the people, including the deputy minister, can understand why PSR is important to Penang,” he said today.

Last Thursday, Che Abdullah Mat Nawi described the project as a “disaster to Penang fishermen” and claimed that it would destroy the national fisheries sector.

His response came a day after Chow’s, who said the Penang government would proceed with the PSR.

Chow again reiterated that Penang does not have to choose between the PSR and safeguarding the fishermen and food security.

He stressed that the state could do both because fishermen would still be able to fish when the reclamation begins.

He said the PSR’s construction would only start with one island, and the development will take about 20 years.

“During that period, fishermen will still have unobstructed access to the sea. Therefore, we disagree with the deputy minister that PSR will be a disaster to fishermen.

“Another initiative under the PSR project is a 250m wide navigation channel that will provide fishermen 24-hour access to the sea, regardless of the tide. Presently, the fishermen must wait for high tide to go to sea.

“The state government will ensure mitigation measures will be implemented according to the 72 conditions stated in the project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report by the Department of Environment (DoE). Ecology offset programmes that include mangrove planting, deployment of artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices, releases of fish and prawn fry, research funds and others will also be implemented.

“These measures will ensure the reclamation proceeds in a controlled manner to prevent pollution. The offset programmes will help create new habitats for marine life and boost fish stock, which contribute towards the sustainability of the fisheries sector,” he added.

Chow said, as mentioned before, fish landing in south Penang island only contributed four per cent to the whole state’s fish production in 2015, according to data from the Fisheries Department.

In the national context, fish landing from this area only made up about 0.2 per cent.

“We would also like to stress here that the area that contributed four per cent fish landing was not limited to only the PSR site. The whole fishing area for coastal fishermen in south Penang island is much larger and farther from the earmarked reclamation site. This means the fishermen will still have a wide area for their fishing activities.

“The state government does not intend to belittle the contributions of fishermen from the south Penang island fishermen units. They all contribute to the fisheries sector and the economy as well as provide food for the people.

“We appreciate the fishermen community and we want them to also progress together with the PSR. Therefore, we are implementing the SIMP to ensure fishermen from the Permatang Tepi Laut, Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar, Gertak Sanggul, Batu Maung, Sri Jerjak, Teluk Tempoyak, Pulau Betong and Kuala Sungai Burung units benefit from the project.

“We have said many times that the SIMP offers fishermen in south Penang island ex-gratia payments; aid in form of boats and engines; and four new fishermen jetties in Permatang Tepi Laut, Sungai Batu, Teluk Kumbar and Gertak Sanggul. It also offers business and job opportunities; training, free tuition, scholarships, and education opportunities for young fishermen and their children; housing initiatives; and others,” he said.

With all these measures, Chow noted, the state government could ensure development and environmental preservation, as well as safeguarding the welfare of all fishermen.

“We should not be forced to make only one choice,” he reiterated.

Individual customers and businesses whose income has been affected, including from the middle 40% (M40) and top 20% (T20) income groups, are eligible to apply for financing repayment assistance, said the Association of Islamic Banking and Financial Institutions Malaysia (AIBIM).

AIBIM president Datuk Adissadikin Ali said the qualification is in line with the presentation of the movement control order (MCO) 3.0 PEMERKASA+ assistance announced by the government early this month.

He said AIBIM member banks had devised a simple verification process and documentation requirements to make it easier for customers to obtain repayment assistance for this financing.

“Individual or business customers, other than the categories mentioned above, facing financial difficulties due to the pandemic or MCO can contact the respective banks for assistance relating to the appropriate rescheduling and restructuring of repayments,” he said in a statement today.

Adissadikin said approval is automatic for applicants who lost their jobs in 2020 or 2021 and still had no work while opting for assistance.

The assistance provided is a three-month deferral of financing repayment or a 50% reduction in financing repayment for six months, he said.

He said the six-month financing repayment reduction assistance according to the amount of income reduction is offered to applicants who are still working but had experienced a reduction in total income.

Source: EdgeProp.my

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A commercial development by by Tah Wah Group at Bukit Mertajam. It is strategically located along Jalan Song Ban Kheng, adjacent to Taman Bukit Kecil. This development features a 28-storey commercial tower with 216 units of business suites. The project is now completed with CCC obtained!
(Photos taken last week of May 2021)

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