The Local Government Development Minister, Nga Kor Ming, has compared the subsidy provided for a unit of the people’s housing programme (PPR) to an “angpow” or gift, for the rakyat. Nga explained that the cost of the house would range from RM250,000 to RM300,000, with a unit size of approximately 750 sqft, and it would be sold for RM40,000. He stated, “With the amount of subsidies given by the government, it’s like an ‘angpow’ which is a blessing under the ‘Rahmah’ spirit.” Nga made this remark in response to a question from Datuk Dr Alias Razak during the Dewan Rakyat session.
Datuk Dr Alias had asked Nga if there was a possibility to increase the size of the PPR units to accommodate larger households. In response, Nga explained that the current standard specifications have already been increased from the previous 500 sqft and that increasing the size further would incur additional costs.
In continuation of the discussion, Alias expressed concerns about limited space causing children from larger families to spend more time outdoors, which could potentially lead to social problems. Nga assured that the latest PPR projects would be constructed in a well-integrated concept and would include various facilities such as recreational areas, food courts, convenience stores, and even clinics.
During the presentation of the 2024 Budget, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who is also the Finance Minister, announced an allocation of RM2.47 billion to implement people’s housing projects (PPR) in the upcoming year. Anwar also revealed a special RM1 billion guarantee fund aimed at encouraging responsible developers to rebuild abandoned projects that have been identified.
