Air Itam residents relieved Najib announced housing project

GEORGE TOWN, May 2 – The announcement by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak on an affordable housing project in Air Itam here brought much relief to thousands of residents in the area.

This is because it is difficult to find affordable houses following the development of luxury residence around the area.

Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for Bukit Bendera parliamentary seat, Teh Leong Meng said more than 50,000 people who flooded the gathering with the Prime Minister at the compound of the Federal Reserve Unit camp in Jalan Padang Tembak two days ago, cheered as soon as Najib announced the federal government was going to develop the area by building an affordable housing project.

“The government’s effort to upgrade the structure and plan for the flats also proved the prime Minister’s sincerity to provide a comfortable home for the people. This is in view of the difficulty to own houses due to the price of houses here spiralling out of reach of the lower income group,” he said.

The Prime Minister, in his visit to the area, announced 9,999 low-medium cost houses and affordable houses in three areas in the state to give Penang residents better living standards.

The areas identified for the housing project are Air Putih, Air Itam and Paya Terubong where the residents are facing housing problems.

Teh said, the low-medium cost and affordable houses had bigger built-up area with three rooms for greater comfort.

BN Tanjong Bunga state constituency candidate Chia Kwan Chye, who also attended the event, said the federal government’s effort would be a cornerstone to resolve the problems of affordable and low-medium housing following the failure of the state government under the DAP leadership in bringing changes in the last five years.

“In the last five years, there were no affordable houses built by the DAP government and it has become a major problem to the people. However the effort of the federal government will definitely benefit every citizen especially in Bukit Bendera and it proved the BN government is concerned about the needs of the people,” he said. – Bernama

(Source: The Malaysian Insider)