BY TANIA LAM & VOON YIH BOON
KUCHING: For this year, the Padawan Municipal Council (MPP) has successfully repaired 28 houses for the poor living within its area of jurisdiction under Phase 1/2020 of the House Repair for the Poor programme initiated by the Ministry of Housing and Local Government Malaysia (KPKT).
Another three houses have recently been approved by KPKT and are scheduled to be completed in October this year. For the total of 31 house repairs this year, the total allocation amounts to about RM465,000.
On Saturday, MPP chairman Lo Khere Chiang — representing Sarawak Minister of Local Government and Housing cum Batu Kawa assemblyman Datuk Seri Dr Sim Kui Hian — handed over one of the recently repaired houses to recipient Sandi Orak at Lorong Desa Wira 20D here.
Lo said that out of the total 31 houses MPP was repairing this year, four were located in the Batu Kawa area. Of the four in Batu Kawa, he said that three — including Sandi’s house — had been completed, leaving one more to go.
“For this house, the roof and windows have been repaired and the whole house has been painted. The repairs cost RM15,000,” said Lo during the handover.
At the same time, he commended the Sarawak House Repair for the Poor Programme (PPRMS) initiated by the state government led by Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Abang Johari Tun Openg to repair houses of the poor in Sarawak — with RM1 million allocated annually per constituency for this purpose.
“Under this (PPRMS) programme, within my constituency we have helped about 80 houses to date since 2017. As for KPKT’s House Repair for the Poor programme, we have repaired 114 houses for the poor from 2016 to 2020.
“I hope that both these meaningful federal and state house repair programmes will continue in order to help the poor and improve the living conditions of our people,” he said, adding that he believed with such initiatives, there would be no dilapidated houses in Sarawak in the coming years.
Lo also expressed his appreciation for MPP staff for implementing these house repair projects to help the poor under their jurisdiction, aside from their usual tasks and core business such as road and drain maintenance and so on.
“We are all out to help the poor in Sarawak irrespective of who they are,” he emphasised.
Also present at the handover were MPP deputy chairman Datuk Ahmad Ibrahim and other representatives and councillors from MPP.
Funding for the House Repair for the Poor programme is from KPKT whereas MPP is the implementer, with a maximum repair cost of RM15,000 per house. The target group for the programme is households in the B40 (low-income) group in the e-Kasih system.
This House Repair programme for the poor registered in e-Kasih shall continue in 2021. Application forms for those who meet the programme’s criteria can be obtained from MPP and more information can be obtained by contacting MPP’s Valuation and Rating Division at 082-615566.
