Body Calls for Review in Sarawak Housing Policy
mitigation programme
for this city and Kota
Samarahan.
“According to the
ministry, an estimated
cost of RM584mil is
needed for Phase
Two covering Sungai
Kuap, Batu Kitang, Jalan
Kuching-Serian and Kota
Samarahan. I reminded
that in 2008, the Prime
Minister allocated a
special funding of RM1bil
to Sarawak for projects
deemed important to
its development and
these projects must be
completed in two years.
“Much of the funds were
not used as planned,” he
said.
Kuching, Sarawak, Photo by: www.facebook.
comstuartrango
A call has made for the
state government to
review its policies on
housing for fear that the
younger generation will
not be able to own a
home of their own given
the escalating property
prices.
The state DAP Socialist
Youth Sarawak (DAPSY)
chairman Wong King
Wei said a recent media
report on rising house
prices in the state
showed that it was now
a matter of policies
rather than global market
influence.
“Part of the reasons is
the rise in land cost and
higher conversion of
premium paid to the Land
and Survey Department,
like for conversion of
agriculture land to mixed
zone,” he said.
On land cost alone,
Wong said Sarawak had
the lowest density in
Malaysia consisting of
only 17 to 20 persons per
square kilometre, unlike
in Selangor which had
1,000 persons per square
kilometre.
As such, he said with
the state’s vast area,
the government could
allocate land for housing
development easily
instead of alienating it
to benefit only a certain
group of companies.
Wong suggested that
the state government
could do a joint venture
in which it would provide
the land space while the
private companies would
build the houses.
In a separate issue,
Stampin MP Julian Tan
called for an upgrade on
the drainage systems in
Kampung Stampin Baru
and Jalan Stakan here.
Having brought up the
matter in Parliament,
he was unsatisfied with
the answer given by
the respective ministry
that it was awaiting
additional money to begin
Phase Two of the flood
As such, Tan said the
remaining amount should
go to upgrading the
drainage systems.
“We have seen many
delays and this should
not happen. Residents
are not asking for a
major upgrade. Like in
Kampung Stampin Baru,
all they want is for the dirt
drains