gross development value of RM350
million are being planned by Syarikat
Perumahan Nasional Berhad (SPNB)
for Sabah. And all in all, SPNB plans
to build 2,812 affordable homes
from its land banks in the State.
They are Apartment Tuaran Impian
involving 832 units in Tuaran,
Wirawan Kimanis (1,036 units)
in Papar and Vista Leila Idaman
involving 944 units in Sandakan.
However, out of the three
developments SPNB plans to
expand its land bank in Kimanis
to bank on the spillover from the
Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT).
It also plans to build a mixed
development in Kimanis, but the
project wil only commence once
local demand picks up, while the
Vista Leila Idaman in Sandakan
will be a State Government-SPNB
venture.
SPNB to date has undertaken
seven out of eight affordable home
projects in Sabah and now has two
on-going projects in Tawau and
Lahad Datu. For Tawau in Taman
Apas Permai, the second phase
would be completed by the second
quarter of 2014 and expects to
hand over the house keys to buyers
by mid-2014.
State Local Government and
Housing Assistant Minister Datuk
Zakaria Idris complimented SPNB’s
effort in providing affordable homes
to the younger middle and low
income generation who are faced
with various challenges especially
the rising costs of items.
Low Cost Homes No Longer Being
Built
The government’s announcement
of RM30,000 subsidy for low cost
houses costing RM70,000 will not
fully benefit Sabah where houses
at such prices are no longer in
existence.
Sabah Housing and Real Estate
Developers Association (SHAREDA)
President Francis Goh said
traditionally, low cost houses
were built by the Sabah Housing
and Town Development Authority
(SHTDA). However, low cost houses
were no longer being built in Sabah
since the construction cost had
gone up higher than the selling price
due to rising land and construction
material price.
“In view of the expensive land,
material and labour which is about
30% higher than in Peninsula
Malaysia, all members of SHAREDA
and most government housing
agencies are only able to supply
affordable homes at the range of
RM150,000 to RM250,000 in Sabah,”
he said.
“SHAREDA was of the opinion that
even though the government has
announced a high subsidy for
people to purchase home but it
will still not able to solve the root
problem of owning affordable
houses in the country,” he said.
Goh said SHAREDA fully supports
the National Housing Council’s
(NHC) noble effort in trying to assist
the lower income group to own
home under the MyHome scheme
but it would be better if it was
extended to those in the medium
income bracket as well.
Taking into consideration the
obstacles including tight conditions
set by commercial banks that often
confronted home purchasers from
the lower income group, he said
SHAREDA proposed to the NHC to
give the subsidy in the form of 10%
deposit but only for first time house
buyers.
“Providing the subsidy in the form
of the 10% deposit will solve the
problem of many purchasers from
the lower income group in sealing
the sales and purchase agreement
due to difficulty in securing the 10%
deposit. The subsidy could be paid
to the housing developers account
once the buyers have secured bank
loans for the 90% payment,” he said.
Loans for First Time Buyers
SHAREDA also proposed for a
policy to make it mandatory for all
www.PropertyHunter.com.my
45