Kota MADANI development gives civil servants greater housing access

The Sun

3 days ago

PUTRAJAYA: The Kota MADANI initiative in Precinct 19, the development of a smart city that is friendly to the people and the environment, has been welcomed by various levels of society, especially those serving in the federal government's administrative centre.
What's more, the initiative has also been appreciated by civil servants from the Indian community who moved from rural areas to Putrajaya and experienced difficulty in obtaining rented housing in a short period of time.
Putrajaya Indian Civil Servants Association (IMAIYAM) chairman Dr Sathiskumar K. Muthusamy said most Indian civil servants have stated that they often face problems obtaining housing, at exorbitant costs for house or room rental.
'As they are not able to find quarters, they are forced to rent outside at expensive rates. Some also complain that they are often victims of social problems when trying to obtain rented accommodation.
'(So) This government move is very timely and we (IMAIYAM) really appreciate it. It is not just providing a place to live but also giving hope to many civil servants to live comfortably and peacefully under one roof in Kota MADANI,' he told Bernama when contacted today.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Thursday (June 26) officiated the Kota MADANI development project worth RM4 billion in Precinct 19, which will be developed by Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd (PjH) through a public-private partnership model based on the concept of build, lease, maintain and transfer (BLMT), without involving government allocations at the initial stage.
Kota MADANI will have 10,000 units of high-intensity residential quarters capable of accommodating more than 30,000 residents, vertical schools and various public facilities.
Assistant Director of the Research and Program Planning Division of the Community Communication Department K. Yuvarany said the development of the quarters was highly anticipated as she is also facing expensive rent even for one room in Cyberjaya.
'My room rent is RM550, and the parking rental rate is RM70 per month. The cost of transportation to and from Putrajaya and sometimes there are outside assignments, and the cost of food could reach more than RM1,400 including other expenses,' she said.
Yuvarany who applied for government quarters in Putrajaya in November 2024 is now placed on the waiting list and hopes that her application will be accepted as soon as possible.
'However, I admit the waiting list is quite long. When I applied, the waiting list was over 4,000 but so far the number of applicants who have passed the waiting list has only reached over 3,000 this year. If this running number is quite slow, I think it will be inconvenient for individuals who really need quarters or those who are facing financial problems.
'Maybe the process needs to be expedited by contacting the applicants themselves and questioning them on their quarters needs so that they don't have to wait long,' she said.
Meanwhile, Muhammad Aliff Asyraf Ab Aziz, who is working at the Ministry of Communications, said the construction of the new quarters is seen as an added value for officers in Putrajaya.
'I once applied for quarters in Kuala Lumpur when I was working there before but failed. Now I have my own residence but not everyone is lucky enough to have their own home, especially since the cost of living is increasing,' he said.
Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa yesterday reported that the Kota MADANI development project is expected to provide cost of living savings of up to RM1,000 per month for civil servants.
She said that through the project, civil servants can live in the quarters provided at a minimum cost, with a deduction of housing allowance and cost of living allowance (COLA) which is only around RM400 per month.
The actual need for quarters in Putrajaya is 35,000 units but only 22,000 units have been available for over 20 years and that number has not increased. There are now 17,000 applications on the waiting list.