Some tenants of Tg Aru flats said no to relocation offers, Sabah assembly told

The Star

a day ago

KOTA KINABALU: Renters of the Tanjung Aru low-cost flats have been advised to search for alternative housing if they reject relocation offers or are not eligible for further People's Housing Project (PPR) units.
Sabah Local Government and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said that after the eviction notices were served, relocation offers were given to 237 of the 315 tenants there.
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He said 58 households were not offered PPR homes because they did not meet the terms and conditions, while 20 others already own homes under their names.
He added that 113 of the 237 offered PPR homes had accepted them.
The remaining 124 households rejected the offers as they felt that they would be too far from workplaces, children's schools, or hospitals, Gunsalam told Datuk Junz Wong (Warisan-Tanjung Aru) during question time in the state assembly here on Monday (July 7).
'For those who reject the offers, and those who are not eligible to dwell in PPR homes, we suggest that they find alternative homes,' he said.
ALSO READ: Tanjung Aru low-cost flat residents shocked over eviction announcement
Wong said 56 units of the dilapidated Tanjung Aru flats were still occupied, even without a proper water and electricity supply.
'I have sent multiple requests to the Land and Property Development Corporation (LPPB) to have a meeting to discuss and find a solution to this matter but have yet to receive any response,' he said.
Gunsalam said he was willing to meet up with Wong and LPPB representatives to discuss the matter.
On a supplementary question from Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin (BN-Lamag) as to whether the state would change the PPR policy of temporary rental to a "rent-to-own" mechanism, Gunsalam said it was a matter for the Federal Government.
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He said PPR homes were under Putrajaya's jurisdiction, but noted that the waiting list of applicants would get even longer if the rent-to-own mechanism were adopted.
Earlier, Bung Moktar said that Sabah properties have been listed as among the most expensive in the country.
The Tanjung Aru flats are on prime land and part of the proposed Tanjung Aru Eco Development Project, which incorporates various high-end facilities.
Originally given until the end of 2021 to move, some residents have stayed put while the state government deliberates on the redevelopment project's future.