Johor seeks idle federal land for affordable housing
JOHOR is seeking use of 161ha of idle Federal Government land in Kempas, Johor Baru, to build more low-cost houses.
State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said an application highlighting Johor government's intended use for the plot was sent to Putrajaya earlier this year.
'About 2,000 affordable houses could be built on the land.
'We are only seeking a portion of the overall plot that belongs to the Health Ministry.
'It has been sitting in a prime location without development for more than a decade,' he told reporters at Dewanraya Bukit Indah public hall in Bukit Indah 2, Iskandar Puteri.
'If permission is granted, the state will find its own budget and collaborate with the relevant housing funds and developers for as long as it takes to build as many affordable houses as possible,' he added.
Mohd Jafni had earlier accompanied Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi who handed out Johor Affordable Housing (RMMJ) scheme certificates to home owners.
He said the state was also looking to upgrade unused or unoccupied federal agencies' quarters to turn into affordable housing for civil servants.
'There is a four-storey block of quarters in Kulai that suits this criteria.
'However, if Putrajaya does not have the budget to repair the building, the state government is willing to fork out the funds and then offer the units to the rakyat as part of the RMMJ scheme.
'With Johor undergoing rapid development and new hospitals opening soon, there are surely many civil servants like doctors and nurses who would want to own a house,' he said.
The state government earmarked RM200mil for RMMJ units in the Kempas plot as well as the upgrading of underutilised government quarters in Kulai, he added.
'Johor has taken its own initiative to develop more RMMJ units for the people and hopes for Putrajaya's support in the matter,' said Mohd Jafni.
Earlier during the event, Onn Hafiz said out-of-the-box solutions were needed to ensure home ownership.
The repurposing of unused federal land for the development of affordable houses was one such answer, he pointed out.
He said there was pressing need for RMMJ units as the state government received more than 85,000 applications so far.
'We are not just handing out empty promises as we have already completed 10 main RMMJ projects in various districts.
'We expect to see the completion of more RMMJ developments in Iskandar Puteri, Tebrau, Kulai, Pontian, Batu Pahat, Kluang and Segamat this year and next year,' he said.
Onn Hafiz added that millions of ringgit have been spent to repair and upgrade dilapidated homes statewide.
He promised that the state would deliver 100,000 RMMJ units by 2030.
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