Penang government mulls measures against abusers of affordable housing scheme

GEORGE TOWN (Oct 7): The Penang government is still awaiting a final opinion from its legal advisor's office pertaining to measures to be taken against those who abused the affordable housing system, Bernama reported today.

Penang Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo (pictured) said the state authorities are very strict in their selection process for affordable houses.

He said applicants must be a first-time homebuyer and not have owned any property, and there is also a moratorium for the subsequent sale of the home — the owner can only sell the unit 10 years after the purchase.

"In regard to the abuse of the system, I have requested the state legal advisor's office to furnish me with a legal opinion as to our legal rights and powers," Bernama reported him as saying to reporters here today.

Jagdeep was responding to the issue raised by Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) vice-president Datuk Huan Cheng Guan yesterday that there were low medium cost house owners found renting out their units while some of the residents living there owned luxury vehicles.

Jagdeep also called on members of the public who are aware of such abuse to make complaints to the local authority, Bernama reported.

He said his office had written to the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry on the issue but had yet to receive a response from the ministry.

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