Kubang Gajah will turn into a new development area in Perlis

KANGAR: Kampung Kubang Gajah near here will turn into a new development area in Perlis when the state's largest inter-housing development project gets underway on over 54 hectares of abandoned padi field.

A total of 1,508 units of houses and shop lots will be developed by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd (SPNB) in collaboration with Perlis Holding Sdn Bhd under the affordable home programme.

Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Md Isa Sabu, who launched the ground-breaking ceremony of the RM180 million project here on Tuesday, March 1, also expressed confidence the project would be accepted by the public as it would offer affordable homes and shop lots at a price of between RM42,000 and RM218,000 each.

He said the project, which would be implemented in four phases, was expected to be completely ready in six years.

Meanwhile, SPNB managing director Prof Datuk Dr Kamarul Rashdan Salleh said the first phase would involve the construction of 572 unit of houses, comprising low-cost, linked and semi detached houses as well as shop lots at a cost of RM60 million.

He said the project was supposed to be implemented in 2006, but several problems, including in land acquisitions, had put it on hold for over four years.

Kamarul Rashdan said under the programme, SPNB, which was established in 1997, had built 35,000 affordable homes for the people nationwide.

He said SPNB had also built 15,109 houses nationwide under its "Rumah Mesra Rakyat" programme for the underprivileged so far.

In Perlis alone, a total of 286 houses have been built under the programme, while the construction of 39 others are ongoing, he added. — Bernama