PEOPLE'S RESIDENCY PROGRAMME USES GATED COMMUNITY CONCEPT

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 26 (Bernama) -- The People's Residency Programme (PRR) which will be launched next year will use the concept of gated community housing to improve the management of public strata housing.

Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said residents of the housing scheme will be given access cards that can be used at the building's entrance gates and lifts.

"If they pay (the maintenance fee) they will be able to access (enter), if they refuse to pay, then I am sorry.

"This is to ensure that everyone works together as a community that can live in peace, tranquility and respect," he said during the Minister's Question Time session at Dewan Rakyat today.

He was responding to a supplementary question by Mohd Hasnizan Harun (PN-Hulu Selangor) on methods to solve the endless problem of low-cost strata housing, including infrastructure damage.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, when tabling the 2025 Budget, announced that almost RM900 million has been allocated to implement 48 PRR and 14 Rumah Mesra Rakyat projects.

A total of 30 PRR projects are expected to be completed by the end of 2025, which will benefit almost 17,500 new residents.

Meanwhile, Nga said the government agreed that a study and amendment to the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) be implemented to review existing legal provisions taking into account current scenarios and needs.

He said that among the matters that would be examined included the role and empowerment of Joint Management (JMB) and Management Corporation (MC) as well as aspects of overlapping provisions of existing strata laws with other related acts.

Regarding the empowerment of the Commissioner of Buildings (COB), Nga said that among the proposals being considered is the centralisation of the COB under a department or agency at the federal level for efficient monitoring purposes, but still subject to federal and state legislations.

He was responding to the original question by Suhaizan Kaiat (PH-Pulai) regarding efforts to empower the COB and PBT to become effective bodies given that there are too many housing management problems, especially low-cost flats, such as infrastructure damage.

-- BERNAMA