M40 housing formula still being worked out; pilot project to cover Jepak, Kampung Nyalau in Bintulu

Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg (file photo)

By Shikin Louis

KUCHING, Oct 3: The Sarawak government is still working out the housing formula for its planned middle-income (M40) housing initiative, with a pilot project to cover Jepak and an area near Kampung Nyalau in Bintulu.

Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the government was currently calculating the appropriate house type and cost range to ensure the homes would be affordable to M40 households.

“We are now studying how we want to develop houses for the M40 because they also want houses.

“We are now calculating the type of house and also the cost, within what range, so that they can afford to buy the house,” he said during a press conference after the key handover ceremony for the Rumah Spektra Permata (RSP) Balingian project at Skim Pembesaran Kampung Balingian in Mukah today. An audio recording of his remarks was later shared with DayakDaily.

Abang Johari also explained that Bintulu had been chosen for the pilot project as the division faced housing challenges among M40 households, including those earning higher salaries at executive level but still needing suitable housing.

“The problem here is land. First, land values are very high. Secondly, we have to look for new areas because some places are already densely developed.

“But we will implement it in Bintulu first. One location is in Jepak, and the second is in a village near Samalaju, next to Kampung Nyalau,” he stated.

He also said the government would first assess whether the pilot could provide homes within an affordable range for the M40 before expanding the initiative elsewhere.

“If the pilot project can be implemented successfully within that range that is affordable to the M40, we will extend it to other places, particularly urban areas — Kuching, Bintulu, Miri and Sibu,” he said.

The M40 housing initiative was first announced by Abang Johari in February this year, when he said the Sarawak government was exploring homes priced between RM300,000 and RM550,000 for middle-income families who may not qualify for B40 affordable housing but still face difficulty accessing higher-priced homes.

At the time, Abang Johari identified Jepak in Bintulu as the first pilot site, with the concept expected to be expanded to other areas in Sarawak. — DayakDaily