Jagdeep : Selection of public housing very thorough & stringent

APPLICANTS for public housing units should lodge reports with the police or Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) if they claim there are irregularities in the selection process.
“We will not tolerate such practices of circumventing the selection process. We advise the people to lodge police report so that the suspects can be brought to court. There is no question of making any payment to secure a unit of public housing,” Housing and Town and Country Planning exco member Jagdeep Singh said at a press conference in Komtar on Aug 30.
Also present was ………. exco member Phee Boon Boh, Komtar assemblymember Teh Lai Heng and MPs Jeff Ooi (Jelutong) and Ramkarpal Singh (Bukit Gelugor).

Jagdeep also released a press statement on the stringent selection process adopted by the state government.

At the same time, Jagdeep also produced a copy of letter from his office to the state police chief on Aug 30 where he requested the police to provide the latest information related to three police reports made on Match 4 by three individuals who claimed that they had been cheated.
They alleged that a person claiming to be an officer representing the State Housing Department had asked for payments in order to obtain a unit at The Rise in SP Cheliah.

Photo : Jagdeep (left) with Phee and Ramkarpal at the press conference.

BOX THIS
Press Statement by Jagdeep Singh, Penang State exco for Housing and Town & Country Planning

I VIEW very seriously the insinuation made by Gerakan at its press conference on Aug 29 that there exist corrupt practices in the Penang Housing Department as a result of which several individuals have allegedly collected money from unsuspecting individuals who were promised low and low medium cost public housing.

Not only are such insinuations wholly baseless and scandalous in nature, but they amount to be highly defamatory of the Penang state government, in particular the Selection Process Enhancement Committee and government officials in the Penang Housing Department.

It should be noted that upon being appointed as executive councillor for Town and Country Planning and Housing, it was foremost in my mind that in order to uphold the Penang state government’s principles of Competence, Accountability and Transparency, where the Housing Department was concerned, the process of the selection of individuals by the state for such public housing needed to be strengthened so as to ensure only the needy and truly deserving were allowed to access such housing.

It should be noted that prior to my appointment, the selection was conducted by officers in the Penang State Housing department who determined eligibility based on the particulars of individual applicants through their applications submitted under Form PN1.

Having regard to the obvious need to strengthen the process of selection of applicants for such public housing, I had in August 2013, formed the Selection Process Enhancement Committee (SPEC), comprising eight elected representatives to oversee the entire selection process.
SPEC originally comprised myself as the chairman, YB Phee Boon Poh, YB Datuk Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, YB Dr. Afif Bahardin, YB Ong Chin Wen, YB Jeff Ooi, YB Ng Wei Aik, YB Sim Tze Tzin and was enlarged in January, 2016 to include YB Teh Lai Heng.

Apart from deliberating on matters with a view to enhance the determination by which an applicant can be considered eligible, the main duty tasked upon members of SPEC, which sat at least once a month, was to select from the pool of applicants those who were deemed most deserving and eligible for such public housing.

The eligibility criterion to be successful for such public housing have been reviewed by SPEC on two occasions and have been approved by the Penang state government, whereby currently the criterion are as follows:-

(i) a citizen of Malaysia;

(ii) aged 21 and above on the date of application;

(iii) born or residing in Penang;

(iv) a registered voter in Penang;

(v) working in Penang;

(vi) having a household monthly income not exceeding RM2,500 for affordable housing Type A sized not less than 650sq ft and priced at a maximum of RM42,000;

(vii) having a household monthly income not exceeding RM3,500 for affordable housing Type B sized not less than 700sq ft and priced at a maximum of RM72,500;

(viii) for affordable housing Type A and B above, applicants must not own any property in any states of Malaysia;

(ix) having a household monthly income not exceeding RM6,000 for affordable housing Type C1 priced at a maximum of RM150,000;

(x) having a household monthly income not exceeding RM8,000 for affordable housing Type C2 priced at a maximum of RM200,000;

(xi) having a household monthly income not exceeding RM10,000 for affordable housing Type C3 priced at a maximum of RM300,000

(xii) for affordable housing Type C1, C2 and C3 above, applicants who own one property priced below the price of category applied for (whereby the property was acquired after the year 2008) are eligible.

In fact, it was also decided by SPEC that the PN1 form which used to cost RM1 be given out free.
Hence, for an applicant to apply, not even one sen will be collected by the Penang state government.

Since August, 2013, SPEC has sat some 27 times and selected some 17,505 applicants for Affordable Housing Type A (Low Cost); 5,504 applicants for Affordable Housing Type B (Low Medium Cost); 2,112 applicants for Affordable Housing Type C1 (RM200,000); 6,981 applicants for Affordable Housing Type C2 (RM300,000) and 1,504 applicants for Affordable Housing Type C3 (RM400,000).

It should be noted that the State Housing Department’s list of applicants currently stands at 12,424 applicants for Affordable Housing Type A; 17,673 applicants for Affordable Housing Type B; 4,616 applicants for Affordable Housing Type C1 (RM200,000); 2,335 applicants for Affordable Housing Type C2 (RM300,000) and 1,205 applicants for Affordable Housing Type C3 (RM400,000), and SPEC will continue to sit on a regular basis to facilitate the selection process to ensure that only those who are truly deserving and eligible will be able to access such public housing.

As such, any insinuation that the system in place allows for payment of any monies by individuals to secure a unit is clearly misplaced and mischievous. Such allegations are a disservice to all those who have been waiting this long and are eligible for such housing. Such deserving eligible applicants must be constantly reminded their interests are being given paramount consideration not the opposite ie. being fed untruths such as payments of money can secure public housing!

Having regard to the press conference held by Gerakan on Aug 29 and their reference to the video-clip in which it was alleged that several individuals had paid certain monies to certain individuals in return for being given such public housing, I would advise those who have made such payment to lodge a police report, and I will personally communicate with the Chief Police Officer, Datuk Abdul Ghafar Rajab, to investigate thoroughly and expeditiously the said report so that those who have flouted the law may be brought to book.

It should also be noted that such incidents have occurred before, namely in March this year, whereby several individuals had made police reports in relation to the said incident. I have caused for a reminder to be written to the Penang Chief Police Officer, Datuk Abdul Ghafar Rajab to seek clarification on the status of the charges against those individuals.

I wish to reiterate that the process of selection of individuals for such public housing is a very thorough and stringent one. The question of making payment not even of one cent, to be ensured such public housing does not arise whatsoever. The public are advised to be cautious of individuals claiming they can circumvent this process, and if there are any queries whatsoever, they are advised to communicate with me directly, or any of my officers.
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