Penang govt to maintain eligibility for PPR to those earning below RM1500

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government does not agree to the move by the Urban Well-being, Local Government and Housing Ministry to allow those earning RM3,000 and below to rent People's Housing Units (PPR).
State housing, town and country planning committee chairman Jagdeep Singh (pix) questioned the rationale behind the move, pointing out such applicants were eligible to apply for low-cost (LC) housing units.
He added the state administration will maintain the PPR eligibility for those earning below RM1,500 to cater to those most in need of housing.
He said he did not see the logic in allowing those eligible for LC units to be able to rent PPR units as such units was for those who could not even afford LC units.
"How are we going to place applicants who can only rent in the same category as those who can buy?" he asked in a press conference today adding he will write to the ministry on the matter and distributed an Oct 12 letter from the ministry informing the state of the Cabinet decision.
Meanwhile, Penang health, agriculture and agro-based industries, rural and regional committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin defended the state's record on the growth of the fish farm industry.
He said Malaysian Fisheries Department figures showed the number of farmers increased to 309 in 2015, up from 191 in 2008 (when Pakatan came to power) while produce increased annually from 3,166.85 metric tonnes to 28,964.95 metric tonnes for the period.
He said the amount produced in 2015 was nine times higher compared to what the BN government achieved in 2006, their best year, where 3,039.24 metric tonnes was produced.