KUALA LUMPUR: The government has assured that genuinely eligible B40 households will not be affected by the ongoing People’s Housing Programme whitening exercise carried out by Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa said the MADANI government inherited a big challenge in ensuring that PPR facilities truly reach those who are in need.
She said that with rental rates as low as RM124 per month, PPR homes are among the government’s major subsidies to help B40 families live more comfortably in the capital city.
The whitening process aims to ensure fairness in the allocation process.
Zaliha stated she felt compelled to respond to the issue of PPR eviction notices that have caused public concern in recent days.
For those affected and wishing to appeal, they can do so within 30 days.
For tenants facing rental arrears, DBKL is ready to negotiate installment rates and schedules.
Tenants only need to pledge to comply with the agreed schedule so that they can continue to stay in the PPR homes under the agreed-upon terms.
Zaliha shared this information in a Facebook post today.
DBKL has set clear eligibility conditions for tenants, including being a married Malaysian citizen couple.
Tenants must have a household income not exceeding RM3,000 for low-cost and RM4,000 for medium-cost units.
Tenants must also not own any property or land within 35 kilometres of the city centre.
Additional requirements include holding the status of widow, widower, or single parent.
Applicants must be living or working in Kuala Lumpur and be registered with DBKL.
The whitening process conducted by DBKL is to enforce these conditions.
Tenants were notified six months before the end of their lease, which is a standard review procedure carried out each time a rental contract expires.
Out of the 3,379 tenants reviewed, 3,031 tenants or 89.7 per cent remain eligible and can continue renting.
Some 348 tenants or 10.3 per cent failed to have their leases renewed due to violations.
Violations included high rental arrears and household income exceeding eligibility limits.
Other violations involved owning property within 35 km of Kuala Lumpur and non-citizen status of spouses.
Some tenants were found not residing in the PPR unit.
Current arrears for PPR and DBKL public housing have reached up to RM70 million.
This long-standing issue must be boldly addressed to ensure public housing initiatives are fair.
The government wants to ensure these initiatives truly assist those in need.
Vacant units resulting from the whitening exercise will be reassigned to applicants with the greatest need. - Bernama
