SEPANG: The Selangor government has denied claims that it provided temporary rental houses in remote areas to victims of the gas pipeline fire in Putra Heights in Selangor on April 1.
Selangor Housing and Culture exco Datuk Borhan Aman Shah said the temporary placements offered were based on vacant houses throughout the state, and that victims were free to choose a location that suited their needs.
Taking the example of the temporary rental houses offered at Pangsapuri Seri Suria in Kota Warisan here, he said 100 vacant units were provided for victims by the Selangor SMART Sewa scheme.
“We give them (victims) the advantage to choose (a house to rent)... it is up to the victims (to choose) which one is more comfortable.
“... but what we are offering is a (new) house and not a house that has been used or occupied but a new house,” he told reporters after handing over the keys to the temporary accommodation to two victims here today.
Previously, there were allegations that the Selangor Government was offering temporary houses to victims of the Putra Heights incident in remote areas and far from their homes.
On Monday, Borhan said the Selangor government was offering 100 units of temporary rental houses at a rate of RM850 per month at the Sri Suria Apartment here to victims of the gas pipeline fire incident in Putra Heights
Borhan said that so far, his party had received 75 applications for rental accommodation at Seri Suria Apartment and the relevant process was being carried out to enable eligible victims to live in the apartment.
“We look at those who need a house and do not yet own a house and (if) we find that they are eligible, we can consider them directly and they do not have to pay a deposit because this is a special case.
“There is also another process which we have to check with the district office because as I mentioned, we are afraid that we may have overlooked it or that someone may take advantage. We do not want any problems to arise later,“ he said.
The fire on April 1 resulted in 81 houses being destroyed with structural damage exceeding 40 per cent, 81 partially destroyed and 57 affected but not burned, while 218 houses were not affected, including in Kampung Tengah Puchong.
