SEBERANG JAYA — 177 households in Kg Manis in Perai will receive free “Madani Residences” affordable homes to be built on the land they have been squatting on for five decades, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said.
The homes will be part of a mixed-used development project undertaken by joint venture firm Rivanis Ventures Sdn Bhd formed by two developments, Aspen Vision Development Sdn Bhd (Aspen) and Kerjaya Prospek Group Berhad (Kerjaya Prospek).
Rivanis Ventures was awarded the mixed-used development project by the Railway Assets Corporation (RAC) which owns the 14.5 ha land where the squatters are. RAC is an agency under the Transport Ministry.
Loke, who witnessed the signing ceremony was between RAC, Aspen and Kerjaya Prosper here today, said the 30-storey apartment project would have 338 units, with 177 of them to be allocated to the villagers. The market price of each unit is around RM400,000.
To be completed in three years’ time, and Loke said the ministry is targeting for keys to be handed to the villagers “before the next general elections”.
“We do not want this (handover) to be a mere empty promise. Promises must be kept and we must deliver to the villagers,” said Loke in his speech at the agreement signing ceremony at the Light Hotel here, today.
The redevelopment of the land and housing for the squatters has been a key issue in Penang.
Loke at a press conference later assured the squatters that they would get to stay in their present dwellings until the completion of the apartment project.
He said subsequent phases of the project will see more homes to be built, with commercial and mixed development projects on the site, with an overall gross development value of RM1.5 billion.
Around 300 families in Kampung Manis, whose ancestors worked at a nearby sugar factory, have been living on RAC land for five decades, even though there have been several attempts to remove them in past years, which gained media attention.
The squatter issue was a hot issue in last year’s Penang state elections as well as the 2022 general elections, with Pakatan Harapan candidates – notably Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and DAP’s candidate for the Perai seat, Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo – promising to create better housing for the squatters.
Chow and Sundarajoo were elected as Batu Kawan MP and Perai assemblyman, respectively. – November 11, 2024