Affordable homes: Only 'clean' developers get tenders

PUTRAJAYA: Only qualified developers with good track record will be awarded the tender to build affordable and low-cost housing projects, said Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.
He added that the government also will consider, among others, the developers' financial strength.
"There are various aspects that we look into, including the competitive bidding, and the developers' capability to successfully finish the project," he told reporters after launching the Pandanmas 2 residency Federal Territories affordable housing project.
He said that the government looks into all these factors to overcome the problem of high prices for houses.
Giving assurance that only competent developers will be appointed for government housing programmes, Tengku Adnan said this is to prevent errant developers from taking up the projects and not fulfilling the job and deadlines as stipulated.
Tengku Adnan also chided the opposition for questioning the selective approach taken by the government in awarding the tender.
"The opposition only wants to find fault in whatever the government does. We have to take the selective approach to ensure that the housing programmes are awarded to qualified, financially sound developers with clean record, who can successfully complete within the stipulated budget and time," he said.
He said the government is committed to building 80,000 affordable houses in the Federal Territories in five years, with 50,000 units in Kuala Lumpur, 20,000 in Putrajaya and 10,000 in Labuan.
For now, the ministry has approved 23.40% of the affordable housing project.
"We will also build 300 units of 800sq ft low-cost houses costing some RM42,000, especially for squatters and Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) personnel."
He said there are 1,300 DBKL personnel who cannot afford to buy a house.
He added that the ministry will also introduce a new housing scheme for fresh graduates and newly-weds for houses costing not more than RM 200,000.