Heated exchange over low-cost housing at Penang Legislative Assembly

QUESTIONS over how low-cost housing would be allocated to the public resulted in a heated exchange between a government Exco and an opposition backbencher.
Omar Abdul Hamid (BN – Permatang Berangan) asked what method the state government used to allocate such housing.
As an example, he supposed that the Penang Regional Development Authority (PERDA) surrendered 60 such units to the state.
"How is the state distributing these units? Is the state following procedures to give to those eligible or to others?," he questioned when debating the motion of thanks for the speech of the Penang Yang di-Pertua.
This prompted Penang Health, Rural and Regional Development Committee chairman Dr Afif Bahardin to interject.
"The government now is not like the previous government.
"We have 'reformasi'; the government today is not like that before," he told the legislature.
Both continued their loud exchanges for a few minutes while Deputy Speaker Datuk Maktar Shapee appealed for calm.
"Duduk", "duduk" (sit, sit) could be heard over the exchange between Afif and Omar as both held their ground.
Things eventually cooled down and Omar said Penang Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh should address the matter.