Govt should allocate land near MRT stations for affordable homes: Rehda

PETALING JAYA: The government should consider allocating 50% of the land near Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) stations for affordable homes, the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association Malaysia (Rehda) said.
Its president, Datuk Seri F. D. Iskandar F. D. Mansor said more affordable houses could be built in the vicinity of MRT stations by private developers if they were instructed to do so.
He said ironically, when an open tender for a housing project either above or next to the MRT station was called, the highest qualified bidder would be selected.
"Imagine, if the land already fetches close to RM1,500 psf, there is no way to build affordable houses near the MRT.
"The government, be it the federal or state, cannot ask for a fully optimise or fully monetised value.
"They have to instruct 50% of the land to be built with affordable houses and willing to take lower value (for the land)," he said at the Rehda Institute's Post-Budget 2017 Commentary Session here today.
Iskandar was moderating a session titled "Budget 2017: Impact on Affordable Homeownership & First Home Buyers".
Meanwhile, Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia chief operating officer Datuk Aminuddin Abdul Manaf said the corporation had so far identified eight locations near MRT stations or lines for the 1Malaysia People's Housing Programme (PR1MA).
"It took us a long time to get the lands, which include areas such as Desa Pandan, Pandan Indah, Cempaka, Titiwangsa, Sentul, and Kinrara.
"We are working on it and hopefully, we can announce something next year," Aminuddin, who spoke as panellist at the session, said. — Bernama