LANGKAWI: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said the government would prepare a plan so that residents at the Bukit Malut squatter settlement here would be placed in proper housing.
He said the plan would not only give better comfort to the settlers but would also resolve other social problems that cropped up due to the environment there.
“We know that they are not local residents, they came from other places and had no house, so they built their own houses. These squatter houses are not nice, we will set up a plan to place them in better homes.
“The Deputy Prime Minister had also issued a statement, we will follow up by having a plan to organise them so that they will stay in more proper housing,” he said.
Dr Mahathir, who is also the MP for Langkawi, disclosed this to reporters after attending a Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House for the Langkawi Parliamentary Constituency at the Sports Complex of the Langkawi Development Authority (Lada).
Also present were his wife, Tun Dr Siti Hasmah Mohamad Ali, Ayer Hangat State Assemblyman Juhari Bulat and Kuah Assemblyman Mohd Firdaus Ahmad.
At the event, Dr Mahathir also gave out Hari Raya cash contributions to recipients including the imam, bilal and children.
About 10,000 residents from around Langkawi attended the event.
When asked whether the plan would also resolve the social problems reported at the Bukit Malut area, Dr Mahathir expressed confidence that the problem could also be resolved.
“Of course, if we can correct the housing problems, we can also resolve the social problems,” he said.
When asked to comment on the government’s proposal to take foreign workers from Africa to cater to the requirement for foreign workers in the plantation sector, Dr Mahathir said the matter was still at the proposal stage.
“I am of the opinion that there are many people in Malaysia but the Malaysians do not want to work, so we give everything to the others. On the proposal, we have not made any option, it was merely a suggestion,” he added. - Bernama
