I refer to the Malaysiakini report Headline gores YB into vigorous denial mode .

I am currently a Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya councilor and also President of the Persatuan Masyarakat Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan (Permas). For the past 25 years or so my organisation and me have been working closely with the urban poor especially on the issue of housing for the poor.

Currently I am in also the moderator of a special task force on urban pioneers (squatters) and housing under Selangor exco Iskandar Abdul Samad in charge of squatters, housing and building maintenance.

Firstly, the whole idea of low-cost housing is to benefit those who cannot afford to own their own homes namely the squatters, long house dwellers or even new villagers (when they are relocated to make way for redevelopment).

If there are still about 1,000 people who are technically defined as squatters in Penang, these families will have to somehow find permanent and adequate housing if they are to be relocated.

The need for adequate and permanent housing is not only a problem of ‘squatters’ but for the general lower-income population and especially the unemployed. Lately in Kuala Lumpur, the homeless people comprise the elderly, either abandoned by their families or those who may not have family or back-up systems.

Actually these communities are labeled ‘squatters’ only when ‘urban development’ had encroached upon their doorstep. These communities were probably established at the fringe of the towns years before. However, as the towns grew and required more land for commercial enterprises and public facilities such as highways, drainage systems and so forth, the people were then labelled as squatters, earmarked for eviction, and looked upon as a ‘menace’ to society.

That is why among progressive social movements, the politically correct terminology for these communities are ‘urban settlers’ and not ‘squatters’.

Since Aug 15, 1982, the government had announced that 30% of all private housing projects had to be allocated for the construction of low-cost houses. This was seen as a social obligation by the developers to complement the efforts of the government to provide affordable housing for all through cross-subsidising the cost of building low-cost units from the sale of higher cost units.

The government helped developers by giving tax breaks, fee reductions and sometimes even provided government land. However, the process of designing, construction, location and allocation were totally controlled by the local government officials and the private developers without any participation from the people.

Most low-cost units built over the last 10-15 years are at least between 600sq to 650 square feet. Anything above 700sq feet probably falls into the medium low or medium-cost range already. In Kuala Lumpur, units with 650sq feet space are currently sold at RM35,000 - RM42,000 per unit.

Most high rise, low-cost flats tend to become slums due to poor living conditions and weak infrastructural support. mainly due to several factors. Firstly, the role of the developer who often construct low-cost houses grudgingly because they do not derive income from these projects. As such they end up cutting costs and using low quality materials and doing a shoddy job.

Before long, these units become dilapidated as the occupants may not have the means to upgrade or do repairs, especially those who are renting and not owners. Of course, not discounting the fact that the residents themselves are also responsible parties in this issue.

Then the role of the government. The infrastructure being poor is partly the responsibility of the local government or council who in the first place should have ensured that even though these are residential areas for the lower income group, they also have to be functional, well-facilitated and have the basic amenities such as meeting halls, kindergartens, playgrounds, proper access roads, streetlights, and especially a well-organised public bus system running on regular and frequent schedules.

This trend of neglect was already happening for more than 20 years since the BN years in local governance. The Pakatan Rakyat government, in fact, has been actively trying to undo the ‘sins of the past’.

For instance in Selangor, the exco portfolio for squatter, housing and building maintenance has already initiated several actions although in piloting stages such as system of residents to serve as local watch groups in exchange for waiving their maintenances fees payments; state government repairing and upgrading the lift facilities in the flats; government facilitating and assisting the poor residents to obtain loans for house purchasing; general repairing and doing up dilapidated flats such as Lembah Subang, etc.

Perhaps one proactive and effective approach towards improving the living conditions and environment of these ‘slums’ can be as follows:

1. Try getting the companies involved - if the local government cannot afford to do it by themselves. Maximise on the companies' often-mouthed slogans of ‘corporate social responsibility’ to make them commit to urban redevelopment and improvement for depressed communities of low-cost flats and housing.

2. Another way is to push for ownership instead of renting among the poor families unless they are really the hardcore poor. The government can help by securing bank loans, etc, because a home-owner tends to be more careful about his property and living environment compared to one who is just a mere renter, a transition who may not care too much about his immediate living environment.

3. Community education and other collective initiatives such as starting residents' committees, associations to foster a sense of community caring for their homes, neighbours and surroundings are starting points towards change of attitudes, values, habits and social behaviours. All these are not overnight ventures but require time and a process.

Pantai Jerejak assemblyperson Sim Tze Tsin was not wrong in calling for the idea of ‘affordable homes with livable environments’. I commend him for speaking up for housing for the poor. For this to happen, both the state and federal governments must have political will, the housing developers must be held accountable and made to comply to their responsibilities, and finally the residents themselves have to be cooperative (pay up their rental, keep the place clean and secure, etc).