I think the argument between Abdul Rahman Dahlan and Lim Guan Eng over the price of affordable housing is out of focus. I am not a politician, so maybe it is easier for me to put my views across on this issue more realistically.

First and foremost, it was true PR1MA has indicated the maximum price for affordable housing. Since PR1MA is a federal agency responsible for public housing, it is not wrong to say that the benchmark was set by the federal government.

So the first issue is why did the federal government come up with a universal price for the whole country when there are obvious regional differences? It shows laziness and simpleton answers to complex problems. It is stupid to set a universal price for the whole country and it is also stupid for the state governments to follow blindly.

Why should the Penang state government feel apologetic when it has failed to come up with houses costing RM400,000 and less? Penang Island, like certain parts of Klang Valley, is a very expensive place. If the Penang state government has failed to curb escalating land prices, the same conclusion too could be made against the Selangor state and federal governments over their failure to contain land prices in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley.

The oft-repeated argument was there are people with low income who need housing. Maybe this is where public housing come in. But even for public housing, the price set must be commensurate with the overall income and cost of living of a place. You can’t build low-cost houses in Bukit Damansara or Green Lane, can you?

Penang Island is a very different place when compared with Kota Belud or Kota Baru. A universal maximum price for the whole country is simply illogical and impractical. To put it crudely, I think one has no business to continue living in Penang Island if he or she is a low-income earner.

Public housing programmes provided must be realistic in terms of actual cost, size and quality. The subsidy elements should not too excessive. It will only lead to more substandard housing and more corruption among public officials and house buyers.

It is easy to point fingers and accuse others of politicking. But I think most Malaysians know who is politicising and providing excuses when they see one. We also know who is likely to punch above his weight - trying to be a smart aleck when he is just a mediocre guy.