The proposal to expand the 1Malaysia Maintenance Fund (TP 1Malaysia) to help in maintaining private stratified low cost units nationwide has been approved by the Cabinet Friday.

"An additional allocation of RM20 million a year was also approved to help and maintain private housings in towns nationwide under the town well-being element," said Federal Territory and Urban Wellbeing Minister Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin.

The initiative, he said would benefit residents in big towns such as Johor Baharu, Ipoh, Kuantan, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Raja Nong Chik said this to reporters after officiating the closing of a Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory Residents Association Seminar 2012 at the Johor Persada International Convention Centre.

On the formula that would be used to implement the aid, he said for low cost houses below RM42,000, 90 percent of the maintenance cost would be borne through TP 1Malaysia while 10 percent would be paid by resident associations or the management bodies.

    

For housing below RM80,000, 70 percent would be borne through TP 1Malaysia while the rest by resident associations or the management bodies.

In another development, Raja Nong Chik said the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory BN would co-operate with resident associations to ward off the distortions of the oppositions.

Raja Nong Chik, who is also Federal Territory Umno deputy Liaison Committee chairperson, said this was part of efforts to bring them back to support BN in the coming general election.

To date, he said, nine of 10 voters in the Kuala Lumpur city area supported the opposition and BN hoped to bring back at least 50 percent of the voters.

- Bernama