PENANG It was a chaotic scene resembling a market place near caretaker Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's service centre in Air Putih when thousands from the constituency turned up to grab the 1Malaysia Development Berhad affordable housing scheme forms.

They were seen jostling and scrambling for a copy of the form and an unidentified man was seen ushering them to a nearby backlane where the forms were being distributed.

Despite an announcement that the forms would be handed out only at 3pm, a crowd was seen gathering outside an unnamed premise in Jalan Air Itam as early as 9am yesterday.

Rela officers were seen keeping the crowd from turning unruly.

The forms were said to be given out to apply for affordable housing which caretaker Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak had announced during his visit to Penang on Tuesday.

He had announced that residents from Air Itam, Air Putih and Paya Terubong would each receive an affordable home in replacement of their current low-cost homes, the Padang Tembak flats.

It was done in a hush-hush manner amidst tight security when members of the press were denied entry to interview the person giving out the forms on the second floor of the premises.

Many from the crowd told The Malay Mail they were not there to collect the forms but to get a cash handout of RM500.

"I don't care about whatever forms, I just want the RM500 as promised!" said one of them.

The organiser of the event remained a mystery at press time.

- The Malay Mail