Penang cabinet member Jagdeep Singh Deo expressed “absolute shock” that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak has promised guaranteed financing to purchasers of Projek Rumah 1Malaysia (PR1MA) affordable housing units.

“This is obviously another empty promise of our forgettable PM.

“I wish to remind him of his promise to build 9,999 affordable housing units in Penang just before the 13th general election,” Jagdeep said in a press conference today.

“Apart fron his said promise, we have been repeatedly deafened by further promises of PR1MA units being builf in Penang, especially by PR1MA chief Mutalib Lias and Federal Action Council chairperson Zainal Abidin Osman,” he added.

“However to date, not even a single unit of PR1MA affordable housing has been build in Penang,” he quipped.

An advertorial in The Star  on Oct 26 had stated that 11, 664 units on the island (2,100 in Bukit Gelugor and 9,564 in Balik Pulau) will be build and application for purchase of the homes are open to the public, said Jagdeep.

Yet, the Penang Municipal Council has yet to receive any application for planning to build the alleged affordable units, he added.

Jagdeep ( right ) also said no respond was forthcoming despite the challenge to state opposition leader Jahara Hamid to provide the much-needed information on the said PR1MA housing schemes.

He added that he has written numerous letters to the relevant authorities since late last year about the PR1MA housing plans, but no response was forthcoming.

“When I raised the issue of PR1MA and the absolute failure of the federal government to provide the information to Penang, Jahara had no choice but to admit that if such housing did not come to Penang then it would be a big blow to BN in the state,” he said.

Jagdeep said he has challenged Jahara at the recent Penang legislative assembly meeting to respond in writing to the state's numerous requests for information as to the federal government’s actual intentions to build such affordable housing.

He added that the state wants to know the actual location, number of units and timeline to built the units.

“But by the end of the state assembly peoceedings, Jahara and the BN has failed to respond to our requests; it is clear that  she must now admit that Penangites, whether Malays, Chinese or Indians have been dealt not only a big but a major and severe blow, where PR1MA affordable housing is concerned,” he said.

“Why is it so difficult to correspond with the Penang government?” he queried.

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