PARLIAMENT Thirty-three permanent new houses for victims of the 2014 floods have been completed while 309 more are under construction.

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Shahidan Kassim said 1,412 permanent units would be built by the federal government while 573 more, by the state governments.

“The overall count of households reported to have lost their homes during the floods was 2,094 but after the final verification, only 1,985 units of new permanent houses will be built,” he told the Dewan Rakyat in Kuala Lumpur today.

He was responding to Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub (BN-Machang) who had asked about the number of houses being built by the federal government for the flood victims.

To a supplementary question from Siti Zailah Mohd Yusoff (PAS-Rantau Panjang) on the delay of the project, Shahidan said it was due to the land acquisition process.

Nevertheless, he said, the hindrance had been overcome and the federal government with the cooperation of the state governments would ensure that construction of the units was expedited.

- Bernama