Selangor Menteri Besar Mohamed Azmin Ali said he would welcome a debate on the state's affordable housing issues, if it is based on facts.

Responding to a question on Umno Youth's challenge reported by Berita Harian yesterday, the PKR deputy president said, “I welcome the debate, but it must be based on facts so the rakyat can be illuminated on the issue that is being raised.”

“We welcome this healthy practice (of debates), but the debate must be conducted with knowledge, not emotions,” he was reported by Sinar Harian as telling reporters at the Selangor Book Festival 2018 yesterday.

He said if a debate is to be based on emotions, it would not bring any benefit to the rakyat.

The challenge was raised by Umno Youth's housing bureau chief Nazir Hussin Aktar Hussin, following the state's cancellation of nine SelangorKu housing projects involving some 2,000 units of affordable housing.

Whan asked by the media if he intends to accept the debate challenge, Azmin was reported saying it would depend on the individual making it.

“It's not a question of accepting or now, but I first have to examine who is making the challenge, and the issue that is being raised,” Sinar Harian quoted him as saying.

Getting tough with developers

Last month, Selangor exco in charge of housing Iskandar Abdul Samad explained the revocation of the projects was due to the respective developers having failed to obtain a planning approval within two years.

The PAS exco said this was in contrast to the previous BN government, which allegedly had approved 4,638 low-cost houses in two local municipalities which were never built.

The exco added the nine withdrawn projects formed only a small percentage of the total.

"A total of 179 projects (100,533 units) have received planning approval and 29 projects (20,627 units) are under construction, while 17 projects (3,620) have already been completed and have been occupied since 2014," Iskandar said.