The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) will introduce a new housing policy in September that would benefit the lower income group in Sabah and Sarawak.

Its minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said a comprehensive study would be carried out as soon as possible so that the minimum price of low-cost houses could be standardised for those in the lower income (B40) group in both states. This was because the salaries they earned was much lower compared to their counterpart in the peninsular.

"We will hold a meeting with the Sarawak chief minister and the state local housing minister to discuss the matter so that affordable housing prices can be standardised.

"If the minimum price is fixed, then developers cannot raise the price of such houses on their own accord,” she said at the handover ceremony of the Samarahan People’s Housing Project in Kuching today.

Zuraida said that under the new policy, the house area specifications should be at least 92.9 square metres (1,000 square feet).

"In addition to house size, the ministry also wants developers who work on housing projects to provide adequate facilities such as surau, kindergartens and playgrounds to accommodate the capacity of the residents in the housing estate.

"That is one of the things we will detail in the housing policy which is to be announced later," she said.

- Bernama