KUCHING, March 12: Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Central Youth secretary-general Milton Foo opined Stampin MP Chong Chieng Jen is unable to differentiate between PR1MA housing and low cost housing schemes.
Foo said Chong, who is also Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs in a press conference on March 10, said that PR1MA was supposed to enable the poor to buy homes.
“With these quotes in the PC, Chong cannot differentiate between PR1MA housing and low cost housing,” said Foo.
Foo explained that low cost housing is truly meant for the poor which is categorized as B40 group but PR1MA housing is an affordable housing scheme which is designed for the middle class with monthly income of RM2,500 and above up to RM15,000 per month to apply as they are categorised as M40 group.
“This is not for the poor, the B40 group as mentioned or stressed by him during his press conference on March 10 and I want to correct him that PR1MA is not for the poor despite Chong mentioning the scheme was for the poor,” he told reporters at a press conference at SUPP headquarters yesterday.
“Chong also stated that PR1MA homes after Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng’s intervention has a 10 per cent discount for all house purchasers and on top of that now there is a 20 per cent rebate, which means altogether there is a total of 30 per cent discount on the sales price of the PR1MA homes, which he referred to in particular the Bintawa Riverview project.
“Are these rebates as announced by the Finance Minister also applicable to all PR1MA house buyers as the statement by Chong may cause confusion to those affected and to those existing buyers who had already signed their Sales and Purchase agreement?” he questioned.
Foo said that he is also surprised when Chong said that he (Chong) asked the buyers who had already signed the agreement with the developer and to those who wished to get rebates on the purchase price to seek the assistance of Pending assemblywoman Violet Yong.
Chong had said that Yong can help them (buyers) to liaise with and appeal to the ministry and the developer so the same rebate can be applied to them but there is no promise that it can be achieved.
Foo said there are two parts of Chong’s statement that are contradictory; firstly, Chong stated that after the Minister of Finance’s intervention the rebate applied to all buyers but in the latter part of his statement, he stated that buyers can seek help from Yong.
“Which part of Chong’s contradictory statement at his press conference is correct?” Foo questioned.
Foo also questioned why there was need to ask the affected buyers who wanted the rebate to look for Yong as logically, affected buyers would like to get the same rebate as well.
“Their purchasing data are all with PR1MA who is the developer and which is at the finger tips of the federal government agency. I therefore challenge Chong, that the current Pakatan Harapan (PH) government give the same rebate to all existing PR1MA buyers, be it retrospectively or prospectively in order to be fair to all buyers,” he said.
“Don’t play ‘wayang’ (drama) anymore and ask buyers to look for Yong if he (Chong) is sincere in helping out affected buyers. Does Chong know who is the developer here? Why the need to liaise with the developer as stressed several times by him in his PC while PR1MA is the developer?,” he added.
Foo said that PR1MA is under the purview of the Prime Minister’s Department and reporting to the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, and questioned if Chong knows that PR1MA is the developer, why does Chong need buyers to liaise withh the developer.
“He can talk to the prime minister directly and gets his approval for the rebates in order to apply them across the board for all buyers,” he said.
Foo said that Chong even pointed out that the PR1MA homes in the project mentioned earlier are overpriced by the previous government to benefit their cronies.
“Now I challenge Chong to tell the PH government to give rebates to all buyers across the board not only during the promotion period but normal sales period. If it is the true case of overpricing, then it should not be given during the promotional period. The rebate should bring down the price for all buyers including those who had already bought.
“Democratic Action Party (DAP) is now part of the federal government and Chong is trying to tell us now that DAP has no power and no say or no authority in regards to the rebate. Since Chong is in the government, why the need to appeal to the government and relevant ministry?” he asked.
Foo also challenged Chong as a deputy minister in the Federal Cabinet to show the documents and evidence to back up his allegation that Barisan Nasional (BN) cronies had reaped unreasonable huge profits from the housing initiative.
“Please lodge a report with Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with solid proof of such corrupt practices resulting in your so-called huge unreasonable profit arising from PR1MA housing scheme which he had accused as obviously overpriced by the previous government.”
Foo said Chong should not just talk but file a formal complaint with MACC.
“Chong is elected and chosen by the people to protect their interests and protect their rights through actions but not to give empty talk without any basis through his PC,” he said.
