By Nancy Nais
KUCHING, June 13: Sarawakians especially first-time house buyers have been advised to take advantage of the State government’s Housing Deposit Assistance Scheme (HDAS).
Deputy Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government Michael Tiang Ming Tee pointed that Sarawak is the first State in Malaysia to offer HDAS where first-time home owners under the B40 and M40 categories can receive assistance of up to RM10,000 for housing deposit payments which will be managed by Mutiara Mortgage & Credit Sdn Bhd.
This scheme will be applicable to affordable housing projects sanctioned by the Sarawak government such as the Samariang Avenue Sri Pertiwi scheme developed by Hornbill Networks Consortium Sdn Bhd.
“I hope that the B40 and M40 group will take this opportunity to own their own homes and help to ease their burden financially especially during this uncertain times of the Covid-19 pandemic and even the Russia-Ukraine war that has caused material and labour costs to rise worldwide.
“Thus this great initiative by Hornbill Networks Consortium and the Sarawak government through the ministry in taking the right direction and is a timely intervention to ensure that the B40 and M40 groups get to own their own homes,” Tiang said at the ceremony to hand over approval letters to Sri Pertiwi Samariang Avenue home buyers today.
Tiang also hoped that will be more affordable housing projects launched in the near future by local developers to cater to the B40 and M40 groups.
In Malaysia, affordable housing schemes offered the federal government are Perumahan Rakyat Malaysia (PRIMA), Perumahan Penjawat Amam Malaysia (PPAM), and Program Perumahan Rakyat (PPR) while the Sarawak government offers Skim Rumah Spektra, Skim Rumah Spektra Permata (RSP) and Sri Pertiwi project scheme.
Tiang asserts that such schemes offering either low or medium cost housing solutions or financing is one way to ease the burden of target groups by ensuring that all levels of society are able to own their own homes.
Also present at the event today were Hornbill Networks Consortium managing director Hanizam Hashim and the ministry’s head of research and planning unit Konsil Genam, who was representing its permanent secretary Datu Antonio Kahti Galis. — DayakDaily
