26 June 2015 - KUCHING: High prices of houses in Sarawak are due to demand outpacing supply, especially on the lower end of the market, according to the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (SHEDA).
The private sector group has been paying courtesy calls on state ministers and taking the opportunities to highlight low-cost supply issues.
Early this month, SHEDA representatives told Second Resource Planning and Environment Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan that many young working adults, who failed to qualify for public housing, had few affordable housing alternatives.
SHEDA president Joseph Wong of Kintown Development Sdn Bhd urged the state government to consider relaxing the outdated planning criteria to boost supply from the private sector. Among requests were reducing the current density control and adopting the "plot ratio" formula in the calculation of density for high-rise residential buildings.
In a media statement, SHEDA claimed if all the proposals were adopted, it was confident the private sector could build approximately 10,000 units with the new rules within five years.
"SHEDA will be undertaking an independent public survey in the near future to statiscally substantiate a market observation that a growing strata of society on Sarawak requires such affordable housing." the statement added.
Also present at that meeting were State Planning Council advisor Datuk Abang Kassing Abang Zawawi and Public Utilities Ministry's Electricity Inspectorate Unit director Syed Mohamad Fauzi Shahab.
SHEDA memebers paid a courtesy on state Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg this week.
"Led by Wong, SHEDA resolved to strengthen existing relationships between ministry and private sector. We addressed pertinent housing issues such as proposed implementation of levy in lieu of building low-cost houses and the revival of abandoned housing projects."
Wong said SHEDA's own proposals on affordable housing schemes were also discussed.
"SHEDA looks forward to continue working closely with MOH on the execution of the new regulations to safeguard the interests of its members and facilitate compliance."