Offers of cheap homes

KUALA LUMPUR: Beginning today, about 7,000 public housing tenants in the federal capital will receive offer letters under the People's Housing Programme of the National Economic Action Council and Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur Public Housing.

Federal Territories and Urban Well-being Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin said the offer letters would be sent by the DBKL Housing Department to their homes.

He said those who received offer letters would be given a month to reply if they took up the offer to buy the houses as the purchasing process would take between three and six months.

“We will not force them to accept the offer letter,” he told reporters after opening the Federal Territory 2011 Excellent Students Awards here yesterday.

The financing scheme was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Jan 28 to assist the lower-income group currently renting units of People Public Housing and DBKL public housing to obtain loans to buy the units they are already residing in.

According to Raja Nong Chik, the 7,000 involved were the first group of tenants under the first phase of the loan from the Employees Provident Fund totalling RM300mil.

Earlier, he presented the Federal Territory Caring Scheme payment of RM2,500 each to the first 20 recipients.

At the ceremony, he also presented certificates of appreciation and cash to 320 excellent students of Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR), Penilaian Menengah Rendah (PMR), Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) and Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia (STPM) in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Federal Territory Foundation executive director Datuk Mohd Idris Mohd Isa said all the students were selected by the Federal Territory Education Depart-ment, community leaders and schools.

He said for Labuan Federal Territory, 54 excellent students in PMR and SPM would receive similar incentives today.

He said about RM600,000 had been allocated for the programme this year. - Bernama