KOTA KINABALU: The State Government hoped to help reduce the oversupply of high-rise properties, especially those above RM600,000, through the Sabah-Malaysia My Second Home (SM2H).
Deputy Chief Minister II, Cum Local Government, and Housing Minister Datuk Seri Dr Joachim Gunsalam said his ministry fully understands that the housing industry is currently sluggish but in the recovery phase, as seen through the launch of new projects.
I am speaking to officiate the launch of the Sabah Housing and Real Estate Developers Association (SHAREDA) Property Expo (PropEX) 2024, themed ‘The Art of Building’ at the Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC) here on Friday.
Dr. Joachim said his ministry has always been very sensitive to market demands, especially the rakyat.
“Our top priority is providing a home for people in the B40 and M40 categories, which have long been a pressure point in the country.
“They make up a large portion of the economy, and my ministry is doing all we can to support them,” he said, adding that the state government is grateful that SHAREDA will be spearheading the affordable housing development, especially for the B40 and M40.
He was pleased that despite the continuous increase in the cost of construction for developers, SHAREDA has done well to balance the increasing construction costs and provide better housing options for the general public.
“Not only will the T20 be able to afford homes, but the M40 and B40 are also areas of focus among the development scene in this current market.”
Dr. Joachim said his ministry will be coming up with an entirely new model of public housing called Programme Residensi Rakyat (PRR), in line with the announcement made by the Federal Local Government and Housing Minister in March.
He said that under this model, the housing for the rakyat will be well integrated, sustainable, and liveable, accommodating quality commercial viability, containing green spaces, a community centre, and other features.
Through the highs and the lows of the economy, real estate development has maintained itself as a pillar of fortitude and strength.
“Despite rising prices of construction materials, despite rising costs of labor, and despite rising costs of living, SHAREDA has continued to innovate and provide the general community with ever-changing options for their investment and home-ownership journeys.
“With the uptick in tourism activity, I cannot wait to see what the real estate development scene has prepared for the tourist market, whether short- or long-term,” he said.
Dr. Joachim said the Ministry also hopes Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) will adopt a law similar to the Uniform Building By-Laws (UBBL) 2022 Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) to expedite building approval and certification.
He said this should overall help the industry and push it forward.
“During my visit to the 25 local authorities (PBT) throughout Sabah in February, it was found that all of them have adopted the UBBL 2022 Certificate of Completion and Compliance, which gives the professionals or Principal Submitting Person (PSP) the power to issue CCC.
“This will replace the Occupation Certificate (OC) previously issued by local authorities.
“Very soon, we hope DBKK will adopt a similar law to expedite building approval and certification.”
Congratulating SHAREDA for another successful year of hosting PropEX and having upheld the standards of the real estate industry throughout these 46 years of service, Dr. Joachim hopes the association will continue to push the industry forward, leading it to greater heights.
“Every year, PropEX has very proactive themes that assist the industry moving forward and address current difficulties the industry is facing,” he said.
Also present were Assistant Minister of Local Government and Housing I, Datuk Isnin Aliasnih; Politocal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Datuk Roland Chia; SHAREDA President, Datuk Surveyor Chua Soon Ping; Permanent Secretary and his deputy of Ministry of Local Government and Housing, Sabah, Datuk Jamili Nais and Stanley Chong; Director, Lands & Surveys Department, Datuk Surveyor Bernard Liew Chau Min; Organising Chairman, PROPEX 2024, Datuk Matthew Tan Yaw Tzuu; and Executive Officer, Penampang District Council, Robert Malangking.
