AFFORDABLE housing plans must not be in isolated areas, said Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.

The PKR vice-president said she had requested for suitable land for affordable housing plans, but the state government has yet to give her ministry the list.

“I have talked to the state government to list out suitable land for new housing, but until now, they have not prepared the list of land suitable for development.

“The land must be suitable. We do not want land that is isolated. The land should be near available transportation and facilities to reduce the people’s burden.” the Ampang MP said after a cooking competition organised by PH in Jelai.

She said the current government did not do as the previous BN federal government did, choosing locations for affordable housing that burdened residents with extra transportation costs.

“Affordable housing built in interior areas burdened the people because it increased the cost of sending their children to schools.

“Land for affordable housing will be provided by the state government, but the locations cannot increase the people’s costs of living,” she said.

She said the new government’s policy of federalism meant it would not neglect opposition-run state governments anymore.

“This is unlike BN’s old mechanism, which made payments through the Implementation Coordination Unit and not through local governments.

“We practice federalism. It is our responsibility, regardless of whether the state is ruled by the opposition or PH,” she said. – January 24, 2019.