PENANG has futuristic plans for new projects on reclaimed land and a costly public transport plan but the state’s low-income citizens just want the authorities to improve living conditions and safety at their public housing projects.

Fatimah Zaharah Abdul Rahman moved into low-cost flats 10 years ago after the death of her husband, the family’s sole breadwinner.

Left to raise five children, she opted to find cheaper housing to stretch her finances and moved into the Taman Manggis Projek Perumahan Rakyat (PPR, or people’s housing project) in George Town.

“I chose to live here because of the low rental, at only RM124 a month. I resolved to restart life without my husband in this PPR flat.

“But I am not happy with the rundown conditions. The lift, for example, is always breaking down even though it is repaired many times,” she told The Malaysian Insight.

Fatimah, 54, who remarried three years ago, said residents have to use the stairs to walk up the 17-storey building – a daunting challenge for the old and physically disabled.

With 320 units, the Taman Manggis PPR is like a housing estate crammed into one giant concrete block, she said.

“It is so dense and there isn’t even an area designated as an assembly point for residents in case of emergencies.

“The playground cannot even accommodate all the children who live in this block.”

A visit by the Malaysian Insight to the Taman Manggis PPR noted the run-down playground and safety hazards.

“Once while I was sitting in this playground, I almost got hit by a rubbish bag thrown by a resident from the flat,” Fatimah said.

The compound is taken up by cars belonging to the residents, while the motorcycle parking area overflows with bikes to the point that some are parked at the playground, by the staircase and around the lift.

Earlier this month, the federal Housing and Local Government Ministry allocated RM17.8 million to Penang for the repair and maintenance of 44 low-cost housing projects in the state.

State Housing Exco Jagdeep Singh Deo said the state last year applied for RM100 million for the repair and maintenance of 137 projects.

However, only RM15.26 million was given for 39 projects, including PPR projects in Sebarang Perai.

The federal ministry also allocated RM2.497 million for the repair of lifts in five housing areas on the island and RM133,500 to one project in Seberang Prai.

On the mainland, Salmah Jaafar, chairman of the Haji Mohd Amin residents’ association in Pematang Pauh, said the parking area in their housing area needs to be improved.

“The parking area needs lights. The dark areas allow crimes and immoral activities to take place there.

“The hall, too, needs to be spruced up for us to hold community activities. The roof is leaking and we have not organised any activity there because it’s so rundown and unsafe,” Salmah said.

In the meantime, chairman of the Penang Welfare Surplus Association Sophian Mohd Zain said the funds allocated by the federal government for PPR repairs would be useless if the state takes no concrete steps to improve the quality of life for residents in low-cost housing projects.

“PPR residents need changes to their living conditions to help them shed the image and mentality as second-class citizens.

“The government needs to have a personal development programme to improve the quality life in these flats,” he said.

Often, despite repairs or improvements, facilities would be vandalised again, Sophian said.

“This happens because of the residents’ attitudes and lack of civic mindedness.”

But it’s a chicken-and-egg situation, as the lack of care shown by the authorities towards the PPR projects in turn breeds feelings of neglect in residents and apathy towards their surroundings.

“I also think a government officer needs to be placed in these flats and low-cost housing projects to monitor what’s going and on, and also act as a liaison between the residents and the government,” Sophian said. – January 19, 2020.