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National Housing Policy

February 10th, 2011
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I’m sure this news will be music to many peoples’ ears. Those in the RM2500-4000 bracket would find it difficult to purchase a house, especially a landed property in KL. A double storey terrace of decent size (20×70) would easily cost RM350k if located in some corner of Klang Valley. Those in high-value areas can reach RM650k.  Want to buy apartments, may be too small and mostly rented to college students, foreign worker etc. Not exactly conducive environment once expects a graduate in a city to live in.

I just hope that houses (be it landed or high-rise) be of suitable size with enough rooms. I’ll say 1200-1600 sqft with 3-4 rooms should be the minimum.

Next will be the quality of the materials used. Hopefully there will be proper monitoring and enforcement. That’s a big IF.

Finally, not only the house, but the surrounding infrastructure is important too. No point building houses that are affordable but located far from everything. There should be access to public transport, medical services, schools, business/commercial areas, green spaces and places of worship. There should be community halls, enough lifts (for highrise), enough car parks too.

Oh ya, yet another concern is the financing. Wonder how the terms would be. Maybe combined loan, longer tenure and lowest deposit (government to provide some sort of guarantee).

BTW, would there still be discounts for certain community? Or can we consider all of them need help equally?

As it is, this is a policy. We all know how thing turn out when implemented in due time. Hope this policy works out well.

The Najib administration launched the National Housing Policy (NHP) today, focusing on houses for sale or rental to those earning between RM2,500 and RM3,999 a month, or the middle-income group that is growing to be a major urban vote bank.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today that the policy would ensure that every income group would be able to afford to purchase homes through affordable public housing (APH).

He said the policy was a follow-up to the 10th Malaysia Plan, where the government has set a target to construct 78,000 units of affordable public homes throughout the country by 2015.

“At this moment, the two challenges concerning the housing sector are the preparation for affordable homes for all segments of society and the need for a safe and comfortable housing environment in line with the country’s socio-economic status.

“The government is now working on the distribution of affordable homes as well as to strengthen our efforts in providing high quality homes,” said Muhyiddin(picture) today.

The DPM said the NHP was needed to provide direction and basis for the planning and development of the housing sector by all relevant ministries, departments and agencies at the federal, state and local levels as well as the private sector.

The NHP will be under the purview of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government, which is headed by minister Datuk Wira Chor Chee Heung.

The three key objectives of the NHP are:

• To provide adequate and quality housing with comprehensive facilities and a conducive environment

• To enhance the capability and accessibility of people to own or rent houses

• Setting a future direction to ensure the sustainability of the housing sector.

Under the NHP, the government and private sector will provide affordable houses for sale and rental especially for the low-income group, and also for the disabled, senior citizens and single mothers.

The policy outlines the role of the private sector as it is encouraged to develop medium-cost houses for the middle-income group with a monthly household income of RM2,500 to RM3,999.

It is understood that the national policy will enhance the role of state governments and their agencies, as they will be given flexibility in determining the quota of low-cost houses to be built in mixed-development areas based on the sustainability of the location and local demand.

“We will be engaging the state governments, so that they will set a quota or a percentage for medium-cost houses to be built so that middle-income earners can also purchase houses,” said Chor today.

He said the NHP was not really “new” as policies on housing had existed prior to the creation of the policy.

“It’s just that it is more systematic and proper now, and it will be easier for reference,” he added.

The NHP also outlines ways in ensuring that the lower-income group can afford to purchase homes which include providing financial support for the group and setting a realistic rental rate for low-cost houses.

Prices will also be set for low-cost houses and its ownership and sale will be controlled to avoid speculation.

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Tax rebate for local Chinese and Tamil movies

February 4th, 2011
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I’m not sure if this news will be well received by the proponents of Malay language. Bahasa Malaysia is considered national language according to constitution, so according the other languages similar tax breaks will be angering these groups. However, if we are to accept the diversity of our country (as I always said, we can’t just shout about diversity and multi-cultural, but no doing much to cultivate it) then we can accept the suggestion to offer tax breaks to Chinese, Tamil, English and other language movies locally produced.

This step can help promote the local entertainment industry for Tamil and Chinese community. By having that extra cash, they can use it for more promotional activities or invest in better quality tools/actors/services to improve movie quality.

However, the current ruling which says the movie’s content must be 60% in BM is a problem if still maintained. The ruling need to be rescinded if the proposal is to be accepted.

Homegrown movie Ice Kacang Puppy Love and other Malaysian productions in Chinese and Tamil are expected to be given a 20% entertainment tax rebate following a request by Information, Commu-nications and Culture Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim to the Finance Ministry.

“The news is timely,” film director Tan Kheng Seong (pic), popularly known as Ah Niu, told the Daily Chilli, a news portal of The Star, yesterday.

However, he suggested that the rebate be given across the board – to all Malaysian-made films – instead of only to those with 60% dialogue in Malay as stipulated by National Film Development Corporation (Finas).

He also suggested that the rebate be backdated to 2010 instead of this year because there was a boom in the local movie industry last year.

A news portal had reported that the Cabinet had an in-depth discussion of the issue and Rais, who is responsible for the matter, had asked the Finance Ministry to allocate a refund for the film.

Ah Niu, interviewed on arrival home from Beijing, said: “The budding local Chinese film industry really needs the support of the Government in order to grow.”

Citing strong international interest in Malaysian-made Chinese films after the phenomenal success of Ice Kacang Puppy Love, the talented musician and filmmaker added: “Malaysia and Singapore can produce good Mandarin films. But our production costs are really high, partly because of the tax.

“If the Government can help us with tax relief, we stand a good chance of competing with Hong Kong and penetrating China’s market with more quality projects.”

Ice Kacang Puppy Love, which starred Ah Niu, Lee Sinje, Victor Wong, Gary Chaw and Fish Leong, raked in RM4mil at the box office last year.

But Ah Niu said he ended up paying RM800,000 in tax (20% entertainment tax) because his movie did not meet the current criteria for a tax rebate.

Echoing the sentiment, James Lee, who had a crossover success in the Malay and English markets with horror movies Histeria and Sini Ada Hantu said: “It’s a great idea. We need to support and protect our local films, be they in Malay, English, Chinese or Tamil.”

According to Minister Rais Yatim, the movies should have BM subtitles. Anyway, let’s see how the proposal is actually implemented. There may be some “small prints” that end up disqualifying most movies.

Malaysian-made movies in Mandarin, Cantonese or Tamil with Bahasa Malaysia subtitles are now recognised as local movies, Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Rais Yatim said today.

Citing an example, he said that ‘Ice Kacang Puppy Love’ (Cinta Ais Kacang), directed by Tan Kheng Seong or popularly known as Ah Niu, is already classified as a local movie.

“I have decided with our committee and I have informed the cabinet about this decision,” he said.

“Therefore, if the movies make money at the box office, they will be given the entertainment tax rebate,” he told reporters in Shah Alam.

It was reported earlier that the locally-produced Chinese movie, ‘Ice Kacang Puppy Love,’ which raked in RM4milion, did not qualify for the 25 percent tax rebate as it had been classified as a foreign movie.

It was also reported that the movie did not comply with the provisions of Finas, the National Film Development Corporation, which stipulated that local movies must have at least 60 percent dialogue in Bahasa Malaysia to meet the conditions for rebate.

However, there were also reports that the movie could enjoy the rebate.

Asked when the Ministry would make the refund, Rais said: “I think we can make an announcement (on that) in March.”

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RM30k for Sri Subramaniar Temple Teluk Datuk

January 24th, 2011
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Good news for Teluk Datuk folks. However I’m not sure whose money it is. MCA, the president, or the federal government.

The Teluk Datok Hindu community received a gift of RM30,000 from MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek for the construction of their new temple building.

“We must remember how lucky we are that our country’s laws embrace freedom of religion,” Dr Chua said at the Sri Subramaniar temple on Wednesday.

He said that 1Malaysia was not a political slogan but embraces the fact that Malaysians comprise different races and religions.

“It is only when we have inclusive policies that take into account all races can we be called 1Malaysia,” he said.

Dr Chua urged Malaysians not take to take the country’s racial unity for granted.

“Every citizen has the responsibility to maintain peace with mutual respect and understanding for those of different cultures and sensitivities,” said Chua at the Thaipusam Musical Night organised by the temple committee.

It was held to raise funds for the new building.

Temple chairman P. Alagamali said in his speech that construction had begun in 2009.

“At the moment, it is almost half finished.

“We hope to be able to use it by the end of this year,” he said.

Also present was Kuala Langat MCA division chief Datuk Ei Kim Hock.

from The Star

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Perak Sikh organisations and temples receive RM340k

January 6th, 2011
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RM340000/38 = Rm8947 per organisation on average. Well, at least better than nothing.

THIRTY-EIGHT Gurdwara Sahibs (Sikh temples) and Sikh organisations in Perak have received a total of RM340,000 in grants from the state government in recognition of their services to society.

Perak executive councillor Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon presented the cheques to their representatives at a New Year’s Eve function held at the Gurdwara Sahib in Buntong, Ipoh.

Dr Mah said the state Barisan Nasional recognised the contributions by the Sikh community.

Despite the general perception that the Sikh community is well-off, producing well-known professionals such as doctors and lawyers, they still face many socio-economic issues like drug abuse, said Dr Mah.

“We must give them our support to overcome the problems,” he said.

Union of Perak Sikh Organisations vice-chairman Datuk Dr Sarjeet Singh, in thanking the state government, said it was the first time the community, as a separate entity, had received financial help from the state.

He urged the community to set aside any minor differences among themselves and serve the people well.

Sikh Single Mothers Association Ipoh was among the organisations which benefited from the state grant.

Its vice-chairman Pushpinder Kaur said the RM40,000 given to them would be of great help to the association.

She said the funds would be used to carry out programmes for single mothers.

“These single mothers meet three times a week at our premises in Bercham to provide rations and help one another,” she said.

– from The Star.

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1000 propaganda members for Kedah government?

August 7th, 2010
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RM300 x 1000 = 300,000! This is waste of money, if the allegations are true. If you do good, then no need propaganda machinery la..people on the ground will know.

The PAS-led Kedah government has reportedly hired a large group of people to handle its propaganda work, although most of its election promises remain unfulfilled, said MCA chief Dr Chua Soi Lek today.

Chua (left), who was in Alor Star to open the state MCA’s 33rd annual convention, said the Kedah government has appointed more than 1,000 individuals as special officers to man the state government’s propaganda machinery.

Chua added the officers, who were paid at least RM300 each, were tasked to disseminate the ‘good work’ of PAS and the Pakatan Rakyat state administration.

“Everywhere they go they will say that Pakatan is good but actually they were paid to say so,” revealed Chua at a press conference after the convention, which was attended by some 300 members.

Chua, who was a former health minister, said the Kedah government had promised to allow civil servants to take a loan without interest but this, too, remains an empty promise, with the excuse that it will burden the state’s financial situation.

‘No development’

Chua then castigated Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak for neglecting the state’s socio-economic development.

He said there was no development in the Malay Muslim-majority state, unlike in the past when BN under Umno was helming the state.

Even the Kulim Industrial Estate is not being promoted properly and there were limited numbers of jobs for the people, he alleged.

“There are too many empty promises in the election manifesto of the Pakatan Rakyat,” he stressed.

Meanwhile, Chua said the state has not attempted to resolve the issue of pig abattoirs which the administration had destroyed earlier to pave the way for development.

“They promised to rebuild it but have not done so until now,” he lamented.

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