Johor officials deny PM's claims of slow affordable housing development

Johor state officials have refuted claims by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim that affordable housing construction in the state is lagging. Datuk Mohd. Jafni Md. Shukor, chairman of the Johor Housing and Local Government Committee, stated that the state government, led by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, is committed to building 100,000 units of Johor Affordable Homes (RMMJ) by 2030.

Mohd. Jafni highlighted that from 2022 to the first quarter of this year, 12,412 RMMJ units have been completed and handed over to owners. An additional 8,000 units are expected to be completed by the end of the current year. He pointed to the Perumahan Iskandar Puteri Bangsa Johor (PIPBJ) project, which involves over 2,000 units with prices ranging from RM150,000 to RM300,000, as a significant ongoing development. This initiative aligns with the manifesto previously announced by Onn Hafiz.

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Why is Johor still slow in developing houses for the people? That's why I want to see changes in the state of Johor. We need to focus on the people below.

The Prime Minister had previously criticized the Barisan Nasional-led state government for its slow pace in developing affordable housing, particularly for low and middle-income groups. Anwar Ibrahim questioned Johor's sluggishness and urged for a focus on lower-income citizens.

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The state government led by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi is targeting the construction of 100,000 units of Johor Affordable Homes (RMMJ) by 2030.

In response, Mohd. Jafni extended an invitation to the Prime Minister to visit the affordable housing construction sites across Johor. He noted that the majority of buyers for these homes are young individuals under 40, who must be Johor voters. This requirement ensures they can support the state government's policies and benefit from its initiatives.

Mohd. Jafni emphasized the state government's commitment to fulfilling its manifesto pledge of building 100,000 RMMJ units by 2030. He also pointed out that the PIPBJ project, located within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) in the Iskandar Puteri city area, demonstrates the state's continued provision of subsidized landed properties starting at RM150,000.

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This shows we are still providing subsidized landed houses priced at RM150,000.