Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring access to affordable housing through continued support for the Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) programme by Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB).
Kapayan Assemblywoman Jannie Lasimbang said initiatives like RMR are vital in helping low-income families who already own land but cannot afford to build a home on their own.
“These houses are worth RM85,000, but with SPNB’s RM20,000 subsidy, families only need to repay around RM300 a month. That makes it very affordable, especially for young families,” she said during a press conference after officiating the RMR 2025 handover ceremony at Kg Kapayan here, on Monday.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});This of the programme saw ten recipients from across Penampang, which are five receiving house keys and five others issued offer letters for homes scheduled to be built later this year.
“All ten recipients today are young people. Many of them dream of owning a house, but land and housing prices in places like Kapayan are extremely high.
“One family told me they wouldn’t have been able to afford building a home on their own. You could see how happy they were and we were happy for them too,” Jannie said.
Jannie noted that most recipients were building on inherited family land, which eased land acquisition costs but not construction.
She said the State Government continues to prioritise housing, infrastructure and social well-being through its annual budget planning.
“Housing remains a major concern, especially with older, unsafe homes still found in urban areas. That’s why programmes like RMR are necessary.
“We don’t just make policies. We deliver them where they matter,” she said.
She also encouraged landowners to apply for the RMR scheme, citing the long waiting lists under federal programmes such as PPR.
“If you have land and some savings, apply through SPNB. It’s a real opportunity,” she said.
Currently, more than 2,568 RMR units have been built in Sabah, contributing to a national total of 71,847 units delivered under the programme.
“This isn’t just about building houses. It’s about building better lives for our people,” she said.