SANDAKAN: The ban on Rumah Mesra Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) on water should be reviewed to ensure the assistance can reach the target group, said Datuk Masiung Banah.
The Parti Gagasan Rakyat Sabah (Gagasan Rakyat) Vice President said the SMJ Secretariat should determine that the proposed location is not at risk of natural disasters.
He said this after officiating the Gagasan Rakyat Sekong annual general meeting at the Sandakan Community Hall, Friday, after officiating the meeting in Karamunting.
“The resolutions of both meetings are the same, that is for the State Government to review the policy so that SMJ houses can be built on water sites.
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“But the area is safe from waves and high tides because the traditional houses there are protected by the nearby plains and islands,” he explained.
According to him, it has been a tradition for most residents in Sekong and Karamunting to build houses on brackish water without cases of natural disasters.
Masiung who is also the Chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Board (LPPB), urged the Sabah Rural Development Ministry (KLPB) to review the policy.
As an example, he said, government buildings or houses on water have become a tradition in Sabah such as Tuaran, Menumbok, Tawau and Gaya Island villages in Kota Kinabalu which are equipped with school buildings, mosques and government buildings.
“Many recipients of SMJ housing assistance do not own land in the plains. The only lot they have is near the water,” he said.
The Kuamut assemblyman said that as a result, many construction of SMJ houses in the state have been delayed because of the policy.
Last Saturday, Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor announced that the construction of SMJ friendly houses will be increased to 40 in each constituency in 2025 compared to the 20 before.
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