GEORGE TOWN: Some 300 residents, who are resettled at Tanjung Tokong Phase 4A, here, will move into their new homes soon.
The homes are given free by UDA Holdings Berhad (UDA), an agency under the Entrepreneur Development And Co-operatives Ministry (MEDAC).
Pangsapuri Warisan Tanjung Phase 4A, which began construction on Dec 27, 2014, is part of UDA's corporate social responsibility initiative in urban development and resettlement of the Bumiputera community in Tanjung Tokong.
MEDAC Minister Datuk Seri Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar said the relocation process should be expedited so that residents can move into more comfortable and safer homes, more so during this pandemic.
"The houses these residents are staying in (now) are in poor shape. As such, they should be moved to their new homes soon.
"In a recent Cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had urged that the moving process be hastened during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period to ensure the people's well-being is given topmost priority at such challenging times," he said.
Wan Junaidi said the resettlement project of the people of Tanjung Tokong, spearheaded by UDA since 1972, was seen as a proud effort in helping the people there, particularly the Bumiputera's in Tanjung Tokong, to own proper houses.
"This is especially so in the urban area where property prices are very steep. The steep prices make it difficult for the Bumiputera community to own houses.
"As such, I would like to congratulate UDA for their efforts," he added.
Each unit in the Pangsapuri Warisan Tanjung Phase 4A is worth about RM400,000.
It was previously reported that Pangsapuri Warisan was built on 3.24 hectares of land consisting of 10 blocks with 550 units ranging from 800 to 850 sqft.
The units are for the resettlement of the original community from the Tanjung Tokong area.
The residents have been staying at a transit housing for the past seven years in Jalan Desiran Tanjung while waiting for their new homes to be completed.
Meanwhile, UDA chairman Datuk Seri Jalaluddin Alias said UDA is in the process of handing over the keys to the residents involved.
"This initiative is timely at the time of the Covid-19 pandemic in helping the residents to move into more conducive and comfortable homes.
"Before this, the residents were also staying in temporary homes provided by UDA. The neighbourhood is more packed compared to their new homes.
"The government hopes that this initiative would lessen the burden the residents are facing during these challenging times," he added.