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Penang Pas rebukes govt's plan to bring in Singapore's HDB to solve housing woes

KUANTAN: Former Penang Island municipal councillor Iszuree Ibrahim yesterday questioned Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming's plan to "consult" Singapore's Housing & Development Board (HDB) in a move to build more affordable homes in Malaysia.

The Penang Pas secretary alleged that when he was part of Pakatan Rakyat's Penang government in 2008, the DAP-led government would every year seek advice from Singapore's People's Action Party to bring in the "divide-and-rule" strategy to Penang.

"After the 13th General Election (GE13), all Malay villages in Penang were gone and condominiums were built.

"Malays continued to disappear as their hometowns were gone and Muslims could only watch as condominiums were priced at RM400,000 and above, which they could not afford.

"Where there is a Malay village, a developer will come in. HDB has long been the development adviser in Batu Kawan SPS (Southern Seberang Perai).

"Now DAP's local government minister plans to invite Singapore's HDB to come in. What will happen to Malay reserve land?" he wrote on Facebook.

Meanwhile, he said one of the reasons he was sacked as councillor on Sept 26, 2014, was because he had raised concerns about the fate of heritage villages that had ceased to exist since DAP gained power in the 13th General Election.

"If this continues for another 10 to 20 years, Malay heritage villages on the outskirts of the country will become like Geylang Serai (Singapore) and Penang, especially the main towns.

"On the island side of Penang, SPS (southern Seberang Perai) and SPT (central Seberang Perai) are a wreck. The majority of Malays have fled and they have now become a minority."

He said DAP's target was to build a tunnel or third bridge from George Town to the Kepala Batas and Tasik Gelugor parliamentary constituencies in SPU (northern Seberang Prai).

"Now, SPU and SPT are under Perikatan Nasional's control so DAP is under threat. Youths must rise and learn from what had happened in Singapore and Penang.

"The only saviour (for the people) is the green wave in the 15th state election. It has to become a reality. The green wave has to bring down the PH-DAP government."

He was commenting on reports of Nga saying the Singaporean government had given its nod for HDB flat contractors to visit his ministry next month to share their knowledge on building affordable homes in Malaysia.

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