KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the policies adopted by the unity government will not overlook the interests of the poor in the country.
Citing the groundbreaking ceremony of Residensi Suria Madani in Taman Desa here yesterday, the Prime Minister said it is a project that provides benefits and comfort to the underprivileged group living in the city.
"Kuala Lumpur City Hall approved it within 45 days … a record since before independence until now, as approval usually takes between eight months to a year and two months.
"But if the company, for example, provides a solid geotechnical study, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and everything else, there is no reason why approval can't be given so quickly.
"I am grateful because, in a short time, we have shown more effective implementation.
We launched the Madani people's housing project costing RM200,000 and below (per unit) in Taman Desa, close to high-end residential areas," he said.
Anwar said this in his speech when performing the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (KIGIP) in Bagan Serai, Kerian, Perak.
According to Anwar, some residents wrote objections to him, saying that the housing project was unsuitable because the tall buildings might cause dirtiness and congestion.
In response to this concern, he said the luxury housing developed in the area was previously built on village land, and some of the land was purchased at a low price.
"So who will clean, who will fix the electricity, who will provide other facilities if not the lower-class workers? Where should they live? In remote areas? ... That's unreasonable.
"I do not heed such objections as long as the houses have three bedrooms, 800 square feet, good management and maintenance, green parks, playgrounds, and cleanliness is guaranteed. That is sufficient.
"Otherwise (if there is no public housing project), we would have a policy reminiscent of Charles Dickens' 'A Tale of Two Cities', where there is a beautiful city with a group of the poorest and a group of the super-rich."
As such, Anwar said the unity government must discard policies that undermine the importance of the poorer groups.
"I hope this serves as a lesson for all cities and towns," he said.