KPKT continues its commitment to enhance lives of PPR residents

Since its official launch in February 2019, Dasar Komuniti Negara (DKOMN or National Community Policy) has recorded an encouraging achievement in enhancing the living environment and quality of residents in Public Housing Projects (PPR).

DKOMN was formulated by The Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) and supported by EdgeProp Malaysia. As part of the National Housing Policy 2018-2025, the goal of DKOMN is to improve the living environment of the B40 group.

Click here to watch videos of the implementation of Sayangi Rumahku campaign at PPR Lembah Subang 1, PPR Seri Cempaka and PPR Seri Kedah

Click here to read more about Dasar Komuniti Negara 

The ministry has also successfully set up a Sekretariat Muafakat Komuniti office at 19 PPRs throughout the country as targeted 21 months ago.

These 19 offices have carried out some 176 community programmes such as infrastructure upgrading; cleaning works; safety; education and skill training; children, senior citizen, single parent and disabled person caring; entrepreneurship; social services; and sports and recreational programmes, with the programmes’ expenses and offices’ operation costs totalling RM112,000 and RM96,000 respectively.

KPKT has also worked together with 36 government agencies, 28 private agencies and corporations, 24 non-governmental organisations and six public and private universities to carry out a total of 136 community-empowering programmes, such as urban farming, corporate internship opportunity, recycling and upgrading of common facilities.

Sayangi Rumahku campaign

Together with Nippon Paint Malaysia and Paramount Property, EdgeProp Malaysia also kickstarted the Sayangi Rumahku campaign under DKOMN to refurbish the sports courts of three PPR projects – PPR Lembah Subang 1, PPR Seri Cempaka and PPR Seri Kedah in the Klang Valley.

This private sector initiative was completed in the third quarter this year and expected to benefit close to 16,000 residents living in 4,116 units in the three public housing schemes.

“We didn’t just put up the new paint on the sports courts but worked together with DBKL to relocate some trees so the residents can optimise the use of public spaces.

“After completing the project, we found that the project is meaningful to not only the young people but also touched the hearts of the old folks who are living in PPRs, because some of them volunteered to help with the painting process – they were excited to see the upgrade of their community,” said EdgeProp.my editor-in-chief and managing director Au Foong Yee.

Moving into 2021, Au stressed that EdgeProp Malaysia will continue to support DKOMN and contribute in improving the living environment of the B40 group.

The second phase

In the first annual meeting of DKOMN held virtually by KPKT on Nov 17, more than 30 representatives of the supporting parties were invited to share their experiences and suggestions for the second phase of DKOMN.

KPKT minister, who is also the chairperson of DKOMN, Zuraida Kamaruddin shared in the meeting that leadership among the PPR residents is important in achieving the purpose of DKOMN, which is to improve the standard of community living, especially for the B40 group.

“In the second phase of DKOMN, we have to look into the [leadership] capacity because without leadership, the place will not be organised and sustainable. KPKT hopes to look into [leadership-] capacity building among the middle-aged and young people, who are the ones who will take over and take care of the PPR homes in the future,” Zuraida noted.

She also hopes to gather and review all community empowering programmes which were supported and sponsored by government agencies and private sectors under DKOMN over the past one year.

“Together we have done so many things and carried out so many community programmes. I hope we can gather and review what we have done [in the past] to see how to reach out to more PPRs, and to decide what to zoom in on and prioritise in the future to raise the standard of living of the B40 group,” she said.

Besides building up the leadership capacity of young residents of PPRs, Zuraida also highlighted a few feedbacks and suggestions to look into in the short term, such as the internet and technology access, expansion of urban farming, as well as personal hygiene issues especially among the children and teenager residents of PPRs. 

“During the lockdown period due to Covid-19, many children in PPRs did not have the resource to conduct online classes, which has led to a high dropout rate when the schools reopened earlier.

“DKOMN is open to work together with relevant government departments or agencies such as the Ministry of Education to address this issue, by providing them devices, internet access or skill training classes,” she shared.

Meanwhile, she also learned that some teenagers in PPRs have minimal knowledge of personal hygiene even though they are living in the city. “By providing them personal care items and the knowledge on how to take care and protect themselves, it will build up their confidence, especially the young girls.”

Moving forward, Zuraida hoped to see more involvement of the private sector in DKOMN.

“Whatever we do, we must cut across the young people (who are living in PPRs) because they are the future. We need to educate them on the importance of the cleanliness, safety and harmony of the community and property they are living in to improve their quality of life in the long run,” Zuraida concluded.

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my e-Pub on Nov 20, 2020. You can access back issues here.

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