Bakat Baru Madani affordable housing set for launch in April, says Penang CM, with construction of 38,000 units over 10 years

• Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow: “The Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) has received the planning permission application, and since this is a special housing project, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) has requested expedited approval.”

GEORGE TOWN (March 20): The launch of the Bakat Baru Madani Affordable Housing Project in Penang is expected to take place next month, said Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow. (pictured)

He said the construction of 38,000 housing units would be carried out in phases over 10 years, with the first phase in Seberang Jaya and the subsequent phases in Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan.

“The Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) has received the planning permission application, and since this is a special housing project, the prime minister (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) has requested expedited approval.

“The MBSP accepted the challenge, and after technical discussions with relevant agencies, we managed to approve the planning permission in under 40 days. This means we have fast-tracked the process in the hope that the project can be launched in March, as the plan was submitted in early January,” Chow told a press conference at Komtar on Thursday.

He added that the launch is now scheduled for the end of April, as the developer requires time to fulfil the conditions outlined in the planning approval.

Chow said most of the housing units under the project would be built using the industrialised building system (IBS), which allows for faster construction compared to conventional methods.

A factory would also be set up to manufacture IBS components, which is expected to take one to two years to complete.

“The first few blocks will be constructed using conventional methods while awaiting the factory’s completion. Once it is operational, the remaining units will be built entirely using IBS,” he said.

Chow added that the houses, priced between RM225,000 and RM420,000, will primarily target graduates and those employed in the industrial sector.

On Dec 10 last year, the prime minister witnessed the signing of the joint development agreement for the Bakat Baru Madani Affordable Housing Project between the Penang Development Corp (PDC), PDC Properties and SkyWorld Development Bhd (KL:SKYWLD).

The project, which carries a gross development value of RM13 billion, is hailed as the nation’s largest affordable housing development to date.

It will include facilities such as a swimming pool, gymnasium, multipurpose hall and playground.

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