GEORGE TOWN - The DAP Penang government must explain why money in the Penang Bumiputera Housing Trust Account (PBHTA) is not used to build replacement housing for bumiputeras.
Penang Federal Action Council chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Osman urged the Penang government to state the number of bumiputera housing lots released from 2008 until now.
"The Penang government must explain why after five years, the money in the trust account is not used to build replacement housing units for bumiputeras," he said in a statement, here Wednesday.
"The 2013 Auditor-General's Report said the money in the Penang Bumiputera Housing Trust Account amounted to RM53.9 million. No expenses were made using money from the account until Dec 31, 2013."
Zainal said the money accumulated was from the release of bumiputera housing units paid by the housing developers to the state government.
PBHTA was set up in Sept 2009 to account for the contribution of the state government, the federal government, the housing developers or other parties.
It is to enable the state government to implement programmes such as the purchase or land, housing, commercial areas or other real estate for the benefit of bumiputeras.
Zainal said JKP Sdn Bhd and Penang Regional Development Authority (PERDA) will continue to give five percent discount to bumiputeras buying affordable housing although the price is is 20 percent cheaper than market price.
"Although it is not the state government's policy to give discount to bumiputeras buying affordable housing, we hope private developers will give discount to bumiputeras." -- BERNAMA