Sarawak Says No To Build First, Sell Later Concept
Bernama.com 02/06/2004
KUCHING, June 2 (Bernama) -- The "build first, sell later" concept
cannot be implemented in Sarawak as this needs huge capital which is
beyond the reach of many housing developers in the state, said Datuk
Michael Manyin Jawong.
The Sarawak Housing Minister said the state government would
implement the concept once real estate developers had acquired
sufficient resources to sustain the concept.
"Developers in Sarawak are those on the minor scale and do not have
sustaining ability to build first and sell houses later as the
overall cost for a project is massive," he told reporters here
Wednesday.
Manyin said problems in acquiring suitable and cheap land located
near urban sites hampered the ministry's efforts to build more
low-cost homes for the people.
"Location of low-cost houses should not be too far from urban
centres and these areas should have basic infrastructures to avoid
buyers from incurring other costs like transportation," he said.
Manyin said the price of a low-cost house in Sarawak was capped at
RM47,000 a unit despite developers calling for the ceiling to be
raised.
He said price hike of construction materials had prompted many
developers to make the call.
"So far there is no directive from the Housing and Local Government
Ministry to raise the ceiling price...therefore price of a low-cost
house in Sarawak remains RM47,000 a unit," he said.
