50,000 houses

                                      50,000 Houses                                     21/Oct/2012

          It is said 50,000 houses will be built by the government in ??? areas in Peninsular Malaysia.   I heard the news on the radio.  It really sounds so goodlah!  These houses would be so much cheaper than those built by the developers from the private companies.  Again it sounds so heartening and encouraging.

          However and ever, I hope all these houses are built with the right materials and right measurements for comfortable living.  Don’t built anymore kennel-like houses to torture people.  I hope all these houses will be built with the right specifications.  Hence they need to reconsider the sizes in width, length and height seriously before someone signs the approval and gives the permits.  Otherwise, I believe there will be heaps, piles and mounds of curses cast on the BN government. 

          A normal size of kitchen should be 15’ X 20’; the sitting room 25’ X 30’ and the room 15’ X 20’.  The height for the double-storey is to be 11’ or more.  For the low-cost single-storey, let the height be 12’ or more.  Set the proper and decent size of the houses for the poor.  Don’t build kennel-like houses to coop them.  The quality of the houses is one of the good indicator / index to tell whether the government is good or bad just like our road system.

          At Mile 8, Oya Road in Sibu, Sarawak, a friend told me that the low-cost houses were so small that even the master room was smaller than my kitchen (9’4” X 13’10”).  The ceiling, well, was very low.  He told me that his six-foot tall wardrobe might need to chip off a foot to get in the room.  That was his perception of the houses anyway.  I have not gone there to see myself.  If it were true as he described, it would be curses upon curses on the BN government led by Taib Mahmud and his cronies. 

          In future, I believe more and more people will be aware of their rights for the quality houses.  Hence setting the specifications clearly will be the first concern of our ministry of housing and development to guard for the interests of house buyers.  They will never sign the documents blindly and lightly anymore.  There should not be any more comprising for house building.  They should never let the developers and contractors to take full advantages of house buyers.

          I hope everyone of us should stand guard for one another to make sure that there is no abuse of power, corruption and collusion in this effort to build enough houses for house buyers at an affordable price with the quality control.  Otherwise, I think we people should rally in mass demonstration to sue the government if they lose in the 13^th election, those who are responsible should be prepared to stand the tribunal and face the heavy penalty.