KUALA LUMPUR, July 21 — The Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) is prioritising the maintenance of People’s Housing Programme (PPR) projects that are more than 10 years old, while focusing on critical defects that affect the safety and comfort of residents.

Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu said priority is given to issues involving lifts, roofs, water tanks and reticulation systems, sanitary piping, electrical wiring, as well as general repairs involving common property.

“With limited allocations, the ministry adopts a more detailed and targeted approach by focusing on defects that have a greater impact on the safety and comfort of residents,” she said during the question-and-answer session in the Dewan Negara today.

She was responding to a supplementary question from Senator Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali on additional measures to expedite maintenance of low-cost housing, PPR projects and ageing strata buildings.

Aiman Athirah said that under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), KPKT had spent RM159.1 million through Rolling Plans One to Five for the maintenance of high-rise strata PPR projects nationwide.

She said that in 2026, KPKT received 226 maintenance applications covering 10 priority scopes with a total value of RM79.9 million but the allocation approved amounted to only RM44.6 million, or 56 per cent of the total cost requested.

Meanwhile, she said maintenance applications submitted by Joint Management Bodies (JMBs) or Management Corporations (MCs) must first go through the Commissioner of Buildings (COB) or the relevant local authority before being forwarded to the ministry.

“Applications are accepted from August to October, followed by the Project Selection Working Committee meeting in November, the Project Selection Steering Committee meeting in December, and approval consideration by the Controlling Officer in January.

“Local authorities will be notified in January, while Letters of Acceptance (LOA) will be issued by April at the latest before projects can commence,” she said. — Bernama