GEORGE TOWN, July 20 ― Penang has fulfilled all four of its election pledges for housing within two months, state exco Jagdeep Singh Deo.

The housing and local government committee chairman said the state government originally pledged to build 75,361 affordable housing in the state, but has now surpassed the initial figure.

“We will build a total 80,604 units of affordable housing within this term which surpassed our election pledge,” he said.

He said 28,442 units were already built and 22,065 units are being built.

“We have approved a total 30,097 units to be built which brings the total to 80,604 units,” he said.

He said the second pledge to approve maintenance projects for private low cost and low medium cost housing schemes priced below RM150,000 under the Penang Maximum 80 per cent Maintenance Fund (TPM80PP) has also been fulfilled.

“Since 2013 up to July this year, a total 162 applications have been approved at a cost of RM23.3 million for 267 projects,” he said.

The maintenance projects for private housing schemes included lift replacements and upgrading, water tank replacement, roof replacement, painting, road pavement, brick wall, crack repair and staircase railing.

He said the state will also continue with implementing maintenance projects for all public housing scheme as pledged.

He said this is in contrast with the federal maintenance fund for public housing (TP1M) where not a single application for the funding was approved between 2016 and 2018.

“I’ve instructed the two local councils to meet with the minister over this and push for approvals for the applications,” he said.

He said the TP1M will be renamed to remove the 1Malaysia.

“I’ve spoken with the housing and local government minister Zuraida Kamaruddin and she said this fund will be continued, only under a different name,” he said.

In the final pledge to build housing for rent-to-own schemes, Jagdeep said the state had already taken over two public housing projects in Mak Mandin and Kampung Tok Subuh to be converted to the rent-to-own schemes.

“Instead of building, we spoke to the ministry to take over these two completed projects and immediately converted it to the rent-to-own scheme,” he said.

The two projects consist of a total of 301 units.