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TAWAU: The State Government has been urged to develop its own low-cost housing projects in the form of flats similar to the People’s Housing Programme (PPR), instead of merely waiting for the implementation of the Federal Government’s new People’s Residence Programme (PRR), which features affordable apartment-style housing.

Tawau MP Datuk Lo Su Fui said the Federal Housing and Local Government Ministry (KPKT) has allocated 15,000 PRR units for Sabah, with 5,000 units each for Tawau, Sandakan and the West Coast.

“The State Government has applied for PRR from the Federal Government, but the number of units involved is far smaller than what is actually needed. So why don’t we build our own PPR-style flats while waiting for the PRR to be implemented in Sabah?

“I urge the State Government to take its own initiative, for example by collaborating with private developers through land swap offers of equal value or project development financing,” he said after officiating the Water Activity Safety Campaign and the Community Fire Brigade Accreditation Programme for Bandar Sri Indah (BSI), Tawau Zone, here, on Sunday.

He believes the move would help address the shortage of low-cost housing and reduce the risk of losses amounting to millions of ringgit each time a major fire breaks out, especially in squatter settlements.

“If we delay developing these housing projects, more problems are bound to arise, including the loss of property when residents lose their homes and the risk of more lives being lost.

“The approval process for PRR takes time and we can no longer afford to wait too long as there is an urgent need to expedite the provision of low-cost housing facilities, including in Tawau,” he said.

According to him, Tawau records the highest number of squatter settlements in the country, making it one of the high-risk zones for major fires that could result in the destruction of property and loss of life.

Current statistics also show that more than 200,000 people are living in squatter settlements in Tawau, mainly concentrated between Batu 4, Jalan Apas and Tanjung Batu.

On the campaign organised by the Sabah Fire and Rescue Department (JBPM) together with developers at BSI, Lo praised the initiative as important for public safety and emergency preparedness.

“The proactive steps taken by JBPM and the developers to establish a Community Fire Brigade for the housing area are strategic in empowering the community as the first line of response.

“This is especially important to provide immediate assistance before rescue teams arrive at the scene and to act as the eyes and ears of the Fire Department in handling incidents at the grassroots level,” he said.

Sabah, which has 39 PPR projects, holds the record for the highest number in the country. 

However, the programme was discontinued following its rebranding as PRR beginning September 2024.

To date, Sabah is still awaiting the Madani Government’s decision to introduce the State’s first PRR project, which is expected to offer more modern, higher-quality and sustainable affordable housing designs compared to PPR.