Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said civil servants in opposition-ruled states are also eligible to apply for the 1Malaysia Civil Servants Housing (PPA1M) programme.

The prime minister said the price of houses under PPA1M were less than RM300,000 per unit and much lower than the market price so as to help civil servants throughout the country.

"Civil servants in opposition states are also eligible to apply. This is proof that the government gives assistance, regardless of political beliefs," he said in an entry on his blog www.najibrazak.com.

The prime ministry also said there were other housing programmes by the government which "met the aspirations and hopes of the people."

Najib said the People's Housing Project (PPR) and the 1Malaysia People's Housing Programme (PR1MA) were implemented to help the people in the B40 category or the low income earners.


"They can be bought at a low price of RM35,000 a unit in the peninsula, and RM42,000 per unit in Sabah and Sarawak.

"In fact, the government has also provided PPR for rental at a rate of only RM124 a month," he said.

At the same time, a new rent-to-own scheme has been introduced, where the house would initially be rented out to the occupants who would later on owned the unit, he added.

In the case of PR1MA, he said, the houses were for those in the M40 category, or the medium income earners, and they were located in strategic locations in the city centre or its outskirts areas, with prices ranging between RM150,000 and RM400,000 per unit.

"These houses are sold at a price which is not less than 20 percent below the market price," he added. --Bernama