The Housing and Local Government Ministry will pay compensation for the 24 development projects under PR1MA Corporation Malaysia (PR1MA) that have been cancelled, said Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin.

She said the compensation payment depends on the value of the land for the area involved.

"Most of the land was purchased by the ministry. Only some have made an offer letter at that time, that is, they have done the initial work. We will take that into account. If any work has been done we will compensate.

"These projects were cancelled after it was discovered that the lands were not suitable, not strategic as they were far and there is no market value. We will see what can be done with the land," she told reporters.

She said this at a press conference after handing over three-ply face masks for the Ampang parliamentary constituency at Dewan Kampung Sri Tanjung, Kampung Melayu Ampang today.

Zuraida explained that the project (PR1MA) was coordinated under the National Housing Department system, which includes the Malaysian Civil Servants Housing (PPAM) and Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB).

"In coordinating this, we want to ensure that there are no further losses and we acquire good land to develop. The approach is for PR1MA to reduce losses. Certainly we will not make a profit with this project. What we are doing is minimising losses," she said.

Earlier, Zuraida had informed that 24 PR1MA projects had been cancelled out of the total 94 projects, however, the remaining 70 would continue as planned.

Meanwhile, Zuraida, who is also the member of Parliament for Ampang, said they have received four tonnes of patchwork fabric from the Jakel Group to make 'recyclable face masks' which will be distributed to primary school students in the Ampang parliamentary constituency and throughout the state of Selangor.

She said they were targeting 50,000 pieces of face masks to be distributed to primary school students among the B40 group starting with the Ampang parliamentary constituency.

"Besides, we also help housewives by paying them for sewing the face masks, namely RM2 per mask. So far for my area, there are 40 face mask tailors and the target is for 200 tailors throughout Selangor," she said.

-- BERNAMA