GEORGE TOWN: Owners of affordable low-cost and medium-cost public housing in Penang are not allowed to lease out their houses, both to foreigners and locals, said State Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri S.Sundarajoo.

He said these affordable housing units are heavily subsidised and are only meant for those who can't afford expensive homes, hence the need for buyers to not misuse the opportunity of home ownership provided by the government.

"So it is important for the authority to be more strict in ensuring that these highly subsidised housing units are not misused, including being rented out as workers' dormitories.

"I am currently preparing a paper to be tabled to the state government regarding enforcement actions to be taken," he told reporters here today.

He was met after opening the two-day 2023 State Housing Symposium here today which was attended by representatives from nine states including Sarawak, Selangor, Melaka, Pahang, Terengganu and Johor

Sundarajoo said the renting out of low-cost houses to others should stop as they were meant for the poor to live in and not for others to enjoy.

"When they rent it out, like to factories, they can get rental of RM1,000 or more and use it to rent other places for half the price, but this is not the purpose of the government providing these low-cost housing," he added.

Meanwhile, he said developers who force buyers of public housing to register for their 'modification package' to raise the p[price of the housing units would face being blacklisted.

"Developers should not do this (forcing buyers to take the package) because they should stick to the price given by the state government. We will not hesitate to take action against such developers, including blacklisting them," he added.

He said this in response to a media report which quoted Penang Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) vice-chairman Ravinder Singh as saying that the party had received complaints that developers refused to sell at the offer price and forced buyers to take a more expensive 'renovation package'.

-- BERNAMA