Some 125 houses have been completed since 2009 with three houses under construction for asnaf with a total expenditure of BND236,321, said Minister of Religious Affairs Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin bin Pengarah Dato Paduka Haji Awang Othman during the Second Meeting of the 21st Legislative Council (LegCo) Session yesterday.

The minister was responding to a question by LegCo member Yang Berhormat Yang Berhormat Abdul Aziz bin Haji Hamdan on the establishment of rental housing assistance to overcome the problem of overdue rent in rental housing for certain groups.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Udana Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Badaruddin added that 38 houses are in the process of being evaluated and supported by the Public Works Department (JKR), with an estimated allocation of BND4.56 million.

Meanwhile, projects of 13 houses will be forwarded to the Zakat Fund Disbursement Committee (JMZ) for support in appointing contractors with an estimated allocation of BND1.73 million, he added.

On the proposal to create a rental housing assistance scheme built under the government’s capacity, the minister said, “The ministry believes that it is not necessary because the Zakat, Waqaf and Baitulmal Management Department (JUZWAB) itself has provided newly built houses for qualified asnaf to own.”

He also revealed that as of July 9, a total of 317 asnaf fakir miskin are actively receiving housing rent assistance, with an estimated total allocation of BND3.32 million per year.

(News source: Borneo Bulletin)