The PAS state Government in Kedah doesn’t seem to be having much success of late – not least when it comes to their constant housing struggle.
Early on in his tenure, Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak announced a project to develop Bandar Tunku Puteri, building 528 low-cost and 400 affordable homes on state-owned land.
But the project stalled, and no one is sure why.
This was followed by the PAS MB promising that a further 128 units of low cost housing – each one costing RM140,000 — was booked and good to go.
But only model homes were ever built.
Similar stories plague the state, with some 11 housing projects abandoned so far compared to only five completed.
So to make amends, PAS are trying a new tactic – forcing through a policy which seems to have had even less thought in it than their previous false starts.
If it goes ahead, as looks likely, Kedah will become the first state in Malaysia to limit the sale of houses to people in the immediate vicinity.
And it will be the first state (and hopefully the last) for a reason.
No other state governments, PKR or BN, have done this before because it is an astonishingly dangerous move.
In effect, only locals would be allowed to buy houses in the Kuala Muda and Kulim districts.
“This means that non-Kedahans will not be allowed to buy houses in these two districts but consideration will only be given to those who stay or work there,” said the Kedah Gerakan Youth chief Tan Keng Liang.
“The land office in Kuala Muda and Kulim will also closely monitor the land title transfer of the houses with priority given to Kedahans.”
Tan said the new policy would “kill” the property development business in the state, adding that it would also give investors a negative perception.
“We do not want Kedah to become a state where the houses are owned by outsiders while the locals still live in dilapidated homes or are homeless,” he said.
It’s the sort of over-the-top meddling that can only have a detrimental impact on both the people and the future development of Kedah – a state which is already struggling with such a disconnected leadership.
Another “absurd” policy implemented by the Kedah government, according to Chor, was to increase the quota for affordable homes to a staggering 60 per cent.
It would mark a sharp increase from the levels set during the Barisan Nasional days when the total quota was a manageable 30 per cent – something that worked for both low earners and developers.
“If the Kedah government increases the affordable home quota to 60 per cent, developers will increase the price as they can’t make much profit compared to high cost homes.”
It’s clear that the Kedah state government is treating housing as a low priority, just like its counterpart in Penang. Perhaps the constant uphill struggle faced by Azizan can offer an explanation for his public desire to get out while he can?
But this indifference will come back to hurt PAS in GE 13. Voters are not likely to forget nor forgive so easily – particularly if they have nowhere to live.