Rumawip: Affordable City Condominium For Target Group





By Fatin Nabihah Marzuki

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 9 (Bernama) -- One bank officer has achieved his dream of owning a home in the city here, thanks to a government initiative under the Federal Territory Housing (Rumawip) project for middle income earners.

Phang Jiun Jiann, 30, described his decision to purchase a unit at Residensi Pandanmas, which has the status of a condominium as opportune.

A Rumawip unit measures 79 sq metres (850 sq ft) or 84 sq metres (900 sq ft), consists of three bedrooms and two bathrooms, and costs between RM290,000 and RM300,000 each, with facilities such as gymnasium, two swimming pools and covered parking.

"Looking at the price of houses nowadays, which is so exorbitant, I thought it was just impossible for me to own a home particularly in Kuala Lumpur.

"But I saw an advertisement about Rumawip in a newspaper and without haste applied online, and I got it in less than two years," he told Bernama, adding, working youths who were eligible for the housing programme should grab the opportunity.

For private company executive Mohammad Noor Bahari, 32, Rumawip fulfilled the housing need of middle income working youths like him.

"Everyone definitely desires to own a house, particularly one which is easily accessible to major locations in the city.

"With facilities such as laundromat, efficient building management and clean environment, the RM300,000 price is fair," he said.

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said 40,118 Rumawip units were built in the Federal Territories between 2013 and September this year, of which 29,030 are in Kuala Lumpur, 8,826 in Putrajaya, and 2,262 in Labuan.

"Public response to Rumawip has been very encouraging. As at today, the number of applications registered through Rumawip's portal totaled 158,180," he told Bernama.

He said the affordable housing projects in the federal territories catered to city dwellers earning less than RM15,000 (married) and RM10,000 (single) per month.

The projects include Residensi Pandanmas, Residensi Wangsa Meranti, Residensi Puchongmas, Residensi Jalilmas, Residensi Hijauan and Residensi Semarak Platinum.

In terms of project distribution, there are 18, comprising 12,972 units in the parliamentary constituency of Batu; 16 (11,098 units), in Wangsa Maju; 13 (9,917 units), in Bandar Tun Razak; and 12 (7,477 units) in Cheras.

There are eight projects in Seputeh (6,346 units), Lembah Pantai (2,452 units) and Setiawangsa (4,433 units); seven in Titiwangsa (4,433 units); five in Kepong (4,726 units); and one (330 units) in Segambut.

In the federal territory of Putrajaya, there are two Rumawip projects comprising 2,906 units and in Labuan, 13 projects comprising 3,016 units.

"The Rumawip programme does not receive any financial incentive from the federal government and wholly relies on the initiative of the private sector or developer based on a RM300,000 ceiling price," said Tengku Adnan.

According to him, the overall value of the Rumawip projects was estimated to be RM20 billion.

Rumawip is an initiative under the Federal Territories Ministry to provide 80,000 units of affordable homes to city dwellers by 2020, that is, 55,000 units in Kuala Lumpur; 20,000 units in Putrajaya and 5,000 units in Labuan.

"Rumawip unit owners are not allowed to sell their property for at least 10 years or rent it out. Stern action would be taken against those found doing so," the minister warned.

-- BERNAMA