BY JAROD LIM

Tengku Adnan (front) viewing the Kepongmas Residency model. — Photos: LOW LAY PHON/The Star

APPLICANTS for the Kepongmas Residency Rumahwip affordable homes project were overjoyed at obtaining units through a balloting session held during the launch.

Auditing assistant Rosnawati Othman said she could not wait to move into the new apartment with her family.

“I applied for Rumahwip in September and this will be my first house.

“Currently, my family and I are staying in a rented apartment in Wangsa Maju.

“The project is also close to my office which is in Damansara,” said the 28-year-old mother of two.

Successful applicants posing together with officials.

Faun Chee Yarn, 55, managed to get a unit on the 40th floor for his son.

“My son has just started working and can’t afford to buy an apartment yet so I got this for him,” said the accountant.

About 500 applicants were invited for the balloting session held at the site. The project is a collaboration between Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) and Sinerjuta Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Urusan Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd.

The Rumahwip affordable homes project is part of a government initiative to develop 80,000 units in the Federal Territories within five years. The price for the two-block 41-storey affordable apartments range from RM188,000 to RM198,000 per unit.

During the launch, a total of 1,514 units were offered to applicants.

There will be a moratorium on selling the apartments for the first 10 years.

Also present at the launch were Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor, Deputy Federal Territories Minister Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan, Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Mohd Amin Nordin Abdul Aziz, Urusan Aset Kayamas Sdn Bhd director Tan Sri Chai Kin Kong and Sinerjuta Sdn Bhd director Yvonne Chai.

Tengku Adnan said a total of 29,090 units of affordable homes were available up to September this year.

“This is 37% of the targeted amount. However, 28,194 units are in the planning phase while 9,060 units are in the proposal phase.

“Facilities such as swimming pool, gymnasium and others will not be available in these housing project to keep the cost affordable,” he said.

DBKL will also partner with Sinerjuta to develop The Henge Residence Kepong under phase two of the Rumahwip affordable homes project.

A total of 1,472 units of apartments and 35 units of double-storey shoplots will be sold at market price.

Tengku Adnan also said that the units would still be sold below RM200,000 through cross-subsidies without using government funds.

“This way, we can provide more affordable homes to the rakyat,” he said.