BAGAN SERAI (Aug 30): Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim emphasised on Friday that the policies adopted by the Madani Government will not overlook the interests of the poor in the country.

Citing the groundbreaking ceremony of Residensi Suria Madani in Taman Desa here on Thursday (Aug 29), the prime minister said it is a project that provides benefits and comfort to the underprivileged group living in the city.

"The Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) approved it within 45 days … a record since before independence until now, as approval usually takes between eight months, to a year and two months. But if the company, for example, provides a solid geotechnical study, Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and everything else, there is no reason why approval can't be given so quickly.

“I am grateful because, in a short time, we have shown more effective implementation. We launched the Madani people's housing project, costing RM200,000 and below (per unit) in Taman Desa, close to high-end residential areas,” he said.

Anwar said this in his speech when performing the groundbreaking ceremony of the Kerian Integrated Green Industrial Park (Kigip) in Bagan Serai, Kerian, Perak on Friday.

He said some residents wrote objections to him, saying that the housing project was unsuitable because tall buildings might cause dirtiness and congestion.

In response to this concern, he said the luxury housing developed in the area was previously built on village land, and some of the land was purchased at a low price.

“So, who will clean, who will fix the electricity, who will provide other facilities if not the lower-class workers? Where should they live? In remote areas? ... That’s unreasonable.

“I do not heed such objections, as long as the houses have three bedrooms, are 800 square feet, have good management and maintenance, as well as green parks and playgrounds, and [as long as] cleanliness is guaranteed. That is sufficient. Otherwise (if there is no public housing project), we would have a policy reminiscent of Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities, where there is a beautiful city with a group of the poorest, and a group of the super-rich.

Therefore, Anwar said the Madani Government must discard policies that undermine the importance of the poorer groups.

"I hope this serves as a lesson for all cities and towns," he said.

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