PM: Stop asking for and giving commissions on development projects

KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants the practice of soliciting and giving commissions in the implementation of development projects, including housing, to be stopped immediately.

He said the government never prevented any company from conducting operations and earning profits, but the practice of giving commissions to any minister or political party for that purpose should not continue.

“If the company is making profits, no problem, but don’t cut RM10mil or RM15mil (of the profits) just for a minister or any political party as practised before.

“This is what damages (the system). I understand many would be angry with me for addressing this issue, but everyone knows – just ask the developers in the Federal Territories.

“Am I right or am I wrong? Am I exaggerating or am I telling the truth? Without exception, everybody would say yes and that has been the practice and we have done so. I say we have to stop this nonsense,” he said when launching the Residensi Wilayah, Residensi Prihatin Madani and Madani Hawker Centre ground-breaking ceremony at Desa Tasik Sungai Besi here on Thursday (Aug 17).

Anwar said it would be better for the “commission allocation” to be returned to the people by implementing more balanced development projects, including housing for low-income groups or better organised markets and hawker centres.

As for Kuala Lumpur, which is growing rapidly and driven by development, the Prime Minister said the unity government has set conditions that the construction of new housing projects must be balanced in order to make it a caring Madani capital city.

He said this is to ensure that the people, especially from the low-income groups, would not be left out of mainstream development.

At the same time, he said the government and the private sector will continue playing an important role in ensuring more affordable housing for the groups is built.

In order to increase the liveability of the city, Anwar said open spaces and green areas around housing projects need to be created and maintained so that they do not just become urban forests,

Developers should also create systematic markets or hawker centres for the convenience of the residents, he added.

“I want to see a huge shift, that in a year or two Kuala Lumpur will be well known as as a city with good landmarks, big hotels and clean stalls, and beautiful in its own way,” he added.

The Residensi Wilayah and Residensi Prihatin Madani is a housing project on a 1.4ha plot of land offering 1,010 units of affordable houses to first-time buyers from the targeted groups of M40 and below.

Also present at the ground-breaking ceremony were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh. – Bernama