The government aims to build 1,300 units of houses under the Hardcore Poor Housing Project (PPRT), as well as repair 10,000 units of existing PPRT houses, this year, the Dewan Rakyat was told today.

Rural Development Minister Datuk Dr Abdul Latiff Ahmad said a total of 7,149 PPRT houses had been built since 2016 under the Eleventh Malaysia Plan (11MP), and 38,057 houses were renovated.

"The people's housing assistance implemented under the ministry is known as PPRT, and its aim is to ensure the poor and hardcore poor own safe and comfortable homes," he said in response to a question from Datuk Ahmad Nazlan Idris (BN-Jerantut) who wanted to know the form of assistance provided by the Rural Development Ministry to provide opportunities for the poor to own houses.

To a supplementary question from Ahmad Nazlan on improving the quality of PPRT houses, Abdul Latiff said the construction specifications for PPRT houses were the same, namely the three-room brick house and the longhouse.

"The brick house measures 22x30 feet which is 660 sq foot, while the longhouse is 17.72x40 feet which is 713 sq ft.

"..But because we got the attention of G1 and G2 vendors, so we are trying the industrial building system (IBS) technology," he added.

-- BERNAMA