The fire victims with Harden, Entri and representatives from Housing Ministry and Housing Development Corporation (HDC) at Long Jegan during the site visit for reconstruction of the longhouse.
Longhouse chief John Mato presenting a souvenir to Harden (centre) while Entri (right) and others look on.
MIRI: PBB Marudi chairman Councillor Kalang Jok reiterated a call on the government to double the ceiling amount to RM20,000 from the current RM10,000 for Longhouse Loan Scheme under the Ministry of Housing as high transportation fees eats up to 60 per cent of construction costs in Baram.
He said this in his speech during the field visit of Assistant Minister of Housing Datuk Francis Harden Hollis to Long Jegan, Tanjung Mawang and Long Tuyut with Assistant Minister of Public Utilities cum Marudi state assemblyman Datuk Sylvester Entri recently.
Harden, meanwhile, disclosed that as of Dec 31 last year, more than 500 longhouses involving some 12,000 households were still waiting for their loan approval but Harden believed the figure would reach 600 by the time he winds up his visits in Limbang Division later this month.
To justify the call for Baram, Kalang said: “The cost of transportation per door (unit) could take up to RM6,000 from this loan and the applicant is left with less than RM4,000 for building materials,”
Kalang had in January, suggested the amount be increased. His plea reflects the increasing number of calls statewide, including from Sarawak 1Malaysia Advisory Council chairman Datuk Joseph Salang Gandu, for the government to raise the current RM10,000 per door or household, to RM20,000.
The RM10,000 loan scheme does not come in the form of cash but building materials and service of contractors appointed by the Housing Ministry.
Datuk Harden said the Housing Ministry under Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Haji Openg is considering the request, in line with feedback received throughout the state.
“The selection committee will meet in April this year and about 600 longhouses loan applications will be considered, including the three applications received in this visit to Baram,” he said.
Harden, who is also assistant minister of rural development and Simanggang assemblyman, said the loan was given through purchase of building materials with a repayment period of up to 25 years and a maximum RM65 per month.
During his visit accompanied by officials from his ministry and Housing Development Corporation to Long Jegan, Harden said the applications from the 44 doors would be brought to the attention of minister for housing development who has shown concern for their welfare.
Chipping in RM10,000 in Minor Rural Project fund for the longhouse, he thanked all generous donors from longhouses in the area, plantation companies and logging company for their contributions to alleviate the burden of the fire victims.
He announced an allocation of RM 6,000 for Rumah Francis Ginda in Tanjung Mawang and RM 5,000 for Rh John Mato at Long Tuyut in his visits there.
The application of the 34-door Rumah Francis Ginda is expected to be expedited as Entri had also allocated RM34,000 for their longhouse construction project at a site already identified.
Meanwhile, Entri thanked the housing minister for sending a team led by the assistant minister to Long Jegan to assess the reconstruction needs of the fire victims and other longhouses in Marudi constituency.
He thanked the National Registration Department and police for sending a mobile counter team to the scene to assist victims in replacement of identity cards and other documents and to report losses from fires.