BEAUFORT: The long wait of a resident in Kampung Lago to have a better house is coming true with her Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) house now under construction.
For Masniah Tijah, 46, the state government’s assistance is a blessing for her family, who are currently living in a dilapidated and unsafe inherited house.
Her husband, who works as a security guard, cannot afford to repair the old 50-year-old house, let alone build a new one.
“My husband’s salary is just enough to support me and my two children, who are still in school, while I am just a housewife.
Masniah
“I had applied for the Poor People’s Housing Programme (PPRT) many times in the past four years but was unsuccessful. Unlike Rumah SMJ, which was quickly channelled to me.
“Of course I am happy and express my gratitude to the State Government as well as my appreciation to Lumadan representative, Datuk Ruslan Muharam, for his efforts,” she said.
She said this during Ruslan’s visit with Beaufort District Officer, Nazri Ajun, to 20 SMJ House Projects in several villages in the Lumadan State Assembly.
Meanwhile, Ruslan said, the 20 SMJ Houses are an aid for the year 2023 and are expected to be fully completed within 10 weeks or the middle of August.
At the same time, he said, the same aid programme for 2024 is currently in the tender process and construction is expected to start next September and be completed by mid-November.
“The state government allocates 20 SMJ houses every year for each state assembly and for Lumadan, we have fully prepared 20 SMJ houses for the 2022 quota.
“For the same quota for 2023, it is currently under construction and will be fully completed this August, while the Rumah SMJ project for 2024 will begin construction this September.
“This is an effort by the SMJ government under the Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, in our efforts to help and reduce the poverty rate in Sabah,” he said.
