Kota Kinabalu: Petagas assemblyman Datuk Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari
(pic) has proposed that the Sabah Government develop high-rise units under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Housing programme in Petagas to meet growing demand for affordable homes amid limited land availability.
Speaking during the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill 2026 at the State Legislative Assembly on Tuesday, he said only four or five applicants for SMJ houses owned gazetted land, while most applicants did not have land despite strong demand.
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Awang Ahmad proposed using a 2.8-acre gazetted village site in Petagas as a pilot high-rise SMJ housing project, saying the approach would allow more families to benefit compared with the existing one-house-per-lot model.
He also suggested increasing the SMJ housing subsidy from RM100,000 to RM120,000 to keep homes affordable, while calling for greater transparency on supplementary allocations for education and scholarship assistance.
Awang Ahmad also urged the Government to address persistent water supply disruptions in Petagas without waiting for the completion of the Kogopon II Water Treatment Plant, saying housing, education and water supply should remain priority areas.
