Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah government should consider developing high-rise units under the Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) Housing programme in Petagas to address growing demand for affordable homes amid limited land availability.
Petagas assemblyman Datuk Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari said the proposal has become increasingly urgent due to population growth and the scarcity of suitable land for housing development in the constituency.
Speaking during the debate on the Supplementary Supply Bill 2026, here, on Tuesday, he said he had received numerous applications for SMJ homes but only a handful of applicants owned titled land.
“I have received many applications for SMJ houses, but only four or five applicants have gazetted land lots, while the rest do not own any land at all. That is why I have set aside two new gazetted village areas for this purpose,” he said.
However, Awang Ahmad said the total area available amounted to only 2.8 acres, making it insufficient to accommodate the increasing number of applicants if houses continued to be built under the existing one-house-per-lot model.
“If we continue providing SMJ houses while there is no land left, who will benefit? That is why the government needs to take a more serious approach by considering high-rise SMJ housing,” he said.
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He proposed that the 2.8-acre gazetted village land be utilised for a pilot high-rise SMJ project, subject to government approval.
“Even if it cannot be implemented as a high-rise development, the land can still be used for conventional SMJ housing. However, we need to start thinking ahead because the population is growing while residential land remains limited,” he added.
Awang Ahmad also suggested that the units be sold at subsidised rates to eligible applicants, with additional support from the state government.
He said if the homes were priced at RM150,000, supported by an increase in the existing SMJ subsidy from RM100,000 to RM120,000, they would remain affordable for many low- and middle-income earners.
“This is more realistic when compared with the current rental market, where monthly rents range between RM800 and RM1,500, while affordable housing remains difficult to obtain.
“Even individuals earning around RM1,700 a month could afford to own a home if the subsidy is channelled to contractors tasked with building these high-rise units,” he said.
Apart from housing, Awang Ahmad called on the State government to provide greater clarity on the utilisation of the supplementary allocation, particularly for education and scholarship assistance.
He said the additional funding should be translated into clear figures so that the public could better understand how many students would benefit from the allocations.
He also urged the government to strengthen education assistance through Yayasan Sabah and related agencies to ensure students from low-income families are not left behind.
On infrastructure, Awang Ahmad raised concerns over persistent water supply issues in several parts of Petagas despite ongoing rationing measures.
He said immediate action is needed from the government and the Sabah Water Department instead of waiting for the completion of the Kogopon II Water Treatment Plant project in Papar.
“It is understood that the Kogopon II Water Treatment Plant will be completed at the end of this year, if it is completed.
“But if it is only ready next year, what happens then? Residents cannot continue waiting because water is a basic necessity that must be addressed immediately,” he said.
He hoped that the supplementary allocation would prioritise the people’s basic needs, particularly housing, education and water supply, to ensure development initiatives deliver tangible benefits at the grassroots level.
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