KOTA KINABALU, April 20 (Bernama) -- An assemblyman today urged the state government to review the status of Kampung Bahagia in Sandakan as a refugee settlement.
Datuk Samsudin Yahya (BN-Sekong), when debating the government policy speech today, said the area, which was designated as a refugee settlement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees during the war in the neighbouring southern Philippines in the 70's, now comprised mostly locals.
"About 55 per cent of these locals are registered voters. The government has also set up a village security and development committee in the area," he said.
Refugees remaining in the area should be moved to a new settlement, he added.
Meanwhile, Datuk Syed Abas Syed Ali (BN-Balung) suggested that housing assistance should also be extended to those in the middle-income group.
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ASSEMBLY-SABAH 2 (LAST) KOTA KINABALU
He said that while many facilities were given to the poor and hardcore poor to own a house, it was not the case with those in the middle-income group who earned between RM1,500 and RM3,000 a month.
He also suggested that the government made it compulsory for developers to allocate at least 30 per cent of houses to these groups.
"The government should also set the ceiling price for terrace houses at RM120,000 each. It should wield its power against developers who are only interested in raking in profit and forgetting their social responsibilities," he said.
-- BERNAMA
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