C. Khor
Kampung Manis residents in Perai, Penang, are set to receive replacement homes under the Rumah MutiaraKu programme. The programme covers some 227 families, Bernama reported.
Of these, 174 families get a free house. Another 53 are offered a house at RM150,000 under a rent-to-own scheme.
Here is who gets what, who is behind the project, and what happens during the move. It also looks at how the settlement reached this point.
Kampung Manis: Who gets what
Penang Housing and Environment Committee chairman Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo gave the figures on Sunday, 18 October. He spoke at an agreement signing in Butterworth.
The 174 families receive a house free of charge. Bernama said they are those still living on the land.
The other 53 are families with ties to the village who are not permanent residents, Bernama’s Malay report said. They can buy at RM150,000 through rent-to-own, under set conditions.
Each unit measures 850 sq ft, against the usual 650 sq ft for low-cost replacement homes. Bernama puts the market value at RM350,000 to RM400,000 a unit.
Kosmo quoted Sundarajoo as saying RAC offers one house to one family for free. The reports do not explain how the two groups were chosen.
Who is behind the project
RAC, the Penang government and the Penang State Housing Board (LPNPP) run the project jointly. Developer Rivanis Ventures Sdn Bhd will build the homes.
Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow officiated at the event, and RAC chief executive Datuk Azhar Ahmad attended. Residents also began receiving letters of intent for site clearance and relocation.
Utusan reported that the event took place at a hall in Chai Leng Park. The affordable homes sit on parts of Lots 286, 65 and 67 in Bandar Perai.
Bernama said the affordable housing covers 1.61 hectares. The wider site is 55.705 acres, with the first 36.025 acres to be built over seven years.
RAC and LPNPP signed an agreement in November 2024, Bernama reported. The developer then signed a project development agreement with RAC.
Moving out and the timeline
Residents who must move out will get RM700 a month from the developer. The money helps with rent until the replacement homes are ready, Bernama said.
Redevelopment should start by the end of this year or early next year at the latest. That depends on approval of the development plan.
The developer then has 24 months from approval to finish. Bernama and Kosmo both count the period from plan approval.
Utusan also reported the 24-month limit but gave no starting point. The reports do not say where residents will rent or when each family moves.
Resettlement will happen in phases, with engagement sessions and briefings, Utusan reported. The reports name no resident, so we have no reaction from the families.
How the settlement got here
Bernama and Utusan described a problem that has lasted at least 70 years. The Vibes reported in 2024 that residents’ ancestors settled there before Independence.
In December 2020, The Vibes reported that 286 families received eviction notices from RAC. Families said they had lived there for over five decades.
In November 2024, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said 177 households would get free homes. He said construction would start at the end of 2025 and take 36 months, Bernama reported.
The new announcement counts 174 free homes. The reports do not explain the difference from 177, or why the schedule has changed.
Sundarajoo said the new homes are bigger than standard low-cost units. Bernama said the project will carry the name Madani Residences
Yalinie Mathan
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