Putrajaya can consider building public housing under the peoples' housing programme (PPR) on its federal owned 14ha piece of land in Penang along with adjoining 4ha state land, state executive councillor Jagdeep Singh Deo said today.

He said the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry can combine both parcels of land to build a larger PPR complex with more units to benefit the low-income group in Penang.

"We hope the federal government can fulfil their promise to build more PPR housing in Penang. I hope this is not just an election promise" he said in a press conference in Komtar.

He was commenting on an official letter from the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar that stated the ministry will conduct a technical evaluation on the land in Penang before building PPR housing here.

Noh Omar's letter, which was dated August 8, was in reply to the Penang state government's application for PPR housing to be built in the state. The state had offered a 4ha piece of land in Jelutong for this purpose.

The minister acknowledged the state's claims that there is a shortage in PPR housing in Penang and said it will consider the application made by the state.

Jagdeep today said the 4ha state land is located next to 14ha piece of federal land which the ministry can also use to build PPR housing.

"Penang only has 698 PPR units currently which is not enough for the waiting list of over 2,000 low-income applicants" he said.

He added that the ministry's reply is good news for those who have been on the waiting list for many years.

PPR units, usually priced between RM30,000 and RM35,000, are built nationwide by the ministry and are offered only to households with combined income of RM3,000 and below.

"We will insist that the PPR units that will be built in Penang are also offered to households with combined income of RM1,500" Jagdeep said.

If the federal government decided to proceed with a PPR housing project on the 4ha piece of state land, Jagdeep said the ministry can build between 3,500 and 7,000 units on that land.

"Penang will give allowance for a higher density of 180 units per acre for PPR housing projects meant for the low-income group" he said.