The Sabah Government has been urged to provide suitable land for the construction of affordable houses in the State.

Federal Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said by doing so, the construction costs of these houses can be lowered.

Zuraida said that it would not be a problem for her ministry to provide affordable housing at RM112,392 for those with household income of RM3,000 and below.

She said that this price was lower than the RM150,000 proposed by Tawau member of parliament Datuk Christina Liew for those earning RM4,110.

Zuraida was replying to Christina at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Earlier, Christina asked about the status of the ministry's planning to fix the price of affordable housing in the country at RM150,000 and below; RM150,000 to RM300,000 and between RM300,000 and RM500,000.

Zuraida said that the National Affordable Housing Policy was drafted to outline the standard and main specification for the development of the affordable housing by the Federal Government, State Government and the private sector.

She said that the determination of the pricing of the houses was divided into three categories and the category was based on the present market price for the houses utilising the multiple standard median formula and median household income.

"The price determinant is further classified based on the classification of areas at urban or rural areas," she said. For example, the affordable house price based on the household income at urban areas in Sabah is RM167,148 and RM112,392 in the interior part of the state.

Hence, the pricing category for affordable housing in Sabah falls under the II type pricing category which are RM150,000 to RM300,000 for urban areas; and between RM150,000 and under for interior areas.