The Sabah State Government plans to develop 1,500 units of Rumah Mesra SMJ.

According to Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Haji Noor, the RM70,000 houses would be given away for free to those who deserved them.

The Rumah Mesra SMJ, formerly known as Projek Perumahan Rakyat Termiskin or PPRT (Hardcore Poor People's Housing Project), would be distributed evenly across all 73 constituencies in Sabah.

"This decision is aligned with the State Government's Haja Tuju Sabah Maju Jaya (SMJ) strategy, which aims to assure people's well-being and access to affordable housing."

"Excess funding from the grant will be allocated to restore roads, suspension bridges, and other infrastructure as well as flood-damaged houses," he explained.

The Federal Government has increased the annual special grant for Sabah by 4.7 fold from RM26.7 million to RM125.6 million beginning this year. The State Government is determined to pursue more through negotiations that are still ongoing to get the 40 per cent as agreed under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement (MA63).