Kuala lumpur: Upgrading works at the Desa Tun Razak People's Housing Project (PPR), costing RM9.6 million, have been completed, making it one of 22 out of 61 PPR upgrade projects in the capital completed so far. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) Hannah Yeoh stated that this project is part of an additional RM300 million approved by the government this year to systematically upgrade all PPRs in Kuala Lumpur.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the allocation had been agreed to by all Kuala Lumpur Members of Parliament to ensure comprehensive maintenance works at PPRs. This initiative aims to enhance the safety and comfort of more than 8,000 residents at the Desa Tun Razak PPR, which has been operating since 1998. "We do not want maintenance work to be done on an ad hoc basis. We want to have a special maintenance fund because it is easy to develop a project, but if there is no provision for maintenance, the safety aspect will be compromised," said Yeoh during an inspection of the completed upgrading works at the Desa Tun Razak PPR.
The works carried out included replacing electrical wiring, resurfacing roads, and improving fire safety facilities following several fire incidents that occurred at the PPR last year. Meanwhile, Kuala Lumpur Mayor Datuk Fadhlun Mak Ujud detailed the expenditure of RM9.6 million on the Desa Tun Razak PPR upgrading project, with RM7 million allocated for repainting works, RM1.68 million for fire prevention systems and electrical wiring upgrades, and nearly RM1 million for road resurfacing. The fire riser system and drainage system were also upgraded.
Fadhlun added, "We have completed nearly 22 projects and expect all the PPR upgrading projects under the RM300 million allocation to be completed by the end of this year." Addressing the parking issue at the Desa Tun Razak PPR, he mentioned that the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) will identify suitable vacant land to be used as temporary parking areas to help ease the shortage of parking spaces.
At the same event, Bandar Tun Razak Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail urged residents to take good care of the upgraded facilities to ensure they could be enjoyed over the long term. She emphasized fostering a culture of safeguarding both public and private property so that the government's efforts to improve public housing facilities would continue to benefit all residents.