ALOR GAJAH: The government has announced an increase in funding for the construction of new homes under the Program Perumahan Rakyat Sejahtera (PPRS), which was formerly known as the Poor Housing Programme (PPRT), according to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the allocation in Peninsular Malaysia has been raised from RM66,000 to RM79,000. In the regions of Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, the funding has been increased from RM79,000 to RM85,000. For home repairs, the allocation in Peninsular Malaysia has been increased from RM15,000 to RM20,000, while in Sabah, Sarawak, and Labuan, it has been raised from RM17,000 to RM20,000. Additionally, the size of the homes has been increased from 660 square feet to 680 square feet.

Dr Ahmad Zahid made these announcements after chairing a coordination meeting between the Rural and Regional Development Ministry and rural executive councillors. The meeting was attended by Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh a
nd various rural executive councillors.

During the meeting, there was also a proposal to build a special education kindergarten for autistic children in every district. Although immediate implementation is not feasible due to the significant financial requirement, the ministry intends to pursue this initiative further.

In addition, Dr Ahmad Zahid highlighted the Digital Village and Community Paramedic initiatives introduced by the Melaka government, suggesting that these could be expanded to other states. He expressed gratitude to the Melaka government for their innovative contributions.