KUCHING: Sarawak has a real potential to become a hub for modular housing for the Asean region if the proposal to form a joint-venture with a China-based company that specialises in such expertise comes to fruition next year.

Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg said he had high hopes that the China-based company, Foshan Conceiving Board Manufacturing Co, Ltd Guangdong, would ink a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sarawak Housing Corporation (HC) on the proposed joint-venture next year.

He added that his ministry had alienated a piece of land which could be used for research and development (R&D) and a factory to produce pre-fabricated houses.

“Once we have a joint-venture entity through a MoU which we hope would materialise next year, we can build houses which people can afford. In the long run we can also supply these houses which are pre-fabricated even to countries in the Asean region,” Abang Johari told The Borneo Post after receiving a courtesy call from top officials of Foshan Conceiving Board Manufacturing Co, Ltd Guangdong at his office at Wisma Sultan Tengah here yesterday.

Coincidentally, he said, he had just returned from Brunei after attending an Asean housing ministers’ meeting which stressed on the need for quality housing.

“We would like HDC and Foshan Conceiving Board Manufacturing Co, Ltd Guangdong to look at the details so that it would benefit the local house buyers first and foremost. Then from there we can go for the Asean market as well,” he enthused.

Abang Johari said the state was now in need of affordable houses for the low income group as well as those priced RM120,000 to RM180,000.

“And our other target is to construct houses with a price of below RM250,000 as there is now growing market from this group. During a dialogue session in Unimas recently, even a lecturer said he can’t afford a decent house as the price of houses in Kuching has escalated.

“This issue must be addressed urgently through modular housing where the time of constructing houses could be shortened, the price much lower but its quality is maintained,” he said, adding that the houses must also be certified by Sirim as well as the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB).

Abang Johari disclosed that the group was on a return visit to Sarawak after he and officials from his ministry and housing developers visited China this year.

In the morning, the group paid a courtesy call on Local Government and Community Development Minister Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh at his office at Bangunan Baitulmakmur here.

According to Wong, the local councils would normally issue occupancy permits (OPs) for houses within 15 days but if the houses are certified safe and meet quality standards as in the case of fabricated housing models, the OPs could be issued much faster.

“I am enthusiastic about this modular housing as it can address many issues related to housing needs even for our rural community where we can build longhouses with quality but at a much cheaper price,” added Wong.

Meanwhile, director of Foshan Conceiving Board Manufacturing Co, Ltd Guangdong, Chen Yao Ran, said his company was serious in setting up a joint venture with HDC here soon.

He said his company has been supplying modular housing even to Australia. And recently his company was involved in supplying some 3,000 units of houses for the earthquake victims of Shenzhen, China.