Ngeh’s appeal comes after Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Noh Omar said yesterday that the cost to build such houses under the People’s Housing Project (PPR) in Seri Iskandar and Kamunting Perak would come up to RM165,000 per unit.

Ngeh, who is also Sitiawan state assemblyman, however, pointed out that the Perak Government has set the ceiling price at RM70,000 for a low-cost unit, while the ceiling price for a medium cost unit was RM140,000.

“If the state government builds a unit of housing under the People’s Housing Project at RM165,000 per unit, something is amiss.

“Otherwise, more public funds would be lost as more such projects are being planned in the state,” Ngeh said in a statement today, calling for the MACC to act immediately.

Ngeh also urged Perak Menteri Besar Zambry Abdul Kadir to clarify if the said RM165,000 was inclusive of the land cost. If it is inclusive of the land cost, he argued, there’s still prima facie, an element of corrupt practice.

“The price is way higher than what it should be. If it’s excluding the land cost, the corrupt practice is on a larger scale.”

Earlier this week, Noh announced that some 350 units of homes under the PPR in Seri Iskandar and Kamunting will be launched soon.

He said that the projects comprised 99 units of landed property in Seri Iskandar and 260 apartment units in Kamunting.