Sabah gets higher quota for hardcore poor housing units

KOTA KINABALU - Sabah has been allotted a higher quota in the construction of houses under the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme for this year - 700 compared to 400 for last year, the state legislative assembly was told today.

Sabah Assistant Minister for Rural Development Harun Durabi said repairs would also be made to the existing 2,900 units of houses under the programme.

Replying to an oral question from Mohd Arsad Bistari (BN-Tempasuk), he said the ministry would look into the allocation of the new houses under the programme based on the needs of every state constituency or district.

Meanwhile, Sabah Special Functions Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif, replying to an oral question from Ruslan Muharam (GRS-Lumadan), said the Sabah Islamic Library located near the Sabah Islamic Religious Council (Muis) was expected to operate fully in May.

"The library will establish cooperation with several public libraries and those at institutions of higher learning in the country and abroad to build its collection of reference books,” he said.

He also said that the management of the library was handled jointly by Muis and the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department. - BERNAMA