KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 17 ― Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wants the practice of soliciting and giving commissions in the implementation of any development projects, including housing, to be stopped immediately.

He said the government has never prevented any company from conducting its operations and earning profits, but the practice of giving commissions to any minister or political party for that purpose should not continue to persist.

"If the company is making profits, no problem, but don’t cut RM10 million or 15 million (of the company’s profit) just for a minister or any political party as practised before. This is what damages (the system). I understand many would be angry with me for addressing this issue, but everyone knows, just ask the developers in the Federal Territories.

"Am I right or am I wrong? Am I exaggerating or am I telling the truth? Without exception, everybody would say yes and that has been the practice and we have done so. I say we have to stop this nonsense,” he said when launching the Residensi Wilayah, Residensi Prihatin Madani and Madani Hawkers Centre ground-breaking ceremony at Desa Tasik Sungai Besi here today.

Anwar said that it is better for the "commission allocation” to be returned to the people by implementing more balanced development projects, including housing for low-income groups or more organised markets and hawker centres.

As for the nation’s capital, Kuala Lumpur, which is growing rapidly and driven by development, the prime minister said the unity government has set the conditions that in the construction of new housing projects, it must be balanced in order to make it a caring Madani capital city.

He said this is to ensure that the people, especially the low-income groups, would not be left out of mainstream development.

At the same time, he said the government and the private sector will continue playing an important role in ensuring more affordable housing for the groups is built.

In order to further increase the liveability of the city, Anwar said open spaces and green areas around housing projects need to be created or maintained so that they do not just become urban forests,

Developers should also create a systematic market or hawkers’ centres for the convenience of the people, he said.

"I want to see a huge shift, that in a year or two Kuala Lumpur will be well known as as a city with good landmarks, big hotels and clean stalls and beautiful in its own way,” he added.

The Residensi Wilayah and Residensi Prihatin Madani is a housing project on a 1.4-hectare land offering 1,010 units of affordable houses to first-time buyers from the targeted groups of M40 and below.

Also present at the project ground-breaking ceremony were Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali and City Mayor Datuk Kamarulzaman Mat Salleh. ― Bernama