Petition handed to “right the wrong” housing policies

Both New Macau Association (ANM) lawmakers, Ng Kuok Cheong and Au Kam San, have called on the Macau government to correct the allegedly misleading contents of the public consultation regarding the scheme that allows residents to acquire residential property (the scheme).
The lawmakers submitted a petition stating that the government must not avoid some crucial issues, such as the re-establishment of a waiting list, when consulting the public in a review of the affordable housing law.
Ng Kuok Cheong argued that many residents have come to the ANM office, and pointed out that the consultation on the scheme for residents to acquire residential property is highly misleading. They believe that the crucial issue concerns the land resources, which they said the government had only “gently touched” on in the consultation.
“[The government] has not provided the chance for residents to express their opinions on whether they want to include all the future reclamation lands and the 43,000 units on it into the Macau Property for Macau Residents (MPMR) policy, as well as using them as resources for different types of public housing projects.”
Ng Kuok Cheong said that many residents have already criticized the government over the issue. He hopes that the administration can correct their mistake and turn the scheme back to focusing on MPMR in the future reclamation lands.
“[Questions include] how much affordable housing, or other new types of public housing, is the government planning [to put on] the future reclamation area, as well as when they are going to be built. The government must give details to the residents over these issues.”
Moreover, the lawmaker predicted that the government will start consulting the public regarding the review of the affordable housing law. Ng Kuok Cheong and Au Kam San want the government to focus on the real issues of the law, including whether the points system and a waiting list should be re-introduced.   JPL