End in sight to lift woes, PPR residents grateful to govt

Affected residents are now looking forward to a conducive living environment following the government's move to allocate a sum of RM50 million for the local government development ministry to replace worn-out and weak lifts in People's Housing Projects (PPRs) nationwide.

A survey by MalaysiaNow at several PPR units in the Klang Valley found that the initiative was well received not only by residents but also by those who frequently visit the area, including food delivery riders, healthcare workers, and parents who engage PPR residents for childcare services.

Nur Fatiah Ramli, who works in the private sector, said it has been her routine for the last five years to drop off and pick up her two children at a babysitter's home in PPR Seri Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur.

She said that one of the residents there has been taking care of her eldest child for many years.

"I take turns with my husband; if I drop them off, he will pick them up. We face a difficult time when the lift doesn't function properly, as we would get to work or return home late," she told MalaysiaNow.

Fatiah further said that because the lifts are old and dilapidated, she needs to climb up the stairs to the sixth floor, all while carrying her second child, who is only 11 months old, as well as a bag filled with baby essentials like milk, diapers, clothes, and toys.

"Fortunately, my eldest child is a bit older and can walk on their own without being carried.

"But there are times when both of them are fast asleep when we drop them off, so my husband and I have to carry them up the stairs."

In Budget 2023, the government also announced an allocation of RM367 million for the development of new PPRs that will benefit 12,400 residents.

A resident of PPR Seri Malaysia known as Syakila called the move a ray of hope in her family's lives, as they have been facing difficulties ever since her 61-year-old mother was diagnosed with kidney complications.

She said her mother needs to go for dialysis three times a week, and the faulty lifts have adversely affected her mother's movement, especially since she is unable to walk long distances.

"Climbing up and down the stairs is impossible. When the lift breaks down or is under repair, we send our mother to a relative's house in Ampang.

"She stays there because my relative lives in a terrace house, which makes it easier for us to take her to the hospital," she told MalaysiaNow.

Syakila is currently waiting for her Form Six schooling to begin, and she holds high hopes that the effort to repair and replace lifts at her residence will go smoothly.

"When the new lifts are installed, my mother can come down and socialise with her friends. She can reconnect with neighbours that she hasn't seen in a long time since she was forced to stay at my relative's house.

"That would help her regain her enthusiasm for life and worry less about her illness," she said.

On July 6, the local government development ministry approved an allocation of RM33.6 million to KL City Hall for the maintenance and repair of lifts in five PPR locations, namely PPR Bukit Jalil, Public Housing Desa Rejang, Public Housing Seri Pangkor 1, Public Housing Seri Pangkor 2, and Public Housing Seri Terengganu.

For more information on other initiatives announced in Budget 2023, visit https://belanjawan.mof.gov.my/manfaat.