The projects are TNB’s 1st joint effort with PKNS and has helped pay off the homeowners’ arrears totalling RM226,925, says TNB CCO

By HARIZAH KAMEL / Pic By BERNAMA

TENAGA Nasional Bhd (TNB) is collaborating with Selangor State Development Corp (PKNS) to help low-income groups to own houses through its Baiti Jannati Project (PBJ) and Mesra Rakyat Project (PMR).

TNB chief corporate officer (CCO) Datuk Roslan Ab Rahman said the projects are the company’s first joint effort with PKNS and has helped pay off the homeowners’ arrears totalling RM226,925.

“Through this cooperation, TNB and PKNS identified those who are eligible for zakat and after receiving the approval of the Selangor Zakat Board, we will resolve the outstanding home payments they are living in. In addition, we will also upgrade and repair their houses.

“We have allocated RM50,000 for each house and today we are handing over seven completed houses to the owners,” he told reporters after the mock-key handing over ceremony in Shah Alam, Selangor, last Friday.

Of the seven houses, six were through PBJ and one from PMR, were handed to families who have been long-time residents of the PKNS Sri Perantau apartment in Port Klang.

Roslan also said he hoped to double the number of houses to be given next year and that the cooperation with PKNS would enable them to identify the urban poor living in PKNS houses.

Meanwhile, PKNS COO Siti Zubaidah Abd Jabar said the efforts were forged due to the rising number of low-income groups in the state of Selangor, especially in the city and suburban areas.

“We are pleased with the cooperation and contribution that TNB provided for helping PKNS home buyers who were less able to repay the balance of payments.

“Social issues and morals begin at home, hence, by owning proper houses, societies will be more positive,” she said.

The PBJ is TNB’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to repair, build and finance the purchase of homes for those in need, including single mothers, the elderly, the disabled and the poor living in rural areas. It was held every year and usually, TNB would identify the houses to be built with the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL).

PMR is another CSR project by TNB which targets multicultural homeowners living in rural areas in dilapidated housing conditions.

The implementation of the PMR was done in collaboration with the State Secretary of Selangor and local authorities such as DBKL, PKNS and Selangor Housing and Real Property Board through the mediation of state-level TNB offices in four core divisions, namely retail, generation, grid and distribution network.