GEORGE TOWN, Jan 19 — The DAP-led Penang government today announced the rebranding of low-cost and medium-cost houses to affordable housing types A and B.

With the rebranding, low-cost houses costing RM42,000 each will now be known as affordable housing type A and medium-cost houses priced at RM72,500, as affordable housing type B.

State Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said houses priced at RM150,000 each would be known as affordable housing type C; a house worth RM200,000 as type D; that costing RM300,000 as type E, and one costing RM400,000 as type F.

He said the Penang government had been studying the said rebranding based primarily on the fact that the word “low”, which has a very negative connotation and would bring about a stigma to the purchasers of such units.

“Further, it was noted that purchasers of such units would inevitably be first-time home buyers and it would not be proper to have such a connotation through such a label being given to their first roof over their head,” he said at a press conference, here, today.

However, he added, there might be legal implications as a result of such rebranding as there were several statutes that referred specifically to “low-cost” housing, which might require amendment. — Bernama