Dream come true: All the first-time home owners posing for a group photo after casting their ballots at Wisma Penang Garden.

Some 50 first-time unit buyers went one step closer to their dream of home ownership at the M Summit Group’s Taman Ria and Ramah Pavilion balloting session in Penang.

At the event held at the group’s office in Wisma Penang Garden recently, the buyers for the projects in Teluk Kumbar came as early as 8.30am to cast bal-lots.

Taman Ria offers 17 storeys of 150 low-cost (LC) and 150 low medium-cost (LMC) flats while Ramah Pavilion is a two-tower apartment project consisting of 759 units in the Andira Tower and Barbarea Tower which are 39 and 36 stories respectively.

Network analyst P. Pathmase-karan, 33, was happy to finally obtain a RM79,000 LMC unit in Taman Ria.

“It is about time. I’ve waited for this for five years.

“I have my mum to thank as she was constantly running to the Penang Island City Council office to help me get my unit,” he said.

Father of three Tan Kok Tong, 39, waited for seven years to own a home.

He was relieved to finally obtain a Taman Ria LMC flat for his family.

“Previously, my family and I were staying with my parents in a rented house in Teluk Kumbar. Now, my children can have their own rooms,” he said.

M Summit Group managing director Datuk Albert Moh said 30% to 40% of units in Taman Ria had been taken up while Ramah Pavilion recorded a 30% take-up rate.

“Another 20% of applications for the Ramah Pavilion project is pending state approval.

“Piling work for the project will go into full swing soon.

“We have also started construction of the reinforced concrete bridge which will be the main access to the Ramah Pavilion project,” he said.

State Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo, who was also present at the balloting, said there had been an increase in people applying for affordable housing since November last year.

“In a mere 130 days, we have seen an increase of 28% in applicants for the RM200,000 affordable housing units.

“As for the RM300,000 units, we have seen a 61% increase in applications and there is a 42.5% increase for flats costing RM400,000.”

Source: StarProperty.my