DEVELOPERS in Penang should participate in building affordable housing and adding green spaces.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said when the state requested developers to build affordable housing, it was doing so with moral authority.

?As the sustained demand for property in Penang is indicative of its buoyant economy, we want to ensure that those not in the top earning bracket can also own property.

?To be an international city and a habitat of choice, Penang must have affordable housing,? he said.

?You cannot just be a city for the movers and shakers. It must be a city for all,? he said in a dialogue with the panellists of the Star Property Fair 2011 Roundtable talk held at the Star Northern Hub yesterday.

The state government is building affordable housing units on a 60.7ha site in Batu Kawan, priced from RM72,000 to RM220,000.

?We have established the Penang Housing Board not just to regulate and monitor housing matters in the state, but also to ensure a planned setting for affordable housing that includes green features,? Lim said.

The panellists who participated in the dialogue included DNP Land Sdn Bhd (northern region) general manager K.C. Tan, IJM Properties Sdn Bhd general manager (north) Toh Chin Leong, Ivory Properties Group Bhd deputy chairman and executive director Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff, Lone Pine Group of Companies general manager Mabel Ooi, SP Setia Bhd (north) general manager S. Rajoo, Mah Sing Group Bhd general manager (northern region) Low Eng Hooi, Sunway City Bhd general manager Tan Hun Beng, Henry Butcher Malaysia (Penang) Sdn Bhd director Dr Teoh Poh Huat, and Real Estate Housing Developers Association (Penang) chairman Datuk Jerry Chan.

The roundtable talk was moderated by Star Publications (M) Bhd regional manager (operations) Chung Chok Yin.

Lim said he wanted to leave a legacy as a chief minister who created pockets of green space on the island.

On the rise of land prices in Penang, he said the people?s con-fidence in Penang was one of the reasons for property prices rising.

?Confidence, which is intangible, is even more important than economic numbers.

?There is also the feel-good factor, experienced by the locals and those who live outside Penang,? he said.

?That is why they are willing to invest in Penang,? he added.

Lim said that last year, the total value of property transacted increased to RM3.6bil, up by 36% from RM2.6bil in 2009.

?There was a 57% growth of pro-perty purchased by foreigners from RM96mil in 2009 to RM151mil last year,? he said.

Meanwhile, Star Publications (M) Bhd executive director Tan Sri Kamal Hashim said the Star Pro-perty Fair, which started in 2002, had been growing.

?We started organising the event at the Penang International Sports Arena and since then it has grown larger.

?This year we have 24 booths at the G Hotel and 20 booths at Gurney Plaza, with a total of 34 exhibitors,? he said.

The roundtable talk is a prelude to the ninth Star Property Fair 2011 in Penang that will be held at Gurney Plaza and the adjoining G Hotel from July 21 to July 24.

Organised by The Star in co-operation with Henry Butcher Penang, the fair is open to the public from 10am to 10pm daily and admission is free.

SOURCE: The Star