Rumah Kasih Johor Offers Fresh Start For Residents In Flood-prone Areas

By Nur Fadhliana Shaari

KULAI, May 25 (Bernama) -- For more than three decades, whenever the monsoon season arrives, Hamimah Haris, 64, has had just one concern, her family’s safety as their home has grown increasingly dilapidated and tilted after repeated floods.

However, the senior citizen from Kampung Murni Jaya can now breathe a sigh of relief after being selected as one of the beneficiaries of the Rumah Kasih Johor (RKJ) programme, a free housing initiative by the state government for those in need.

Hamimah said the new three-bedroom home she has lived in since 2024 is not only more solid, but also built on higher ground and includes a special access walkway to help her husband, Mahat Panot, 69, who is disabled following a stroke, move around more easily.

“Our old house had started to tilt because it was frequently flooded. We never felt safe, so when we found out about RKJ, we applied straight away. Recently, there was a bit of flooding again, but because this house is built on raised ground, thankfully, the water didn’t enter,” she told Bernama.

Hamimah, who is a petty trader, also expressed her gratitude to Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and state Housing and Local Government Committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor for their care and attention towards people in need like her.

Residents of Kampung Sungai Siam here have also been given some respite after receiving free, more comfortable and safer homes, ending years of feeling anxious whenever heavy rain hits the area.

Norma S.M Hamid Sultan, 67, said her former home near her current residence was prone to flooding during heavy rain, as it sits on low-lying ground.

The single mother of nine said the situation had been a heavy burden for villagers, who often had to replace their furniture and struggled with movement as well as their daily routines.

“That’s why we are happy this new house is built on raised ground, and we hope that when it rains heavily in the future, it won’t flood anymore. House prices are very high these days, so when the government provides free homes like this, it really makes a big difference for low-income families,” she said.

Norma, who applied last year and is expected to move into the house this June, said she felt both happy and emotional as she recalled the difficulties she went through after her husband died of heart disease about 14 years ago.

Fellow villager, Norazizah Ismail, 54, who had lived in a family home for 11 years, said she and her husband, Ramli Mahat, 59, were grateful to be able to live more comfortably after years of facing annual floods.  

She said the application process began in November 2024, adding that she has been living in the new three-bedroom, one-bathroom house, which measures 600 square feet, since last February.

“Alhamdulillah, the process was made easy. When we got this new house, we really felt a sense of relief and deep gratitude…when the government builds homes on higher ground like this, we feel much safer and more at ease,” she said.

A Kampung Murni Jaya resident, Dolmat Dollah, 64, described the free house built on his wife, Fauziah Mat Mali’s, inherited land in Sedenak as a blessing, after years of living in his parents’ home, which is located on land owned by his brother.

“As the head of the family, I’ve long wanted a home of my own. Before this, we were staying with others, so it never felt the same, because we never knew what the future might bring.

“When we were given this RKJ house, it was such a relief and really took a weight off our minds. At last, we have a home of our own,” said the father of three, who is expected to move in next month, adding that the approval and construction process was quick and straightforward.

Meanwhile, Sedenak subdistrict chief Mohd Amirul Ali Zulkifli said the RKJ initiative has significantly improved the lives of many people, especially those from low-income groups who struggled to own a home.

“These houses are not just a place to shelter; they also give recipients a sense of confidence and dignity. Some had previously been staying with family members and moving from one place to another,” he said, adding that between 15 and 23 houses in Kampung Sungai Siam are usually affected whenever floods occur.

This year, the Johor state government has added another 200 free RKJ homes, bringing the total to 700, up from an initial target of 500 units.

So far, a total of 477 RKJ homes have been planned and rolled out across 10 districts and 26 parliamentary constituencies in the state, with 217 completed, 48 currently under construction and another 212 still in the planning stage.

The state government has also improved the eligibility criteria, including raising the per capita poverty line from RM652 to around RM850, to allow more low-income households to be considered for the free housing scheme.

Greater flexibility has also been introduced, including the use of family land such as plots owned by parents or siblings with the owner’s consent, as well as special consideration for cases outside the e-Kasih (national poverty database) list.

-- BERNAMA