Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow urged the families, who have been given until today to leave, to consider other options such as applying for low-cost or low-medium-cost houses.

He said there were “plenty of vacant units” left under the state government’s housing projects besides the PPR low-cost units.

“We haven’t closed the door for negotiations and are willing to help them but the enforcement needs to be carried out because there are so many PPR projects that face similar problems,” Chow told reporters after launching the “Senamrobik” community programme in conjunction with International Women’s Day 2019 here today.

On Thursday, the state government offered the PPR tenants. who had camped at Komtar, rooms at a hotel managed by the Penang Islamic Religious Council (MAINPP) but this was rejected by them.

Chow said the government must be firm in its enforcement so that those more qualified to live there can move in.

“If we are not firm, then the plan to allow those who are eligible for the PPR units will be affected,” he said.

Chow said the problems at the PPR flats had been going on since their establishment because of the method used in the allocation as well as in the enforcement.

However, he said the government would continue to carry out enforcement on all such projects after the Housing Office had completed updating the information on their tenants.

A check by Bernama this morning found that six families involving more than 20 people were still seeking shelter at the Komtar lobby, about 2km from PPR Taman Manggis.

The households were ordered to vacate their units on Wednesday after they lost their eligibility but were given three days to gather their belongings.