This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on October 19, 2015.

GEORGE TOWN: Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon wants more affordable housing developments with cycleways as part of the government’s efforts to build a cleaner, greener and sustainable state.

Mohd Rashid is determined to achieve this after his five-day visit last week to Perth, Australia, where he said he was astounded by the success of affordable housing schemes that catered to the environmental and recreational needs of residents.

He said Penang was already developing a cycleway around the island, but “I want to see more such projects around housing developments in the state”.

“Apart from getting developers to include cycleways as part of housing estate developments, we can provide other infrastructure, such as cycle racks and water stations,” he said.

Mohd Rashid, who cycles 20km from Queensbay to Komtar every Friday morning, said the waiting list of 21,000 people for affordable housing in Penang was growing, and the government had to find ways to provide more housing with better facilities.

The deputy chief minister was part of a delegation of 38 people on the visit organised by the Malaysian Institute of Master Planners ( Northern branch) to look at urban revitalisation, master-planned estates in affordable housing, and public-private partnerships that turned inner cities into global centres.

Mohd Rashid was impressed with Western Australia’s heritage laws, which allow the government to embrace the conservation of heritage buildings before they were listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation.

Experts from Western Australia could be invited to help develop Penang to world standards, he said. — The Malaysian Insider