MELAKA : The state government has spent RM641,450 to repair 39 houses across Melaka since January 1 this year. State Housing, Local Government, Drainage, Climate Change and Disaster Management Committee senior chairman Datuk Rais Yasin confirmed the expenditure through the Melaka Housing Board. He stated that all repaired houses are spread across 13 state constituencies including Kelebang. Rais explained that the cost of repairing each house depends entirely on the extent of damage sustained. “For example, the two houses repaired in the Kelebang constituency, which were handed over today, involved an allocation of RM40,000,” he told reporters at Kampung Pinang. He spoke after the Melaka Rumahku (Repair) Programme organised by LPM alongside the Kelebang constituency ‘Wakil Rakyat Untuk Rakyat’ programme. The event was also attended by Kelebang assemblyman Datuk Lim Ban Hong. Rais noted that most repaired homes were dilapidated or old structures. He identified the roof as the most commonly damaged part, making these houses unsafe for inhabitants. The Melaka Rumahku (Repair) Programme operates under the Melaka Housing Board. A separate allocation of RM1.3 million has been spent on constructing various categories of new homes for state residents. Programme recipient Poniah Ahmad expressed gratitude for receiving a more comfortable home. The 75-year-old said her house roof had been damaged and leaking for the past three years. She described having trouble sleeping whenever it rained or during strong winds. Poniah revealed that her house is more than 50 years old. Her seven children could not afford repair costs due to financial constraints. “In this house, I live with my two grandchildren and four children, including one who is a single mother, whom I depend on,” she said. She thanked the Kelebang assemblyman and state government for helping repair her damaged roof through LPM. – Bernama