Govt Builds Low-Cost Apartment for Students in Malang
Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla signs an inscription during the inauguration of a Rusunawa (low-cost apartment), at the Muhammadiyah University of Malang. (Photo by: Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing)
Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Saturday (6/4) inaugurated a low-cost apartment at the compound of Muhammadiyah University of Malang (UMM) in Malang, East Java.
On that occasion, Kalla appreciated the spirit and ideas held by the university in encouraging students research. He also applauded the university for highly upholding diversity.
The low-cost apartment building has four floors with the capacity of 50 units of type-24 and can accommodate as many as 196 students. The construction of this low-cost apartment costs Rp 10.6 Billion.
In the meantime, Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono stressed that occupants of the apartment should be able to adapt, adding that living in a vertical housing is different from a living normal house. According to him, one of the keys is tolerance.
“Living in an apartment will change the way we live. We must have a lot of empathy to make our living in the apartment comfortable,” he said.
In the meantime, Directorate General of Housing Provision to Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing Khalawi Abdul Hamid explained that the Ministry had built 46 low-cost apartment towers in East Java province alone. He added that a total of 27 towers were built by the Housing Development Working Unit and 19 towers by the Specific Non-Vertical Working Unit (SNVT) of East Java Province Housing.
“The low-cost apartments are intended for students, workers, low-income communities, civil servants, and students at Islamic Boarding Schools,” he said, while expressing hopes that students who live in those low-cost apartments can have a bigger enthusiasm in learning. He added that the rent is cheaper than boarding out of campus.
Meanwhile, Rector of UMM Fauzan expressed his appreciation for the support given by Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing in the education sector through the construction of this low-cost apartment. (BKP Ministry of PUPR/EN)
Translated by : Fairuzzamani Inayatillah
Edited by : M. Ersan Pamungkas
