Perodua May Build Employee Housing Near Plant, HQ

Malaysian auto maker Perodua wants to work with a property developer to build affordable homes for at least half of its 7,000 employees at its plant and headquarters in Rawang, 22 miles (35 km) north of Kuala Lumpur.

Managing Director Aminar Rashid Salleh tells a media briefing that 45%-50% of the staff already have their own homes.

“We want to help cater to the remaining 50% of our employees in light of the rising cost of living,” The Star newspaper quotes him as saying. “We want to build the houses as close to our plant as possible. We want to come up with something that can meet their budgets.”

The Business Times quotes Salleh as saying the lack of quality housing near its HQ makes it hard for Perodua to attract young graduate employees, and the planned development will help the auto maker draw more talent for executive and other posts.

Earlier this year, Perodua bought 64 acres (26 ha) of land adjacent to its headquarters from its parent, UMW, for RM16.7 million ($5.4 million). It announced plans for new facilities including a mosque with a capacity for 3,500 people and a child-care center.

“The plans we have in place for this land will be a great boost to our staff welfare and is part and parcel of our promise to place people first in whatever we do,” Salleh said during the signing ceremony in May.

At the time, Perodua said it also was meeting with developers to discuss the most feasible means of meeting its workers’ accommodation needs.

“The concept, if accepted and approved, will create a Perodua Community area, which will not only improve productivity but will create a ‛peace of mind’ atmosphere among Perodua staff, since their workplace is near their home,” Salleh said then.

He tells the briefing Perodua has named an architect to design the mosque, but the plan otherwise still is in its preliminary stages. “We are not going into the business of developing houses, but there's the need for affordable houses for our employees.”