Malaysia's mid-income housing programme still on track for 2020

Around 16,682 units under 1Malaysia People’s Housing Programme (PR1MA) have been completed from 2013 to 2018, a leading housing authority revealed to legislators this week.

The figure translates to just 1.6 percent of the one million homes pledged to build under the housing scheme by 2020, according to Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad, deputy housing and local government minister.

“That is in two years’ time,” Raja Kamarul reminded the Dewan Rakyat.Set up under the 2012 PR1MA Act, the programme aims to boost home ownership among households in the middle income segment or those who earn between MYR2,500 (USD609) and MYR15,000 (USD3,654) per month.

Around MYR8 billion in total funds have been allocated on the completed units, Raja Kamarul continued. “This situation raises many doubts, because so much money has been used, but so few units have been completed.”

“We will look at the problems being faced, and see how we can restructure to tidy up the implementation,” he said, adding that the government will try to emulate housing models in other countries.

Most PR1MA homes were completed in Perak with 6,403 units, followed by Kedah with 3,341 units.

Around 130 projects, representing 131,000 units, are still under construction in 14 states. Around 268,000 units have been approved at policy stage.

Ref: Property Report