A need to end the sell-then-build model

The idiom “missing the forest for the trees” aptly describes recent proposals addressing Malaysia’s abandoned housing projects. While these proposals identify reasons for project failures and suggest preventive measures, they largely overlook the most critical issue: the urgent need to protect homebuyers, who are often the ultimate victims of these failures.

For the average Malaysian, owning a home is not just a dream but the single largest financial commitment of a lifetime. It is precisely because of this financial and emotional significance that the protection of homebuyers must be at the heart of any housing policy reform.