To the incoming Malaysian government: universal housing, please

Wrong view: The problem that we are facing now in our public housing programmes has much to do with our view that this type of housing is just welfare for the poor, says the writer. ­— Filepic/The Star

IS housing for all a utopia? Is it possible for us to imagine universal and unconditional housing for all, where homes are provided as a matter of a right, endowed upon us as human beings instead of treated as a commodity only for the privileged? I personally would like to think so.

With the upcoming 15th General Election (GE15) on Nov 19, political parties are talking up their manifestos, laying out proposals for economic rejuvenation, creating jobs, combating corruption, etc, etc. Of course, the topic of housing did not miss their attention. However, although some of their plans and offers are good and worth exploring, they are still stuck on “fixing” the problem rather than overhauling the entire ecosystem.