KUALA LUMPUR: More than half of Malaysia's 1.3 million civil servants, or 688,663 (52.9%), do not own their own homes, says Dr Zaliha Mustafa.
The Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Federal Territories) said the majority, with 431,277, are from the implementation group.
"Currently, approximately 1,300,680 civil servants are still in service, while 950,356 have retired," she said.
She said the government has also implemented the Malaysian Civil Servants Housing Programme (PPAM) to help civil servants, especially those with low and moderate incomes, to own homes across the country, especially in major cities.
She cited that through the PPAM initiative, so far as many as 36,479 civil servants have signed the Sale and Purchase Agreement.
"From this number, 87% of buyers, that is 31,942 people, are civil servants earning below RM5,000 per month. This data shows that the targeted group of civil servants have received benefits from the implementation of the PPAM program," she said during the Minister'S Question Time on Tuesday (Nov 26).
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek read the answers on behalf of Dr Zaliha.
In the Budget 2025 presentation, Zaliha said the government has allocated as much as RM466,657,200.00 to continue the implementation of the PPAM program nationwide.
Meanwhile, she said the ministry is reviewing proposals to establish a new policy regarding the duration of occupancy in government quarters, particularly for the PPAM.
"However, based on my discussions with officers, we found that if an exit policy is to be framed, it should not be implemented simplistically, such as only setting a maximum period of 10 years for occupants.
"Instead, special considerations should be given to occupants with specific needs, such as health factors or plans to retire and return to their hometown," she added.
Zaliha added that government quarters are only provided for public officials required to live near their workplace or in remote areas without private rental options.
She said the existing priority policy gives special consideration to civil servants facing difficulties or with disabilities, allowing them earlier access to government quarters. Newly appointed young civil servants must wait their turn through standard procedures.
The PPAM housing program is open to civil servants on permanent or contract appointments with the government, state agencies, and statutory bodies.
