JOHOR BARU: The Federal Government has successfully revived 1,333 sick and abandoned housing projects nationwide, benefiting nearly 160,000 homebuyers, says Nga Kor Ming (pic).
The Housing and Local Government Minister said the previously stalled projects have been given a new lease of life, with many buyers already receiving the keys to their homes.
“This is an achievement that required the cooperation of all parties, including civil servants, responsible developers who stepped in as rescuers, and homebuyers who showed immense patience,” he said when met after attending the Sentuhan Kejayaan programme held at Danga Bay here on Tuesday (Dec 9).
Nga said the achievement was the result of intensive efforts by the ministry’s special task force under the National Housing Department over the past three years.
He also announced that the Madani government has made history by not only meeting but exceeding its affordable housing target under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
“For the first time, a government has exceeded the target of building 500,000 affordable housing units. As of today, a total of 511,000 units have been approved, built and handed over to buyers,” he said.
Nga said Klang Valley recorded the highest number of affordable housing units built due to its dense population, followed closely by Johor.
He added that Malaysia’s home ownership rate currently stands at 76.5%, which he described as a key factor contributing to social stability.
Looking ahead, Nga expressed confidence that housing reforms introduced by his ministry would put an end to abandoned housing projects by 2030.
He said the five key reform mechanisms, which was launched last month include the Electronic Sales and Purchase Agreement (ESPA), the Housing Integrated Management System (HIMS), and audited Housing Development Accounts (HDA).
“All these mechanisms will be further strengthened in 2026 to ensure better governance and protection for homebuyers,” he said.
In a major announcement for Johor, Nga said the ministry had approved RM82mil for the construction of the state’s first Program Residensi Rakyat (PRR) in Larkin here.
He added that the integrated development will serve as a transit housing scheme for young people in Johor Baru and will be managed by the Johor Housing Development Corporation upon completion.
“The PRR will be offered especially to newly married couples and school leavers at very affordable rental rates,” he said.
Nga cited the example of the Larkin area, where a three-bedroom unit typically rents for around RM2,000, but under the PRR scheme, tenants will pay only RM600 for a three-bedroom unit or RM200 for a single room.
He said the project is currently in the tender stage, with construction expected to begin in the first quarter of next year.
