KUALA LUMPUR: The National Housing Policy 2026-2035 must go beyond delivering lower-priced homes, with stakeholders calling for more liveable developments, improved financing access and better connectivity for buyers.
While the people-centred policy provides clarity for the sector, Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia executive committee member Datuk Seri Azmir Merican said affordability alone does not guarantee demand.
“A home can be cheap, but it must also have decent amenities and meet certain quality standards for people to want to buy,” he added.
He noted that it is tough for developers to control prices with rising land, construction and compliance costs, as well as long approval processes.
PR1MA Corporation Malaysia group chief executive officer Brian Iskandar Zulkarim said the policy could make homeownership more attainable for middle-income households by promoting holistic planning, broader financing mechanisms and stronger market sustainability.
He, however, said access to financing remained a hurdle for many M40 families.
Lower-priced homes may also be located far from workplaces and public transport, increasing household spending through commuting costs and travel time, he added.
“Affordable housing is about building quality homes in the right locations, at the right price and with the right product offering, supported by good connectivity and accessible financing,” he said.
Meanwhile, Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) chief executive officer Mohd Jamil Idris said rising prices of building materials and fuel continue to affect efforts to provide first homes for B40 households, particularly young families.
He said many applicants for SPNB’s Rumah Mesra Rakyat (RMR) programme comprise young parents.
“These groups face constraints in obtaining their first home,” he said, adding that the government had raised the construction allocation for each RMR unit from RM75,000 to RM90,000, allowing SPNB to continue providing homes despite rising construction costs.
SPNB, he said, is targeting the construction of some 6,545 RMR units this year and 6,800 units next year, as part of efforts to support the government’s affordable housing target under the 13th Malaysia Plan.
