A FACEBOOK video claiming that the Malaysian government has launched a free public housing programme has been making the rounds on social media, drawing thousands of likes, shares and comments.
The post states that anyone aged 21 and above is eligible to apply, including foreigners, with no deposit, no rent and no loan required.
But is the government really giving away free houses to the public, including foreign nationals?
Verdict:
FALSE
The claim that the government is offering free housing to the public, including foreigners, is false, according to fact-checking website MyCheck.my.
The Facebook post, which garnered more than 4,000 likes, over 500 shares and more than 1,000 comments, was uploaded by an account using the name "Perumahan Kebajikan Kerajaan di Malaysia".
The account, which had more than 1,600 followers at the time of writing, was created on March 27, 2024, and contained 17 posts, all related to free housing advertisements.
When interested users enquired about further details such as location, the account operator asked them to send private messages rather than responding publicly.
MyCheck.my investigated by posing as an interested applicant, and was directed to a WhatsApp group where the application process would supposedly be explained.
There, they were told that a legal fee of between RM600 and RM3,200, depending on the type of property, was required for a lawyer to prepare a transfer of ownership contract.
MyCheck.my noted that requests for upfront payments, particularly for something as implausible as a free house, are a classic scammer tactic.
The application form accessible via the provided link also posed a phishing risk, potentially exposing personal data to fraudsters.
Several suspicious elements were found upon closer inspection of the account.
It was categorised under "Fashion Accessories" despite all its content being about government housing, which MyCheck.my described as highly unusual for any legitimate public housing initiative.
The first video uploaded to the account featured a man speaking Malay with what appeared to be a foreign accent, and the content was believed to be AI-generated.
Several videos also used images of the King of Malaysia, Sultan Ibrahim and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the start of the clips.
A reverse image search confirmed that both images had been edited to include captions promoting the free housing scheme.
The image of Sultan Ibrahim was taken from his official Facebook account, and the image of Anwar was from a press conference outside Istana Negara on Nov 22, 2022, after he was appointed as Malaysia's 10th Prime Minister.
MyCheck.my also found that a link in the account directed users to a video of Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming at a press conference, but with his audio muted and replaced with subtitles about the free housing programme.
Tracing the original video, MyCheck.my found that the press conference was held at the Mapex 2023 Property Expo at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, where the minister was actually speaking about efforts to address abandoned housing projects and homes for the B40 group, not any free housing programme.
A check on the Housing and Local Government Ministry's official website confirmed that government housing programmes focus on affordable housing, assistance and subsidies.
These include the People's Housing Programme, PR1MA, Youth Transit Homes and the Rumah Mesra Rakyat scheme.
The People's Housing Programme, for example, which provides comfortable, safe and affordable housing for low-income groups, charges a monthly rent of RM124, with sale prices ranging from RM35,000 to RM42,000 per unit depending on location.
A ministry spokesperson confirmed to MyCheck.my that the video did not include details of any developer, implementing agency, licence number or official scheme reference.
"The National Housing Department and the ministry have never provided or promoted a free housing initiative as advertised on that Facebook account," the spokesperson said.
For those seeking accurate information about public housing projects or programmes, the ministry provides the TEDUH portal, which covers public and private housing projects nationwide and is searchable by project name, scheme, state and price.
The public is advised not to be easily deceived by unreasonable offers and to refer only to official ministry channels and websites to avoid falling victim to fraud.
References:
1. https://mycheck.my/more.php?
