KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 — A RM3 billion fund for first-time house buyers, fair and accessible housing tribunal for landlords and tenants disputes, and a government-led maintenance committee for low-cost flats is among what Pakatan Harapan (PH) is offering in its manifesto for housing policies.
Rajiv Rishakaran, DAP’s state assemblyman for Bukit Gasing said that these are their promises should they be elected as the next government at a special press conference at the DAP Headquarters here today.
He said many first-time buyers’ loan applications have been rejected in the past due to not having proper documents because they are freelance workers or have informal jobs.
“The reality is also that for this category of house buyers, renting will likely be more expensive than servicing a bank loan.
“For example, an RM250,000 house will cost the buyer RM1,143 of instalment per month, and for that same type of property, the rent may be between RM1000-1200.
“In another example, low-cost flats that cost RM42,000 will incur a monthly instalment of RM200 to RM250 a month while renting it will likely cost between RM400-600 per month,” said Rajiv.
He added that PH’s administration had initiated a smaller RM1 billion loan guarantee fund in 2019 before it was cancelled in 2020 due to a change of government.
He said a fair housing tribunal is also needed as the party has received many complaints from landlords and tenants alike.
He pointed out that the housing tribunal exists in other countries and will serve as a more cost-effective option as opposed to the current legal option, with only RM100 needed to file a case, and the tribunal is likely to provide a verdict within a week or two.
“Landlords believe that they should be able to pick and choose their tenants and had stereotyped a segment of Malaysians, especially the Indians, due to horror stories that they have heard from their friends and family.
“This is because when there is damage to their property or loss due to unpaid rent, there is no simple solution to reclaim their loss,” said Rajiv.
He, however, added that there are also cases where the landlords failed to do their jobs such as maintaining the quality of the property after collecting the rent on time.
He said that in the manifesto a housing committee among low-cost flats (PPR) to provide basic services such as rubbish disposal, maintenance of lifts and corridors, and cleaning drains has also been drafted.
He cited reports that showed PPR residents are living in poor conditions and they are unable to form their own management committee, leaving their environment unsafe and not suitable for living.
Pakatan Harapan was elected as the government in 2018 but events took an unexpected turn after one of the major parties Bersatu defected and formed Perikatan Nasional, causing PH to lose their majority in Parliament.
