SHAH ALAM, March 5 — Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said a total of 115,095 applicants are on the waiting list for the state’s affordable homes programme Rumah Selangorku.

Amirudin was responding to Bukit Lanjan assemblyman Pua Pei Ling who asked about the Rumah Selangorku programme during the question-and-answer session in the Selangor state legislative assembly sitting today.

“For the period 2018 to 2023, there were 95 Rumah Selangorku housing projects with 30,327 housing units completed and keys handed over to buyers.

“The number of applications is as follows: from 2018 to 2023, there was a total of 187,243 applicants, with 42,238 applications made. Of the latter, 29,910 ended up rejecting the offers made. The current waiting list is around 115,095,” he said.

Amirudin explained that most applicants rejected the offers after having trouble with their home financing applications.

“The units are on a ‘first-come, first-served’ basis. For those who have been offered a home but reject it, the majority do so due to housing loans. That’s why we have the ‘Smart Sewa’ programme that allows homebuyers to rent for five years with us, after which, the money will be returned to them in the form of a house deposit,” he said.

Affordable housing has become a hot topic, especially with Malaysia’s economy still recovering from the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Many Malaysians find it difficult to obtain financing to purchase a home, particularly in the current economic climate.

Rumah Selangorku was established in 2014 with the aim of delivering affordable houses to qualifying residents in the state.

Yesterday, state Housing and Culture Exco chairman, Borhan Aman Shah, said as of January 31, a total of 60,843 ‘Rumah Selangorku’ units have been launched, representing progress towards the pledged 200,000 units outlined in last year’s state election manifesto.

During the Selangor state election last August, the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional coalition, under the ‘Kita Selangor: Lima Tekad untuk Lima Tahun’ initiative, pledged the construction of 200,000 units of Kediaman Kita Selangor houses within five years as part of their commitment if elected to form the state government.