



KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 25): A centralised database of affordable housing owners is necessary to ensure that such homes developed by the government benefits those in need, said Housing and Local Government deputy minister Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah.

“There is a serious need to streamline the government affordable housing agencies to ensure the house goes to people in need. After all, we have limited resources [to build affordable houses] and there are people who deserve one still waiting while some people already have their third or fourth affordable homes because they have connections.

“We don’t see the current system working. We are having this problem because the procedure is not transparent enough, it is confusing and we do not have a centralised database,” Kamarul told reporters at a press conference after the opening ceremony of the Malaysian Institute of Property and Facility Managers (MIPFM) Conference 2018 held here today.

To address the issue of abuse of affordable housing allocations, Kamarul said stakeholders have to work together.

“For example, we can work with bank, where they have access to check if the loan applicant had gotten any loan offer from other banks.

“This is the greatest challenge for us and it takes time to solve the problem. But it can be done, [it is] just that we have to work together and start doing it. We cannot get this over and over again and let the people who need a basis shelter keep on waiting,” Kamarul noted.

Themed “Bridging PM and FM”, the conference is organised by MIPFM. EdgeProp.my is the media partner of the one-day event.