Zuraida: Law to curb racist practices by landlords, tenants to be tabled by year end

KUALA LUMPUR (April 14): Will racist tendencies be a thing of the past in the home rental market soon?

It looks like viral incidences of racist practices by landlords and tenants have caught the attention of the government.

A new Bill to battle racial discrimination in the housing market is expected to undergo its first reading in Parliament at the end of this year, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin revealed in an interview with The Star.

“The new law will not only curb racist practices by landlords and tenants, but will also ensure both get a fair deal with better protection and no manipulation,” Zuraida explained to the daily.

“Under this Act, we can set a maximum cap of rental rates in housing areas, especially for low cost housing projects.

“This is to avoid landlords from simply charging a high price which doesn’t commensurate with the property. Some irresponsible landlords charge a higher rate to foreigners and this is unfair,” she added.