Rehda condemns action of governing officials owning low-cost flats

KUALA LUMPUR: Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association (Rehda) Malaysia condemns the acts of governing officials in purchasing low-cost housing meant for low-income groups as reported in a daily newspaper on May 21.

“Such forms of abuse are disappointing for the industry players who have worked hard over the years to cross-subsidise such affordable housing to achieve the nation’s social agenda. We have shouldered such a task as required by the government despite rising costs throughout the years, only to have profiteering government servants make use of this system for their own ends,” Rehda President Datuk Ng Seing Liong, said in a press statement on the same day.

The statement also states that such acts undermine the spirit of the low-cost housing system and make a mockery of developers’ efforts in fulfilling their social obligations as directed by the government.

To apply for a low-cost home, a family’s income must be less than RM2,500 a month. A loophole in the system allows council officers to deduct house expenses from their household salaries to below the RM2,500 mark, which then qualifies them for such low-cost housing. The daily newspaper’s article states that about 500 employees of Petaling Jaya City Council own low-cost homes.