State govts urged to share data on individuals eligible for affordable housing

KUALA LUMPUR: The Housing and Local Government Ministry is considering to create a policy to ensure the state governments to provide the ministry with the data on individuals who are eligible for affordable housing scheme.

Its Deputy Minister Senator Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad Baharuddin Shah said it was important that the affordable housing scheme would not be continuously abused by any party.

“Although the ministry has the power to build a home, but the list of those who have the right to own affordable homes are with the local councils or district offices and they refuse to share the data.

“This is because they are using the data for their own benefit including providing this affordable home based on political connection rather than on eligibility,” he told Bernama after launching the Housing + Urbanity symposium here yesterday.

Also present were the Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) president Ezumi Harzani Ismail and PAM Housing and Wellbeing Committee chairman, Norzakiah Arshad.

Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah said based on the ministry’s record, there were individuals who owned of up to three or four units of affordable homes under his name or different names.

“We will not allow this to continue, so we will look at the best mechanism including creating a special policy to obtain transparent and open data,” he said.

He said, for the time being, the ministry had to give priority to those who voluntarily provided the data to implement the affordable housing projects.