Improved Credit Guarantee Scheme to benefit 20,000 home buyers, KPKT wants Kedah, Kelantan to expedite land ownership change for three PPR projects and more
25th July – 1st Aug
A total of 20,000 first-time home buyers will benefit from the improved Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme.
Meanwhile, the state governments of Kedah and Kelantan have been urged by the Local Government Development Ministry (KPKT) to expedite the change in land ownership for three People’s Housing Project (PPR) projects to facilitate the handover of the housing units to the homebuyers.
1. Improved Credit Guarantee Scheme to benefit 20,000 home buyers
A total of 20,000 first-time homebuyers will benefit from the improved Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme.
Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said the scheme aims to help individuals with no fixed income such as business owners, gig economy workers, traders or small entrepreneurs to purchase their own home, reported Bernama.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced the enhancement on the scheme by raising the financing guarantees from 100% to 120% of the house price.
He noted that the government had allocated RM5 billion to improve the scheme.
Anwar added that the scheme – which will be applicable to homes worth up to RM300,000 – will cover all homeownership costs via the loan, including the legal fees, principal financing amount, insurance, valuation fees, renovations costs and furniture purchase, reported the New Straits Times.
Meanwhile, Nga revealed that a total of 6,808 loans have been approved under the schemes as of 31 January 2023.
2. KPKT wants Kedah, Kelantan to expedite land ownership change for three PPR projects
The state governments of Kedah and Kelantan have been urged by the Local Government Development Ministry (KPKT) to expedite the change in land ownership for three People’s Housing Project (PPR) projects to facilitate the handover of the housing units to the homebuyers.
The projects – Kuala Nerang PPR, Air Hitam PPR in Jerlun, Kedah as well as Macang PPR in Kelantan – have been delayed due to land ownership issues, reported Bernama.
Noting that the ministry has fulfilled all conditions and completed the project, KPKT Deputy Minister Ikmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir called on the two state governments to cooperate to resolve the matter.
He made the statement following the handover of offer letters to Kuala Nerang PPR buyers. Notably, around 50 recipients of the project’s second phase received their offer letters.
He pointed that the change in land ownership issue has affected the sale of Kuala Nerang PPR units since its completion in 2019.
“Initially, the PPR was handed over to the Kedah state government, but the state decided that the sales would be implemented by KPKT, but the process has been delayed due to issues over the land ownership change,” said Akmal.
3. MP calls for sustainable urban transport system for PJ
With the cancellation of the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link project, Selayang MP William Leong has called for the creation of a task force that would explore a sustainable urban transport system for Petaling Jaya.
He noted that the task force would look into upgrading public transport, adopting “green” travel modes, reducing dependence on cars and improving the urban poor’s access to public transport, reported Free Malaysia Today.
“The task force should acknowledge that traffic congestion is not solved by the construction of additional highways or by building new flyovers or tunnels,” said Leong.
He added that the setting up of a task force would put to rest fears about the emergence of another elevated highway project under a different name.
In scrapping the Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link project, the Selangor government said the social impact assessment for the elevated highway project was not satisfactory.
The highway project would have connected the northern and southern parts of Petaling Jaya as it runs through Petaling Jaya Utara, Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Petaling Jaya city centre, Taman Dato’ Harun, Taman Medan Baru, Taman Sri Manja, Bandar Kinrara and Bukit Jalil Technology Park.
4. Selangor traditional villages may receive freehold status
Traditional villages in Selangor may get freehold status once a proposal to convert them from leasehold status is approved.
Caretaker Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the freehold status is aimed at preserving the state’s traditional villages, most of which are bumiputra settlements, reported The Star.
“The state government needs to ensure it will not be burdened with higher costs when upgrading the infrastructure in these areas, which involves acquiring plots for building utilities like electricity grids, water pipes and roads,” said Amirudin.
He also revealed that Selangor has approved more than 8,000 applications for land ownership since 2008.
Most of the applications involved squatter settlements as well as those constructed on Temporary Occupation Licence (TOL) land, he said after handing out 5A notices to property owners in Hulu Kelang.
The 46 property owners had applied for an extension of their property’s leasehold period. The 5A notices provide information on premium as well as other related payments.
A land office spokesperson said the property owners should settle the payments within six months.
5. Felda may partner with private sector to build houses
To address the issue of abandoned Felda New Generation Housing Projects (PGBF), Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) Chairman Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek suggested offering a plot of land where settlers could build their own home.
Felda could also partner with the private sector to develop housing within Felda districts, he said.
The PGBF programme, which provided settlers with housing below market value, had to be discontinued due to high subsidy issues, leading to many projects being halted, reported the New Straits Times.
Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), said that Felda has been working on abandoned PGBF homes that are 70% complete, with a RM296.5 million allocation.
