The government of Malaysia recently announced that it will construct around 78,000 new low-cost houses all across the country. To be built under the Tenth Malaysia Plan, the low-cost housing units will be allocated to qualified individuals and families with a monthly income below 2,500 Malaysian ringgit (MYR 2,500). The decision has been taken by the government as part of its strategy to increase the monthly income of the bottom 40 per cent of the people in the country. The low-cost housing units provided by the National Housing Department under its public housing schemes typically have a floor area of around 700 square feet. These are typically constructed at subsidies of 30–75 per cent on the the total construction costs, and are sold at MYR 42,000 to the qualified families and individuals. |
