Ministry to stop ‘cheating’ through house ownership database

Deputy Minister Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah says it will prevent ineligible people from 'stealing' low-cost homes.

Deputy Minister Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah says the centralised database will contain vital information and housing application requirements, such as qualifications, financial ability, housing demand and supply at certain locations. (Bernama pic)

KUALA TERENGGANU: The housing and local government ministry will create a centralised database system that will contain various information on house ownership to ensure fair house ownership opportunity for all, especially for the low- and medium-income earners.

Deputy Minister Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad Shah said the creation of the centralised database was also believed to be able to prevent certain quarters from “stealing” what was supposed to be for others, especially in the distribution of low-cost houses.

“It is sad to know that because we don’t have the database before, many people had to wait so many years to own a low-cost and affordable home as their opportunities to do so were continuously being ‘stolen’ by certain quarters,” he told reporters after attending a dialogue with 120 Kuala Terengganu residents here last night.

He said the centralised database would contain vital information and housing application requirements, such as qualifications, financial ability, housing demand and supply at certain locations.

Raja Kamarul, who is also Terengganu Pakatan Harapan chairman, said if the housing issues were prolonged, Malaysia would always be lagging behind Singapore in terms of house ownership among the people.

“In Singapore, 90% of the people, regardless of race and religion, owned a house even though the cost of living in the country is high,” he said.

The deputy minister also expressed hope that the Terengganu government would carry out a review on land premium in the state to ensure that it would not be too high compared with the neighbouring states and that it would attract more investment to boost the state’s economy. -FMT