Zuraida denies housing scheme launch related to Semenyih polls

SEMENYIH POLLS | Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin has denied that the launch of a housing scheme today was intended to sway voters in the upcoming Semenyih by-election.

FundMyHome-DepositKu, a scheme to help the bottom 40 percent (B40) income earners own homes, was launched at Semenyih on the fifth day of the election campaign.

The launch saw 20 housebuyers at Eco Majestic receiving keys for their new homes.

"We want to enable the homeownership of the B40 group," Zuraida said, adding that she was shocked that some buyers came from as far as Johor. 

The houses at Eco Majestic, the minister said, were completed earlier than the targeted completion date of April.

Putrajaya introduced the home ownership scheme in Semenyih last November, under which buyers will fork out 20 percent of the purchase sum, with the remainder being contributed by participating financial institutions.

FundMyHome enables first-time house buyers to obtain loans of up to RM30,000 from the ministry, which have to be repaid in full at the end of five years. The scheme is open to the first-time buyers who purchase a home priced under RM500,000.

Today's event was also attended by the platform provider of FundMyHome, EdgeProp chairperson Tong Kooi Ong.

However, Tong – who gifted Xavier Andre Justo RM8.2 million for his help in exposing wrongdoings in 1MDB last month – declined to comment when asked about Swiss authorities probing the former PetroSaudi International employee for economic espionage.

"Is this relevant to this event? I am not Justo, sorry," Tong (photo) said at a press conference after the launch.

'Don't give up'

Homemaker Hafiza Abd Rahman, who organisers mistook for a journalist, broke into tears when asking Zuraida at the press conference about eligibility for the FundMyHome scheme.

"We can't take loans. We don't have credit cards (to show our repayment track record). Someone from the bank asked us why we don't have a credit card?

"We paid our utility bills on time, make sure that we never owe any money," she said, adding that she and her husband have unsuccessfully attempted to secure a housing loan 15 times.

"I told (my husband), 'Abang, don't give up, this is the new government we can trust."

Zuraida met Hafiza in person after the press conference to explain the details of the scheme.

The homemaker later told the media that she has found her answer to home ownership with FundMyHome. - Mkini