One of the basic needs of a human being is to have an abode or a house to stay.
The middle income group spend a whole lifetime to pay off a housing loan, not forgetting other financial commitments that he may have to live. They literally work for the bank. Some of them may default in the instalment payments and risk their house being auctioned off if they are laid off or become unable to service the loan.
The lower middle income are given so called “low cost housing” which they also end up a lifetime to pay them off. The low income housing sector is fraught with all sort of oppressive conduct by the relevant developers. I personally know of a case where the flat has yet to be delivered to the purchasers after 15 years !
It is unfortunate, short sighted and cruel that the design of so called low cost housing has not factored the inherent spatial need of human beings. The flats are usually extremely small and built in such a way that it is going to cause social and psychological problems for the inhabitants. Is this not going to increase the social cost for society in the long run?
Even our middle income residential housing areas are not thought out proper;y. A residential area should be conducive for residence. This means it must be safe in terms of being able to walk about the residential area. Safe for children.
Today’s residential areas have become mini cities. No proper planning in terms of density and transportation congestion.
When policy makers lack compassion and a holistic approach to planning, they create sufferings for society in the long run.
Peace !
Showing posts with label Housing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Housing. Show all posts
Friday, March 9, 2018
Monday, April 20, 2009
1MALAYSIA VISION – PART 5: HOUSING POLICY
One of the fundamental duty of a responsible Government is to provide adequate, comfortable and affordable homes to its citizens. When one speaks of housing policies, many factors come into play, inter alia:
1. Size of the house
2. Environment (many “taman perumahan” are not only not tamans but not even reseidential in nature.
3. Price of the house – affordable and fair.
4. Availability of Financing and the cost of financing
5. “racial makeup” of the residents,
6. placement and role of places of worship in residential areas (unique to Malaysia)
7. Availability of the local, friendly grocery store (as opposed to mega malls!)
8. Exit and entry routes including infrastructural support.
I must confess that I have never been happy with the housing policy (if there is one) thus far. I say this from my observation of the manner in which houses are built in this country with complete or no regard for future developments around the area. One gets the feeling that somewhere along the way, the main criteria was profits and “under table” for all those who are linked to the housing industry. There are many, many low-cost houses that are abandoned (terbengkalai) where the literally poor house buyers are still stuck with servicing the loans of houses that will never be built! What has this got to do with 1Malaysia you may ask?
Well, 1Malaysia will never be achieved if the government is not sensitive to the broadening income disparities among the Rakyat. I really feel that the low and the lower middle income group are not taken care of adequately or at least there is no proper planning done to address the problems that they face. Beginning from the inhumane size of the so-called low cost houses and apartments and to the social problems that such housing sizes must create, they appear to be caught in a spiral and a vicious circle. I have seen such potential time bombs of low income areas covering almost all the major ethnic community of Malaysia. Very soon, these low income groups, if left unaddressed will be a cause of class division. Lets us not forget that they from the broadest section of the society.
While on this subject, I feel that the price of houses are artificially high because houses that are meant to be for shelter have become assets for business by those in the real estate business. Shouldn’t there be control over these, since housing is an essential need of the People？
The Minister in charge has an excellent opportunity to come up with creative policies and ideas to make residential areas as enclaves or examples of 1Malaysia lifestyle.
PEACE !
1. Size of the house
2. Environment (many “taman perumahan” are not only not tamans but not even reseidential in nature.
3. Price of the house – affordable and fair.
4. Availability of Financing and the cost of financing
5. “racial makeup” of the residents,
6. placement and role of places of worship in residential areas (unique to Malaysia)
7. Availability of the local, friendly grocery store (as opposed to mega malls!)
8. Exit and entry routes including infrastructural support.
I must confess that I have never been happy with the housing policy (if there is one) thus far. I say this from my observation of the manner in which houses are built in this country with complete or no regard for future developments around the area. One gets the feeling that somewhere along the way, the main criteria was profits and “under table” for all those who are linked to the housing industry. There are many, many low-cost houses that are abandoned (terbengkalai) where the literally poor house buyers are still stuck with servicing the loans of houses that will never be built! What has this got to do with 1Malaysia you may ask?
Well, 1Malaysia will never be achieved if the government is not sensitive to the broadening income disparities among the Rakyat. I really feel that the low and the lower middle income group are not taken care of adequately or at least there is no proper planning done to address the problems that they face. Beginning from the inhumane size of the so-called low cost houses and apartments and to the social problems that such housing sizes must create, they appear to be caught in a spiral and a vicious circle. I have seen such potential time bombs of low income areas covering almost all the major ethnic community of Malaysia. Very soon, these low income groups, if left unaddressed will be a cause of class division. Lets us not forget that they from the broadest section of the society.
While on this subject, I feel that the price of houses are artificially high because houses that are meant to be for shelter have become assets for business by those in the real estate business. Shouldn’t there be control over these, since housing is an essential need of the People？
The Minister in charge has an excellent opportunity to come up with creative policies and ideas to make residential areas as enclaves or examples of 1Malaysia lifestyle.
PEACE !
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