Reconsider HOC campaign to help Malaysians buy homes, Rehda urges

Malaysia’s property developers want the government to bring back the Home Ownership Campaign with stronger incentives, arguing that housing affordability depends on whether developers can continue building viable projects.

Rehda Malaysia president Datuk Zaini Yusoff said the campaign had proved an effective public-private initiative. It encouraged home ownership while also stimulating the property market and the wider economy.

“Affordable housing must ultimately not only be affordable to buy, but also viable to build,” Zaini said at the launch of the Malaysia Property Exhibition, or MAPEX. He said both conditions were necessary for a sustainable housing ecosystem.

Developers now face higher construction costs, infrastructure and utility requirements, statutory charges, compliance costs and increasingly complex regulatory processes. Zaini said each burden might appear manageable on its own, but together they directly affect project viability and, ultimately, Malaysians’ ability to buy homes.

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Affordable housing must ultimately not only be affordable to buy, but also viable to build.

Rehda also welcomed the newly launched National Housing Policy 2026-2035. The group said implementation should continue through close cooperation between the government and industry, taking account of market realities, actual housing demand, and the costs involved in providing homes.

Zaini said Rehda remained committed to developing housing and communities that Malaysians could afford, live in comfortably, and access inclusively. He also pointed to sustainability as an important part of future living. Developers are increasingly incorporating energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, green landscaping and environmentally responsible materials.

GreenRE, which began as a Rehda green-building initiative and has grown into a leading national certification body, has certified more than 500 million square feet of green buildings. Rehda said it would continue promoting sustainable, low-carbon development while balancing environmental goals with affordability and commercial viability.

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At present, developers continue to face rising construction costs, infrastructure and utility requirements, statutory costs and compliance costs, as well as increasingly complex regulatory processes.