PUTRAJAYA should extend the rental waiver for public housing until March next year, said Chang Lih Kang.

“The government should extend the rental waiver for the people’s housing project and public housing for another six months as the economy is still weak,” said the Tg Malim MP in a statement today. 

“According to the Statistics Department, Malaysia had suffered the worst economic contraction among Asean countries – 17.1% drop in the second quarter of this year.

“The unemployment rate for July is also at a high of 4.7% (745,100 people) compared with a year earlier (3.3%),” said the PKR vice-president.

He said the unemployment rate in August had not improved either, at 4.7%.

Chang said it was important to continue the rental waiver as most of those who stay at public housing units are from the bottom 40 income group. 

“The waiver for another six months only costs the government RM3 million and will not be a huge burden to them.

“But this waiver will help thousands of renters,” said Chang. 

Chang is PKR’s spokesman for housing, local government and infrastructure issues. 

Under the government’s Prihatin economic package, announced on March 27, public housing renters did not have to pay rent for units owned by the Housing and Local Government Ministry and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall. – October 15, 2020.