PRIME Minister Anwar Ibrahim wants the Local Government Development Ministry to review conditions for housing developers to ensure they provide affordable housing in all megaprojects.

Anwar, who is also finance minister, said this is necessary as the requirement for at least 30% of projects to include affordable housing is not in line with set schedules and scales.

“That is why I have asked Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming to review and set new conditions,” he told reporters after handing over keys to the Madani Dalur housing for civil servants in Putrajaya today.

Anwar said housing developers must abide by this condition so the middle-income group can afford to own homes.

Since 1981, the government has required private housing developers to make at least 30% of their megaprojects to comprise affordable housing.

Anwar said affordable housing is important to the middle-income group.

He said about 200,000 units priced at RM300,000 and below are needed to meet the housing demand of civil servants throughout the country.

In another development, Anwar said the depreciation of the ringgit is not because Malaysia does not have a “full-time finance minister”.

“Tell the person who suggested that to read up on the economic and financial reports instead of PAS’ report,” he said, referring to PAS assistant secretary-general Mohd Syahir Che Sulaiman’s claims that the fall of the ringgit is due to Malaysia not having a full-time finance minister.

Yesterday, Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli said the depreciation of the ringgit since February is due to various crises in the United States, and that the situation is beyond Putrajaya’s control.

Since early this year, according to Rafizi, the US has been facing several issues, including the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and its ongoing debt ceiling limit impasse. – AFP, June 1, 2023.