Ong: Focus beyond quantity
The Star 16/9/2006

KUALA LUMPUR: Developers from the private sector must not only focus on quantity but also consider other factors when developing housing projects, said Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting.

He said the challenge for the private sector was not just to meet numerical targets but to also provide affordability, quality, suitable locations and a conducive living environment.

“One of the strategic thrusts of housing development during the Ninth Malaysian Plan is to provide adequate, affordable and quality houses with greater emphasis on appropriate locations and conducive living environment to meet the needs of the low-income group in particular,” he said at the opening of Mapex 2006 here yesterday.

He said the 9MP had set a target of 709,400 units of houses to be completed within five years and would see greater participation of the private sector as 72% of the target would be driven by private developers.

Ong said that Malaysia had a sizeable young adult population of 3.72 million or 16% of the population in the 25-34 age group and they formed the pool of demand for houses at entry level.

He said Malaysia’s purchasing power parity, adjusted to per capita income, was estimated to have doubled in the past 15 years to US$10,318 (about RM37,875) in 2005, and resulted in higher purchasing power.

“If such improvement retains its momentum, the positive impact will translate into more houses purchased by the population,” he said.

He said that developers were aware that buyers were becoming more selective and had to demonstrate a greater commitment to ensuring the buyers obtained better value.

“Many developers have come up with innovative alternatives to place themselves ahead of competitors and Mapex provides the right exposure for such developers who want to promote their brands to housebuyers,” he said.