The Malaysian government has formulated a set of policies to strengthen the involvement of the private sector in housing production and delivery 1. Its housing policy is definitive, and is articulated adequately in all of the five-year Malaysia Plans 2. Furthermore, this policy primarily aims to ensure that all Malaysians have access to adequate and decent shelter to eliminate slum dwellings and squatter living areas. The MHLG plans the regulation of residential developments, issues licenses and permits for advertisement and sale to housing developers, and ensures that all parties involved abide by all of the legislations and regulations through proper enforcement and by providing necessary financial assistance 3. Specifically, the ministry is tasked with enforcing housing-related laws and regulations to safeguard the interests of homebuyers 4. The MHLG also considers applications for development and for the licensing of housing developers in Peninsular Malaysia 5.
The Malaysian housing industry is highly controlled by several laws, policies, and guidelines, which include the National Land Code (NLC) 1965, Government Act 1976 (Act 171), Uniform Building By-Law 1984 (UBBL), Environmental Quality Act 1984, Local Government Act 1976, Street, Drainage and Building Act 1974 (Act 133), Town and Country Planning Act 1976 (Act 172), Town Planning Act 1995, Housing Developers (Control and Licensing) Act 1966, Strata Titles Act 1985, Fire Services Act 1988, and Sewerage Services Act 1993, as outlined by Abdullah et al. 6. In addition to these laws, housing developers who design the layout of proposed housing projects should consider the requirements imposed by the local authority and the demand factor of the project 7 to ensure business survival.
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