World
Habitat Day: Housing a Government responsibility, not market forces!
Malaysian Socialist Party
(PSM) Press Release - October 3, 2011
One of the primary duties of
an elected government is to ensure that the housing needs of all its people
are adequately met. That is implied in the notion of government – a body
to efficiently govern the resources of a nation in order to fulfill the
needs of the population.
On World Habitat Day, we
are reminded of how woefully the government has failed to provide this
very basic need to at least 60% of households. This is the result of the
position of the government towards housing generally, and in particular,
for the below RM3,000 household income category of families.
Two features characterize
the government's position. First, there is a refusal to acknowledge and
assume responsibility for housing, more and more leaving it entirely in
the hands of the market. Second is the tendency for the ruling elite and
planners to literally equate housing with 'shelter', and thereby settle
for the most 'meager' housing for the poor.
A host of problems result
from this attitude of the government towards housing for low-income families.
These include:
-
forced eviction and demolition
of poor people's houses in both squatter areas and estates going for development
by developers and the government itself
-
highly undesirable low-cost
high rise flats as housing for the low-income and a system of maintenance
that is a complete failure. Many private flats have deteriorated into ghettos,
where social problems are rife.
-
The housing prices in Klang
Valley has shot up nearly 30% in the last two years, costs that out of
the reach of the average worker. In ten years, the wages of workers increased
by 2.6%; in as long a period, the price of low cost houses shot up by 40%
(RM25,000 to RM42,000) and has continued rising.
-
high rentals and a scarcity
of cheap government housing. Low wages and wages below the poverty line
have resulted in households earning too little to buy or rent a house.
There is a vast shortage of cheap government housing at nominal rentals
to look after the housing needs of this category.
-
continuous under-achievement
of low cost housing targets fixed in the Malaysia Plans resulting in a
shortage of low-cost houses. This is a fact as those whom are renting in
PPR (Projek Perumahan Rakyat) houses, majority have been renting for more
than 10 years because the can't simply afford to buy houses available in
the market.
-
no safeguards to protect low-income
house owners from foreclosure and auction of their humble homes during
periodic economic crises. Banks have not been considerate to wage earners
especially during times of economic crises. Banks immediately put up houses
for auction especially low cost apartments as banks realise that they can
be sold for a higher price.Thus leaving the house owner in a quandary.
There has to be a fundamental
shift from the current pro-business position to a pro-people one in order
to significantly improve the housing situation of the rakyat. We have to
de commodify basic necessities including housing, health care, water and
public transport. The BN government has amply shown that it is incapable
of making such a shift. In the coming general elections, we need to vote
in a new government that is conscious of its role and responsibility towards
the people, and among other things, is committed to the provision of adequate
and affordable housing for the majority of the people.
Rani Rasiah
PSM Central Committee member
019 5638464
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