PUTRAJAYA: The Housing and Local Government Ministry is finalising schemes for first-time homebuyers, including rent-to-own schemes.
Its minister, Zuraida Kamarudin said the rent-to-own schemes are expected to be ready by September.
“We are in the midst of finalising a few schemes. A few local banks are also finalising their schemes.
“With these schemes, homebuyers, especially youths do not need to pay deposits or down payments but can rent a house or unit first. After a few
years ... maybe five years, they can review their profile to apply for a full housing loan,“ Zuraida told a press conference after officiating the FundMyHome+DepositKu scheme at the ministry’s headquarters here today.
Zuraida said she had previously revealed that the ministry was looking to secure foreign financiers including from China for the rent-to-own schemes.
She said some of the agencies in China, South Korea and the Middle East are interested in participating in projects rolled out under the government’s national affordable housing policy.
Zuraida also said the ministry will work to remove the names of National Higher Education Fund Corp (PTPTN) borrowers from the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS) to enable them to get mortgages.
“The banks will decide when reviewing their (borrowers) mortgage applications. Many fresh graduates do not have financial commitments. They have yet to own a car and house and because of that, their credit eligibility is high.
“However, they cannot buy a house because their name is listed in the CCRIS. CCRIS is a bank policy and it is a blanket
policy,“ she said adding that the removal of borrowers’ name would encourage them to own a house.
Zuraida, who is also the PKR vice-president said the police will not simply arrest a person who has not committed a crime.
She was commenting on Perak PKR chief Farhash Wafa Salvador challenging Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador to arrest Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Azmin Ali.
“It is up to the police to arrest anyone. If the police see that someone committed a crime, they will do their duty. I am actually sympathetic towards Farhash because he had limited access to information when he was in police’s custody. Maybe he was confused while under remand,“ she said.
Farhash, who is also the political aide of PKR president Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, made the statement after being released on police bail today.
He was detained on July 16 in connection with the circulation of the lewd video allegedly linking Azmin and former PKR Santubong youth chief Haziq Abdul Aziz.
