5. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

5. RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

Research and development (R&D) activities by the relevant Government agencies and institutions of higher learning were carried out to enhance the production of cheap and efficient building materials to impart capital-intensive technology to save labourcosts, and to create more efficient housing systems. The private sector together with local institutions of higher learning also conduct their own research activities on housing design and production technology, in the effort to enhance the quality of houses at reasonable prices. These research activities resulted in alternative designs for medium-rise high density housing being introduced with certain improved features and characteristics to maximize land utilization.

As part of measures to improve R&D activities related to production of cheaper and more efficient building materials, the universities and the private sector also undertook R&D on better construction techniques and life-costing estimation of multi-storey housing. The Ministry of housing and Local Government in collaboration with institutions of higher learning conducted R&D on issues related to human settlement and urbanization. This included housing design and technology, especially technical research on alternative building materials as well as modular building systems.

Life Cycle Cost Design

THE life cycle cost approach to affordable housing and improving building performance comprises physical, social and economic criteria. The cost of a building is both the initial cost of completing the structure as well as the cost of support activities such as maintenance, component replacement, energy and cleaning required during the building’s designed life.

A key part of the life cycle cost approach is the development of relationships between the characteristic of the building and its use as well as the cash flows generated over time. Detailed estimations of cash flows during its construction phase as well as after its completion need to be computed. An affordable house is not one that cost the least initially but one that is most economic over its life span.

Such buildings must be constructed with the knowledge of the durability of materials and components used when exposed to a particular environment in order to guarantee the serviceability of the buildings for the intended period of use. This is of utmost importance to ensure residents of a safe and conducive living environment, which leads to a better quality of life.

CONCLUSION

The provision of affordable and quality housing will continue to be the priority of both the Government and the private sector. Concerted efforts will continue to be undertaken to meet the housing needs of the population with emphasis on increasing both accessibility and affordability as well as aesthetic and functional features of houses.

(MALAYSIA QUALITY OF LIFE 2004)

4. IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HOUSING

4. IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF HOUSING

THE creation of better quality environment and houses was emphasized, including for low-cost houses. Under the public low-cost housing programme, new designs were introduced to optimize land-use through increased density and reduced construction cost. In addition, efforts were made to improve the quality of design of low-cost flats. As part of the effort to improve housing design and technology, particularly in the construction of lowcost houses, the Government organized a low-cost housing competition whereby participating developers were required to build a low-cost house below the fixed price of RM25,000 per unit by utilizing appropriate technology. The technical and planning standards of low-cost houses were continuously improved. To accommodate cultural and social needs, three bedroom houses with a minimum built-up area of 60 square metres, including a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a toilet are now standard requirements and new designs to improve living conditions and the environment have been incorporated. To improve the entire delivery of low-cost houses, the Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad was established, which is responsible for the construction, sale, resale and purchase of public low-cost houses. In addition, the Government undertook efforts to streamline regulations and laws pertaining to the delivery of low-cost houses. In order to uplift the quality of life of the rural community, traditional villages were upgraded with better infrastructure facilities, quality houses and greater opportunities to participate in income generating activities.

For new development areas and existing housing estates, facilities such as community centres, neighbourhood playgrounds, open spaces, public libraries, game courts, multi-purpose halls, places of worship as well as outdoor activities were provided. To cater to the demands of a more affluent society, developers gave more emphasis on greenery and landscaping as homebuyers wanted a more pleasant home environment. Essentially, four factors were given focus: design quality, a healthy lifestyle,community living and amenities, and safety and security. Many new housing development also featured lakes, themed gardens containing gazebos, cycling and jogging tracks and floating boardwalks. Aesthetic considerations were made with techniques such as eco-smart engineering and lakeside parks in former oil palm sites as in Putrajaya . Intelligent cities and telecommuting are also becoming more popular. House design, internal space and layout are being planned appropriately to enable for the creation of smart homes and interactive functions at home for business, private and Government-related transactions, education and recreation.

Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad

SPNB was incorporated under the Ministry of Finance Incorporated on 21 August 1997, as a fully government-owned company with a capital of RM2 billion. The objective is to increase the supply of houses costing RM150,000 and below, through the provision of bridging finance to housing developers in response to liquidity problems faced by financial institutions at the early stage of the financial crisis. Currently, SPNB is undertaking the rehabilitation of more than 173 projects involving 53,251 units valued at RM3.4 billion. Up to August 2004, 23 projects has been rehabilitated involving an expenditure of RM148.4 million.

Putrajaya Development

MALAYSIA’S Federal Government Administrative Capital of Putrajaya representss a dynamic and progressive nation committed to the concept of sustainable development. Putrajaya is named after the country’s first Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

The Master Plan for the development of Putrajaya covered the Core Area, Peripheral Residential Areas and Parklands and Infrastructure and also Public Utilities. The Core Area is divided into five main precincts, which are the Government Precinct, the Mixed Development Precinct, the Civic and Cultural Precinct, the Commercial Precinct and the Sport and Recreational Precinct. The Peripheral Residential Areas comprises of 14 residential neighbourhoods and one Precinct of Wetlands and Wetlands Park. The infrastructure in the city, best reflects the Putrajaya duality project theme, i.e. A City In A Garden.

The Public Amenities of Putrajaya consist of the Putra Mosque, Putrajaya District Hospital, Health Clinic, District Police Headquarters, Fire and Rescue Station, Marine Police Dept, primary, secondary and international schools.

The development objectives of the city are:

• To build a well-planned modern city based on the concept of sustainable development;

• To build a city that reflects the rich cultural and natural heritage of the country;

• To develop a federal government administrative centre with the capacity and amenities to meet the challenges of the future.

• To develop a conducive residential, commercial and recreational environment where people can enjoy a high quality of life;

• To showcase Malaysia’s expertise in the management, planning, design, construction and maintenance of a large scale urban development project;

• To use predominantly local resources and materials in the development of Putrajaya.

Source: Perbadanan Putrajaya

3. ACHIEVEMENTS IN HOUSING DEVELOPMENT

3. ACHIEVEMENTS IN HOUSING
DEVELOPMENT

HOUSING units in the country increased at an average annual growth rate of 4.9 per cent in the period between 1991-2000 while population grew at 2.7 per cent per annum. In 1991, there were 4.09 million living quarters, of which 99.2 per cent or 4.06 million were housing units, which increased to 5.6 million or 99.6 per cent per cent in 2000.

Average number of persons per housing unit

The average number of persons per occupied housing unit has declined from 5.0 in 1991 to 4.7 in 2000, indicating the trend of having a smaller household size. The states, which had more obvious declines in their household size were Pulau
Pinang (5.2 to 4.5), Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (4.8 to 4.3), Johor (5.0 to 4.6), Melaka (4.9 to 4.5) and Selangor (5.0 to 4.6).

Construction material of outer walls

Housing units using bricks as construction material of outer walls increased from 40.1 per cent in 1991 to 59.5 per cent in 2000 whereas housing units with their outer walls built from planks declined from 42.3 per cent to 24.7 per cent. The type of construction material used for the outer wall of housing units reflects strength and durability of the housing unit.
The states with the highest proportion using bricks as material of outer walls were Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur (86.3 per cent), Selangor (80.9 per cent) and Pulau Pinang (76.0 per cent).

Amenities

Housing units with treated piped water increased from 85.7 per cent in 1991 to 88.9 per cent in 2000. Electricity supply to housing units increased from 90.5 per cent in 1991 to 95.1 per cent in 2000 whereas the availability of flush toilets and garbage collection services increased to 61.2 per cent and 64.6 per cent in 2000, respectively.

2. HOUSING STRATEGIES

2. HOUSING STRATEGIES

THE housing development strategies that were adopted and implemented during the period were primarily a reorientation of past strategies and the incorporation of new measures. This was done in order to increase the availability of housing for the growing population and at the same time, to further
develop the domestic housing industry. The strategies
implemented included:

(a) the construction of more low-cost and lowmedium cost houses, especially in the urban areas, through various public sector housing programmes, as well as those by the private developers;

(b) the provision of incentives to housebuyers under the Home Ownership Campaign

(c) the provision of more houses for rental, particularly for the lower income groups in the major urban centres for the resettlement of squatters;

(d) the introduction of computerized open registration system for low-cost house buyers to ensure fair distribution to the eligible buyers;

(e) the provision of adequate basic infrastructure by housing developers with the relevant authorities providing other amenities such as schools, clinics, sports/recreational facilities, which are necessary for the attainment of a better quality of life;

(f) the greater role of the private sector in housing development, especially in the provision of low and low- medium cost housing;

(g) the public sector provided a facilitating role and institutional support to the private sector; and,

(h) permitting the withdrawal of a portion of EPF savings and the provision of low interest rates to the low-income groups to build houses on their own land as well as the provision of end financing by commercial banks and financial institutions for
house buyers.

Home Ownership Campaign

A HOME Ownership Campaign (HOC) was introduced in December 1998 as an additional measure aimed at reviving the property market and providing more opportunities for the public to own homes. Incentives to house buyers were provided which included a purchase discount of up to 15 per cent; easy credit facilities by financial institutions as well as by the Government for its eligible employees; higher financing margin of up to 95 per cent for properties costing RM250,000 and below; exemption from stamp duties and processing fees; discounted legal fees and insurance premium; and fast approval by the Foreign Investment Committee. This one-month campaign attracted 492 developers and achieved sales of RM2,900 million for residential properties and RM600 million for non-residential properties.

The second HOC was held from 29 October to 7 December 1999. Incentives offered included exemption of stamp duties as well as a minimum price discount of 5.0 per cent for properties costing RM100,000 or less and 10 per cent for properties costing more than RM100,000. Financial institutions also offered incentives such as higher margin of finance up to 95 per cent; waiver of processing fees; and increased loan tenure up to 30 years. Legal fees were also lowered for sales and purchase as well as loan agreements. This helped to reduce the number of unsold residential properties to an estimated 45,500 units, including 9,700 units of condominiums and apartments.

Malaysian Urban Quality Of Life

INTRODUCTION

MALAYSIA witnessed a fast pace of urbanization between 1990 to 2000, largely contributed by rapid economic growth and transformation. The population in urban areas increased at an average rate of 4.6 per cent per annum, about twice the national population growth rate of 2.2 per cent. As a result, the share in the urban population increased from 51.1 per cent to 61.8 per cent during the period. The expansion of urban centres as well as the establishment of new townships and satellite industrial towns also contributed to this increase. Urbanization generated new economic activities and created more employment opportunities as well as provided greater access to modern social amenities.

Components of the Malaysian Urban Quality of Life Index
TABLE 1

CONCEPT

THE Malaysian Urban Quality of Life Index (MUQLI) was constructed to measure the changes in the quality of life in the urban areas. MUQLI is a composite measure comprising 12 areas and 29 indicators for the period 1990 to 2000 (Table 1). The indicators were selected on the basis of their importance and the availability of data on a time series basis, and were assigned equal weightage.

HOUSING

THE housing index, as measured by the average rental to household income ratio and the average price of houses to household income ratio, improved by 6.9 points (Figure1). During the 1990-2000 period, average household income increased by 4.6 per cent compared with 3.4 per cent for average rental, resulting in the improvement of the average rental to household income ratio from 0.30 in 1990 to 0.16 in 2000. The average price of houses to household income ratio also improved from 5.6 to 3.7 (Table 2 and Figure 2). These indicators reflected improved affordability to rent or own a decent house in urban areas. This can be partly attributed to the provision of affordable housing, particularly low-cost housing (Box 1).

FIGURE 1
MUQLI and Housing Index, 1990-2000

FIGURE 2

Housing Index by Indicators, 1990-2000

TABLE 2
Housing Indicators by City, 1990 and 2000

Low Cost Housing Programme in Urban Areas

The low cost housing programme in urban areas is intended to provide adequate and affordable housing for the lower income groups, resettle squatters, redevelop squatters settlements and optimize the use of available land. In this regard, the People’s Housing Programme (PHP) was introduced by the Federal Government in 1994 to build low cost flats. During the first phase of implementation of this programme, a total of RM300 million was allocated through the Low Cost Housing Fund administered by Bank Negara Malaysia. The houses built under this scheme were sold to eligible buyers with financing up to 95 per cent. Under the second phase, an additional RM600 million was allocated to build low cost housing units for rental to urban poor at a minimal monthly rental. In 1998, the Government launched the Integrated People’s Housing Programme (IPHP) based on the same concept as PHP but with improvements in terms of built-up area, design and implementation.The primary objective is the resettling of squatters in Kuala Lumpur and other major towns, especially state capitals. As at the end of December 2001, about 35,000 housing units in Kuala Lumpur and another 17,000 units in other major towns were at various stages of completion. The key features of the PHP and IPHP are as follows:

The most significant improvement in the standard of housing was in Kuala Lumpur with its index increasing by 22.0 points. Kuala Lumpur registered the biggest improvements for both the indicators, with the ratios of average rental to household income and the average price of houses to household income declining by more than two thirds. These improvements were mainly due to an increase in incomes and the expansion in the development of low- and medium-cost houses in the city. The index for Kuching declined by 1.6 points as a result of the increase in both the ratios of average rental to householdincome and the average price of houses to
household income.

Conclusion

THE quality of life in urban areas during the period 1990 to 2000 witnessed an improvement as reflected by the upward trend of the MUQLI. This was mainly due to the significant improvements in family life, income and distribution, culture and leisure as well as education. Other areas of quality of life that witnessed improvements were transport and communications health, working life, housing, urban services and community participation, while the quality of environment and the state of public safety declined. The environment index deteriorated as a result of the decline in the river quality index and the increase in per capita solid waste collection. The decline in the state of public safety was due to the rise in crime rates and the number of road accidents. However, all the four cities recorded an overall improvement in the quality of life.


(Malaysian Urban Quality Of Life 2002)

housing quallity

INTRODUCTION


ACCESS to adequate, affordable and quality housing is an important social goal of national development. Housing fulfils a fundamental aspect of man’s basic needs, given that access to safe and adequate shelter and basic services is essential to a person’s physical, psychological, social, and economic well-being. Recognizing this, the Government has actively promoted access to comfortable living quarters as well as affordable housing, especially for the lower income groups. In this regard, the provision of social services and amenities and the need to forge unity between the ethnic groups in the country are also given emphasis. Changes in the design of houses and the availability of modern amenities are reflective of the increasing affluence of the population, changing tastes, greater demand for comfort and style, and a better quality of life. This section traces the housing scenario in the country for the period 1990-2002. It describes the strategies and programmes undertaken by both the public and the private sectors to provide quality housing for all.





1. Public Sector Housing Programmes


THE Public Low-cost Housing Programme (PLCHP) aims to provide shelter for the low-income groups through several schemes. This programme is targeted for buyers with monthly household income of RM1,500 and below while the selling price of housing units does not exceed RM35,000 per unit. House types are 5 storey flats or terrace house according to location and terrain. The minimum design for low-cost houses is that they should have a standard built-up area of at least 60 square meters (900 square feet), three bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen, a bathroom and a toilet.

Sites and Services Scheme

The Sites and Services scheme is also designed for the lower income groups who are not eligible for the PLCHP. The eligible buyers are those with monthly household incomes of RM300-500 in Peninsular Malaysia and RM400-650 in Sabah and Sarawak and with no land or house of their own. Eligible buyers can either buy a plot of 2,600 square feet (241.7 square meter) with a house, costing RM10,000 in Peninsular Malaysia, RM13,000 in Sabah and Sarawak or just the land alone with basic amenities (dirt road and drain) for RM5,000 in Peninsular Malaysia, RM7,500 in Sabah and Sarawak

Housing Programme by Regional Development and Land Schemes

Regional and Land Development Authorities such as the Development Authority of Pahang Tenggara, Federal Land Development Authority, the Kedah Development Authority, the Johore Tenggara Regional Development Authority, and the Terengganu Tengah Regional Development Authority also undertook the development of houses for settlers. Housing in land development schemes was an integratedapproach to combine the management of large-scale land development and at the same time provide settlers with the opportunity to improve their livelihood with better housing conditions.

Institutional Quarters and Staff Accommodation

Housing is also provided for some categories of government employees posted to remote areas or whose duties require them to be close to their place of work. These are especially meant for teachers and uniformed staff such as the police, fireman, military, customs, and immigration.

Integrated People’s Housing Programme

This program was launched by the Government in December 1998, with the objective of resettling squatters in urban areas, particularly in Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur and other major towns. These three-bedroom housing units with built-up area of 60 square metres (900 square feet) are to be rented out at low monthly rates.

Housing Development by State Economic Development Agencies and the Urban Development Authority

The State Economic Development Agencies (SEDC) and Urban Development Authority (UDA) are also involved in housing activities besides carrying out commercial, industrial, building and infrastructure development projects. The houses delivered are targeted to meet the housing needs of all sectors of the population.

Housing Development in Rural Areas

Housing programmes for the rural areas include the Sites and Services Scheme, the Traditional Village Regrouping programme, the Rehabilitation of Dilapidated Houses and the Skim Pembangunan Kesejahteraan Rakyat especially for the hardcore poor.