The government will develop affordable rental housing for civil servants to help ease the burden of rising living costs, particularly higher rental rates in several major states, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said.
Speaking to reporters after Friday prayers at Masjid Jameatus Solehah in Dengkil, Anwar said the initiative was aimed at addressing housing challenges faced by public sector workers despite recent salary increases.
“We will build housing for civil servants with low rental rates so that they can rent at affordable prices.
“So it does not burden families. These are the measures we are taking and we will expedite them,” he said.
Anwar, who is also Finance Minister, said feedback gathered during visits to Penang, Perak, Johor and Negeri Sembilan showed that rising rental costs remained a serious concern for many civil servants.
“Although we increased their salaries by between 15% and a maximum of 30%, sometimes in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban and Ipoh, it is still not enough to cope with rising rental rates,” he said.
He added that the government has identified suitable government-owned land for the housing projects, which will benefit civil servants including customs officers and police personnel.
“Whether it is for customs or the police, as soon as there is available land, we will build housing for civil servants,” he said.
