Some public housing tenants skipped rent for over 2 decades, says Kuala Lumpur mayor
Published on: Tue, May 20, 2025
By: Anne Muhammad, FMT Text Size: Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif said an internal discussion will be held next week on measures to address the mounting rental arrears across PPR and PA units managed by DBKL. PETALING JAYA: Some public housing (PA) tenants have failed to pay rent for up to 26 years, with arrears reaching as high as RM39,140, Kuala Lumpur mayor Maimunah Sharif revealed. She said the monthly rental rate was RM124, excluding maintenance charges. The highest arrears were recorded at the People's Housing Programme (PPR) in Kampung Muhibbah (RM1.9 million) and Desa Rejang (RM1.28 million). To address the issue of mounting rental arrears across PPR and PA units managed by Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL), which now total RM70 million, she said an internal discussion would be held next week. 'I'll need to assess the situation because the measures we currently take involve meeting tenants face to face, asking why they haven't paid, and locking their water meters. 'We do have the authority to evict non-paying tenants, but most of them are from the B40 group, so we have to consider the situation carefully. 'I'll conduct an analysis and discuss the matter with federal territories minister Dr Zaliha Mustafa,' she told FMT.
Advertisement Maimunah said tenants often cite financial difficulties as the reason for not paying rent. 'But when we visit their areas, they complain about a lack of parking. I understand that having a car isn't a luxury anymore, it's a necessity. Still, people need to prioritise. 'At the moment, we're not taking strict action so some feel there's room not to pay,' she added. She said that in the upcoming discussions, DBKL would work on developing clearer procedures on housing and rental arrears. DBKL will also issue public notices to warn tenants with outstanding rent so that they are not caught off guard when enforcement begins. 'When we shut off the water supply, they often find a way to pay. Previously, we also introduced a scheme allowing them to settle arrears in instalments if they couldn't pay in full,' Maimunah said.
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