PUTRAJAYA: New guidelines on rooms for rent are being drawn up, the government announced.
Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming said his ministry had been looking into the issue and amendments to laws pertaining to rooms for rent would be made.
“The ministry is currently looking into the matter.
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“As a matter of fact, I was busy drafting the guidelines and amendments to laws during the recent holiday season,” he said at his ministry’s Hari Raya open house here yesterday.
The Star reported on Wednesday that youths had to rent cheap shoebox-sized rooms at the expense of proper living conditions.
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Checks at one of these advertised units in Kuala Lumpur found a property with at least 20 partitioned rooms, leaving barely any space in the corridors.
The report stated that the walls were thin and the rooms could only fit a single bed.
Something for the kids: Nga presenting duit Raya to the children of KPKT Nursery during his ministry’s Hari Raya open house in Putrajaya. Looking on are (from right) Sivakumar and Nancy. — Bernama
There are also options for windowless rooms costing close to RM400 a month, with tenants needing to pay more for a window.
Experts were of the view that such living conditions would be harmful to one’s physical and mental health.
On a separate matter, Nga said his ministry would be allocating a minimum RM10mil to upgrade public amenities in Johor Baru.
He said he would call on Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar next week.
“I will announce an allocation for the people of Johor to resolve issues regarding roadworks, upgrading of food courts and toilets and the creation of public parks,” he said.
“I promise that the allocation will be more than RM10mil for Johor Baru.”
Nga also said he had been touring several states for similar reasons “regardless of the political leanings”.
“The allocation will be given fairly and professionally. We will do an objective assessment,” he said.
Also present at the event were Human Resources Minister V. Sivakumar, Communications and Digital Minister Fahmi Fadzil and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri.
