The Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) hopes that the federal government will introduce better schemes in Budget 2017, scheduled to be presented in Parliament next month, to ease the burden of new house-buyers.

We still hears about the difficulties experienced by the rakyat to own a house. A comprehensive approach should be introduced to overcome the difficulties of getting a house in the long term.

We have to admit that difficulties have worsened after the government introduced the Goods and Services Tax (GST) in April 2015. As such, MTUC hope that facilities that can ease the burden of buyers would be introduced in the 2017 Budget. We do not deny that some incentives have been introduced in Budget 2016, but we are of the view that these steps were not enough. The increase in the cost of living also complicates the opportunity to buy a house.

We know that the market price is not just determined by demand, and to some extent it is also determined by the real estate agents. This is a real situation which has persisted for quite some time, where buyers at times fall victim to ruthless real-estate agents. Housing, especially landed property in main towns, is only affordable to those with a five-figure monthly salary or more. Others can only look at and dream of owning one. This the dilemma we are facing today.

Thus, MTUC also hopes the cabinet will not allow developers to provide housing loans as recommended by Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Noh Omar recently.

Rather than allowing developers to lend money, we hope that the federal government will improve the home financing policy and constructive measures will be announced in the 2017 Budget. We don’t want the Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government Ministry’s idea to further increase the burden of first-time house-buyers.

MTUC hopes that the federal government will introduce home-buyer-friendly incentives in the coming 2017 Budget. For example, we hope that the GST on house purchases will be abolished, while an income tax rebate for the first-time buyers will be introduced.

N GOPAL KISHNAM is secretary-general, Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC).