Property experts and consumer associations have mostly agreed with Finance Minister II Johari Abdul Ghani’s recommendation for young Malaysians to rent houses instead of buying properties.

“I recommend younger cohorts enter the rental market rather than going through the undue stress of owning a house,” Economics associate professor Poon Wai Ching told Malaysiakini.

Last week, Johari recommended that young working Malaysians rent houses long-term “until they have money to make a long-term commitment (of buying houses)” because this would encourage them to focus on building their careers.

In an extended explanation of his position, he was critical of the current culture where many young Malaysians committed themselves to “two big financial burdens” of purchasing accommodation and automobiles at the start of their careers...