YB Tuan Nga Kor Ming officiates Hubexo Awards Malaysia 2026

KUALA LUMPUR – Delivering a keynote address as the Guest of Honour at the recent Hubexo Asia Awards, the Minister of Housing and Local Government, YB Tuan Nga Kor Ming, underscored a critical reality for Malaysia's property sector: policies may look beautiful on paper, but everything depends on strict, real-world execution. The Minister used the platform to outline the execution roadmap for the newly launched National Housing Policy 2026–2035, emphasizing a pivot toward human-centered urbanism, green technology, and rigorous demographic planning.

Eradicating Project Failures & Reforming Early Sales

Addressing the structural vulnerabilities in the property market, Nga Kor Ming reiterated KPKT's commitment to protecting everyday homebuyers through preventative measures rather than waiting for developments to collapse:

• Eradicating Abandoned Projects: Under the 10-year policy, the ministry is enforcing a strict timeline to achieve zero abandoned private housing projects nationwide by 2030.

• Reducing "KIV" (Keep in View) Risk: By utilizing the Housing Integrated Management System (HIMS) and digital oversight, the government aims to catch and resolve struggling developments early, stopping developers from putting unviable projects on hold silently.

• Regulating the Option to Purchase (OTP): The ministry will roll out a formalized OTP exit mechanism. This provides a mutual cooling-off window where both buyers and developers can legally withdraw from pre-sale commitments if early funding or viability targets are not met, preventing buyers from getting locked into risky contracts.

Data-Driven Urban Planning & Price Negotiation

The Minister called for an end to "one-size-fits-all" property metrics. KPKT will leverage big data analytics and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to overhaul housing distributions. By cross-referencing precise local household income levels with shifting land values, the system will create realistic baseline cost transparency. This data-driven clarity will ultimately empower the market with a clearer opportunity to negotiate fairer, locality-specific property pricing instead of relying on arbitrary fixed price caps.

Green Construction & Lifecycle Savings

Moving beyond traditional building metrics, Nga highlighted the necessity of green construction methods and nature-based solutions. Key focus areas include:

• Reducing Unnecessary Waste: Integrating Industrialised Building System (IBS) technology and modern building methods to curb material waste on-site.

• Lowering Lifecycle Building Costs: Shifting focus toward sustainable construction that minimizes long-term energy consumption, solid waste management liabilities, and property maintenance overheads over the building's entire lifecycle.

Overcoming the Two Grand Challenges

While outlining the 10-year policy goals, Nga Kor Ming explicitly detailed two looming societal hurdles that developers and urban planners must actively execute solutions for:

1. The Aging Population (Designing to Age Gracefully)

Malaysia is rapidly moving toward becoming an aged nation. Nga challenged the industry to ensure that buildings are not only green but explicitly age-friendly. New developments must prioritize accessible, barrier-free design that allows senior citizens to navigate spaces safely. Crucially, urban layouts must be structured to reduce social isolation among the elderly by seamlessly weaving in active communal hubs, integrated medical touchpoints, and inclusive recreational spaces.

2. Climate Resilience & The Public Park Target

To combat urban heat islands and strengthen climate resilience, public infrastructure is undergoing a massive green injection. Under the Taman Awam Madani and MY Public Space initiatives, KPKT has set an ambitious broader goal to establish 1,000 top-tier public parks nationwide by 2033. To achieve this, the ministry is strictly targeting the delivery and upgrade of 100 public parks every single year, successfully transforming idle land into safe, inclusive, and climate-resilient green lungs close to residential areas.