Ministry asks media to publish only licensed property ads

PETALING JAYA: The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry has asked media organisations to publish only property advertisements that have been approved by the ministry.
Its Minister, Tan Sri Noh Omar said a circular on the matter would be distributed to the media soon in an effort to curb the fraudulent sale of housing projects that had violated the law.
He said developers must obtain the Advertisement Permit Development Licence (APDL) from the ministry as enshrined under Section 5 of the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act, 1996 (Act 118) before they could place ads in any media channel.
The APDL will be made mandatory on developers involving more than four housing units, he told reporters after launching the fourth MyRumah Real Estate Exhibition here, today.
Commenting on a syndicate scamming people into purchasing non-existent properties in Sungai Tua, Selayang recently, he said the ministry would take civil action against the syndicate and assist the victims.
The victims are welcome to apply for loans up to RM60,000 under the government's Housing Loan Scheme which imposes a minimal service charge of only two percent.
"If they are good payers, the two percent service charge will be waived. This is a new rule that we want to implement to help them," he said.
Among the requirements for the Housing Loan Scheme, he said the applicants needed to have their own land and had a household income of less than RM3,000 a month.
If the victims live in the city, they can apply for the People's Housing Programme Scheme, he added.
Commenting on the proposed real estate rental rules by the Finance Ministry today, he said the Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry was willing to cooperate and open to a suggestion for a joint Act if there were any.
"Any cooperation in line with the aspirations of the National Blue Ocean Strategy is very much welcome, and I believes overlapping jurisdictions will not arise," he said. — Bernama