The Centre for the Advancement of Community and Housing said many low- and middle-income Malaysians are unable to obtain housing loans because they are self-employed, work in the gig economy, have irregular incomes or do not meet banks’ lending requirements.

PETALING JAYA: A housing advocacy group has urged the government to expand the rent-to-own (RTO) scheme nationwide under the 2027 budget to help Malaysians who can afford monthly housing payments but struggle to secure bank financing.

In a statement, the Centre for the Advancement of Community and Housing (REACH) said the government should also establish a fund to acquire suitable affordable homes for the scheme and widen financing guarantees for buyers who can afford the payments but do not meet conventional bank requirements.