There must be continuous effort to bring together ideas and best practices on what makes cities sustainable as places to live and work for our future generation, said organising chairman of the 8th International Conference on World Class Sustainable Cities 2016 (WCSC) Chan Kin Meng.

The government should work with property developers to ensure easy accessibility to public transport and infrastructure. 

“For IBS to become more palatable to contractors and developers, I urge the government to ask the contractors for the majority of the contracts awarded to use IBS,” said Rehda president Datuk Seri FD Iskandar Mohamed Mansor.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing, and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar said property developers could begin applying for the licence today.

Developers said even a price of RM250,000 would not be a viable price tag, especially in the Klang Valley and other major urban areas.

Being aware of future trends not only enables businesses, including those in the building and construction industry, to stay relevant but also empowers them to improve the community in a dynamic and sustainable way.

The state government is exploring a number of measures to bring down contribution costs imposed upon property developers, said Penang State Exco for Housing and Town & Country Planning Jagdeep Singh Deo.

First-time home owners continue to have access to financing, said Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), in response to calls for lending guidelines to be reviewed to ease home ownership for first-time homebuyers.

Industry experts and observers suggest that renting may not be a bad thing and could in fact assist some people to eventually own their own home if it is done in a systematic way, such as in the form of a Rent-to-Own (RTO) scheme.

The National House Buyers’ Association (HBA) hopes that the new Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar will encourage greater home ownership.