Malaysian Housing Research Articles

A Study on Housing Price in Klang Valley, Malaysia

<p>The main aim of this study is to measure the factors influencing housing price in Klang Valley, Malaysia. This paper examines empirically whether the increasing trend in the Malaysian housing price is associated to changes in the population, construction cost, housing speculation, and inflation rate. The paper is exploratory in nature. The data is collected via questionnaire survey form distributed to youngest respondents in the sample area which is Klang Valley region. Each single elements are calculated its average index respect to few level of influence under respondents opinion. The index will then treated as influencing level of the factors. The paper delivers empirical outcomes that the population, construction cost and housing speculation are the main factors of housing prices. However, fluctuations in housing prices could not necessarily be influenced by the inflation rate. The overall result of this paper strongly recommends that housing price in the Malaysian residential property market is increasing continuously. Therefore, efforts to control the hike in housing price is needed by government and policy controllers in order to maintain the affordable to own a house in Malaysia.</p>

Prioritisation of key attributes influencing the decision to purchase a residential property in Malaysia

Purpose This study aims to explicitly explore the criteria or attributes that would influence buyer decision on purchasing residential property in Malaysia. Design/methodology/approach Generally, a total of 80 respondents participated in this study, and they hail from two states in Malaysia, namely, Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. This study has structured the respondents’ demographic profiles into different categories such as gender, age, marital status, race, education, type of buyer and income level. For the purpose of analysis, this study has incorporated a versatile fuzzy approach known as the analytic hierarchy process to fulfil the objective of study. From the previous literatures, the extracted variables consist of home amenities, location, pricing, developer, financing, structural factor and community amenities. Findings The results from priority vector indicate that buyers give higher rank to the pricing (0.2330) criteria as the most influencing factor in buying residential property, followed by other criteria such as community amenities (0.1450), location (0.1430), financing (0.1420), structural factor (0.1260), home amenities (0.1060) and developer (0.1040) in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor. In addition, the consistency index of 0.00384, which is lower than 0.10 (rule of thumb), postulates that the respondents clearly understood the question requirements and there is no inconsistency involved in the result. Research limitations/implications This study attempts to discover how all those seven elements influence buyer decision on purchasing residential property. The results indicate that the outcome seems to be reliable and justifiable with the current period in the context of Malaysia housing sector. Originality/value This study is expected to provide more insights into the consistency of attributes that influence the purchase of residential property in the context of Malaysia. The points highlighted in this study are expected to benefit various parties such as potential home buyers, housing developers, marketers and government policy regulators, as well as academic institutions, to design a better policy or blueprint that can enhance the development of the housing sector in Malaysia.

Multi‐component Filters for Domestic Graywater Treatment in Village Houses

The majority of village houses in Malaysia generate graywater—from kitchens, bathrooms, sinks, and laundry—that is discharged directly into rivers or main drains without any treatment. These practices have a critical impact on humans and the environment. Therefore, this pilot‐scale study aimed to design a natural filtration system that consists of clamshells, steel slag, limestone, and sand media for treatment of graywater. The filtration system was designed with 24 L of capacity and fixed at the discharge point of graywater in village houses. The filtration system exhibited high efficiency for treatment of household graywater, with 87.7% of removal for biochemical oxygen demand, 74.0% for chemical oxygen demand, 96.2% for total suspended solids, and 98% for turbidity with a pH of 7.87. The filtrated graywater met the limits required by Malaysia's 1974 Environmental Quality Act, 2009 regulations, Standard A, for disposal upstream of drains.

Reviewing Youth Facility Requirements for Low-cost Housing in Malaysia

Youth is part of community empowerment participants. They are the driving force in implementing social program and physical planning development. They are described as an active group in the population pyramid. The previous studies showed that youth shapes the pattern of lifestyle in neighbourhood units and even the nation itself. This paper will focus on the low-cost housing areas in which is high density and with scarce spaces as the existing facilities did not appear to attract youth's intention and even for their uses. As a result, reviewing the youth facility requirements can enhance youth's quality of life.

Thermal Performance Comparison between Single and Double Storey Terrace Houses in Melaka, Malaysia

Over the past decade many studies were conducted to investigate the thermal performance of terraced houses in Malaysia. It was found that this housing typology failed to address the need for thermal comfort and alternatives to the narrow frontage with deep plan have been proposed with simulated good thermal performance. Although this is good progress for new generation of terraced houses, millions of units of terraced houses are still in use and new units with the outdated existing plans continued to get built due to consistently very high demand due to progressive urbanisation and rapid economic developments. Therefore, it is imperative that the thermal comfort issue for existing terraced houses is dealt with and through this paper a comparison between single and double storey terraced houses is made through analysis of indoor environmental monitoring (ambient temperature, relative humidity and air velocity) of two (2) selected case studies in Merlimau, Melaka. Contrary to popular belief, it is found that there is no statistical difference between both sets of indoor temperature and relative humidity between the case studies. This finding is indicative of the consistent and stable temporal temperature highs and lows in a 24 hour cycle despite the difference in indoor volume and distance between the ground floor and the roof cavity. Much of the reason is due to the materiality of the terraced houses construction and unsealed and uninsulated building envelope. Therefore, further research into improving the thermal performance of existing terraced houses of any typology have to be conducted to allow thermal comfort and to reduce reliance on high energy consuming air-conditioning.

The Informal ‘Guanxi’ Institutional Culture of the Malaysian Housing Development Industry

There has been limited understanding of the relationship between private developers and the housing delivery mechanism in Malaysia. This paper seeks to bridge the research gap by analysing the social relationships and informal institutions embedded in the Malaysian housing development industry. Empirical data were collected for Kuala Lumpur and Johor to compare and contrast developers’ views and their working relationships with government departments. Informed by various arguments that ‘guanxi’ can reduce transaction costs and supplement/complement the formal legal regime, this paper examines the ways developers are engaged in such transaction cost reduction activities. Policy and theoretical implications of the informal cultural practice in the housing development industry are then drawn out.

Detecting Malaysian Housing Bubbles

This paper examines whether Malaysia is facing an impending housing bubble by using a graphical analysis, logical deduction and two statistical tests. Our research results are robust and supported by a three prone approach: Logical deduction working on the historical price trend based on most recent research findings on bubble; testing the stability of the price cycle and a statistical test modified and formulated in accordance with the Malaysian context to analyze the price trend in the local property market. We show that housing bubble burst is not imminent as yet in Malaysia which is in agreement with Bank Negara Malaysia Report. However, our findings reveal that Malaysia has been experiencing a continuous and increasingly steeper upward movement of house prices without breaks since mid-2009. Exuberant expectation of investment profit seems to be building up continuously, an indication of a strong likelihood of a housing bubble building up. Our findings call for the attention of the government to this development and to take necessary intervention measures.

Rethinking Space Design Standards Toward Quality Affordable Housing In Malaysia

Provision of affordable housing is important to low- and middle-income population. A fit form of house will not only fulfil a basic human need for shelter, but it also contributes to physical and psychological well-being of the occupants. Excellent quality and affordable housing is an indication of a high quality of life. While writings exist on various aspects of the quality of affordable housing in Malaysia, discussion regarding space and design standards has scarcely been given any serious academic attention. Standards concerning residential development usually cover different aspects or stages of the development process. They can include planning standards, design standards, space standards and technical construction standards. The main concern of this paper is on space and design standards specifically. Space standard can be defined as a set of framework which dictates fixed internal space minimums. Meanwhile, design standard indicates design guidelines to ensure the functionality, comfortability and habitability of the house. This paper is concerned exclusively with indoor spaces of a house excluding external circulation spaces and service facilities (in case of strata housing). Its interest is in internal space as an aspect of housing quality. It can be concluded that one of the way forward will be to find the balance between providing adequate minimum spaces for resident satisfactions and having economic values for housing developers. This paper may be used as a valuable reference for authorities and policy makers to better address the best housing space design standards that would benefit not only the occupants, but also the local government and developers alike.

Market Analysis of Housing Shortages in Malaysia

The annual supply of housing in Malaysia is approximately four units per 1000 of the population; this is less than the recommended 8-10 units per 1000 in developing countries, implying that the Malaysian housing deficit units are likely to be on the increase. While the market is the most efficient way to determine housing price, the capital market for [affordable] housing have a very weak mechanism that if left unregulated will be ineffective and inefficient. The cost of accommodation continues to increase despite various government measures in the form of taxes and subsidies. Through a case study approach and survey questionnaire, this study examines the operation of affordable housing market the factors that determine the cost of affordable housing. The case study involved one of the affordable housing schemes. The study demonstrates that to base affordable housing price on market prices are seriously deficient in that it ignore the basic essence of affordable housing provision. There is no real basis for economists’ strongly held believe that house prices must be determined by the market to be efficient. With the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin measure 0.714, and Bartlett's test of sphericity (χ2 (1005) = 563.821, p < 0.05), the major determinants of housing costs are strategic location, size of the housing and location. The study shows that government can intervene in affordable housing market in various ways to increase the homeownership rate

Encapsulating the delivery of affordable housing: An overview of Malaysian practice

Urban population increases much faster than other geographical areas and this brings huge challenges to Malaysian government especially those responsible for the provision of housing. Moreover, the rise of living cost and pressure towards the current economic situation had inevitably led to huge demands for affordable housing. Thus, affordability and inaccessibility of people in owning a house has become one of the major issues in Malaysia. These issues are not only faced by the low-income group but mostly experienced by urban dwellers including the middle-income group whom are not eligible to apply for low-cost housing delivered by the government, yet cannot afford to buy a house. Hence, the Malaysian government had therefore established the Perumahan Rakyat 1 Malaysia (PR1MA) as the catalyst in providing adequate, quality and affordable houses. Furthermore, the Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB) and the state governments also play their big role in providing affordable house at the state level. In trying to ensure smooth delivery of affordable housing, a systematic approach is required. This paper intends to examine the delivery of affordable housing in Malaysia. The objective was to assess the parties involved, and the various stages of the process. The methodology adopted for this study includes in-depth interviews with affordable housing agencies. Investigation showed that the major problem relates to a mismatch in the delivery of affordable housing. Moreover, the political and economic aspects, as well as the organization situation had also influenced the inefficiency of affordable housing delivery system. Additionally, the significant of this paper is expected to formulate an improved strategy and guidance in delivery system, thus ensuring that the method of practice is applicable throughout the country.

Operations and Maintenance Cost for Stratified Buildings: A Critical Review

Building maintenance is essential in preserving buildings’ appearance and performance. It needs to upkeep the building performance to prolong its value and building life cycle. Malaysia is still lacking in managing cost for building operation and maintenance. It has been found that the cost for housing maintenance is high due to poor maintenance practices. In order to get better understanding on how to manage the cost, this study reviews the contributing factors that affecting operation and maintenance cost of stratified buildings in Malaysia. The research first identified the factors through extensive literature review and scrutinize on factors that affecting and can minimize operation and maintenance cost. This literature review offers insight into building maintenance scenario in Malaysia focusing on the issues and challenges. The study also finds that operation and maintenance cost for housing in Malaysia is still in poor state. Interestingly, this paper revealed that operation and maintenance cost is also influenced by three significant factors like expectation of tenants, building characteristics and building defects. Measures to reduce the housing operation and maintenance cost are also highlighted so that this study can be a stepping stone towards proposing efficient and effective facilities management strategies for affordable housing in future.

The Improvement of the Ventilation System in the Existing Terraced Houses in Malaysia

This study aims to find a sustainable solution in order to reduce the indoor temperature in hot and humid climate such as Malaysia. The focus of this study is to create a new device (Air Tube) which is considered to be a remedial device for the indoor spaces, and can be installed for the existed houses. The method of this study is to design the Air Tube device and install is in the rooms of second floor in semi-detached and terrace house in order to reduce the temperature few degrees. The study will depend on taking manual measurements in the site and making simulation using computer software Ecotect on 14th of February (which considered to be the hottest day in the year) and trying to find the best solution to reduce the temperature in such hot and humid weather, the case study is a semi-detach house with post-modern architectural style, which is located in Sungai Petani, Kedah, Malaysia. The research finds that AirTubeis a good solution for the existed houses to decrease the temperature and reach the thermal comfortable atmosphere.

An Introspective view of Sustainable Cohousing with The Malaysian Housing Concept

Sustainable development strategies are becoming demanded in assisting in wealth distribution and improving living conditions for mankind. A sustained community is one of the sustainable development agendas that encourage community involvement and participation in contributing to sustainability. Moreover, with the rapid population growth, especially in urban cities as the proportion of urban dwellers will reach two-thirds of the world population, this will lead to several problems including the social life changing intensely. Sustainable Cohousing is one of the suggested answers for an innovative form of neighbourly accommodation. Generally, Cohousing is formed by a group of people who are committed to living as a community and who actively participate in the design and operation to shape their own neighbourhood. Through this concept, the community can decide how they can implement sustainability principles in terms of social, economical and environmental terms in their neighbourhood. Therefore, it is important to bring back the sense of togetherness amongst the people and improve their social wellbeing through an effective neighbourhood. The objective of this study is to isolate the basic concept of Cohousing and to identify the conceptual framework of Sustainable Cohousing that may apply to improving the sustainable living in Malaysia. The research methodology was through identifying and reviewing the issues in existing literature on cohousing chosen from various dimensions, such as principles and elements, sustainable value, development model and so on, which can be suited with the Malaysian culture. The findings of this research are useful for property development practitioners and policy makers in promoting sustainability through the new concept of modern housing.

말레이시아 주택의 구분소유권에 관한 탐색연구

This study identifies the common problems faced by the owners of strata titles, the Management Corporation, the Joint Management Body, the Commissioner of Building (COB) as well as the Managing Agent being the stakeholders in managing strata properties. The methods employed are qualitative in nature. Analysis is done based on reports published by the relevant authorities dealing with strata residential properties as well as the case law as reported in the two leading journals in Malaysia such as the Malayan Law Journal and the Current Law Journal. The types and nature of problems are derived from the annual reports. The extent of the problems is determined based on the figures and supported by observation and interviews with the COB, being the agency directly involved in overseeing and monitoring strata properties management. The findings show that a substantial number of problems exist in the management of strata properties despite a law that allows the owners to self-managed their own properties. Having stated the status quo concerning the problems, the study also looks at the various means of resolving disputes as exist under the Malaysian housing system. The study proposes that alternative dispute resolution (ADR) modes are more appropriate in ensuring the sustainability of strata living and management.

Managerial capabilities of housing developers: building the competitive advantage of a firm

This paper investigates the internal factors, specifically the managerial capabilities, of Malaysian housing developers. Issues of strategic management in housing development have received limited attention from real estate industry commentators. In this qualitative study, 10 semi-structured snowball interviews were performed for the purposes of data collection. Categories of housing developer capabilities include business planning and strategy, marketing, project management, financial management, and networking. These interviews shed light on the capabilities of real estate practitioners. Given the small number of interviewees, the results of this study must be treated with caution, but should provide ample basis for future in-depth studies in this area. This study expands upon the current real estate literature, arguing that the intangible resources of a firm must be used in concert to sustain superior performance, and elucidates the effects of housing developers' managerial capabilities on the success of their business.

STRUCTURAL, OPERATIONAL AND MARKET RELATED FEATURES AMONG HOUSING DEVELOPERS IN MALAYSIA

In advancing our knowledge of the Malaysian housing industry, this paper presents the characteristics among housing developers operating in Malaysia. Despite the stream of research on organizations, limited attention has been directed towards the extent of the formalization, centralization, adhocracy culture, market orientation; level of transformational leadership and organizational learning; environmental uncertainty and market competition among housing developers in Malaysia. We used a proportionate stratified random sampling to collect data from micro, small, large and public listed housing developers in Peninsular Malaysia. We received 183 out of 504 questionnaires distributed, yielding 36.3 percent response rate. While formalization and government support were found to be low; centralization, adhocracy culture, organizational learning and environmental uncertainty were found to be moderate, while market orientation, transformational leadership and market competition were found to be high among the housing developers. Our findings provide a new impetus for a better understanding of the characteristics of housing developers operating in Malaysia. It can also provide a foreground for comparison with the housing industries in other countries.

Macroeconomic Drivers of House Prices in Malaysia

This paper investigates the macroeconomic drivers of house prices in Malaysia using VECM, over a fifteen year period. The key macroeconomic factors investigated were real GDP, bank lending rate, Consumer Sentiment, Business Condition, Money Supply, number of loans approved, Stock market (KLSE) and Inflation. The macroeconomic factors found to be significantly related to the Malaysian housing prices were inflation, Stock Market (KLSE), Money Supply (M3) and number of residential loans approved. The results hint at the potential of a housing price bubble as GDP wasn’t identified as a driver of house prices.

Minimization of Embodied Carbon Footprint from Housing Sector of Malaysia

The reduction in embodied carbon footprint is one of the major concerns in the construction industry. Among many other adopted techniques, the use of recycled materials is one of recommended method to lower the environmental effects of construction materials. However, the potential of recycled materials to offset the embodied carbon footprint from conventional Malaysian housing construction requires to be evaluated. The main focus of study was to perform a comparative analysis for minimization of embodied carbon footprint from the conventional materials used Malaysian housing industry by using recycled materials. A typical double story semi-detached house commonly constructed in Malaysian tropical climate was selected as case study. The model of the house was generated in a virtual environment using Building Information Modelling (BIM) process. The results highlighted that with incorporation of recycled materials within a range of 0 % to 100 %, the embodied carbon footprint offset potential varied up to 18 % as compared to conventional construction.

Do Soaring Global Oil Prices Heat up the Housing Market? Evidence from Malaysia

Abstract This study analyses the effects of oil price and macroeconomic shocks on the Malaysian housing market using a SVAR framework. The specification of the baseline model is based on standard economic theory. The Gregory-Hansen (GH) cointegration test reveals that there is no cointegration among the variables of interest. The results obtained from the Toda-Yamamoto (TY) non-Granger causality test show that oil price, labor force and inflation are the leading factors responsible for changes in the Malaysian housing prices. The findings from estimating generalized impulse response functions (IRFs) and variance decompositions (VDCs) indicate that oil price and labor force shocks are responsible for substantial fluctuations in the price of housing in Malaysia.

Barriers to building institutional capacity in the Malaysian housing development sector

Scholars have identified institutional capacity as key to effective policy-making and local economic success. The Malaysian housing sector has been found, however, to be afflicted with various institutional deficiencies: poor payment practices, a trust deficit between key actors, poor construction quality and housing oversupply, and an ineffective housing planning framework. These long-standing issues indicate a need to examine institutional conditions in the Malaysian housing sector and to consider measures to promote institutional capacity as a potential solution. Various theorists have put forward ‘recipes’ for building institutional capacity and identified social, knowledge and political resources as ‘essential ingredients’. The empirical research examined in this paper, however, identifies key shortages of these three resources. It appears thus imperative that institutional relations are developed in order to overcome communication barriers and power imbalances that will improve performance in the housing sector.