PONTIAN, May 26 — A factory general worker’s dream of seeing her own name printed on a house title deed after 30 years has finally become a reality after she was selected as one of the recipients of the Johor Affordable Housing Scheme (RMMJ) at Taman Rimba Indah here.
K. Anandi, 56, who had nearly given up hope after more than 10 unsuccessful applications over the years, expressed gratitude when her latest application, submitted in July last year, was finally approved by the Johor government.
She said owning the 868-square-foot terraced house equipped with three bedrooms means she no longer has to live in her brother K. Selvananth’s home, where she had been staying for decades.
“Previously, I applied many times but was disappointed after being rejected due to insufficient documentation. However, for this application, I am deeply thankful to the state government and Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
“The price of this RMMJ house is very affordable at RM80,000, and the monthly repayments are not burdensome. It is truly affordable for people from the B40 group like me to finally own a first home after waiting for so long,” she said.
She said this when met by Bernama at the handover ceremony for the RMMJ Taman Rimba Indah project, developed by Marcus Property Sdn Bhd, which involved 86 housing units measuring 868 square feet each, with prices starting from RM80,000.
For young couple Ezzanur Ameera Nasaruddin, 27, and her husband Mohd Nor Ezzafi Md Othman, 29, being selected as RMMJ recipients has enabled them to break free from the burden of high rental commitments.
Ezzanur Ameera said the house prices offered were significantly lower than market rates after taking into account subsidies and assistance provided by the state government.
“Previously, we rented a house for about RM700 a month, but after moving into our own home, we only need to pay around RM400 in monthly instalments. The extra RM300 in savings is substantial and can be used for other necessities,” she said.
She also praised the application process, describing it as much easier and more user-friendly now that it can be completed online.
She said applicants only needed to upload basic documents such as copies of identity cards, salary slips, Employees Provident Fund (EPF) statements, employer confirmation letters and marriage certificates.
“It is very different compared with my first application experience in 2022. At that time, the required documentation was far more extensive, the documentation costs were quite burdensome, and we had to travel physically to Johor Bahru to submit the documents,” said the private sector employee.
A similar sense of relief was shared by clerk Sim Jia Chee, 27, who admitted she was surprised when her first-ever RMMJ application submitted last year was approved.
Sim, who is expected to move into her new home soon after receiving the keys from the developer, said the RMMJ monthly instalment of around RM400 was significantly lower than the RM600 monthly rent she had previously been paying.
“Previously, I consulted a sales agent about buying a house on the open market, but I was told I was ineligible because the monthly commitment was too high, ranging between RM900 and RM1,800.
“I was also informed of hidden additional costs amounting to almost RM10,000, including legal fees. In contrast, under the RMMJ scheme, part of the home purchase costs is borne or simplified by the state government,” she said, adding that she could now begin saving for a more stable future.
The RMMJ programme is among the strategic initiatives undertaken by the Johor government in collaboration with developers to provide opportunities for the B40 and M40 groups, young couples and first-time homebuyers to own homes at affordable prices, with units priced between RM80,000 and RM300,000.
Based on state housing performance data, a total of 49,603 RMMJ units had been planned between 2022 and the first quarter of 2026.
Of that number, 21,412 units have been fully completed and handed over to homeowners.
The Johor government remains optimistic about ensuring that 30,000 RMMJ units will be completed by the fourth quarter of 2026, before achieving its overall target of 100,000 units by 2030.
— BERNAMA
