Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 21.3.2014.
The latest Bank Negara Annual Report 2013 has revealed that Bank Negara is being short-sighted and uncaring at best or irresponsible and unprofessional at worst towards the problem of Malaysia having the second highest level of household debt in Asia. Bank Negara dismissed the rise in the level of household debt in Malaysia from 81.1% of Gross Domestic Product(GDP) in 2012 to 86.8% of GDP in 2013 as not posing any risk to financial stability.
Bank Negara should realise that the reason for is that our income levels are stuck in a “glacial trap” with inflation outpacing wage rises. This has forced many households to rely on credit loans to make ends meet and even resort to loan sharks when they are unable to get loans from financial institutions.
With total household borrowings at RM854.3 billion in 2013, the proportion of households having loans with those having monthly earnings of up to RM3,000, accounted for 27% of total household borrowings at RM230.l7 billion. Bank Negara also said that the aggregate leverage for households earning up to RM3,000 a month was seven times(measured as the ratio of outstanding borrowings to annual income) is high and should be reduced.
This only proves that for lower income groups, their incomes are unable to keep up with inflation, forcing many to borrow to survive to maintain their living standard. With such high rates of outstanding borrowings that is 7 times their annual incomes, it is difficult if not impossible for lower-income groups to get approvals of housing loans from banks or financial institutions.
How can first-time buyers from lower-income groups afford to buy their own homes when Bank Negara has reduced the maximum tenure for loans of property purchases from 45 years to 35 years? Such reduction in tenure will only increase the housing instalments payments and make it more difficult for lower-income groups to qualify for loans.
Bank Negara should reinstate the Developer Interest Bearing Scheme(DIBS) for first-time buyers to enable them to realise their dream of owning their own homes. There have been many complaints of banks not approving housing loans to lower-income groups because of their low repayment ability.
For this reason the Penang state government has introduced the Shared Ownership Scheme(SOS) for low-cost houses to help lower-income groups. Under the SOS,the property is jointly owned by the government in giving out as government loans of up to 30% of the property price to lower-income groups interest-free. Many lower-income groups are able to qualify if they need to borrow only 70% of the property price.
For the sake of housing democracy, DAP urges Bank Negara to introduce a SOS for affordable homes and public housing to help first-time buyers qualify for loans to buy their own homes.
LIM GUAN ENG
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民主行动党秘书长兼峇眼国会议员林冠英于2014年3月21日
国家银行应该恢复发展商利息承担配套（DIBS），及推出共享拥有权配套（SOS）给予首次购买公屋及可负担房屋的购屋者。
最新的2013年国家银行报告揭示国家银行极其糟糕地短视、不闻不问、不负责任及不专业的去面对马来西亚当前家庭债务高居亚洲第2的问题。国家银行完全不顾虑2012年马来西亚家庭债务占据了国民生产总值（GDP）的81.1%及2013年占据了国民生产总值的86.8%的问题，就好像这问题并不会为马来西亚带来任何风险，影响金融稳定。
国家银行应该清楚我们国人的收入有如被冰封在冰川陷阱无法动弹，原因是因为百物皆长所导致的通货膨胀。这导致很多家庭必须举债解燃眉之急，甚至在无法获得正规金融公司的借贷之下，向“大耳窿”借高利贷。
大马2013年的家庭债务是8543亿令吉，而每月收入3000令吉以下家庭的借贷占据了27%共2301亿7000万令吉。国家银行也揭示每月收入3000令吉以下的举债家庭，他们的借贷总额是他们年收入的7倍。这显然太高了，必须要减少。
这只能证实低收入群的收入根本追不上通货膨胀，迫使很多人必须举债度日，以维持他们的生活水平。当背着比家庭年收入还要高7倍的债务，低收入群想要申请房屋贷款，要获得银行或金融机构的批准将会难上加难。
当国家银行把购置房产的最高贷款期限从45年调整至35年之际，试问，来自低收入群体的首购人士有能力去承担吗？这种调整方式，只会让每一期的房贷缴款额增加，使低收入族群更难符合贷款资格。
许多来自低收入的群体不断投诉他们的房贷不获银行的批准，原因是因为他们的偿还能力低。国家银行理应恢复发展商利息承担配套，以便让首次购屋者能够落实和拥有他们的梦想家园。
职是之故，槟州政府针对低收入群体推介了“共享拥有权配套“，让他们也能拥有属于自己的廉价屋。在此配套之下，州政府将提供30%免息贷款给那些购屋者，剩下的70%由他们向银行贷款，双方共享房屋拥有权。
看在住房民主化的份上，民主行动党促请国家银行推介可负担房屋的共享拥有权配套，让首次购置产业者可以获得房贷，买下他们的房子。
林冠英