REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS IN MALAYSIA

PROPERTY IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia’s house price rises have continued, but at a slower pace, due to a slight GDP growth slowdown to 5.1% in 2011, from 7.2% in 2010.  Malaysian houses prices have tracked inflation during the last decade, except during the recent surge. 

In Q1 2012, the national house price index rose 6.1% (3.7% in real terms) y-o-y to Q1 2011, down from 8.9% growth last year (5.9% in real terms), according to theValuation and Property Services Department (JPPH).  The average house price was MYR 219,219 (US$ 68,905) at year end, according to the JPPH.

Price increases should moderate in the remainder of 2012, according to C.H. Williams Talhar & Wong’s 2012 Property Market Report .

Kuala Lumpur’s house price index rose 6% y-o-y to Q1 2012.  House prices also increased in Selangor (8.9%), Pulau Pinang (5.2%), and Perak (4.2%).  Johor and Negeri Sembilan had the lowest y-o-y price growth, at .2% and 1.6%, respectively.

By property type, nationally:

• Terraced houses rose 6.6% y-o-y to Q1 2012
• Detached houses rose by 2.3%
• Semi-detached houses rose by 7.8%
• High rises rose by 4.6%.

There were 6,359 units sold in 2011, down 21% from the previous year.  In Q4 2011, only 5,519 new housing units were launched, down 45.6% from the previous quarter, and a 62.3% drop from the same period last year, according to JPPH.

Despite maintaining the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) at its current level of 3%, the BNM’s implementation of more restrictive lending guidelines in January 1, 2012 is expected to cause fewer speculative developments. In the recent past, the BNM has also lowered the loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage cap for third house financing from 90% to 70%. The Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT) was also re-activated by the government.

The property market will grow further in 2012 but price increases are likely to moderate according to the 2012 Property Market Report  of C.H. Williams Talhar & Wong.

In 2012, the economy is expected to grow by 4.2%, according to the Malaysian Institute of Economic Research (MIER). Inflation has moderated to 2.3% in Q1 2012 from 3.2% in Q4 2011.

“Right now, we have a moderation in the rate of inflation. We have interest rates at a point where they are accommodative. Accommodative in the sense it is not restricting borrowing activities and it is supporting the overall growth. Therefore, at this point in time, I believe that unless inflation does begin to again rise, it does not merit consideration of raising rates,” says Malaysia’s Central Bank Governor Zeti Akhtar Aziz.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Najib Razak has introduced Malaysia’s first minimum wage to support low income households. Workers in Peninsular Malaysia will receive MYR 900 (US$ 297), while rural areas workers will receive MYR 800 (US$ 252).

REAL ESTATE INVESTMENTS IN MALAYSIA

Guide to Malaysian property