IPOH: Local Government Development Minister Nga Kor Ming today dismissed as untrue and malicious a claim that Singapore experts were consulted to compensate for Malaysian civil service inefficiency in housing matters.
Such allegations were provocative and seditious, he said, adding that ministry staff had always provided the best service while implementing affordable and holistic housing policies for the people.
"Civil servants have been serving with excellence since prime minister Tunku Abdul Rahman's administration until today. The synergy of civil servants and members of the administration has produced various policies, programmes and action plans for the benefit of the people.
"Our intention to invite foreign experts, including from Singapore, for seminars and workshop sessions is to gain knowledge and share expertise in the field of housing so that Malaysia can move forward and be relevant to current developments," he told Bernama.
He was responding to a portal report which claimed that government officials handling Malaysia's public housing did not have sufficient expertise on the matter and as such had to bring in experts from Singapore to resolve Malaysia's housing issues.
Nga said engagements with Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) had been initiated since 2018 to understand planning and provision aspects, especially in 'social housing'.
He said the existing National Housing Policy was the result of the ministry's collaboration with local housing experts such as the Khazanah Research Institute (KRI), Bank Negara, Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), academics and real estate analysts.
"It is not wrong to improve policies based on best practices so that they are more comprehensive and practical to be implemented in accordance with the Malaysian model," he added.
He said Malaysia, through the Local Government Development Ministry, had also implemented similar collaborations with various other countries, such as Australia, pertaining to private housing development and laws, as well as India in mixed private development. -- Bernama