KUCHING: The Sarawak Government continues to strengthen its homeownership agenda by focusing on the issues of financing access and the fairness of ownership distribution among the people.
Sarawak Deputy Premier and Minister for Public Health, Housing and Local Government, Datuk Amar Professor Dr Sim Kui Hian, said that there are still groups capable of owning a home who face constraints in obtaining loans from financial institutions.
“There are those who can afford to buy a house but do not qualify for bank loans because they lack a fixed income; this is where Mutiara Finance plays a role in assisting such cases," he said.
He said this when met by the media after officiating the Mutiara Open Day 2026 launch ceremony at Dewan Rafflesia, HDC, on Saturday.
According to him, the primary housing issue in Sarawak is not a shortage of units, but rather an imbalance in distribution caused by migration factors and multiple ownership.
“While the number of houses is sufficient, the main issue is the unequal distribution—some own more than one house, while many others still do not own any," he explained.
He further emphasised that the government's approach is to ensure homeownership is achievable across all age groups.
"We want the people to own homes as early as possible so that loans can be settled before old age; however, at the same time, we provide cross-generational schemes so that those who are older still have the opportunity to own a home," he remarked.
In line with this, he noted that the Sarawak Government has introduced various initiatives, including financing through Mutiara Mortgage & Credit and cross-generational loan schemes, to ensure more comprehensive access to homeownership.
In the meantime, he stated that the government aims to build 20,000 affordable housing units under the Post COVID-19 Development Strategy 2030 (PCDS 2030) to meet the needs of the people across the state.
The event also saw the launch of Mutiara Open Day 2026, the presentation of offer letters for the Rumah Spektra Mutiara (RSM), and the distribution of assistance through the Housing Deposit and Repayment Assistance Scheme (HDRAS).
The programme, organised by Mutiara Mortgage & Credit Sdn Bhd, aims to expand homeownership access through various financing initiatives and support for the people.
Also in attendance were Sarawak Financial Secretary Dato Sri Dr Wan Lizozman Wan Omar, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health, Housing and Local Government Datu Elizabeth Loh, CEO of Mutiara Mortgage & Credit Sdn Bhd Awang Irwan Awang Shawal, CEO of HDC Fathi Hambali, Deputy CEO of HDC Jamilah Jami’an Bujang, as well as representatives from government agencies and local authorities. — UKASnews
