BFM 89.9

HIGHLIGHTS 
Podcast  >  Bigger Picture  >  Beyond The Ballot Box  >  ThinkLeft #3: Why Can’t We Afford to Buy Houses Anymore?

ThinkLeft #3: Why Can’t We Afford to Buy Houses Anymore?

Sivarajan Arumugam, Secretary-General, Parti Sosialis Malaysia

09-Jun-22 15:00

ThinkLeft #3: Why Can’t We Afford to Buy Houses Anymore?

There was a time where working a regular 9-5 job would enable you to buy a house (at the very least a single storey landed property) and raise some kids in it, if you so desire. After all, that’s what Baby Boomers and Gen Xs did. Unfortunately, that is not the case for most millennials today, not unless they’ve inherited some family wealth. You constantly hear about the average Malaysian, even degree holders, not being able to afford adequate housing, despite it being a basic necessity – a human right. One would think that the demand is so high and the supply is so low. But this isn’t the case in Malaysia -- there are new developments every day, you drive around neighbourhoods and see empty houses and luxurious condos, and yet, nobody can afford them. So, what went wrong? And how do we fix it?


Image credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Dashran Yohan

Presented by: Dashran Yohan


This and more than 60,000 other podcasts in your hand. Download the all new BFM mobile app.

Categories:  politicsgovernmentproperty

Tags:  HDB Flatsmalaysian politicspoliticshousing crisisaffordable housingppr flatscapitalismsocialismThinkLeft





Play / Pause

Listen now : Top 5 at 5: A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of...

Today’s Shows



6:00 AM

The 6AM Stretch

Thought-provoking discussions on ideas, people and events shaping our lives.

7:00 AM

World Market Watch

Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade tells us where international markets are heading.

7:15 AM

Morning Brief

We recap global and local headlines from today's papers and portals.

7:30 AM

Morning Brief

Dr. Azmi Hassan, Senior Fellow at the Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research shares his thoughts on political meetings held over the weekend.

7:45 AM

Morning Brief

Sulaiman Saheh of Rahim & Co discusses the outlook for Malaysia’s property market amid Johor’s residential boom and Kuala Lumpur’s office market challenges.

8:00 AM

The Breakfast Grille

Yeo Tien Seng, Executive Director of Guan Huat Seng Holdings Berhad discusses his company's upcoming listing on the ACE Market.

8:30 AM

Morning Brief

Cheah Wai Seng, Energy, Resources and Industrials Leader at Deloitte Malaysia, shares insights into Malaysia's energy utilisation and power availability.

8:45 AM

Morning Brief

Ragunath Kesavan, Former President of the Malaysian Bar Council, provides insight into the Attorney General’s Chamber's decision over Zahid Hamidi's Yayasan Akalbudi legal case.

9:00 AM

Opening Bell

(REPEAT) Tim Waterer, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade tells us where international markets are heading.

9:15 AM

Opening Bell

Ahmad Maghfur Usman, Equity Analyst at Nomura Malaysia discusses the impact of US tariffs on ports.

9:35 AM

Pinnacle Perspectives

Hamish Munro, CEO of IPSOS APEC, shares insights into Malaysians' expectations and sentiments heading into 2026.

10:05 AM

Open For Business

Sagtec Global’s Kevin Ng on listing on the NASDAQ, the 50% stock drop, and their planned expansion to "Robot-as-a-Service" and AI analytics for their F&B customers.

11:05 AM

P&L

Startups have speed; scale-ups have bureaucracy. But with the right AI tooling, can a mature company of hundreds fight with the agility of a solo founder in a garage? StoreHub’s Fong Wai Hong shares his experience.

12:00 PM

Enterprise Explores

IIAM’s Suhailah Abdulla and Philip Rao discuss their Risk in Focus 2026 report, getting into why cyber and AI breaches persist despite boards being aware of the risks.

2:05 PM

Discovery Hour

An eclectic selection of BBC shows, curated with variety in mind.

3:05 PM

Earth Matters

We explore Klang Valley’s overlooked green spaces, the communities protecting them, and how Fragmented-Connected invites us to rethink urban nature and reconnection.

4:05 PM

Health & Living

Medical lab technologists do vital work in analysing patient samples and helping doctors detect and diagnose diseases. Tune in to find out more about their work.

5:00 PM

Top 5 at 5

A countdown of the 5 biggest stories of the day, to catch you up on all you need to know!

6:00 PM

Today I Learned

We unpack the idea of sleep with psychologist Julian Lim and find out how we can achieve a good night’s sleep amidst hectic lifestyles.

7:00 PM

Just For Kicks

8:00 PM

A Bit of Culture