Special committee to be set up to solve military housing issues - Ismail Sabri

He said the special committee would also review every military housing project agreement.

“There are some housing contracts that have been signed for five to 10 years but the housing projects have not started, so this committee will review every agreement that the ministry has signed.

"There are many suggestions on development projects such as 'land swap' to build their housing (military personnel) projects," he told a press conference after making a working visit to the Armed Forces Family Home (RKAT) at Batu Cantonment Camp, here, today.

Ismail Sabri said if there were housing projects that failed to be implemented and had problems, the ministry would cancel the agreements that had been signed.

"Indeed, I do not compromise in this matter (military personnel housing) and we will appoint new developers so that military housing projects are continued and completed," he said.

Ismail Sabri said the houses of the existing military personnel were also deteriorating and dilapidated.

“I find a lot of changes that need to be made to the housings of military personnel because some of the buildings existed in the ‘70s.

‘’There are only two rooms in a house for the military and this is against the government's housing policy which stipulates a minimum of three rooms for every Malaysian. Therefore, for military personnel, it is also necessary to provide a minimum of three rooms, "he said.

He said the matter needed to be resolved immediately and the military personnel needed 35,000 units of houses.

“So far, many (members) of the army are renting outside the military camp and I think even their housing allowance of RM350 and RM380 is not enough in a big city like Kuala Lumpur.

"Even this still does not necessarily mean they can get a room or a house and this will make it difficult for our military personnel as they have to use most of their salaries to pay rent and so on," he said.

In addition, he said the One Personnel One House (Target) programme was also for military personnel living in quarters because they could not afford to own their own houses which were much more expensive.

"There are also military personnel who retire early and have to rent a house even though they have retired, the committee will study this matter," he said.

Ismail Sabri said he would meet with Affin Bank whose shareholders are the Armed Forces Fund Board, to be able to provide special packages for housing financing.

He said the special packages were for military personnel and ex-servicemen who had retired to buy and own their own homes in an effort to reduce their burden.