Malone (second from left) and Myhre (middle) listening to a briefing during the visit to Eco Ardence.

PETALING JAYA: The International Housing Association (IHA) is impressed with the Malaysian property industry’s efforts toward sustainable, affordable housing during its recent 2022 interim meeting which was participated by member countries.

“The significant efforts underway to provide eco-friendly, consumer-focused, housing communities are astounding and Malaysia is clearly a leader in leveraging best practices to provide high-quality housing. I was in awe of the construction taking place at Gamuda Cove, Tun Razak Exchange, Setia Alam, and Eco Ardence. 

"The Malaysian housing industry undoubtedly has a bright future and we are all fortunate to have the opportunity to learn from our colleagues here,” IHA secretariat and National Association of Home Builders USA chief operating officer Deborah Malone said.

“We were honoured with the opportunity to visit a few local developments as well as KPKT (Ministry of Housing and Local Government) following the IHA meeting. The IHA members were very pleased to have the opportunity to learn of the forward-thinking housing strategy developed by the Ministry, particularly the efforts to embrace and plan for a changing housing market which reflects the needs and desires of the population, inclusive of the younger generation, which we find impressive,” Malone added.

The meeting was hosted by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Malaysia. Rehda has been a member of IHA since 2018, aimed at a better understanding of the issues afflicting the housing and property industries in other nations. 

National Housing Department (JPN) director-general Datuk Jayaselan Navaratnam and Norwegian Home Builders Association technical director Dr Lars Myhre also attended the meeting.

“Our membership in IHA is also part of our efforts to learn about the experiences these countries have gone through, and the measures that have been or are currently being undertaken to mitigate them,” Rehda Malaysia president Datuk NK Tong said. 

“For the years since our membership, we have found that the issues we face here in Malaysia are not uncommon with some of the other member countries, and the IHA meetings have proved to be a great source of information and a knowledge hub for us,” he added. 

With a membership spanning 13 nations, IHA was established 35 years ago to provide a unique housing policy and solutions forum, bringing together housing sector leaders from countries around the world. 

Stay ahead of the crowd and enjoy fresh insights on real estate, property development, and lifestyle trends when you subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.