GEORGE TOWN: Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said the affordable quality housing programme for urban centres that was launched under a public-private partnership initiative, previously limited to the Klang Valley, would now be extended to the entire country.

Muhyiddin said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak gave the nod to extend the programme to enable the younger generation of Malaysians to own a house.

Muhyiddin said the Government had set out to identify suitable areas for this social development programme.

The Government, through the My First Home Scheme, would provide sites for the construction of houses priced at RM220,000 and below by the private sector based on industrial building standards.

Under the scheme launched by the Prime Minister on March 8, citizens aged 35 and below with a monthly salary below RM3,000 qualify to purchase a house that is priced at no higher than RM220,000 with 100% financing.

Najib said the scheme was formulated following comments made on hisFacebook page as well as in newspapers regarding the difficulties faced by the younger generation to own a house within the price range, especially in the Klang Valley.

Muhyiddin added that the affordable houses were for people in the middle-income group who did not own a house.

In line with the aspirations of the Low-Income House­holds National Key Results Area (NKRA) of the Government Transformation Programme(GTP), the affordable quality housing programme has been designed to prevent people from falling into the low-income bracket due to the increasing cost of living.