Don’t delay tabling Residential Tenancy Bill to 2027, NGO tells govt

A leading NGO has urged the Malaysian government to table the Residential Tenancy Bill in the Dewan Rakyat instead of waiting until 2027. Architects of Diversity (AOD) expressed concern that the bill, which has been in final drafting stage since February, has yet to see the light of day. The NGO pointed out that the previous National Housing Policy 2018-2025 had earmarked 2019 for the commencement of the bill's drafting.

For seven years, Malaysians have been reassured that the bill was in the works, with ongoing stakeholder consultations and imminent completion. However, AOD argues that this can no longer be regarded as mere administrative delay. The NGO's earlier study of 35,367 room rental listings in Klang Valley revealed that 42.8% explicitly excluded at least one ethnic group, exposing a glaring lack of legal framework.

This leaves tenants vulnerable to racial discrimination with no dedicated avenue for redress, while landlords must resort to civil proceedings to recover unpaid rent or address property damage.

AOD insists that the bill must incorporate enforceable anti-discrimination protections, establish an accessible Residential Tenancy Tribunal, and outline clear responsibilities for rental listing platforms. With the bill still untabled after seven years, the NGO questions whether the government possesses the political commitment to deliver on a reform it has repeatedly promised.