The survey, by market research firm YouGov, showed that almost 57% of the 1,104 survey respondents were in favour of a law to regulate the market, and only 10% opposed to the proposed Residential Tenancy Act, which has been years in the making.
However, respondents were split by age group on whether to ban racial discrimination in housing. Almost 50% believed that landlords should be allowed to choose tenants based on race, while 31% believed it should be made illegal.
Those aged 18 to 24 were the only age group in which a plurality (39%) supported making it illegal to practise racial discrimination in renting, while 58.7% of Malaysians aged 35 to 54 were more inclined to believe that landlords should retain the right to select tenants based on race.
Almost two in five Malaysian Indians in the survey reported facing racial discrimination in the housing market. Support for banning racial discrimination was highest among Indians (63.8%), those aged 18 to 24 (39%) and full-time students (42%).
The survey findings were released at a forum by civil society organisation Architects of Diversity, held in conjunction with the launch of its latest report on discrimination in rented housing.
Participants at the forum called for the government to pass the long-delayed law. “If the government fails to pass the Residential Tenancy Act, or worse, passes it without addressing racial discrimination, it will have missed its greatest opportunity to protect Indian Malaysians,” said the group’s executive director, Jason Wee.
Wee said young Malaysians were worse affected by the discrimination, especially those from minority groups who rely on rented housing while working or studying in cities
According to those at the forum, landlords cited three main reasons for choosing tenants by race: fear of losing income because of problematic tenants; cultural or religious clashes; and personal prejudice cloaked as “racial preference”.
One respondent, identified as being a “Serani”, described how property agents often appeared more interested in their ethnicity than in financial credentials.
Independent researcher Fikri Faisal, who spoke at the forum, took issue with the figure of about RM600 average rent reported by the statistics department for the Klang Valley, while private property listings showed rent of around RM2,800 to RM2,900.
Fikri called for improved data collection, as the gap in the data could skew national housing policy.
Just over 50% of respondents supported the setting up of a rent tribunal to resolve disputes between landlords and tenants, such as over deposits or evictions, without the high cost of lawyers and court proceedings
The tribunal found greater support among older Malaysians, especially those aged 45 and above, Chinese respondents, and higher-income earners. Support was lowest among students and the unemployed, the groups most vulnerable to discrimination and insecure tenancy.
Bukit Gasing assemblyman Rajiv Rishakaran said policy intervention was justified if even a small percentage of tenants faced racial bias.
“Everyone fears the worst when they hear about a residential tenancy act, because they fear rent controls or that too many terms and conditions will be included in the contracts, making things very difficult for them,” he said.
He said he hoped that housing minister Nga Kor Ming would consider establishing the rental tribunal, as it would help reduce the incidence of rental discrimination.
Wee said: “You don’t stop prosecuting theft because some thieves get away. The law exists to draw a moral line and offer recourse to those harmed.”