Like Hong Kong, Malaysia grapples with ‘grave pit’-sized homes as high living costs bite
- Malaysia has enough laws to deal with illegal renovations and partitions done by building owners but enforcement of these laws remains a major issue
- Higher rental prices over the years have led tenants – already beset by wage stagnation – to downsize, with some turning to the infamous ‘coffin homes’
Located in nearby Maluri, a dense neighbourhood criss-crossed by several major train stations, 78 coffin-sized “rooms” were packed inside a two-storey shop lot and advertised as “capsules” and “mini rooms”, suitable for “backpackers, interns, or short and long-term renters” looking for air-conditioned “budget rooms”.
The rooms came in single and queen-sized bed configurations, with the latter being around a claustrophobic 30 square feet. They were being rented out for 290 ringgit (US$62) and 330 ringgit per month, respectively, in a city where monthly room rental prices rarely fall below 1,000 ringgit.
Speaking in parliament on November 30, Minister of Local Government Development Nga Kor Ming said he had personally raided that building in October and reported that the offending structures had been dismantled.