17/09/2026

PROPERTY THURSDAY | SEPT 17, 2026

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OIB launches Gardens Idaman in S’gor

transactions in Kuala Lumpur this quarter. “Luxury buyers were exceptionally active, snapping up 50% more homes worth RM4,000,000 or above, compared with a year ago. The unusually high number of high-priced transactions pulled the average price in Kuala Lumpur up by 52% to RM1,203,971. This means less than it sounds like, however, because averages are easily influenced by a relatively small number of high value transactions. That’s why we also rely on median prices to get a complete picture of the market,” he said. Ansari said, “In the second half, we expect transaction volume to increase and prices to moderately climb as more new supply comes onto the market. Just like in the second quarter, affordable homes will be the most popular. Luxury property will continue to account for a fraction, although an important fraction, of the total market.” He added they expect the job market and consumer demand to help maintain economic growth around 5%. “That’s fast enough to support the housing market without being so fast that Bank Negara will have to lift the Overnight Policy Rate. These stable financing conditions are one of the pillars that supports the property market,” he said. Among states, Johor will continue to outperform. The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the fast-approaching launch date of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link are adding extra fuel to the market. They will push up both transaction volume and prices, said Ansari. developments. We believe affordable housing deserves the same commitment to creating healthier, more efficient and future ready communities. “While GreenRE certification is not a requirement under the Rumah Idaman programme and remains relatively uncommon among affordable housing developments, we believe meaningful sustainability can be achieved without compromising affordability when these considerations are integrated from the earliest stages of design. Receiving Provisional GreenRE Bronze certification for both Gardens Idaman and Saujana Idaman is an important milestone that reinforces this commitment,” he added. Gardens Idaman incorporates a range of sustainable design measures, including a high-performance building envelope to reduce heat gain, 100% water-efficient fittings, lower-carbon construction materials, reusable aluminium system formwork, energy-efficient lift systems, low volatile organic compound paints and natural daylight optimisation. Together, these measures are expected to improve energy and water efficiency, enhance indoor environmental quality and create more comfortable living environments for residents. Based on the GreenRE assessment, Gardens Idaman is expected to achieve approximately 30.61% energy savings compared with the GreenRE baseline while reducing operational carbon emissions by an estimated 337 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent each year. Gardens Idaman is the latest addition to OIB’s growing Rumah Idaman portfolio, following the successful launch of Putra Idaman in Desa Pinggiran Putra in 2024. With Saujana Idaman scheduled for launch in 3rd quarter of 2026, OIB continues to strengthen its pipeline of affordable housing developments across Selangor while supporting the state’s long-term housing aspirations.

RAWANG: Oriental Interest Bhd (OIB) launched Myra Idaman, its latest affordable housing development under the Rumah Idaman programme, which is being marketed under the name Gardens Idaman. The launch marks another milestone in the group’s growing affordable housing portfolio. Spanning 11.226 acres with a GDV of RM163.8 million, Gardens Idaman will comprise 616 semi-furnished apartment units priced from RM250,000 to RM270,000. Each unit will also come with two carparks. The leasehold development is scheduled for completion in 2030 and has been designed as a gated and guarded community for first time homebuyers and growing families. Each 1,002 sq ft unit features three bedrooms, two bathrooms and two parking bays, and comes semi-furnished with wardrobes, air-conditioners, water heaters, kitchen cabinets, a refrigerator, television and TV cabinet. William Lew, general manager (Essential BU) of Myra, OIB’s residential property arm, said Selangor’s Rumah Idaman programme has played an important role in expanding access to quality affordable housing across the state. He added that OIB is proud to contribute to the programme’s objective of making quality homeownership more accessible to Selangor residents. “The Rumah Idaman programme has established a strong benchmark for making quality homeownership more accessible to o Affordable housing project of 616 semi-furnished units in Rawang will cater to first time buyers, young families “The national median subsale price is now RM380,000, up from RM370,000 a year ago,” said Juwai IQI co-founder and group CEO Kashif Ansari. He added that this is according to IQI’s Q2’26 Residential Subsale Market Report, which is based on more than 230,000 transactions since 2018. IQI is the Kuala Lumpur-headquartered global real estate agent network and a member of the global proptech group Juwai IQI. “The median price of a resale home in Malaysia climbed 2.7% over the past year,” said Ansari, adding that this makes three consecutive quarters of median price growth and suggests consistent owner-occupier and investor demand. “Of course, this national number obscures the varying performances of the different states. Prices jumped most in Penang, climbing by 17.1% to a new median of RM480,000 due to a change in the composition of homes being purchased. “Other growers include Kuala Lumpur with its 12.8% bump. In Sarawak, the median price is 10.3% higher in the quarter. And Johor has the next fastest growth rate at 8.3%. Prices moved upwards in all but three of the states we looked at for this report.” Ansari said they fell in Malacca and dropped marginally in Selangor, while Perak remained relatively steady, with only minor changes

Gardens Idaman combines attainable pricing with sustainable living, incorporating energy- and water efficient features alongside Provisional GreenRE Bronze certification.

first-time homebuyers across Selangor. As one of the participating developers, our role extends beyond delivering homes that meet the programme’s requirements. We are continuously looking at how we can create added value for homeowners and the communities they will live in,” he said. The launch also marks another milestone for OIB’s affordable housing portfolio, with both Gardens Idaman and the upcoming Saujana Idaman development in Dengkil having received Provisional GreenRE Bronze certification, recognising the projects’ commitment to environmentally responsible and sustainable development practices. GreenRE is Malaysia’s green building certification scheme established by the Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda), recognising developments that meet sustainability benchmarks across areas

such as energy efficiency, water efficiency, environmental protection and indoor environmental quality. While sustainability standards are becoming increasingly recognised across Malaysia’s property sector, GreenRE-certified affordable housing developments remain relatively uncommon, highlighting the growing importance of integrating sustainable design into homes that remain accessible to a wider segment of Malaysians. Lew added that while GreenRE certification is not a requirement under the Rumah Idaman programme, OIB believes sustainability should become an increasingly important part of affordable housing rather than a feature associated only with premium developments. “There is often a perception that sustainability is reserved for higher-end

IQI: Subsale home prices rise in Q2, set to climb in second half 2026 KUALA LUMPUR: Prices in Malaysia’s secondary home (subsale) market climbed by nearly 3% in the second quarter versus a year earlier and will continue to rise through the rest of the year, reported IQI recently.

Source: IQI recorded in the state.

“Compared to a year ago, the affordability mix is basically unchanged. This suggests there is plentiful and consistent supply at accessible price points. As for premium purchases, despite a surge of such transactions in Kuala Lumpur, they remain a modest slice of the market. Just 6% of purchases took place at prices between RM750,001 and RM1,000,000, and 10% of transactions were for properties costing more than RM1,000,000,” remarked Ansari. He also pointed out that they saw a surprising concentration of high-value subsale

Homes costing up to RM250,000 accounted for nearly one quarter of purchases, he said, adding that roughly seven in 10 transactions in Q2’26 were for properties priced at RM500,000 or below. He said single busiest price segment was the core of the middle market, where most families buy, with prices ranging from RM250,001 to RM500,000. This means the overwhelming majority of purchases are well within reach of typical household budgets.

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