Three young Malaysians show buy-versus-rent decision depends on individual circumstances
Three recent graduates participating in the Rehda Institute Youth Initiative (RIYI) 2026 took different paths on housing: one rents near work in Kuala Lumpur, one bought a RM350,000 condo in Ipoh after saving, and one used an affordable-housing scheme in Kulim. Their choices illustrate that the buy-
PETALING JAYA (Oct 5): For many young Malaysians beginning their working lives, the question of whether to buy a home or rent is often treated as a measure of financial progress. But the choices made by three recent graduates show that the decision depends on individual circumstances — including income, savings, location and career plans.
Howe Shan Yin, a Taylor's University graduate working in marketing, rents close to her workplace in Kuala Lumpur. Gan Shing Ning, a Universiti Sains Malaysia graduate and sustainability executive, bought a RM350,000 condominium in Ipoh after two years of saving and researching the market. Muhammad Syahmi Aiman Zulkafli, a Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology real estate graduate, took a third route — he bought an affordable starter home in his hometown of Kulim, Kedah, after returning there to begin his career with a local property agency.
They were participants of the Rehda Institute Youth Initiative (RIYI) 2026. EdgeProp Malaysia is a media partner for the event. Their experiences reflect three different approaches to the same question: renting for flexibility, buying on the open market after preparation, or entering homeownership through an affordable-housing route.
Bon Estates CEO Chan Jin Wy said recent graduates should not feel compelled to buy a property immediately after entering the workforce. "For most fresh graduates, strengthening their earning capacity and savings first will provide greater flexibility and better property-buying opportunities in the future," he said. For Shan Yin, renting was a practical response to her current finances and the uncertainty that often accompanies the early years of a career. "People assume buying means you have made it," she said. "But I looked at my entry-level marketing salary, my expenses in KL, and I asked myself honestly: Can I sustain a mortgage right now without stretching myself thin every single month?" Her answer was no, at least for now.
Shing Ning reached a different conclusion after two years of saving and studying the Ipoh property market. "I did not just wake up one day and decide to buy," she said. "It took planning, sacrifice and a lot of spreadsheet hours to make sure a free-market condo would not swallow my entire paycheck." She decided to buy after concluding that she could manage the purchase without exhausting her savings. Her RM350,000 condominium purchase involved upfront costs that included the down payment, legal fees, stamp duty, valuation fees, disbursements and mortgage insurance. "The biggest lesson I learned is not to use all your savings for the deposit," she said.
Syahmi's route was different again. Having grown up in Kulim and returned after graduating to work in real estate, he was familiar with the local market and affordable-housing options. Rather than buying on the open market, Syahmi acquired an affordable home and obtained financing under the Skim Jaminan Kredit Perumahan (SJKP). "My monthly mortgage came out to around RM900, practically identical to what my friends were paying to rent rooms in town," he said. SJKP is a government-backed housing-financing guarantee scheme aimed at helping eligible buyers obtain financing, subject to participating lenders' terms. Syahmi said that although his financing arrangement reduced the need for a conventional upfront down payment, he still had to prepare for legal costs and disbursements. Maintenance charges and sinking-fund contributions may also apply depending on the type of development.
Chan said affordability should not be assessed solely by whether a buyer can obtain financing or meet a monthly instalment. "Rather, it should be assessed based on whether the homeowner can comfortably sustain all associated costs while maintaining a healthy financial position and quality of life over the long term," he said. Lagenda Properties Bhd senior manager of sales and marketing Vinny Chong Mae Vin said younger buyers are increasingly assessing homes by how well they fit into their wider daily lives. "Young buyers today are not just buying the square footage inside the unit; they are buying into an ecosystem that supports both their productivity and mental well-being," she said.
