Selangor: As night falls, Isham Romli opens the windows of her ninth-floor flat to cool down the interior of her home. Residing in Block A of the Lembah Subang 1 People’s Housing Project (PPR), Selangor, Isham is forced to close all the windows at 10 am due to the extreme heat in the Klang Valley, where daily temperatures have been reaching 35 to 40 degrees Celsius.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Isham, 62, prefers to keep her door shut due to her unit facing the staircase and a lot of people passing by. To avoid being stuck indoors in her 650-square-foot unit all day, Isham participates in various community activities at the PPR, including running sewing workshops for residents, especially housewives. The situation is somewhat different for private sector employee Siti Nuraisyah Abdul Hamid, 35, who rents a unit on the top floor of a six-storey apartment block in Section 2, Wangsa Maju, Kuala Lumpur.
Isham and Siti Nuraisyah are among thousands of flat and apartment dwellers affected by the heat wave that has gripped the country since May 10. The lack of proper ventilation shafts to facilitate air circulation in many newer low-cost strata housing developments exacerbates the situation. On June 17, the Malaysian Meteorological Department noted that the Southwest Monsoon, which began on May 10, has led to dry and hot weather conditions in the country, with an increase in the number of dry days expected to continue until September.
Malaysian Institute of Architects Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) chairman Axxu Hoi Jung Wai explained that poor ventilation and heat entrapment are common issues in Malaysia’s low-cost housing sector, particularly in PPR and other affordable housing developments. He noted that low-cost units are usually very compact, leading to overcrowding and poor air circulation.
As the impacts of climate change become increasingly evident, more people are considering how well their homes can cope with intensifying environmental conditions. Hoi urged the government and developers to consider a climate-based approach, integrating detailed environmental analysis into the early design phase to enhance the livability of affordable homes without significantly increasing costs.
Rose Afrina Mansor, climate resilience manager at Think City, emphasized the importance of designing affordable housing to withstand environmental pressures without compromising comfort or dignity. She highlighted that climate resilience does not have to come at a high cost, with nature-based solutions like rain gardens and urban tree planting offering cost-effective strategies to manage environmental risks and improve comfort.
Experts, including Malaysia Association of Energy Service Companies president Zulkifli Zahari, advocate for affordable housing to be energy-efficient and climate-responsive, emphasizing the role of passive design elements in reducing energy consumption. He suggested that government-backed programs to equip low-cost housing with solar panels could ease the financial burden on residents.
This story was produced as part of the PANAS! Climate Change Stories in Malaysia initiative by Science Media Centre Malaysia, supported by the International Science Council Regional Focal Point for Asia and the Pacific, and funded by the Australian Department of Industry, Science and Resources, led by the Australian Academy of Science.