Quick answer. Four things are worth checking before you buy your first home: the stamp duty exemption up to RM500,000 (SPAs signed by 31 December 2027), an EPF housing withdrawal from Akaun Sejahtera, SJKP if you have no fixed payslip, and LPPSA if you are a civil servant. On a RM400,000 home the stamp duty exemption alone is worth about RM8,800.

1. Stamp duty exemption up to RM500,000

Budget 2026 extended the full exemption on the instrument of transfer (MOT) and the loan agreement for a first residential home priced up to RM500,000. It applies to sale and purchase agreements signed from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027, for Malaysian citizens.

Who qualifies: a Malaysian citizen who has not owned a residential property before. Ownership you did not buy yourself — a share you inherited, or your name on a family title — can still count against you, so confirm your position with your lawyer before you sign.

What it is worth on Ipoh projects under RM500,000

Worked on the SPA price with a 90% loan: MOT stamp duty at 1% on the first RM100,000 and 2% up to RM500,000, plus 0.5% on the loan agreement.

Estimates for the entry unit. The exact figure depends on the SPA price of your unit and the loan the bank approves — work yours on the stamp duty and legal fee calculator. Every project under RM500,000 is also on this page.

2. EPF housing withdrawal (Akaun Sejahtera)

EPF lets you use your Akaun Sejahtera savings towards a house. With a housing loan you can withdraw the difference between the price and the approved loan, plus 10% of the price, or your entire Akaun Sejahtera balance, whichever is lower.

• Example: a RM400,000 house with a 90% loan — up to RM80,000 (the RM40,000 down payment plus 10% of the price), if your Akaun Sejahtera has that much.
• Conditions: under 55, at least RM500 in Akaun Sejahtera, an approved loan from a recognised lender (or self-financed), and no earlier housing withdrawal — or the earlier house has been sold.
• Together: a spouse or family member buying with you can make a joint withdrawal from their own account.
• Timing: the SPA must be no more than three years old when you apply.

3. SJKP — if you have no fixed payslip

The Housing Credit Guarantee Scheme helps people who can afford the instalment but struggle to get a loan approved, especially the self-employed and those with irregular income — though fixed-income earners can apply too.

• Malaysian citizen, 18 or older; joint financing allowed.
• A first home, new or subsale, that you will live in.
• Total financing up to RM500,000, which can include MRTA, legal fees and valuation fees; tenure up to 35 years.
• All your loan repayments together must not exceed 65% of gross monthly income, with a clean recent credit record.

You apply through a participating bank. If a normal loan has already been turned down, read why home loans get rejected first.

4. LPPSA — for civil servants

Under Budget 2026 the maximum LPPSA financing is being raised to RM1 million, scheduled from as early as the fourth quarter of 2026, subject to system readiness. Confirm the current status with LPPSA before you plan a purchase around the higher ceiling.

5. Perak’s own affordable housing

The Perak state government runs its own affordable housing programme, Rumah Perakku. Eligibility and pricing are set by the state and change between phases, so check them with the state housing office before you apply — we have not listed figures we could not confirm from an official source.

6. Developer packages — and how they stack

Many Ipoh launches already absorb the SPA and loan legal fees, and some the stamp duty too. That changes how the incentives add up:

• If the developer already pays the stamp duty, the exemption saves the developer that cost, not you. It does not add to your package.
• If the package does not include stamp duty, the exemption is real cash you keep — which can make a project without free stamp duty cheaper than it first looks.
• EPF and the exemption work together: one lowers what you pay at signing, the other funds the down payment.

The order that usually works: check your DSR, get a loan in principle, shortlist projects under RM500,000, compare packages on the cash you actually need, then apply for the EPF withdrawal once the SPA is signed. The full step-by-step is in the first-time buyer guide.

Sources: Ministry of Finance, Budget 2026 tax measures (Appendix 15); EPF “Buy House Withdrawal”; SJKP scheme features and eligibility; The Star / Bernama on LPPSA (30 September 2026). Rules change with each Budget — confirm with your lawyer, bank and the agency concerned before you rely on them. General information, not financial advice.
Compiled and reviewed by MaSk Chan, REN 49335 · IQI Global.