DENGKIL, June 26 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the government will develop housing for civil servants with lower rental rates as an effort to look after the welfare of the group.

Anwar, who is also the finance minister, said this is because he found that civil servants were facing serious problems with house rent during his visit to several states such as Penang, Perak, Johor and Negeri Sembilan.

“We will develop housing for civil servants with cheap rent.

“So it will not burden the family. These are the steps we are taking, we will expedite it,” he told reporters after performing Friday prayers at Jameatus Solehah Mosque here today.

Anwar said that although the government had increased the salaries of civil servants, the issue of increasing rental rates is still a problem in several states.

“Even though we increase their salaries by between 15 (to) a maximum of 30 per cent, sometimes in Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur, Seremban, Ipoh, they cannot cover the increased rent,” he said.

He said government-owned land had been identified to be used for the development of the housing.

“Whether for customs or the police, as soon as there is space, we will develop housing for civil servants,” he said.

Earlier, Anwar greeted about 1,200 congregants who performed Friday prayers at the mosque, led by Muhammad Asyraf Kamaluddin. — Bernama