Factors contributing to vacant and idle houses phenomenon in rural area from the village heads’ perspective. Case study: Seri Menanti, Kuala Pilah.

Abstract

Rapid urbanization process has had an impact on the rural population thus to its settlements. Rural depopulation and idle houses are among the effects that occur; disrupting the sustainability of rural settlements. If this situation continues, it will eventually lead to ‘hollow village’ phenomenon as happened for example in China and Japan. Previous studies conducted in other countries found that this phenomenon was due to the migration of people from rural to urban areas in their search for opportunities as well as for better housings offered in urban areas. However, very little understanding has been offered by the current literature about the vacant and idle houses phenomenon in Malaysia. Therefore, this paper intends to examine the factors that have led to this phenomenon, based on the observation and the knowledge of the village heads in Seri Menanti, District of Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. Interviews were conducted with 12 village heads selected from the case study area and the collected data were then analysed using descriptive and thematic methods. This study found that there are five major causes that contributing to the emergence of vacant and idle houses in the case study area namely: the economic factors particularly due to the various attractions of the urban areas; social factors such as deaths of both parents; and youth migration; policy factor particularly due to restrictions imposed by the authorities; lack of basic facilities – especially technology and infrastructure; and environment factor that refers to lifestyle. Each factor has its own characteristics that describe the factors themselves. Thus, further study is necessary to improve the solutions of rural decline and to suggest viable recommendations so that vacant and idle houses can be transformed into beneficial solutions towards meeting the current needs of the population.