Small traders renting premises from local councils in Melaka will pay no rent for one month starting 1 July 2025. The state government is also offering rental discounts of up to 30% through state-owned agencies and a 50% cut on hawker licence renewal fees.

The initiative covers all premises managed by local authorities (PBT) across the state, including Medan Samudera in Banda Hilir, which houses close to 100 traders. The Melaka state government has set aside RM2.6 million to fund the waiver.

State Senior Executive Councillor Datuk Rais Yasin confirmed the measure at a press conference after visiting traders at Medan Samudera. He stressed that this is a full rent waiver for one month, not a moratorium, meaning traders will not need to repay the amount later.

Rental Discounts And Hawker Licence Cuts

Premises owned by state government agencies and subsidiaries are not covered by the full waiver. Instead, these bodies can offer rental discounts of up to 30%, depending on their financial capacity. The Melaka Corporation (MCORP) will provide a 30% rental reduction for premises under its management during the same period.

Local councils across Melaka are also offering a 50% discount on hawker licence renewals. If you’re a hawker or small trader in the state, your next licence renewal will cost half the usual fee.

How The Melaka Rent Waiver Works

If you rent a stall or shop lot from a local council in Melaka, you will pay nothing for one month from July. If your premises fall under a state agency like MCORP, you’ll get a 30% reduction instead. And when your hawker licence comes up for renewal, you’ll pay half.

These are short-term measures, and the state government has said it may extend them depending on conditions in the coming months. For now, the relief applies from 1 July 2025, and traders do not need to apply separately to benefit from the PBT rent waiver.

The waiver and discounts do not cover utilities, maintenance fees, or other operating costs tied to the premises. And because the 30% discount from state agencies depends on each body’s financial capacity, the actual reduction may differ from one agency to the next. Whether these measures get extended remains to be seen.

Traders who want to confirm details for their premises can check with their local council directly through the Melaka Historic City Council (MBMB) website.  

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