Penang Property Talk

With a more organized and complete road network, Seberang Perai has the potential to be a growth area and is the future for the state of Penang, said the Chief Minister, Y.A.B. Mr. Chow Kon Yeow.

He said that the administration he led since 2018 focused on balanced development between the island area and also Seberang Perai.

“Two years ago, I said that the future of Penang is actually located in Seberang Perai, if in the past the island was the focus by the previous government, but now we (State Government) focus on balanced development between the island and Seberang Perai.

“Seberang Perai is actually more strategic and has the potential to be developed, it is connected to two main bridges and ferry services.

“In fact, the road network and highways are more comprehensive and interconnected such as the North-South Expressway, Butterworth-Kulim Expressway, Federal and state roads,” he said at a live talk session ‘Penang In 10 Years Time’ hosted by Segambut MP , Hannah Yeoh via Facebook Live on Tuesday.

Commenting further, Kon Yeow who is also the Exco for Land Affairs & Land Development, Transport and Communications explained that the metropolitan city of Batu Kawan which is the catalyst for economic growth in the state in Seberang Perai is now actively developed.

“Batu Kawan is one of the catalyst areas for rapid growth in Seberang Perai, and indeed most of the industries are concentrated in this area, we (Penang State Government) are also ready to develop other districts as the next industrial area.

“The State Government is always working hard to ensure that Seberang Perai becomes a catalyst for growth for the future, so I always remind the local authority which is the Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) to have more resources to develop the city of Seberang Perai,” he explained.

The one-hour talk also touched on the direction of the State Government until 2030 through the Penang2030 Vision, high-impact projects as well as the State Government’s approach to addressing the issue of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the main issues that are also a topic of discussion is the cancellation of the Federal Government’s allocation of RM100 million to develop the Bukit Bendera cable car system recently.

When asked about the issue, Kon Yeow in his response said that basically the State Government has made preparations to appoint a consultant to conduct a study.

“But given the cancellation, we (State Government) need to reconsider whether to continue the implementation or not, or at least continue the study on the alignment and feasibility of the project,” he said.

It is understood that the withdrawal of the allocation is due to the current situation of the country’s economy and the project is categorized as not an important project.

According to Kon Yeow, immediately after the announcement, Perbadanan Bukit Bendera also received a question on whether the State Government is interested in implementing the project through private financial initiatives.

“We are open about this idea, maybe after all the necessary studies have been implemented… maybe the State Government will implement it through Private Initiative Financing (PFI),” he commented.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

A proposed landed residential development by Robert Fullerton Realty (Tasek) Sdn. Bhd. (a subsidiary of OIB Group Bhd) at Simpang Ampat. Located between Taman Pekatra Indah and Hijauan Hills by Asas Dunia, just a stone’s throw away from Tasek Small Medium Industrial Park (IKS Tasek). It is only a mere minutes drive to GEMS International School at Pearl City, about 8km to SMJK Jit Sit II.

This development will see the construction of 77 single-storey bungalow houses with 3 different design types.

The project is still pending for approval. More details to be available upon official launch.

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : Simpang Ampat
Property Type : Single-storey Bungalow
Tenure : Freehold
Land Area: 22 acres
Built-up Area: (to be confirmed)
Total Units : 77
Indicative Price: RM700,000 onwards
Developer : Robert Fullerton Realty (Tasek) Sdn. Bhd.

Location Map:

The Ministry of Housing and Local Government is drawing up the policy for the Residential Tenancies Act to control the price of houses in the country, said its minister Zuraida Kamaruddin (pictured).

She said this would take into account the interests of the landlord and the tenant, as well as ensure that the landowner did not simply increase rental or evict the tenant.

“This is one of the ways to control rental rates in the country,” she said when winding-up the debate on the motion of thanks for the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s royal address at the Dewan Rakyat here on Tuesday.

Commenting on the Affordable Housing Policy, Zuraida said the ministry plans to build homes only for rental and may give exemptions to the poor so that they can continue to rent these homes until their (financial) situation stabilises.

“At present, the ministry has a scheme for purchasing, renting, and Rent-To-Own (RTO) but in future, the ministry, with the Affordable Homes Policy, will only build houses for rental…so this is one of the innovations by the ministry in the issue of housing for the B40 and M40 groups,” she said.

On the Auditor-General’s Report in July, Zuraida did not deny that there were several technical and administrative issues regarding her ministry.

“I do not deny that it should be improved, monitored and its management changed. However, there are also issues that affect its implementation, resulting in delays and such.

“There are nine housing projects which were brought up in the audit, but the ministry has completed 342 housing projects…(but the ministry) has taken note of the comments in the audit report and we will improve on them,” she said, adding that the weakness was at the contract administration stage.

The media has reported the process of RTO public housing for the poor and low-income group took up to 40 months as it was not properly managed.

According to the National Auditor-General Report 2018 Series 3, although the RTO project was completed within the stipulated time, the ministry took up to 866 days to hand over the completed project.

Source: EdgeProp.my

Air Itam – Tun Dr LCE Expressway bypass

The proposed projects under the Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) are on track, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said yesterday.

“I have committed to the people of Penang that whenever there is a new milestone achieved, I will meet the press to make the announcement.

“The people have been informed about the signing of the project delivery partner (PDP) master agreement for the PTMP with SRS Consortium on July 1.

“The SRS Consortium will be proposing the financial architecture plan for the PTMP to the Penang government soon.

“The financial architecture plan will enable us to choose the most viable financial structure for us to implement the projects.

“The Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project is the financing model for the Bayan Lepas LRT (BL LRT) project and the Pan Island Link (PIL) projects,” Chow explained during the ‘Penang in 10 years time’ talk show, hosted by Segambut MP Hannah Yeoh last night (Aug 3).

It was reported that the three main components of the PTMP are the BL LRT, the Pan Island Link (PIL1 and PIL2A) highways and the PSR. It was also reported that the estimated cost of the PTMP projects was RM46 billion.

Chow said that the state would ensure that the projects under the PTMP are carried out the best way possible.

“The projects under the PTMP involved several billions of ringgit. If they are not financed by the Federal Government, the state would not be able to find such financial capability to implement the projects.

“We have decided on implementing the PSR to ensure that we are able to carry out projects for the benefit of the people although we are not part of the Federal Government.

“The sale of the land from the reclamation will be used to finance the infrastructure projects,” he said.

He also spoke about the three major roads and the Penang Undersea Tunnel project.

“Works on one of the three major road projects (Package Two), which is the 5.7km Bandar Baru Air Itam – Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass, have started,” he said.

The RM6.3 billion project will comprise of the Bandar Baru Air Itam – Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass, the Tanjung Bungah – Teluk Bahang bypass, the Gurney Drive – Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway bypass and the Gurney Drive – Bagan Ajam undersea tunnel.

Chow said that the state was awaiting the feasibility study of the undersea tunnel to be completed before making a decision whether to carry on with the project or otherwise.

He said that in order to continue to grow the state’s economy, the industry needs to be supported by better infrastructure.

“We need infrastructure to uplift the economy and all these infrastructure are in line with the Penang2030 vision of ‘A Family-Focused Green and Smart State that Inspires the Nation’.

“We have incorporated the projects in our vision. We need to invest in the built environment to improve resilience, as stated in one of the four themes of the Penang2030 vision.”

Chow said: “The development projects have attracted a lot of attention from the non-governmental organisations (NGOs). However, there are also those who feel that the sooner these projects are implemented, the better it is for the state to resolve its traffic congestion problems.”

He added that Penang was known for its (traffic) congestion issues among the visitors, besides its reputation as a food paradise.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

The Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme is temporarily frozen to enable the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) to comprehensively restudy and reevaluate it.

According to a statement from the ministry today, the move is also in line with the government’s decision of still not allowing the entry of foreign nationals into this country due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Among the matters to be studied are the conditions, incentives and comparisons with MM2H-like programmes in other countries such as the Citizenship by Investment (CBI) or Residence by Investment (RBI).

“During the MM2H freeze period, MOTAC as coordinator of the programme is unable to process new applications forwarded to it. This takes into consideration that processing of the MM2H applications involves various ministries and agencies which are also impacted by the temporary freeze.

“However, if there are foreigners still interested to participate in the programme, they can submit their applications after the programme is reactivated but they need to meet the prevailing set conditions,”  it said in the statement.

Foreign nationals could also refer to the Department of Immigration Malaysia for information on obtaining a suitable immigration pass to reside in Malaysia over a long period.

“MOTAC assures that the results of the study which will synergise with current needs will benefit all the stakeholders,” it said.

The ministry hopes that all parties would support the government’s desire to improve the MM2H programme for it to be at par with that of other countries.

Source: EdgeProp.my