Source: Facebook

In a recent Facebook post, the Penang Chief Minister announced a fruitful discussion with Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan. The meeting focused on several critical infrastructure projects previously proposed to the Federal Government, including the Perak-Penang Water Project, the expansion of the North-South Expressway (from Juru Toll to Sungai Dua Toll), and the return of 20% of collected taxes.

A key highlight was the proposal for a matching grant initiative to support the establishment of an integrated circuit (IC) design park and a chip design academy in Penang. Datuk Seri Amir Hamzah Azizan expressed keen interest in these innovative projects, recognizing their potential to elevate the local industry to compete with major global corporations. The involvement of government-linked investment companies (GLICs) was also identified as crucial for the sector’s development.

Additionally, the Penang State Government presented the ‘Penang STEM Talent Blueprint,’ designed to meet the human capital needs of various industries while also benefiting family welfare. Further discussions with the ministry will focus on implementing this blueprint to ensure it aligns with industry demands and supports the local workforce.

Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) will organise a ‘Program Mesra Pelanggan’ (Meet the Customer Day) on June 30 (Sunday) at Taman Ara Jaya community hall in Ara Kuda, Tasek Gelugor.

MBSP mayor Datuk Azhar Arshad said the programme will focus on house owners in Ara Kuda, Tasek Gelugor, Kubang Menerong, Bertam dan nearby areas.

He mentioned that the programme will serve as a platform for these house owners to apply for approval from the city council if they want to conduct any renovation works on their houses.

“Those who just obtained the Certificate of Completion and Compliance (CCC) for new houses are also encouraged to apply.

“The city council urges all parties with residential homes to obtain approval for any renovation works they plan to carry out.

“Those who carry out renovation works without permission risk facing enforcement action from MBSP.

“This is important to ensure that all renovation works are carried out properly and legally to avoid any issues,” Azhar told reporters after the full council meeting at the MBSP headquarters building in Bandar Perda, Bukit Mertajam today.

Azhar added that the approval for the renovation works will be granted on the same day if the applications meet all the criteria and conditions set by MBSP.

For further inquiries, the public can call the MBSP Building Department at 04-5497737 / 04-5497776.

On a separate matter, Azhar announced that ratepayers in Seberang Perai could stand a chance to win cash prizes totalling RM19,655 when they pay their second assessment tax for the year 2024 and arrears online, through appointed collection agencies or at kiosks.

“All premises owners on the mainland would be entitled to the lucky draw if they settle their payment from July 1 to Aug 31.

“The 10 cash prizes are RM5,555 (first place), RM4,000 (second place), RM3,000 (third place), RM2,000 (fourth place), RM1,000 (fifth place), RM700 (sixth place), RM500 (seventh place), RM400 (eighth place), RM300 (ninth place) and RM200 for the 10th place.

“From the 11th place until the 30th place, the price is RM100 each.

“Those who pay their assessment at the physical counter are automatically opted out of the draw.

“Thus, I would like to urge all premises’ owners to make payments and settle their arrears within the stipulated time to stand a chance of winning the lucky draw prizes,” he added.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

Source: Facebook

Elite Material Co. Ltd. (EMC), headquartered in Taiwan, has begun construction of its first Southeast Asian manufacturing plant in Penang Science Park North (PSPN). The plant will focus on producing copper-clad laminate (CCL) materials, essential components in complex printed circuit boards (PCBs) and integrated circuit (IC) substrates. This development underscores Penang’s growing significance as a hub for high-impact economic activities, especially in the technology sector.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow welcomed EMC’s investment, noting the company’s pivotal role in advancing technology. Since its founding in 1992, EMC has become a leading producer of prepreg and CCL, with a strong focus on halogen-free materials since 2013. These materials are crucial for various industries, including mobile communications, artificial intelligence (AI), high-performance computing (HPC), cloud data centers, 5G infrastructure, electric vehicles, and autonomous driving.

Chow highlighted EMC’s technological leadership, backed by over 250 patents, as a significant addition to Penang’s industrial ecosystem. The new plant, spanning 14 acres, will be built in two phases with a total investment exceeding RM900 million. Phase One, slated for completion in Q1 2025, aims for a monthly production capacity of 600,000 sheets, while Phase Two will add 150,000 sheets per month. Mass production is expected to commence in Q2 2025, targeting both local and international markets.

The Chief Minister emphasized Penang’s robust industrial ecosystem, which has consistently attracted major players in the electrical and electronics (E&E) sector. In 2023, Penang recorded RM63.4 billion in approved manufacturing investments, marking a 463% year-on-year increase and contributing 42% to the national total. The E&E sector alone accounted for RM54.7 billion, or 86%, of these investments.

Chow expressed gratitude to EMC for selecting Penang, reinforcing the state’s status as a premier investment destination. He also acknowledged the efforts of InvestPenang and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) in facilitating this significant investment.

Albert Dong, EMC’s chairman and CEO, explained that while standard incentives were provided, they were not the primary motivator for choosing Penang over other more affordable destinations like Thailand. Dong highlighted the importance of being close to customers and operating in a region known for its diligent workforce and strong work ethic. He described the incentive as a “cherry on top” of an already compelling offering.

Chief Minister Chow concurred, stating that factors such as a strong ecosystem, a robust supply chain, a talented workforce, intellectual property protection, and industry clusters are the primary attractants for investors. He added that successful investment decisions often lead to a cascade of related investments from vendors.

Datuk Loo Lee Lian, CEO of InvestPenang, expressed her appreciation for EMC’s decision to invest in Penang and assured ongoing support to ensure the company’s success in the region.

By Datuk Chang Kim Loong

Is the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) capable of monitoring and taking on the challenge of the proposed Urban Renewal Act in the name of redevelopment? With the current number of abandoned housing schemes or problematic projects, have the authorities not failed in their gatekeeper role?

Resolve long-standing woes

The National House Buyers Association (HBA) want solutions to our long-standing woes, such as:

1. Tangible action by the governing and licensing authority, that is KPKT, to resolve project abandonment issues instead of merely re-categorising them as delayed or sick projects before declaring them as abandoned.
2. Timely handover of projects without bowing to the pressures and demands of industry players to grant extensions of time (EOTs) at the expense of denying house buyers the right of compensation for delays.
3. Stricter action to prevent poor workmanship and use of defective, substandard materials.
4. A more balanced financing system that will not burden house buyers on repayment terms with an interest rate that is higher than our average salary increment without the possibility or terminating the arrangement even when faced with abandonment problems.
5. Deterrent controls against errant developers who have the habit of scheming to avoid contractual and statutory obligations.
6. Strict monitoring, supervision and enforcement of the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act and its regulations.
7. Pre-emptive measures must be adopted to avoid future abandonment of housing projects.

Under Budget 2024, the Madani Government had announced on Oct 13, 2023, that: “In order to facilitate the redevelopment of the strata scheme, the residents’ consent threshold for en-bloc sales will be reduced from 100% to a consistent level based on international practice such as in Singapore. This will encourage the renewal of the city and encourage the redevelopment of obsolete buildings.”

Firstly, residents or occupants have no say in any dissolution of stratified properties or en-bloc. The rights and entitlement rest with the owners (whether registered or having beneficial interest). HBA strongly opposes any setting of a consent threshold, except for 100% participation. Any redevelopment, rejuvenation or renewal plan must receive the consent of all because every owner is important.

No homeowner should be disadvantaged in the name of redevelopment. Projects that take away citizens’ rights have far-reaching effects, no matter how good they may be. While there are those who view the proposed Urban Renewal Act as a step in the right direction, HBA reiterates that it is a regressive move because it will become an unconstitutional piece of law that goes against the right to own property.

Proceeding with a consent threshold or better known as en-bloc sale with any rate of majority vote will deprive certain homeowners of their properties. As such, the proposed redevelopment law contravenes Article 13 of the Federal Constitution, and if we are not careful it could be extended to cover landed non-strata schemes.

Revived and ready to occupy?

The statistics on problematic projects are mounting and even the former Deputy Housing and local Government Minister had remarked in his past press statement that it is a scary situation. In his Budget 2024 speech, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim declared that as of August 2023, a total of 256 sick projects or more than 28,000 houses have been revived involving about RM23.37bil in development value.

Implementing a process does not amount to successful revival. Redevelopment can only be deemed complete when the Certificate of Compliance and Completion (CCC) has been issued, vacant possession delivered with keys, and ready utilities.

Task force of failed gatekeepers

HBA is concerned that the special task force under the present minister may be made up of the very people entrusted to license, monitor and enforce the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act and its regulations. If they had failed in their gatekeeping role, how can they be entrusted to revive sick and abandoned projects?

Let’s acknowledge the fact that there is no solution to abandoned housing projects; we just have to prevent them. Thus, a safety net is needed to pre-empt project abandonment.

And it’s not that we don’t have sufficient laws. Look at Section 7(f), Sections 10, 11 and 12 of the Housing Development Act. What is lacking is supervision, policing and enforcement. We hope the task force will not waste too much time on what has already been deliberated and worked on to pre-empt abandonment issues but be empowered to press the reset button.

Owners may end up losers

With the proposed Urban Renewal Development Act coming under KPKT, we fear that legitimate property owners may be worse off if they take part in these schemes. Not only will house owners suffer, banks and the Government will do too. The possibilities of devastating effects are as follows:

1. Bare promises of one unit exchanged for another. Whether contractual or otherwise, it means nothing if the project fails and is abandoned. Owners will be left in the lurch like victims of existing abandoned projects.
2. Erected buildings on-site will be demolished in exchange for a bare promise and a pie in the sky.
3. If the redevelopment scheme falls through, what’s the use of costly and lengthy litigation? The owner will continue to be poorer without a house.
4. A property developer, contractor or builder will, for good administrative sense, normally set up separate companies or subsidiaries to undertake new projects. In law, they are separate legal entities; if they go belly up, the mother company (syarikat induk) will not be liable. The affected owners will see their dreams vaporized.
5. Owners who succumb to redevelopment (under the pretext of urban renewal) will be crying and blaming the Government for the misguided legislation when those developers, contractors or builders fail in their obligations.
6. The adage property developers over-promise and under-delivers holds true.
7. KPKT will continue to issue developer licences, so too will the lackadaisical attitude towards monitoring and enforcement.

Is KPKT capable of handling the urban renewal development legislation when it has failed in its role to safeguard house buyers under the current Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act and HD (Project Account) Regulations, and other laws? Can the Government guarantee there will be no abandoned and problematic projects in the future? Not enough is being done to stop problematic projects from coming on-stream, as statistics have shown.

*Datuk Chang Kim Loong is the secretary-general of the National House Buyers Association (HBA)

Source: StarProperty.my

About GEM Residences

GEM Residences, a commercial development by Belleview Group at Prai, Penang. It is part of the company’s 6 hectares mixed development along Jalan Baru, diagonally opposite Megamall Penang. Next to it will be the upcoming largest mall in the northern region – GEM Mall, the tenant mix include SOGO (first and largest departmental store in the northen region at 212,000 sq.ft.) and a supermarket (largest at 50,000 sq.ft.).

Find out more about GEM Residences