The construction of Penang’s first light rail transit (LRT) project will begin by the fourth quarter of this year, says Anthony Loke.

The Transport Minister added that the Penang LRT Mutiara Line project has been officially taken over by the Federal Government and is estimated to take six years, with completion slated for by 2030.

“We hope that within six months, the negotiations with SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd can be concluded.

“Following that, we expect physical works can start at least by the fourth quarter this year,” he told reporters at the ministry’s office on Friday (March 29).

The contracts for the LRT project have been divided into three main components – Silicon Island to Komtar contract (Segment 1), Komtar to Penang Sentral contract (Segment 2) and turn-key systems and rolling stocks contract.

Loke said SRS Consortium Sdn Bhd has been offered the Segment 1 contract based on the Single Sourcing Request for Proposal mechanism.

Meanwhile, the other two remaining contracts will be offered on an open tender basis.

“The offer (to SRS Consortium) was made based on the request by Penang state government which had appointed SRS as the Project Delivery Partner of the Penang Transportation Master Plan, which comprises the Penang LRT Mutiara Line, through an open tender in August 2015.

“SRS has also studied the technical early designs while acquiring approvals for the Environmental Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment and conditional Skim Kereta Api,” he said, adding that the costs were also borne out by SRS.

Loke added that the Cabinet has agreed to appoint MRT Corp as the developer and asset owner of the new train line.

He said that the rolling stock operations depot and transit-oriented development projects will be conducted by MRT Corp together with the state government.

“The new strategy aims to generate extra non-fare revenue to be reinvested for train maintenance in the future,” he added.

Stretching about 29km, Penang LRT Mutiara Line, will be equipped with 20 stations which include two interchange stations in Komtar and Penang Sentral.

Source: TheStar.com.my

Penang Island City Council’s Commissioner Of Building, together with the PDRM, acted as observers during an enforcement operation for the seizure of movable assets at Serina Bay Apartment in Jelutong.

The enforcement operation was carried out by Serina Bay Management Corporation in collaboration with the Commissioner Of Building and the police. The operation successfully targeted two residential units with outstanding maintenance fees, sinking Fund, and other arrears.

During the operation, one residential unit was found to have no movable assets for seizure, while another unit resulted in the seizure of nine movable assets.

It is the responsibility of strata property owners to settle maintenance fees and sinking fund payments. Failure to do so may result in legal action under Section 79(1) of the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) by the management corporation.

Source: MBPP FB

About Sactuary Suria

The 6th phase of residential development at Permatang Sanctuary by IJM in Alma, Bukit Mertajam. Located along Lorong Santuari 25 & 27, adjacent to Sanctuary Court. It is only a short drive to an abundance of amenities namely AEON Mall, Tesco Hypermarket, eateries, schools and banks. This development features 20 units of 2-storey semi-detached houses, with two different built-up sizes to choose from.

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Ewein Bhd is stepping up its game in the provision of services connected to worker dormitory lodgings and workforce management a related party deal.

The property developer and producer of precision sheet metal fabrication is paying RM25.84 million to acquire a plot of unoccupied industrial land in Butterworth, Penang, to build a workers’ dormitory.

In a bourse filing, the group stated that Magnum Heritage Sdn Bhd (MHSB) is selling the land to its indirect subsidiary, Delight Island Sdn Bhd (DISB).

DISB was previously owned by HS Land & Property Sdn Bhd, Ooi Eng Leong, Poly FHY Properties Sdn Bhd, and Tah Wah Group Sdn Bhd, who are shareholders of MHSB.

However, in November 2023, Ewein Land Sdn Bhd paid RM100,000 to purchase it.

Ooi is a significant shareholder in both companies. He has a 44.72 per cent interest in Ewein and a 23 per cent stake in MHSB.

Ewein said that its entry into manpower management services might account for as much as 25 per cent of its net profits. The move will cause a future diversion of more than 25 per cent of the group’s net assets.

Meanwhile, Ewein said that it will construct a 16-storey worker dormitory block on the 16,004-square metre plot of land that it is acquiring.

The group said that this marks a starting point for their first project, which will allow them to explore the workforce management services industry and generate new revenue.

Ewein said it will use bank borrowings and internal funds to fund the purchase of the land, which it expects will be completed by the second half of 2024.

Source: NST Online

The Housing and Local Government Ministry has recorded 117 abandoned projects covering 30,840 units of houses as at January 31 with 81 of them comprising housing projects priced RM300,000 and below.

Its deputy minister Datuk Aiman Athirah Sabu (pictured) said the 81 projects involve 23,031 unit of houses and 12,565 buyers.

“They are made up of 13 projects with a price range of RM301,000 to RM500,000, five projects at a price range of RM500,001 to RM750,000, two projects between RM750,001 to RM1 million and 16 projects for houses worth RM1 million and above, ” he said.

He said this during an oral question-and-answer session at Dewan Rakyat on Tuesday in reply to a supplementary question by Senator Tan Sri Datuk Low Kian Chuan who wanted to know the number of projects and abandoned houses according to the price range.

Replying to Senator Manolan Mohamad’s supplementary question regarding the surplus of unsold houses, he said the issue of overhang residences is a manifestation of the mismatch between demand and supply of houses in the market.

Among the main factors that cause the surplus of unsold completed houses is the COVID-19 epidemic which affected economic growth and the financial position of buyers besides the sale of houses with high prices but low demand.

Other factors include developers building projects in less strategic areas and do not have good facilities as well as the rejection of buyers’ financing loans by banking institutions due to their qualifications and capabilities.

Replying to Low’s original question regarding the timeline for completing the vacancy tax feasibility study to help solve the problem of unsold residential properties (overhang), Aiman Athirah said the government does not believe there is a need to carry out the Vacancy Tax feasibility study.

“The government is of the view that the intervention actions implemented in the housing market at the moment are adequate,” he said.

Source: Bernama