State Barisan Nasional (BN) working committee chairman Datuk Dr Teng Hock Nan, said the RM1.2 billion project would be implemented soon.

To this end, an agreement will be inked between Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin Fah Kui and Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in Putrajaya on Thursday.

Dr Teng said the deal showed that the federal government had not forsaken Penang although the BN was no longer at the helm.

“The project demonstrates that the BN federal government has not marginalised the state government led by the opposition pact, as claimed by Lim Guan Eng,” he told reporters here on Monday, May 30.

Dr Teng said that for the past 50 years, the BN government had been giving attention to the state’s water supply needs, which included the construction of Air Itam, Teluk Bahang and Mengkuang dams. –Bernama

SOURCE: The Edge Property

The Light Collection IV, the final project among The Light Collection series offering low-rise super condominiums, duplexes and seafront bungalows with private pontoon and private pool.

Property Project : The Light Collection IV @ The Light Waterfront
Location : Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway, Gelugor
Property Type : Super Condominium, Seafront Bungalows
Land Tenure : Freehold
Built-up Area : 1,695 sq.ft. – 7,000 sq.ft.
Total Units : 98
Indicative Price: RM1,600,000 onwards
Developer : IJM Land
Website : www.thelightwaterfront.com

The Light Collection III, the third project among The Light Collection series offering medium-rise super condominiums, duplexes, 3-storey townhouses and seafront watervillas (duplexes) with private pontoon and private pool.

Property Project : The Light Collection III @ The Light Waterfront
Location : Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu Expressway, Gelugor
Property Type : Super Condominium, Townhouses, Water Villas
Land Tenure : Freehold
Built-up Area : 2,000 sq.ft. – 4,000 sq.ft.
Total Units : 190
Indicative Price: RM1,530,000 onwards
Developer : IJM Land
Website : www.thelightwaterfront.com

THE Pulau Tikus and Jelutong markets are up next for upgrading works in the Penang Government’s effort to uplift markets in the state.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said two tenders, at RM877,754 and RM810,370 respectively, had been approved to upgrade the markets.

“The Pulau Tikus Market is the fifth market on the island where we have started upgrading works.

“The market was handed over to the contractor ‘ Bintang Pelangi Enterprise ‘ on April 29 and work is expected to take eight months,” Lim said during a visit to the 55-year-old market on Saturday.

He said the last time any work had been done to the market was in 2005 when the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) repaired leaks in the roof.

MPPP building director Yew Tung Seang said upgrading works would be done in four stages.

“The wet market and toilets will be covered under the first stage which has already started. This will be followed by work on stalls selling chicken and pork, then the upgrading of the walkway surrounding the market and finally, the market?s hawker centre,” Yew said, adding that there were 161 stalls in the market.

He said the market roof would be cleaned and painted, new gutters installed and all stalls would see new cement floors and fresh mosaic at the work spaces.

The pathways will also be retiled while the whole market would be equipped with new wiring and water piping.

“We are also increasing the number of toilets from two to 10. Aside from this, one disabled-friendly toilet will be built,” Yew said.

For the Jelutong Market, Yew said upgrading works would also take eight months and be carried out in five phases.

“The contractor, Noor Azhar Enterprise, will tackle the outside stalls first followed by the fish stalls in the wet market.

“The third and fourth phases will also involve the wet market, specifically the vegetable stalls, while the last phase will cover external works including new fencing surrounding the market,” Yew said during a visit to the site by Lim yesterday.

He said new wiring and water piping would also be installed.

He said special features would include the upgrading of the market?s facade and the building of a new entranceway at the 40-year-old market’s main entrance facing Lorong Penaga.

“There are a total of 79 stalls in the market. Possession of the complex will be handed to the contractor on June 2 with the targeted completion date on Feb 1 next year,” Yew said.

Lim, who talked to traders and market-goers during his visit to the Jelutong Market yesterday, said that out of the 23 markets on Penang island, 17 had been slated for upgrading works.

“The remaining five are new markets and are not in need of refurbishment. However, some older markets, like the Jelutong Market, have never seen any upgrading works since they were built although repairs are done from time to time,” Lim said.

Penang Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the owner of a piece of private property near the Pulau Tikus Market had applied for the space to be developed.

“The area in question currently houses a private car park. Initially, the owner intended to build semi-detached houses which would leave no parking at all for market-goers.

“After discussions, he has agreed instead to a mixed development project with a basement car park that will be opened to the public,” said Chow who was present for both of Lim’s market visits.

Both markets will remain open during the upgrading.

SOURCE: The Star

GEORGE TOWN: The affordable quality housing programme launched under a public-private partnership initiative for urban centres, particularly the Klang Valley, is to be extended to the whole country, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Sunday.

He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had agreed to extend the programme, aimed at enabling the younger generation to own a house, provided there were suitable sites.

The programme, under the My First Home Scheme, would involve provision of sites by the government and construction of the houses priced at RM220,000 and below by the private sector based on the industrial building system.

Muhyiddin said the government was identifying suitable sites for this social development programme of the federal government.

“For example, in Penang, it is seen that the state government does not have any project to ease the housing problem of the people.

“The federal government is prepared to build the affordable quality houses if there are suitable sites,” he told reporters after opening the Bayan Baru Umno divisional delegates meeting, here.

Under the My First Home Scheme launched by the prime minister on March 8, those aged 35 and below with a monthly salary of less than RM3,000, are eligible to buy a house, priced at RM220,000 and below, with 100 percent financing.

Najib had said the initiative was devised following comments conveyed through his Facebook page, and in newspapers, about the difficulties faced by the younger generation in owning a house within that price range, especially in the Klang Valley.

Muhyiddin said the affordable houses were for people in the middle-income group who did not own a house.

He also said that the government would set up a special fund for the management of flats because many flats in the country were not managed properly.

“Facilities such as lifts were not properly taken care of because of problems associated with management corporations and lack of cooperation from the occupants,” he said.

He said the assistance was a federal government effort to help the people although in some states like Penang the Barisan Nasional was in the opposition. – Bernama

Source: The Star