KUALA LUMPUR: The Penang Government should build low-cost houses for its people first and worry about land conversion later, said MCApresident Datuk Dr Chua Soi Lek.

“The Chief Minister said they cannot build low-cost houses because there is no freehold land to build them on.

“If they don’t build any (low-cost houses) soon, Penang and Selangor will become states for the rich while the poor and middle class will have to leave,” Dr Chua said after a 1MCA Medical Foundation cheque presentation at the Sunway Putra Hotel here yesterday.

He said this in response to comments by Chief Minister Lim Guan Engthat the state government could not build any low-cost units because the state’s leasehold land could not be converted to freehold status.

“This is just an excuse because one does not need that requirement (of converting leasehold to freehold status) to build low-cost housing,” said Dr Chua.

He said sand and land conversion prices in Selangor were also the highest in the country.

This is further aggravated by the fact that the state government does not build any low-cost houses, he said.

At the same event, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung urged consulting engineers and architects to ensure that cables and wires used by building developers are up to standard.

Asked if developers found using low-quality cables will be penalised, the minister said: “It is too soon to tell. I will approach the relevant bodies to further investigate the matter.”

Source: The Star

GEORGE TOWN: Participants of a forum held here have passed a resolution urging the state government to impose a moratorium on high-rise and high density development.

The participants of Penang Forum 4, which numbered about 80, wants the moratorium to be in place until the Local Plans for the state were approved by the public.

They also called upon the state to institute a more participatory planning process which is by organising a series of workshops to educate and engage the public on draft Local Plans prior to their approval.

Other resolutions passed were to ask the state to address and resolve the problems of the various residents associations, especially by implementing independent social, environmental and traffic impact assessments for new projects.

The participants, comprising students, members of non-governmental organisations and members of the public, want the development process in Penang to be holistic and sustainable.

They urged the state government and both the Penang and Seberang Prai municipal councils to implement a planned and more systematic development in the state.

They also urged the state to formulate land-use and land reclamation policies to ensure that the state maintains effective control over land-use planning besides protecting its long-term financial interests to serve the best interests of ordinary Penangites, in particular the marginalised and vulnerable groups.

They want the state to formulate innovative yet prudent independent fiscal policies that will allow the state/local government to generate and conserve financial resources for projects that would bring about the maximum long-term benefit to local communities.

Two more resolutions are for the state to address the poor integration of transport within the town planning and land-use planning policies and to ensure the prompt enforcement of legislation for the violation of any laws or by-laws.

The one-day forum, titled Development and Good Governance, was held at the Caring Society Complex here on Sunday. It was orga-nised by Penang Forum, a coalition of public-interest civil society groups based in Penang.

Source: The Star

GEORGE TOWN: There should be better enforcement on the traffic flow on the island where it is believed that there are now more vehicles than residents here.

Engineer Low Swee Heong said that while the Penang Government had implemented initiatives such as ‘No Vehicle Day’, there was a lack of consistent enforcement on illegal parking during weekdays.

He said this when delivering a presentation entitled ‘Worsening Traffic and Related Problems in Penang.’

His paper was part of a one-day public forum on the topic of ‘Development and Good Governance’ held at the Caring Society Complex yesterday.

He said that other traffic problems were environmental issues such as air quality and noise pollution.

The event was organised by Penang Forum, a coalition of progressive public-interest civil society groups.

NGO Green Voters coordinator Khim Pa also pointed out that the high suicide rates in Jelutong and Air Itam were an indication of social deprivation under the stress of rapid development.

Pa was referring the suicide rate to an article on ‘Completed Suicides in the District of Timur Laut, Penang Island’ by Penang Hospital forensic pathologist Datuk Dr Bhupinder Singh.

“The suicide rate is to measure the hopeless situations which people find themselves in. We talk of developing structures and buildings but what about the people’s development? What about their health, welfare, (quality) living and education? How about people in poor areas? How can they benefit from development?” he questioned.

Blogger Anil Netto highlighted that Penang has an acute shortage of green spaces and recreational areas.

“There were many opportunities to erect parks and provide (quality) affordable housing but instead land was sold to developers instead,” he said.

Researcher Datuk Dr Leong Yueh Kwong said that there should be a review on all land reclamation projects in Penang, especially if there is an adverse impact on the natural coastal area.

Source: The Star

The state has expanded the industrial land in Batu Kawan, Penang, to accommodate demand from investors as Bukit Minyak Industrial Estate and Penang Science Park in Seberang Prai have been fully taken up.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the state had expanded the industrial land in Batu Kawan to 1,619ha.

“When completed, the Penang Science Park, which is located in Bukit Minyak, will be the coun- try’s largest technology park.

“The state has plans to turn Batu Kawan into a satellite town, just like Bayan Baru and Seberang Jaya,” he said at the opening of the Ixora Hotel in Bandar Prai Jaya in Butterworth on Wednesday.

Also present were Indonesian Consulate-General Chilman Arisman, Deputy Chief Minister II and Batu Kawan MP Dr P. Ramasamy, state exco member Lim Hock Seng, hotel managing director Datuk Ng Swee Chin and general manager Winston Toh.

Strategically located along Jalan Baru, the 326-room hotel is right next to Megamal Pinang and within walking distance to shops, restaurants and cafes. It is also close to an industrial estate.

Lim said the first phase of eco-tourism projects in Batu Kawan, which involved the Batu Musang jetty, had been completed while

the second phase involving the construction of a seafood centre, gallery and chalets was under con-struction.

Ng said he decided to name the hotel after a flower.

“Our aim is to provide extraordinary services to our customers,” he said.

Toh said 90% of the hotel staff were locals, adding that they aspired to make Ixora one of the best hotels in Penang.

Source: The Star

SUNWAY Bhd is targeting RM50 million in sales at the Sunway Integrated Properties Show 2011 – Christmas Edition at Sunway Pyramid in Bandar Sunway this weekend.

The group’s property development division is introducing a variety of properties at its 12 on-going projects in Greater Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh and Penang.

The projects are Sunway Nexis SOHO and Sunway Rymba Hills at Sunway Damansara, Sunway Velocity serviced apartment in Kuala Lumpur, Sunway 27 Square and Sunway Alam Suria at Shah Alam, Sunway Vivaldi at Mont Kiara, Sunway Montana and Sunway Rydgeway at Melawati, A’marine, BayRocks and LaCosta at Sunway South Quay Bandar Sunway, and MontBleu Residence in Ipoh.

Ong Ghee Bin, chief operating officer of Sunway’s property development division, said it will be showcasing properties priced between RM481,000 for a townhouse in Ipoh, and about RM6.5 million for a luxury bungalow in Greater Kuala Lumpur.

“A lot of investors are looking for integrated developments to buy properties. For Sunway, we are the pioneer in integrated developments and have a strong following. Therefore, we are bullish of meeting our sales target,” Ong said in an interview with Business Times yesterday.

To appeal to buyers, the division is introducing, for the first time, a down-payment of only RM10,000, which can be spread over a year. However, this is subject to a 90 per cent loan margin and applicable to selected properties like Sunway Nexus SOHO, Sunway Velocity and LaCosta.

“We believe the RM10,000 low down-payment scheme will attract many first-time buyers. We plan to hold this event annually, but each year the incentives will differ,” Ong said.

Sunway is expecting 15,000 visitors at the property showcase, which ends tomorrow. This is the first time Sunway is showcasing all its products as a merged entity. Sunway, which has a market capitalisation of RM3 billion to RM3.5 billion, is the result of a merger between Sunway Holdings Bhd and Sunway City Bhd.

SOURCE: Business Times