PHASE One of the road upgrades on Penang island by the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) is now 30% completed and it is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2013.

The project involving several roads is aimed at reducing traffic congestion on the island.

Six construction packages, at a total cost of RM37mil, have been planned for phase one.

“The first package to be completed was in July 2011. It involved the upgrading of the Lorong Batu Lancang and Lebuhraya Thean Tek intersection.

“The RM300,000 upgrade was completed in three months and it provides a free-flow left-turn for northbound traffic on Lorong Batu Lancang towards Lebuhraya Thean Tek,” said the council acting deputy director of engineering department A. Rajendran during a press briefing on Wednesday.

The second package, currently 90% completed, is the upgrading of the state mosque interchange to provide additional lanes, plus more right-turn lanes into Jalan Air Itam.

The RM1.2mil upgrade which commenced in August, is expected to be finished by January next year.

“Another package which has started work, is the upgrading of Jalan Gottlieb and Jalan Bagan Jermal to provide additional lanes on both sides, thereby increasing the roadway capacities.

“The additional lanes will also function as waiting area for school traffic during dismissal hours. Bicycle lanes will also be provided from the intersection in Jalan Kebun Bunga to Jalan Kelawei,” he said.

For the bicycle lanes, the completion progress is only 10% as work only started in November this year.

The tender had closed three months earlier at a price tag of RM3.5mil.

It is expected to be ready by July 2012.

The remaining packages which have yet to begin work are the removal of traffic lights at the intersection in Jalan Scotland and Jalan Batu Gantung, upgrading of Udini Roundabout to provide free-flow U-turn for northbound traffic and an elevated U-turn at Lorong Batu Lancang to cater for traffic from Jalan Taman Greenview, Jalan Tembaga and Lorong Batu Lancang.

Phase two of the road upgrading project comprises 10 future development plans and they are expected to be completed by 2014 at an estimated cost of RM24mil

Present at the briefing was Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng who had earlier announced the project in May.

The public is welcome to provide feedback on the road upgrades by e-mailing Rajendran at rajendra@mppp.gov.my.

Source: The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian property market is likely tosee a gradual slowdown next year, taking into consideration the uncertainty in the global economic situation.

President of Fiabci Malaysia, Yeow Thit Sang, said the high end residential units were already seeing a slowdown both in pricing and the take-up rate.

“There are less expatriates from multinational companies (MNCs) coming here and rentals with a yield of between six and eight per cent are no longer achievable.

“Investors in these units will have to wait longer to realise their investment. The slowdown in global economy is definitely affecting the high-end property market,” he told Bernama in an interview recently.

He also saw a fallout for office space next year, saying the category was already overbuilt and the overhang felt in the market with rental falling and a slow take-up rate.

However, there is a huge demand for low medium and medium cost residential units below RM300,000 with most developers building high-end units to cash in on the good time.

“The government’s effort in building such units in joint venture with developers will help the low income earners to own affordable homes.

“Building such units will not be fast enough to relieve the pent up demandover the last five years,” he added. Meanwhile, Zerin Properties’ Chief Executive Officer, Previndran Singhe,said the slowdown in the property market would only last in the first quarternext year and the industry will be stable afterwards. “Prices will remain stable, with asking prices, not values, becoming morereasonable as owners check their values to real pricing. “At present, sentiment is down due to the eurozone financial crisis and theUS double dip fears, which has been faring for a long time, but I think we aremore Asia focused,” he told Bernama. If and when China goes on reverse gear, then there would have to be concernsin the market, otherwise, barring external shocks, the industry should have astable year next year, he said. Contrary to common belief and expectations, the property market hasregistered 214,764 transactions worth RM64.75 billion within the first half of2011. Against the first half of 2010, the volume and value of transactionsrecorded double digit growth of 18.1 per cent and 29.7 per cent respectively. — BERNAMA

Source: Business Times

Everyone is different with their own lifestyles, ambitions and desires. Keeping that in mind, a unique living concept has created called 360º Lifestyle under IJM Land’s newest sea – front development, The Maritime.

As each person has diverse and unique needs for their business, leisure and home life, the objective of 360º Lifestyle is to provide innovative and completely adaptable living solutions. This is where The Maritime comes in.

With its strategic location along the New Promenade, off Jelutong Expressway, The Maritime is just a short drive away from Georgetown, Penang Bridge, Bayan Lepas Industrial Zones, Penang International Airport and the Ferry Terminal.

This project comprises of two major components i.e. Maritime Suite ( Duplex Suites ) & Maritime Piazza ( Shops ).

The Maritime Piazza will be Penang’s newest lifestyle locale with a fascinating array of shops, bistros and restaurants for people from all walks of life. Shoppers can unwind in an open and delightfully airy ambience while enjoying a magnificent panoramic view of the sea. For those seeking a dramatic venue for exhibitions, road shows & fairs, the Piazza’s concourse is the ideal place. Strategically situated on an elevated section to take advantage of an ever changing ocean as the backdrop and has a drive – up ramp leading to it, making it convenient to transport goods and stage props. Maritime Piazza has 50 units of commercial lots with choices of single storey shop, 2 storey shop – piazza and 3 storey shop – office.

Single storey shops : 
Level 1 : 20 shops ( 1,140 – 2,088 sq.ft )*
Level 2 : 9 shops ( 753 sq.ft – 2,045 sq.ft )*

2 storey piazza : 
Level 3 : 12 shops ( 1,873 sq.ft – 2,939 sq.ft )*

3 storey shop office : 
9 shop office ( 3,616 sq.ft – 6,394 sq.ft )*

Property Project : Maritime Piazza
Location : Georgetown, Penang
Property Type : Commercial
Total Units: 50
Indicative Price: RM 450,000 onwards
Developer : IJM Land

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