Seafront retail marina Straits Quay in Tanjong Tokong, Penang, plays host to The Nautical Lifestyle Show 2011 from today until Monday, featuring two magnificent Majesty Yachts — the Majesty 56 and Majesty 88.

Brought in by Pen-Marine Sdn Bhd, the “luxury bungalows on water” are regarded as among the best in their class of motor yachts.

Speaking to pressmen during a special media preview and boat ride yesterday, Pen-Marine managing director Oh Kean Shen said private viewing of the boats could be arranged by appointment throughout the event.

“This brand has been in Penang for over a decade, and so far, more than 100 ships have been bought by customers in Penang and Langkawi,” he said.

Manufactured by Gulf Craft Inc from the United Arab Emirates, the Majesty 56 and Majesty 88, measuring 17m and 27m and capable of top speeds of 31knots and 29knots respectively, fetch price tags of USD$1.25mil and USD$3.9mil.

Both models boast luxurious upholstery, hand-crafted wood finishes, marble top accents, quality fabrics, fly-bridge helms and ultra modern navigational equipment.

Displacing 22-tons, the Majesty 56 has three cabins, while the 70-ton Majesty 88 has four exquisite staterooms and two cabins. In the latter, there’s even a Jacuzzi and barbecue on the fly-bridge and spacious salon and bar area on the main deck.

As the boating lifestyle is still quite new here, Oh said continued governmental support was vital in expanding the market. But with facilities like the Straits Quay Marina, which he ranked among the best in the country, he saw a bright future for the industry.

Pen-Marine, which was established in 1988, is also pioneering a Boat Sharing fractional ownership concept for those who like boating but are not willing to invest so much in terms of time and cost.

“Instead of buying a vessel and leaving it idle, this concept allows people to use the boats only when they need to, and leave all the hassles of maintenance, cleaning and restocking to our management team.

“They just need to tell us when they want to use it, where they’re heading to, and how many people they’re bringing on board,” he explained.

Pressmen were also shown the PME26 Electric Boat, a prototype monohull vessel jointly developed by Pen-Marine and ETI Tech Corporation Bhd powered by solar-charged lithium batteries.

“It’s a prove-of-concept that a boat running on renewable energy is feasible. We should start looking into green energy sources to cut down emissions.

“Out at sea, there’s ample sun, and this saves cost on fuel,” said ETI Tech director Datuk Dennis Chuah, adding that the new generation solar panels could fully charge the boats batteries within five hours.

Visitors to the show will stand a chance to go on a 20-minute boat ride around the marina on a motorboat with purchase of RM30 and above of merchandise at the event on a first-come-first-served basis.

In conjunction with the event, an exclusive Gala Night will be held on May 7 that includes a charity auction for special items. Proceeds will be donated to the state’s Partners Against Poverty (PAP) fund.

There will also be a fashion show, violin and belly dance performances that night.

Viewing of the Majesty Yachts is available from today until Monday, from 10.30am to 5.30pm daily, by appointment only.

For further information, call Sam at 019-4511188 or Wendy at 012-5510797.

Source: The Star

PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is likely to see a record year for property transactions and home price appreciation could accelerate, said CIMB Investment Bank Bhd.

In its latest report for the Malaysian property sector, the research house said it remained particularly bullish on residential properties as house prices were likely to trend higher and volumes would scale new highs.

“Developers benefited from the increase in transaction values and rising house prices in 2010 and will continue to do so in 2011,” it said.

According to the 2010 Property Market Report (PMR) published by C H Williams Talhar & Wong, property transactions last year rebounded from 2009’s slump at 11% to 376,583, with transaction values rising 33% to a record RM107.44bil. Residential prices in all states also rose, gaining an average 6.7%, the quickest pace since the 1997/8 Asian Financial Crisis at 6.7%.

“While the authorities may fret about property bubbles and take measures to cool down the sector, history shows that such actions do not burst bubbles and merely slowed down the ascent of property prices and resulted in short term profit-taking on property stocks,” CIMB said, adding that it did not expect any major negative policies to be introduced for the property sector until after the general elections, widely expected to be held later this year or early next year.

While CIMB maintained a bullish stance on residential property sector, it said prospects for commercial properties in the country did not look promising due to the significant new supply coming onstream.

In that regard, it said, “property investment companies would continue to be weighed down by soft rental rates stemming from relatively high vacancy rates and substantial new supply.”

The PMR showed weak demand and rising supply were already weighing down occupancy rates for commercial properties, particularly office spaces in the Klang Valley, last year.

Source: The Star

Impian Residence is located within the established township of Alma, Bukit Mertajam, Penang. This residential property development comprises 100 units of 2-storey terrace and 32 units of semi-detached houses. With an easy access to Shopping centers, Schools, North-Sourth Expressway and 15 minutes drive to Penang bridge.

Property Project : Impian Residence
Location : Alma, Bukit Mertajam, Penang
Property Type : 2-Storey Terrace & Semi-Detached
Tenure : Freehold
Total Units : 100 (Terrace), 32 (Semi-D)
Developer : Tambun Indah
Indicative Price: RM288,000 onwards

STUDENTS of SJK (T) Ladang Juru in Simpang Ampat, Seberang Prai, can now have a better place to grab a bite during recess, thanks to SP Setia Foundation for refurbishing the school canteen.

The foundation, which is the charity arm of property developer company SP Setia Berhad, donated RM20,000 to replace the ceiling boards, flooring and to build a new kitchen.

Foundation chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said the upgrading also included plumbing work, plastering and painting of the canteen walls, which was completed last December.

?We always believe in creating conducive environment for students, and the school canteen is an important place for children to interact while they have their break.

?We are happy to be able to contribute to this small project,? he said after opening the refurbished canteen at the school premises recently.

Lee said the foundation also allocated RM2mil annually under its Setia Adoption Programme (SAP) to provide educational assistance to 2,300 students from 119 schools in Johor, Klang, Selangor, Penang, Kedah, Perlis and Pahang.

?Over the last 10 years, the foundation has spent RM18mil on the Setia Adoption Programme and a total of 7,377 students have benefited from it.

?At present, four of the children adopted by Setia are pursuing their tertiary education and 434 children are studying in their secondary level,? he said.

Later, Lee launched the Setia Foundation (Penang) Volunteers Club at the Setia Pearl Island in Bayan Lepas.

He said with the launch of the club here, SP Setia planned to do even more for the community through its corporate social responsibility programme.

In his speech, Lee praised the 60 new volunteers for sacrificing their time to help the community.

?When we first started in 2009, we only had 59 volunteers ?- now we have a total of 271 from Penang, Johor and the Klang Valley.

?The main purpose of setting up the club was to encourage staff participation in social work and to promote the Setia spirit of caring and sharing,? he said, adding that the company believed in the 1Malaysia concept of assisting everyone in need regardless of race or religion.

SP Setia Property (North) general manager S. Rajoo said volunteers from the state would be visiting students from 26 primary schools regularly to organise activities and holiday camps for them

SOURCE: The Star

Springtide Homes is located along Jalan Sungai Nipah within the established township of Balik Pulau, Penang. This is a small residential property development comprises 18 units 2-storey terrace houses and 5 units of shop offices.

Property Project : Springtide Homes
Location : Balik Pulau, Penang
Property Type : 2-Storey Terrace & Show Offices
Tenure : Freehold
Total Units : 5 (Shop Office), 18 (Terrace)
Developer : Arena Tegap Sdn. Bhd.
Contact No: 04-771 6261

Indicative Price: RM 673,000 onwards