KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara is expected to announce next week measures to curb property speculation and a programme to create financial awareness for the youth, said sources.

The introduction of a loan to value requirement for people buying their third house or more has been talked about, but central bank governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said any new rules regarding property loans would not be a blanket clamp.

“We want to promote house ownership but we want it to be done in an orderly manner and we don’t want speculative activity,’’ she said after a media engagement programme at the Global Islamic Finance Forum.

“So, for first time house owners and perhaps even the second one, any new rules will not apply.’’

Zeti acknowledged there were pockets of property bubbles in the country, but on the whole, steep property rises were not seen throughout the country.

“If we consider there is any imminent risk of a property bubble, of course we will take pre-emptive action. We are not going to wait for the bubble to happen before taking action,’’ she said.

Debate over the implementation of a loan to value ratio has been ongoing and the understanding is that people buying their third house or more would be required to pay a larger downpayment than the current standard minimum of 10% of the value of a home.

On Wednesday, Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Donald Lim Siang Chai told parliament Bank Negara was studying possible policy changes for those taking up loans to buy a third house or more.

He also said prices of properties in several locations in large cities in the country had shot up due to speculation and if the situation was not controlled at an early stage, home prices would go up beyond the consumer’s financial means and may affect socio-economic growth.

Lim said people would also face difficulty in buying houses, which might lead to an increase in debts.

“The loan-to-value ratio will be specific in nature and its implications on the country’s economic growth will be taken into account,” he added.

Zeti said the banking system through its own risk management and governance process was addressing rising property prices and Bank Negara had other pre-emptive areas it might take up.

One example she gave was on financial literacy and management especially for the younger population below the age of 30.

“We want them to be better positioned to manage their finances when they acquire a car and a house in the beginning of the career,’’ she said, adding that the central bank would introduce programmes for those purposes and was ready to deal with any excesses through a wide range of instruments.

Commenting on the mega Islamic banking licences which Bank Negara would issue by the end of the year, Zeti said two parties had been issued conditional licences but expected one of them to be given a full licence by the end of the year after agreeing to the terms set out by Bank Negara.

“We believe the kind of team they have proposed to bring in will contribute significantly to the development and deepening of the market in terms of product development, structuring of Islamic instruments, expertise and participation in the various financial markets including the foreign exchange market since most of their business will be international,’’ she said.

“This will contribute significantly to our financial system.”

The mega Islamic banks would have a paid-up capital of US$1bil each and Zeti said those banks would be the “final jigsaw (piece) to our financial system.”

She said the licences drew interest worldwide but presented challenges to prospective bidders based on the requirements placed by Bank Negara, not only on the capital needs but also in their proposed business plans and the team the licence holder would bring into Malaysia.

“There were two who have been identified and they are making preparations to meet in concrete terms what they have proposed to us. They will of course do some retail business but the focus will be international business as the objective of our liberalisation is to enhance linkages around the world,’’ she said.

SOURCE: The Star

PLENITUDE Bhd (5075) plans to launch several small-scale property projects worth as much as RM400 million over the next eight months.

The builder is taking advantage of a run-up in property prices to launch the seven residential projects that will cover areas in Klang Valley, Johor and Penang.

"These properties will be launched during this financial year (ending June 30 2011), and we expect positive contribution to the bottom line over the next few years," said executive chairman Elsie Chua after the company's extraordinary general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The company is also planning to launch a big-scale project in Penang in two years' time, which has an estimated gross development value of RM230 million.
"The development will mainly comprise landed residential units, of course. There will be some condominiums as well," said Chua.

The company, which has more than RM75 million in cash as at June 30 2010, said it will use it as a warchest to fuel expansion, and as such, it has no immediate plans to return more cash to shareholders.

Plenitude currently has a policy of returning between 20 and25 per cent of net profits as dividend to shareholders.

"That's what the shareholders were asking for, but we need this cash because we know we want to expand. If we cash it out, instead of having our own cash, we start borrowing, then it's bad," said Chua.

Zukarnine Shah, a director, added that the deciding factor for not returning the cash as dividend is the company's sustainability.

"If we issue out as dividend, shareholders will be happy for sure, but can we sustain? Will we have enough working capital or reserves to acquire valuable land to expand? So, we are trying to keep a balance, but of course, balance is subjective," Zukarnine said.

Chua said its landbank, currently at about 720ha, can keep the company busy for the next 10 years.

SOURCE: Business Times

Executive chairman Hamidon Abdullah said he was bullish on next year's outlook, describing the market as buoyant.

Mutiara's new projects in Bandar Sunway, Kajang and Cyberjaya in Selangor and in Butterworth, Penang, are gated communities targeting the middle-to upper-income groups.

They are expected to appeal to buyers looking for a safe and secure environment.

"In my belief, properties are not being offered to the public in a wholesome manner. We have to create a community with proper amenities and landscaping. Then the products will move.
"I do not expect a bubble if we put decent properties in the market for people to live in rather than flip," Hamidon said yesterday in Kuala Lumpur after the company's shareholder meeting.

Mutiara is launching flagship project Nadayu 92 in Kajang, Nadayu 28 in Sunway, Nadayu 290 in Butterworth and an un named project in Cyberjaya.

Hamidon said Nadayu 92 is its attempt to deliver an affordable range in a gated environment and is optimistic of a good response.

Hillside development Nadayu 290 will feature three condo-minium blocks with more than 150 units and seven bungalows, worth more than RM400 million.

Nadayu 290 is touted to set a new benchmark for Penang where green technology is concerned.

"We are working with big international names to integrate green technology into the development. It will be a reference project for Penang, placing us on the map with the big boys," Hamidon said.

In the financial year ended April 30 2010, Mutiara posted RM3.2 million net profit on revenue of RM52.6 million.

SOURCE: Business Times

Bank Negara Malaysia is likely to pause rates again at its next meeting on Nov 12, says Senior Economist at AmResearch, Manokaran Mottain.

"With Bank Negara having frontloaded rate hikes in the earlier part of the year, we see greater flexibility in keeping to a neutral stance. In our opinion, there will be no more hikes over the next three to six months," he said in an economic update report today.

The central bank at its last meeting in September, held the overnight policy rate (OPR)steady at 2.75 per cent.

Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz had cautioned yesterday, that the central bank would not hesitate to intervene in the currency market, if movements in the ringgit became "disorderly".

The ringgit this morning, traded at 3.1000 against the US dollar compared to 3.0940 on Tuesday closing. Year-to-date, the local unit has strengthened nearly 10.5 per cent against the dollar, as investors pump cash into higher-yielding emerging market assets.

"More and more emerging countries are beginning to tighten the noose around speculative activities, as inflow of hot money can cause their currencies to appreciate beyond fundamentals, damaging competitiveness.

"We do not think Bank Negara will resort to any more capital controls, as it will certainly affect investor confidence, at a time when we are attempting to lure foreign direct investments," Manokaran added.

Instead of capital controls, Malaysia, he said, can strengthen the financial market and its reserves while adopting a firmer policy to deter speculative activities in the property market such as putting a cap on the third housing loan or tightening rules on foreigners purchasing residential properties.

This, he explained, can likely discourage the inflow of hot money and the creation of a bubble in certain asset classes.
"The central bank may have to consider unorthodox counter-cyclical measures, even if it means a rate cut," he said.

He highlighted that recent data showed inflation moderating to 1.8 per cent in September, from 2.1 per cent in August, and this further supported Bank Negara's flexibility in containing any asset bubble in the system. — Bernama


SOURCE: Business Times

GEORGE TOWN: SP Setia Bhd plans to launch four new residential projects with an estimated gross sales value RM546mil on the island beginning this December and next year.

SP Setia property (North) general manager S. Rajoo told StarBiz that the projects comprised the RM175mil Setia Greens, RM60.5mil Brook Residences, RM170mil Setia V Residences, and the RM139mil Pearl Villas in the Setia Pearl Island scheme.

Setia Greens, comprising 149 three-storey terraces and 18 semi-detached houses with dual frontage in Sungai Ara, would be launched in December.

“The selling price starts from RM918,000 onwards for terraced units with built-up areas ranging from 2,400sq ft and 3,200sq ft.

“The selling price for the semi-detached units, with built-up areas of around 3,300sq ft, is around RM1.6mil onwards,” he said.

Subsequently the group would launch Brook Residences in February 2011 and the Pearl Villas in April, and Setia V Residences in the second half of next year, Rajoo said.

“The Brook Residences in Brook Road, a prime residential area near Jesselton Road, comprises 11 luxurious bungalows priced from RM5.8mil onwards, while the Pearl Villas comprise 35 bungalows priced from RM2.8mil onwards.

“The Setia V Residences project in Kelawei near Gurney Drive, comprising 67 luxurious condominiums, tentatively priced from RM2.8mil onwards,” he said.

Rajoo said Setia Greens would be the northern region’s first Green Building Index-rated project.

“What makes the project unique are the environmental features such as solar water heater, rain-water harvesting system, water efficient fittings, and cool roof system for each unit.

“We are using a special low-volatile organic compound paint for the project,” he said.

Rajoo said these new projects were targeted at the executives working in the south-west district of the island as well as investors.

For the nine months of SP Setia’s fiscal year ended July 31, 2010, the group’s projects from Penang contributed close to RM150mil or about 10% of the RM1.95bil revenue posted for the nine month period.

“We are confident that the contribution from Penang this fiscal year closing Oct 31, 2010 will hit over 10% of the targeted RM2bil revenue of the group.

“Setia Vista, Reflections condominium, and the new semi-detached launches in Setia Pearl Island contributed significantly from Penang,” he said.

Rajoo said Penang would continue to play an important revenue generating role in the group’s property development business.

“We will continue to look for land in prime locations either to develop on our own or on a joint-venture basis,” he added.

Meanwhile, Henry Butcher (Malaysia) Penang director Dr Teoh Poh Huat said high-end properties were still sustainable in Penang, as there were now overseas Malaysians investing in the island’s property market.

“These are overseas Malaysians earning pounds and US dollars, who are buying high-end properties with the view to come home to stay one day.

“This segment is playing an increasingly important role in the Penang high-end property market developed by branded developers,” he said.

SOURCE: The Star