The George Penang by The Crest Collection in George Town has elevated the state’s tourism sector since its establishment, Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said.

Chow attributed the success to the dedicated team of The Ascott Limited, which managed the hotel.

“My heartfelt congratulations to all who contributed to this achievement, particularly Venice Property chairman Alan Khor.

“It’s your commitment that has given rise to an establishment that mirrors not only the spirit of George Town but also enhances the state’s tourism outlook.

“To the Ascott Limited, a global leader in premium services residences, I commend your visionary curation of The Crest Collection, and I am elated that The George Penang has earned its rightful place.

“Your dedication to hospitality and the preservation of heritage is commendable,” he said in his speech during the official launching of The George Penang yesterday.

Chow noted that The George Penang has a place in his heart as he was the state executive councillor when the idea of the hotel was being mooted.

He said Penang has also come a long way in the past few decades, transforming from a traditional seaport economy to being known as the ‘Silicon Valley of the East.’

Chow also pointed out Penang is internationally recognised as one of the foremost cultural heritage tourism destinations in the world.

During the event, those present were also treated to a sumptuous luncheon.

Ascott International Malaysia Country general manager Mondi Mecja expressed his hope that the hotel would continue to have a positive impact on the state’s tourism.

Among those present were state Tourism and Creative Economy Committee chairman Wong Hon Wai, Khor, and Ascott International Malaysia general manager Shafar Jamaludin.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

About Vivo Executive Apartment

A serviced apartment within Aspen Vision City township development at Batu Kawan. It is strategically located next to the upcoming Integrated Shopping Mall, walking distance to the Central Island Park. The units will be built complete with communal co-sharing working space and a social kitchen to support the modern lifestyle of young working adults.

Find out more about Vivo Executive Apartment

In a significant move towards promoting electric mobility and reducing carbon emissions, Malaysia has taken a leap forward with the introduction of comprehensive guidelines for electric vehicle charging bays (GPP EVCB). This initiative comes as part of the government’s commitment to improving the approval process for the construction of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, aiming to facilitate the growth of the electric vehicle (EV) market in the country. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced this development last month, and now, these guidelines are set to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of EV charging in Malaysia.

The GPP EVCB Guidelines

The 74-page GPP EVCB document, released by the federal department of town and country planning (JPBD), is now available for viewing on PlanMalaysia’s myTOWN.net portal. These guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for state and local authorities, as well as stakeholders, to plan, design, and construct electric vehicle charging bays (EVCBs) in Malaysia. The document encompasses planning and design requirements for EVCBs in both existing and new buildings and developments, fire safety requirements, and local government procedures that need to be followed.

Key Highlights of the GPP EVCB Guidelines

Diverse Locations for EVCBs: The guidelines outline various locations where EVCBs can be installed, including strata and non-strata housing, industrial and commercial areas, institutions, petrol stations, and rest and service (R&R) areas. They can be placed both outside and inside buildings, including rooftop installations.

AC and DC Charger Placement: The guidelines differentiate between AC and DC chargers. For AC charging bays (up to 22kW rating), there are no placement limitations in multi-storey applications, allowing them to be built at all indoor parking levels. However, for DC chargers, specific placement restrictions apply in multi-storey buildings, prioritizing the ground and the first two upper levels for indoor installations. For basement parking, DC chargers are permitted only on the first level below ground, ensuring compliance with fire safety guidelines.

Safety and Accessibility: EVCBs must be situated away from stairs or emergency exits to avoid obstructing exit routes in case of emergencies. Additionally, the guidelines specify that EVCBs in new developments should be 2.5 meters wide and six meters long, with an additional meter in width for disabled-friendly charging bays.

Minimum EVCB Requirements: For new multi-storey residential and commercial developments, the guidelines mandate that a minimum of 2% of the total parking spaces be allocated as EVCBs. In residential developments, at least one EVCB must be provided in visitor parking, while in commercial developments, a minimum of one EVCB must be disabled-friendly. Furthermore, a minimum of one electric motorcycle charging bay per building is required for new developments, irrespective of residential or commercial use.

Existing Developments: While the guidelines provide clear instructions for new developments, they suggest that the number of EVCBs for existing developments should be based on demand, making it flexible for businesses and residential complexes to adapt to the evolving EV market.

Application and Approval Process: The GPP EVCB guidelines also lay out a streamlined process for application and approval, with a seven-day timeframe for AC chargers and a 14-day timeframe for DC chargers. The document details the procedural steps required for EVCB installations, simplifying the process for all stakeholders involved.

To find out more details, you can download the CPP EVCB document here.

Abandoned flats and apartments may soon be converted to workers’ hostels in Penang, as the state tries to ensure that foreign workers live among their own.

State housing committee chairman S Sundarajoo said Penang was also pushing for unsold or low-demand flats or homes in Seberang Perai to be converted to hostels for foreign workers.

He said some factories were already snapping up several blocks in Seberang Perai South, turning them into workers’ quarters, which he described as impressive.

“We are also looking at centralised labour quarters (CLQs) within factory premises. Can you imagine if we had this during Covid-19? In the long term, we would be able to control social issues,” he told reporters after opening the inaugural States’ Housing Symposium in Tanjung Bungah today.

The housing boards of Selangor, Melaka, Johor, Pahang, Terengganu and Sarawak are taking part in a two-day conference to share the best practices from their states.

Sundarajoo also reiterated Penang’s stance in acting against those who rent out affordable or low-cost units to third parties.

He said this went against the spirit of offering such homes to the low-income group, and that the sales and purchase agreements of such units were being tweaked to ensure enforcement of such rentals.

He also said the state legal adviser was looking into claims that developers were forcing extra features on first-time buyers of affordable homes, adding that such developers would be blacklisted from carrying out future projects in Penang.

Source: FMT Online

Penang state government will be putting a stop to low-cost and low-medium-cost housing owners from renting out their units.

State housing exco Datuk Seri S. Sundarajoo said these affordable housing units are heavily subsidised and are only meant for those who can’t afford expensive homes.

“Someone has to put their feet down to enforce this and stop people from renting out low-cost housing to others,” he told reporters after launching a housing symposium at Mercure Hotel in Tanjung Bungah here.

He said these low-cost housing are meant for the poor to live in and not for others to enjoy.

“I understand that when they rent it out to some factories, they can get rental of RM1,000 or more and use it to rent other places outside for half the price and keep the balance as extra income,” he said.

He said this is not the purpose of low-cost housing being approved for those who can’t afford homes.

“I stress that these heavily subsidised housing are for them and their family to use, they cannot rent it out, whether to locals or foreigners,” he said.

He said he will discuss with the local government development ministry to amend the sales and purchase agreement (SPA) to resolve this issue.

“At the state level, we will come up with our own enforcement action, we will be presenting papers to the state exco in the next few weeks,” he said.

He said there are already social problems arising from many of these units being rented out to foreign workers.

Meanwhile, Sundarajoo said there are factories that have rented up whole blocks of vacant low-cost and low-medium housing units to be converted into foreign workers’ quarters.

“In South Seberang Perai, there are low-cost housing units in remote areas and most of these are vacant, so factories have rented up blocks of these projects,” he said.

He said he is working with the local government state exco Jason Hn’g to convert blocks of vacant low-cost and low medium-cost units into hostels for foreign workers.

“It will be a very practical, clean and healthy solution to housing the foreign workers,” he said.

He said suitable projects for such schemes include those in remote areas that are vacant and some that currently have more than 70 per cent of units occupied by foreign workers

“We target blocks like this to be converted for workers and let factories rent the whole block,” he said.

He said this can be done in an orderly and controlled manner

He said there are low-cost projects that were built in remote areas due to low land costs and this resulted in low sales of these units.

In the long term, Sundarajoo said they are studying ways for centralised workers’ quarters to be built within the factory’s premises.

“We are looking at allocating a corner in industrial parks for this purpose,” he said.

Source: MalayMail.com