Penang State Government has opened a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the urban regeneration project of Taman Free School Flat which is almost 40 years old.

State Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said that the housing scheme which was built in 1985 and comprising 1,170 units in nearly 20 blocks will be demolished and rebuilt more residential units.

“We see that there is a need to redevelop this 40-year-old housing scheme through a renewal project because the existing housing units are now only 300 to 400 square feet and only have two rooms.

“Hence, when this project is completed, the total number of units will increase from 1,170 to 2,688 in addition to being equipped with more amenities such as swimming pools, new hawker complex and market.

“Existing residents will receive a residential unit with a built-up area of not less than 600 sq.ft. with three rooms and two toilets for free when it is completed,” he said at a press conference near Taman Free School yesterday.

Jagdeep said that Taman Free School Flat is the second redevelopment project by Penang State Government after the Mahsuri flats at Bayan Baru.

“In Penang we have identified five old housing schemes for renewal projects, one of which is the 5 blocks of Mahsuri Flats in Lorong Mahsuri, Bayan Baru will start soon.

“The tender documents for this project have been completed and we hope that it can be started soon after the appointment of the consultant is completed in March 2023.

“In addition, we have also identified several other housing schemes including in Seberang Perai, namely in Mak Mandin and Taman Siakap and Padang Tembak flats on the island which is the largest and longest housing scheme in the state,” he explained.

“In fact, we (the State Government) are also examining several more housing schemes for renewal projects that will be announced next year after the first LPNPP Board meeting is held,” he explained.

Commenting further, Jagdeep also expressed a desire to hold talks with the Minister of Housing and Local Government (KPKT) due to the regulatory aspects that are an obstacle to the current renewal project.

“I will submit a list of requests from the Penang State Government, including on legal issues that require the Federal Government to amend existing laws or enact new laws for renewal projects,” he said.

Eco Industrial Hub, a freehold light industrial development by Nexon Property Sdn. Bhd. near Batu Kawan. Strategically located right next to NuConcept New Furniture factory, conveniently connected to Batu Kawan Industrial Park via Jalan Perindustrian Valdor. With only 3 minute’s drive to BKIP, this is one of the very few light industrial projects located within close proximity to the home of many MNCs and Penang 2nd Bridge. Moreover, it is less than 5 minutes to IKEA and about 20 minutes to Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone.

This development comprises 20 units of 1.5-storey light industrial factories, each with a land area ranging from 6,687 sq.ft. to 30,785 sq.ft. The smallest unit has a built-up size of 3,000 sq.ft. and the larger ones offer up to 4,680sq.ft. of usable space.

The project is slated to complete by the second half of 2023.

Property Project : Eco Industrial Hub
Location : Batu Kawan
Property Type : Light industrial factory
Built-up Size: 3,000 sq.ft. – 4,680 sq.ft.
Land Area: 6,687 sq.ft. – 30,785 sq.ft.
Total Units:: 20
Tenure : Freehold
Indicative Price: RM2,280.000 onwards
Developer : Nexon Property Sdn. Bhd.

DISCLAIMER: This article is solely based on research done using publicly available data. This is not an advertisement. Any claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a project or service should be verified with the developer, provider or party in question.

A newly proposed affordable housing development by Acara Prestasi Sdn. Bhd. in Jelutong. Located on approximately 3 acres of land along Lintang Slim, adjacent to Setia Sky Ville by S P Setia which was completed last year. It is just a mere minutes’ drive to Heng Ee secondary school, Penang Free School and Han Chiang College.

The development will see the demolition of the existing landed buildings, for the construction of new skyscrapers in two phases:

• Phase 1: 30-storey affordable housing (258 units)
• Phase 2: 33-storey affordable housing (328 units)

There will be 9 levels of car parking podiums in each building with several shop offices located at the ground level.

The project is still pending approval. More details to be available upon official launch.

READ MORE ABOUT AFFORDABLE HOUSING:

• Full list of affordable housing in Penang
• Eligibility and the requirement of buying affordable housing

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : Jelutong
Property Type : Affordable housing
Tenure: (to be confirmed)
Land Area: (to be confirmed)
Built-up Size: (to be confirmed)
Total Units : 610
Indicative Price : RM300,000 onwards (affordable housing price guide)
Developer : Acara Prestasi Sdn. Bhd.
Last Updated: Sep 2023

DISCLAIMER: This article is solely based on research done using publicly available data. This is not an advertisement. Any claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a project or service should be verified with the developer, provider, or party in question.

About Havana Beach Residences

Affordable housing development by Ideal Property Group at Bayan Lepas. Strategically located near Jalan Tun Dr. Awang, less than 2km away from Penang International Airport. It is about 5 minutes walking distance to  SMJK Heng Ee (Bayan Baru branch).

Find out more about Havana Beach Residences

By burying 700 sandbags along a 250m stretch on Batu Ferringhi, contractors had reshaped the mildly sloping beach that the tourist spot was once famous for.

But that beach stretch lasted less than three months before the sea claimed it once more, the waves eating away at the sand.

“You cannot fight Mother Nature,” lamented a watersports operator, who only wanted to be called Mat.

Standing on the beach, he looked at the exposed giant sandbags that had been buried 2m deep into a section of Batu Ferringhi beach in January and September.

Measuring about the height of a man, they were made with heavy duty composite fabric and had held eight cubic metres of sand each.

Powerful waves whipped up by the northeast monsoon and further fuelled by the La Nina weather phenomenon have smashed into the contractors’ efforts, eroding the beach and exposing the sandbags that now look like a seawall of sorts.

Mat said the sea “has been crazy since last year”.

Late at night, during the full or new moon phases when the tides are at their strongest, Mat said he would go and check on his equipment – water scooters and boats – to make sure that they were firmly lashed down.

“Every day, we bring them all up to shore at the end of the day but I still check in case the waves crash deep inland,” he said.

Mat recalled the tsunami on Dec 26, 2004, during which 20 people were found drowned in Batu Ferringhi alone.

“Sometimes, late at night, when I look at the crashing waves, they remind me of that tsunami,” he said.

Along a 30m stretch near a public path to the Batu Ferringhi beach called Pasir Emas, many of the sandbags are all but gone.

They were torn apart by the waves and the sand in them wicked out a little bit every day until tourists now use them as low seats on the beach.

Penang infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the giant sandbags were a short-term mitigation effort by the state Drainage and Irrigation Department to curb soil erosion.

Costing around RM1.02mil, they were borne by both the state and federal governments.

“We will redo the mitigation measure after the harsh tidal conditions subside. The state government is committed to keeping this short-term measure ongoing for the benefit of all beachgoers.

“We are applying for federal funds to build a river outfall as well as offshore breakwaters to obstruct the force of the waves and still keep currents moving to prevent sedimentation.

“It will cost RM20mil to RM30mil. It’s a tall order but we are fighting against global warming, rising sea levels and weather phenomenon like La Nina.

“Even in Bali, Indonesia, they have to build such structures to preserve their beaches,” he said yesterday.

Consumers Association of Penang senior education officer NV Subbarow called on those who had enjoyed Batu Ferringhi beach to reflect on the effects of global warming hitting the state’s beach asset.

“We urge the state government to apply permanent measures instead of spending public funds on measures that don’t last longer than a few months,” he said.

Source: TheStar.com.my