The Penang Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee has initiated two guidelines – one for high-rises and the other, for landed properties – to regulate short-term stays in Penang.

The Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said both guidelines have been approved by the state executive council on March 8.

“Both guidelines must now be enforced.

“We have been receiving many complaints regarding short-term stays.

“Such practices have disrupted the other residents of the affected housing schemes.

“We formulated these guidelines not to deny owners of properties (be it high-rise or landed) from renting them out, but to regulate short-term stays,” Jagdeep said in his speech during the Strata Management Seminar 2023 in Mercure Penang Beach in Tanjung Bungah yesterday.

Jagdeep also highlighted a few terms in the guidelines for short-term stay.

“For stratified projects classified under ‘residential zone’, one must first obtain the approval from his or her joint management body (JMB) or management corporation (MC) through the annual general meeting (AGM) before having to comply with other terms in the guidelines. Service apartments classified under ‘commercial zone’ must also comply with the term.

“After complying with all the terms in the guidelines, and if approval is given (for the residential or commercial unit), the short-term stay must not be more than three days in a row. And it must also not be more than 180 days in a year,” he said.

Jagdeep said the hotels in Penang are well-equipped with facilities to cater to the needs of the tourists.

“These hotels can assist our tourism sector.

“We must be fair to the people and the tourism sector,” he said.

On a separate matter, Jagdeep said the Local Government and Housing Ministry has agreed in principle to provide two Commissioner of Building (COB) Department deputy directors for Penang, one for each local council in the state.

“Under the purview of the Penang Island City Council (MBPP), there are 293 stratified schemes which have set up their JMB; 977 schemes which have set up their MC; 102 schemes which are being managed by developers, and eight schemes which are managed by agents who are appointed by COB.

“The COB divisions, both on the island and mainland, need manpower to perform their job well.

“I have explained to the minister and he understood,” he said.

MBPP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said the Strata Management Act 2013 (Act 757) has been gazetted and enforced in June 2015.

“Nevertheless, there are still issues and challenges faced in the enforcement of the Act,” he said.

Yew hoped that the participants would benefit from the seminar.

Also present were MBPP secretary Datuk A. Rajendran, Penang COB Department director Nurul Azian Mohd Nordin, and Penang Housing Board general manager ‘Ainul Fadhilah Samsudi.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

About The Light City

A 32.76-acre integrated mixed-use waterfront development by  IJM Perennial Development in Gelugor, Penang. Strategically located next to The Light Collection, just a mere minutes drive from Penang Bridge and George Town.  It will feature a retail mall, Penang’s largest convention centre to be called Penang Waterfront Convention Centre, two hotels to be operated by renowned hotel brands, a 28-storey office tower, and two premium residential projects named The Mezzo and The Essence.

Find out more about The Light City

The over-a-century-old moat of Fort Cornwallis, under the premier historic structure restoration project, is set to be reinstated before it is open to the public in 2025.

The moat, on the south and the east, will be restored to its former glory.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the Fort Cornwallis restoration project was an important component under the ‘North Seafront Master Plan’.

“This project shows the state government’s commitment to upgrading the historical place, establishing a centre to gather historical information and developing it into a famous tourism spot.

“This project is developed through a public-private partnership (PPP), with the collaboration between the Federal Government and the state government.

“The restoration of the moat also includes the upgrading of a food court nearby Fort Cornwallis,” he said in his speech during the pre-launching ceremony today.

The initiative, Chow said, is being undertaken by the George Town Conservation and Development Corporation (GTCDC), which is a tripartite alliance consisting of the Chief Minister Incorporated (CMI), Think City Sdn Bhd and Aga Khan Trust for Culture.

A mini gallery in Fort Cornwallis’ store room is scheduled to be completed in August this year.

Chow said a mock-up of the moat, measuring 200 square metres, had been completed for the contractor’s reference.

“It is important to ensure the contractor, who will be appointed soon, is adhering to the Unesco World Heritage Site guidelines,” he added.

When met by reporters, CMI deputy general manager Datin S. Bharathi said the overall cost incurred for the restoration of the moat and the upgrading of the nearby food court was about RM20 million.

Think City Sdn Bhd chairman Datuk Seri Dr Anwar Fazal said he was pleased with the development of the overall project.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

A proposed mixed development by Sierra Residences (M) Sdn. Bhd. at Sungai Jawi. Located along Jalan Sungai Bakap, next to JKR Seberang Perai Selatan. It’s only a mere minutes’ drive from Jawi Toll Plaza, just a short walking distance to nearby amenities which include Econsave Hypermarket, clinics, banks and eateries.

This mixed-use development, which includes both commercial and residential components, will be completed in several phases:

Phase 1

• 2-storey detached shop office (1 unit)
• 3-storey semi-detached shop office (8 units)

Phase 2

• 4-storey commercial building, comprises a total of 171 shop offices with 2 levels of car park.
• 2-storey detached shop office (1 unit)
• 10-storey hotel (140 rooms)

Phase 3

• 39-storey serviced residence (540 residential units)

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

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : Sungai Jawi, Penang
Property Type : Mixed development
Tenure : Freehold
Total Units: 540 (serviced suite), 181 (shop offices)
Built-up Area: (to be confirmed)
Indicative Price: (to be confirmed)
Developer : Sierra Residences (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Source: TheStar

After more than a decade, the proposed Penang Undersea Tunnel, part of the RM46bil Penang Transport Master Plan, looks to be stalled due to delays in the release of the feasibility study report. According to a news article published by TheStar, State infrastructure and transport committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari confirmed the delay and stated that there is no clear timeline for the project to start. He further added that work may only begin beyond 2026 or further, with at least five years required for necessary approvals from the Federal Government and other relevant agencies.

First proposed in 2011, the Penang Undersea Tunnel project was intended to link Gurney Drive on the island with Bagan Ajam on the mainland in Penang, aimed at easing the chronic traffic congestion in the state. However, the project has been marred by delays, and the complete feasibility study report has already missed its deadlines in 2014 and 2016.

The state government has said that it would only make a decision on the implementation of the project after considering written reviews from the Penang Port Commission and Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), both of which have strong reservations about the project.

Due to the latest delay in the undersea tunnel project, PPSB will now carry out its RM1bil expansion at the North Butterworth Container Terminal (NBCT) as planned without waiting for the tunnel construction to start. Its chief executive officer, Datuk Sasedharan Vasudevan, has confirmed that the NBCT expansion and the tunnel construction have turned out to be contentious issues due to the clash of construction routes, although both parties have agreed to coexist and work together.