About Sinaran Residences @ Utropolis

The residential component in the third phase of Utropolis development by Paramount Property at Batu Kawan, Penang. It is strategically located along Bandar Cassia Expressway, with walking access to Design Village outlet mall and UOW MALAYSIA KDU Penang University College. Driving to Penang International Airport will only take approximately 30 minutes via Second Penang Bridge.

This development featuring two blocks of 35 & 36-storey serviced apartments, offering a total of 964 residential units with unit size ranging between 667 sq.ft. – 1,044 sq.ft.

Find out more about Utropolis @ Batu Kawan:

• Phase 1 – Sensasi Commercial & Residential Suites (Completed)
• Phase 2 – Suasana Residential Suites (Completed)
• Phase 3 – Sinaran Avenue & Sinaran Residences (On-going)

(Photo taken Aug 2022)

Source: Google Street View

A Hong Kong businessman, who is among many on the lookout for prime land and buildings in the state, has snapped up the long-neglected Island Plaza in the area and promises to make it a big draw again.

The buyer, known only as Law, said he would bring Hong Kong’s creative economy – musical and performing arts, film and television production – to the mall.

As an added attraction, there will be the former British colony’s iteration of the coffeeshop, called cha chan teng in Cantonese, which literally means “tea and dishes hall”.

Cha chan teng is characterised by a casual dining atmosphere, with a menu of fine-dining delicacies on top of Hong Kong’s street food.

Island Plaza has been sold for an undisclosed sum to the real estate tycoon who said he would bring all the successful retailing strategies of Hong Kong to the state.

“What we learned from turning Hong Kong into an international destination for culinary arts and fashion, we will bring to Penang,” he said.

He said had fallen in love with the peace and prosperity in the state.

“You can have a plate of noodles for a few ringgit or a hundred ringgit, and they will all be delicious.

“In terms of living cost, Penang is 1/15 (0.06%) of the cost in Hong Kong (for an upscale lifestyle). Yet, whatever Hong Kong has, you have,” Law said.

For more than a decade, Hong Kong folk, including its celebrities, have been settling down in Penang.

Many came here to retire, but in recent years, Hong Kongers began buying properties for investment.

The Star reported recently that Hong Kong investors had bought the last few old bungalows along the popular Gurney Drive promenade.

Law himself came to Penang six years ago.

“I have an insurance agent of more than 20 years who is Penang-born. He kept urging me to come to Penang for a holiday,” he said.

On his first holiday here, Law kept extending his stay.

“I chose Eastern and Oriental Hotel. It was more beautiful than the best traditional hotel in Hong Kong.

“It was then RM600 to RM700 a night here. In Hong Kong, it would have been RM2,000 a night,” he said.

The real estate mogul began shopping for Penang properties on his first trip and bought his first home here – an almost 11,000sq ft super condo in Gurney Drive.

Each time he returned, he bought at least one more property.

“I own more than 10 properties in Penang now, including a private museum and a boutique hotel in the heritage enclave,” said Law, who is his 70s.

On his first Penang holiday, Law said he was sad to see many beggars and drunkards outside his hotel.

“After a few years, I no longer see them. Penang is getting better and this kind of socio-economic progress is really rare,” he said.

Mega Realty Sdn Bhd principal Jenny Yeap, who is running Island Plaza’s leasing office now, confirmed that plans for the redevelopment and re-design, including a hi-tech facade of the mall, were submitted to the city council.

“We are negotiating with many large anchor tenants to set up shop in Island Plaza now,” she added.

Yeap said Island Plaza was sold to Law just before the movement control order was imposed on March 18, 2020.

Source: TheStar.com.my

The Penang state government has submitted a new and updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project even as the state’s judicial review application to reinstate the approval for the original EIA hits a snag.

Penang state exco Zairil Khir Johari said the state is going through with a new EIA submission process after the Department of Environment (DoE) Appeals Board cancelled the approval given to the original EIA for the PSR.

“The state will continue to pursue a judicial review against the Appeals Board’s decision despite the initial application being rejected by the Registrar based on a technicality,” he said.

He said the High Court Registrar had rejected the state’s application for a judicial review based on a technicality, so the state had filed an appeal to the High Court against the Registrar’s decision.

“The High Court rejected the application to appeal against the Registrar’s decision, but we can still submit our application for judicial review to be heard in the Appeals Court,” he said.

He said the state exco will need to discuss the next course of action with regards to the application for judicial review before making a decision.

He stressed that the High Court is yet to hear the application for judicial review per se due to it being rejected by the Registrar, so the state still have an avenue to submit it to the Appeals Court for it to be heard.

The original EIA submitted by the state for the PSR was approved in 2019 but the DoE Appeals Board reversed the approval on September 8 last year.

The state had then filed an application for a judicial review to challenge the Appeals Board’s decision.

Pending the legal case against the Appeals Board’s decision, Zairil said the state will push on with a new EIA submission process with a more comprehensive EIA.

“We submitted a new and more comprehensive EIA in April this year and after that, a public display session was held from May 20 to June 18,” he said.

He said most of the feedback received during the public display was positive and after the public display, a technical committee review meeting was also held.

He said following the public display, DoE will provide their feedback on the EIA and the state will amend it accordingly.

“It will be a back-and-forth process with the DoE,” he said.

The infrastructure and transport committee chairman said the state government is committed to pushing the PSR project forward.

“The project will also bring about various benefits to the local fishermen and their families through the Social Impact Management Plan (SIMP),’” he said.

He said among the proposed measures in SIMP included ex gratia payments, bigger new boats and higher horsepower engines, co-operative for business opportunities and new fishing jetties for the fishermen.

“The state government has set aside RM100 million to realise these initiatives,” he said.

He said the state will also carry out a PSR Ecology Offset Masterplan (PEOM) to encourage sustainability in the fisheries sector and to mitigate the environmental impact of the project.

The PEOM included the deploying of artificial reefs and fish aggregating devices, planting of mangrove, releasing fish and prawn fry, building eco-shorelines on the perimeter of the reclaimed islands and providing funds for marine and fisheries-related studies.

“The state’s Fishermen Taskforce and Penang Infrastructure Corporation will be overseeing the implementation of these initiatives,” he said.

He added that some of the initiatives such as expanding mangrove forest, giving new boats and engines, seafarers’ training and temporary jetty upgrading works have started even before reclamation works begin.

“The state government will ensure full compliance with all regulatory authority requirements, including approvals for the Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan, prior to the reclamation works,” he said.

Source: MalayMail.com

The long-standing issue regarding the shortage of workers has once again been brought up in the meeting with the Penang government.

Delegates from the Penang Master Builders, led by its president Datuk Goh Teng Whoo, paid a courtesy call on Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow early this morning.

Goh said the shortage of foreign workers has seriously impacted the construction industry.

“We understand that the issue is a matter of the Federal Government and we, in the construction industry in Penang, need about 50,000 workers to get things moving.

“In addition to having endured the shortages of foreign workers, the renewal of work permits is also mostly rejected.

“We propose an automatic yearly renewal of work permits until the issue of shortage of manpower is resolved,” he told Chow during the visit.

The delegates said the shortage of foreign workers issue has indirectly increased workers’ wages tremendously.

“Building materials cost has also increased,” Goh said.

Chow said the issue regarding the shortage of workers has been brought up many times by various organisations from different industries.

“This has been one of the main issues faced by trade organisations and other industries for the past 18 months.

“We have now entered the ‘talent war’ period where different sectors and industries are fighting for labour in and not in the market.

“The ministry has not been able to instil confidence and solve the long-standing issue.

“I take note of the need for 50,000 workers in the construction industry in Penang,” Chow said.

Other issues, such as the efficiency of several Government departments and traffic congestion were also discussed.

Those present at the meeting were the association’s immediate past president Datuk Lim Chee Tong, deputy president Tan Yee Churd, vice-president I Jeffery Koay Kai Chin, secretary-general Datuk Albert Moh, assistant secretary-general Lim Chun Khon, assistant treasurer Tan Eng Leong, and committee members Datuk Finn Choong, Datuk Lim Kai Seng, Ong Seng Chye, Alvin Yeow, Datuk Jessen Ang and Tai Lee Leong.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

Iconic Point at Simpang Ampat has been completed and the handover ceremony of the unit shop offices to the buyers was held on Tuesday evening at the site.

The Iconic Point is developed by Iconic Worldwide Berhad (IWB) and is the first commercial project in Simpang Ampat which offers semi-detached and detached shop offices with individual shared lifts.

IWB managing director Datuk Seri Tan Kean Tet said the RM127.81 million commercial hub is poised to be the ‘go-to lifestyle and entertainment hub’ in Simpang Ampat.

“Iconic Point spans across 8.7 acres of land and features 49 freehold shop offices, with a built-up of 4,350sq ft for three-storey semi-detached shop offices and a 5,556sq ft built-up detached shop office.

“We are pleased to create a new lifestyle hub in Simpang Ampat. We have also managed to receive positive responses from international branches in Iconic Point such as The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Family Mart and CU Mart. Not forgetting our other tenants such as ZUS Coffee, Secret Recipe and Watsons.

“With multiple choices of renowned food and beverages (F&B) brands and other amenities, this is the kind of value that we want to inject in Simpang Ampat as there has not been a commercial development such as Iconic Point in the area.

“The development also features a four-storey boutique hotel at the end of the Iconic Point belt where one can opt for a comfortable respite while still be within the vicinity of various amenities,” Tan said in his speech before Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow officiated the handover ceremony at Iconic Point today.

Also present were state Welfare and Environment Committee chairman Phee Boon Poh, Seberang Perai City Council (MBSP) mayor Datuk Azhar Arshad and Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik.

According to Tan, since the relaxation of Covid-19 standard operating procedures (SOPs) by the Federal Government, the market has seen a noticeable surge in consumer spending.

“Malaysians are going out more often and opting for dine-ins.”

He added that creating such a commercial hub would be the right fit for the growing demand for contemporary lifestyle spaces in the area.

“It is always our aspiration to be the first mover in bringing a new lifestyle experience to Simpang Ampat.

“I am optimistic that Iconic Point will become a significant landmark and be one of the key drivers in bringing vibrancy and eventually, growth of Simpang Ampat’s property landscape,” he said.

Chow extended his appreciation to IWB for choosing Penang as the preferred destination for the company’s investments.

“I was told that Iconic Point received an overwhelming response, with 100% of its units fully taken up in just two days during its soft launch in 2019.

“Such response to Iconic Point demonstrates that despite recent market issues, Penang has maintained a strong interest in properties among owner-occupants and investors.

“The attraction of Penang’s property market is attributed to the state’s resilient and growing economy, as well as the fact that there is a steady supply of attractively-priced properties in strategic locations, such as Iconic Point.

“Thus, I hope to see Iconic Point emulate Icon City’s (another project by IWB in Bukit Mertajam) success in becoming a productive commercial centre, as the Penang government continues to work with the private sector to further develop Seberang Perai.

“After all, as I have said many times, the future of Penang is in Seberang Perai.

“Seberang Perai has a lot of potential in terms of economy, agriculture, social development and many others,” he said.

Source: Buletin Mutiara