Real estate associations are urging the public to beware of illegal brokers under the guise of technology and innovation.

The associations consisted of The Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM), The Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector Malaysia (PEPS), Malaysian Muslim Real Estate Consultants Association (PEHAM), Malaysian Institute of Property and Facility Managers (MIPFM) and Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA).

In a joint statement today, the associations are calling for members of the public to deal only with real estate agents and firms registered with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP) when engaging any person or persons to carry out real estate services which include selling, buying, renting, leasing, tenancy administration and advisory services.

The associations said the statement served as a reminder that there are people who are not estate agents but operating estate agency businesses illegally and using many forms of creative ideas to do so.

They said real estate service is gazetted as a professional service under the Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers Act 242, 1981 to protect the public.

“It is also to ensure that if anyone other than those registered carries out the work as an agent in any form or shape or manner, they will be committing an offence and can be charged in court with a fine of not more than RM300,000 and imprisonment for not more than three years or both,” the associations said.

“It is important to state that we are not against innovations and technology but we want to reinforce our stand that we cannot condone anyone, either individuals or companies in any form or shape, who do not comply to existing laws of the land where it fits as far as real estate agency practice is concerned,” they added.

Source: Bernama

The Penang government may apply for a judicial review against the Appeal Board’s decision earlier today that cancelled approval of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of its ambitious sea reclamation to build three artificial islands.

State executive councillor Zairil Khir Johari said the state will consider using this legal option pending obtaining the official written decision by the Appeal Board.

“The state will also consider other actions such as the possibility of presenting an updated EIA based on the approvals from the local authorities as referred to in the decision by the Appeal Board,” the infrastructure and transport committee chairman said in a brief statement in response to the decision.

This morning, the Appeal Board under the Environmental Quality (Appeal Board) Regulations 2003 allowed the preliminary objections submitted by fisherman Zakaria Ismail, against the approval of the EIA for the Penang South Reclamation (PSR).

In allowing the objection, the approval by the Department of Environment (DoE) director general (DG) on the PSR EIA was also set aside as it was ultra vires, null and void.

Ultra vires in legal terms means acting beyond one’s authority.

The PSR is a massive reclamation project to create three islands off the southern coast of the main Penang island.

The islands, loosely named A, B and C, will measure a total 4,500 acres (1,821 ha) in land size off the coast from Permatang Damar Laut.

The PSR project was first introduced back in 2015 as the funding module of the RM46 billion Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP) after SRS Consortium was appointed as the project delivery partner (PDP) for the PTMP on August 14, 2015.

Source: MalayMail.com

Casa Rica @ Setia Greens, a luxury landed residence by Kewira Jaya Sdn. Bhd. (a subsidiary of S P Setia Bhd.) at Setia Greens in Sungai Ara. It will be located along Changkat Sungai Ara 6, adjacent to Setia Pinnacle condominium and Phase 1 of Setia Greens guarded communities.

Featuring only 60 units of 2-storey and 3-storey Semi-detached homes infused by Spanish architecture design, Casa Rica is a low-density residential development that consists of four unique designs with functional & practical layouts. The 2-storey semi-detached home has a built-up area ranging from 2,874 sq. ft. to 3,046 sq. ft. and offers 4 +1 bedrooms and 5 bathrooms. The 3-storey semi-detached home has a built-up area ranging from 3,512 sq. ft. to 3,573 sq. ft. and offers 5 +1 bedrooms and it comes with a built-in private elevator.

Casa Rica is developed on 11 acres of hill land and each of these design types sits on different levels of the terrain, creating a fascinating building silhouette and offers an unobstructed view of the Sungai Ara township backed by the lush green hills. It is surrounded by established neighborhood where conveniences and essential amenities are just a stone’s throw away.

Project Name: Casa Rica @ Setia Greens
Location: Sungai Ara
Property Type : Semi-detached
Total Units : 60
Built-up Size: 2,874sf. – 3,046sf. (2-storey semi-d), 3,512sf – 3,573sf (3-storey semi-d)
Land Tenure : Freehold
Indicative Price : RM1.9mil onwards
Developer: Kewira Jaya Sdn. Bhd. (SP Setia)

Penangites can walk in to get vaccinated at 10 selected locations across the state from tomorrow, as the state ramps up vaccination to stem the growing number of cases there.

The walk-in is available for locals aged above 18 and citizens who have yet to register or receive appointment dates on the MySejahtera mobile app.

Penang will receive one million doses by the end of the month as part of the health ministry’s efforts to push vaccination in the state, which is among the worst-hit in the country.

In a statement, chief minister Chow Kon Yeow said the vaccines will be given on a first-come first-served basis at the following locations starting at 10 am tomorrow: SPICE, Tapak Pesta Sungai Nibong, Kompleks Sukan Balik Pulau, Pusat Konvensyen Perda; Dewan Millenium; SP Arena; Tapak Ekspo Seberang Jaya; Vangohh Eminent; Dewan Sungai Bakap; and Dewan Serbaguna Jawi.

Chow said the state health department would improve its response time for Covid-19-related inquiries by those being quarantined at home to within 24 to 48 hours.

He said a special Covid-19 assessment centre (CAC) hotline at 04 382 7143 and 04 382 7142 will take calls from the public over any concerns. Another hotline under the PgCare Alliance will also take queries through 04 642 7777 or email pgcarealliance@gmail.com.

Chow said the 999 emergency call response has been improved by piping in emergency calls to a unified command centre, and also to assist with the transport of patients to hospitals or low-risk centres.

Source: FreeMalaysiaToday.com

Local residential property transactions plunged 44.7 per cent year-on-year (YoY) for the first quarter (Q1) of 2021, according to PropertyGuru DataSense.

In its latest property market update report, the data analytics and solutions arm of PropertyGuru said this was due to worries over a resurgence in Covid-19 cases and softer than expected gross domestic product (GDP) performance during the quarter, owing to lower consumer confidence in the market.

The report revealed that 61.2 per cent of the overall number of property transactions across Malaysia was found to be made by first-homebuyers (FHBs).

It added that FHBs outnumbered purchases made by investors in three of Malaysia’s major property markets – Klang Valley, Johor, and Penang – by 13.2 per cent, 65.2 per cent and 0.08 per cent respectively.

PropertyGuru DataSense managing director Joe Hock Thor said incentives such as the My First Home Scheme and the Home Ownership Campaign had helped to drive first-homebuyers to take that step towards homeownership during the quarter.

The report indicated that sub-sale units outsold new developments in Q1 of 2021, with many property owners selling their assets at competitive prices for liquidation, offering both FHBs and investors alike an opportunity to purchase them at below market value.

This trend was prominent in the Klang Valley, having recorded a three-year high for sub-sale transactions at 83.72 per cent.

PropertyGuru DataSense said FHBs would get a quality home in a good location on a smaller budget when buying on the secondary market.

“Sub-sale property has typically appealed to more seasoned investors largely due to the ability to place a down payment on the unit, making it easier for an investor to invest in several properties.

“The secondary market also allows greater access to property, particularly landed units, in better locations. As land banks are used up, new developments often must settle for more remote locations which may take investors a longer time to see a return on the appreciation value,” said Joe.

The report also highlighted that buyers preferred landed property, contributing to the increased transactions in suburbs.

The type of properties purchased by buyers have changed as a large portion of the nation’s workforce working from home since the start of the pandemic.

“This is reflected in the transaction data from Q1 2021, which found that homebuyers are favouring larger, more spacious units in the RM300,000 to RM500,000 price range.

“Buyers preferred landed units over high-rise during the quarter, with terrace houses making up 54 per cent of transactions in Malaysia followed by condominiums/apartments (18 per cent).

Joe said currently many employees no longer needed to travel to the office daily and they can opt for areas further away with lower density and more spacious layouts that could comfortably fit an extra room for a home office.

“We observed that the desire for larger, more spacious property has resulted in a shift towards terrace houses as well as properties in the fringes of city centres, driving up transactions in smaller townships in Q1 of 2021. We believe this trend is likely to continue into the second half of 2021,” he added.

Source: NST Online