Construction of The Zen affordable housing project in progress.

Penang will seek the help of new Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican to provide affordable housing for its people and also an allocation of RM100 million for its maintenance programme for 2022.

State Local Government, Housing, Town and Country Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said he would be sending a letter to Reezal Merican today, explaining the state’s priority for affordable housing and the need for the Federal Government to play its part.

Jagdeep Singh showing the letter he would be sending to Reezal Merican requesting for Federal housing aid. Also present are Ainul (right) and Tan (second from left).

“Although we are a small state, we pay the most tax. So, we deserve to be given affordable housing.

“We’ve done a lot (for housing). But where are the units from the Federal Government?” Jagdeep said after making a spot check at the ‘The Zen’ affordable housing project in Bayan Mutiara today.

Jagdeep speaking to some of the construction workers and officers when conducting a spot check at The Zen affordable housing project.

Among those present were Penang Housing Board general manager Ainul Fadhilah Samsudi and Asia Green Group director Tan Li Mei.

Jagdeep said he hoped to have a meeting with Reezal Merican to continue a strong relationship as he has had with Reezal’s predecessor Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin. Reezal Merican held the Youth and Sports Minister’s post previously while Zuraida is now the Plantation, Industries and Commodities Minister.

“Penang has spent nearly RM300 million for the maintenance of public and private (low-cost and low medium-cost) housing schemes. The money is spent on upgrading lifts, changing leaking roofs and water tanks.

“We thank the Federal Government for allocating nearly RM30 million previously and for next year, we have requested for RM100 million allocation. And we would like to know how much will be allocated to Penang.

“Our letter will include several other housing issues, including the urban regeneration programme,” Jagdeep said.

He said the state government aims to build 220,000 low-cost, low medium-cost and affordable units for the people of Penang by 2030 in line with the Penang2030 vision for a ‘Family-Focused, Green and Smart City that Inspires the Nation’.

To date, he revealed that 120,000 such units have been built in the state.

Construction of The Zen affordable housing project in progress.

The Zen housing project, which is being developed by Asia Green Properties Sdn Bhd, will have a total of 1,200 affordable units. Each unit is 850sq ft, costing RM300,000 and above.

Tan said the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted construction works for The Zen project.

“We had earlier planned to complete the project by the end of 2022 but with the unpredictability of the Covid-19 situation, the construction may be completed by the beginning of 2023.

“The construction is not just hampered by the lockdowns but even when we are able to operate, we have difficulties in getting the supply of materials because some industries were still not functioning.

“The Zen is now approximately 40% complete. It’s not that we want to delay it and we hope the buyers will understand the challenges we are facing too,” Tan said.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

It is time to come up with policies for the future that can prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other viral infections such as a reduction in plot ratio for development projects, a city councillor Lee Kim Noor said.

The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) councillor said it is important to reduce congestion and overcrowding at residential development projects especially in view of the current Covid-19 pandemic.

“We should not raise the plot ratio indiscriminately that leads to a higher number of units within a development and causes congestion which makes it easier for the Covid-19 virus to spread,” she said during her speech at the end of the virtual full council meeting today.

Lee said there is a need to prepare larger open spaces so that residents could exercise and go for walks comfortably while still observing strict SOPs.

As for future commercial building developments, she said developers must be required to install a good ventilation system which could filter out viruses.

“If we look at the daily Covid-19 cases, many clusters are from the workplace so other than close contact, there is a high possibility the spread in the workplace could be due to the air ventilation of these places where workers have to spend long hours and sometimes may have to remove their masks to eat, drink or talk,” she said.

As for existing commercial buildings, she proposed that an awareness campaign be launched among these commercial building management agents to look at cleaning up their ventilation systems and install suitable filtration systems.

“This can be done by sending letters to the management agents or to hold a webinar on the topic,” she said.

She also suggested that MBPP prepare the necessary information for those infected with Covid-19 and what they should do in such situations.

She said MBPP can also display the contact numbers of the hospitals and hotline numbers in its various social media pages for the public to call if they were infected with Covid-19 and do not know the next steps to take.

Later, during a press conference, MBPP Mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang said there was a demand for higher density projects and the state had introduced a plot ratio of 4.0 under a home ownership programme.

He said the higher plot ratio was to stimulate the construction and property industry in the state but it was only for certain projects.

A plot ratio of 4.0 meant that developers can build higher density projects where they can build approximately 251 units of apartment lots measuring about 700 sq ft each on a one acre (44,000 sq ft) piece of land.

Yew said previously the plot ratio for development projects, depending on the type of project and location, were between 2.8 and 3.5.

A plot ratio of 2.8 will allow developers to build 176 units of apartments with the size of 700 sq ft each on a one acre plot of land while a plot ratio of 3.5 will allow 220 units of apartments of the same size to be built.

So far, only four development projects have applied for the plot ratio of 4.0 under the home ownership campaign, Yew said.

Meanwhile, the full council meeting this morning approved a license fee exemption for water sport operators on the island for 2021 and 2022.

The 24 water sport operators of jet skis and winch boats will be exempted from paying the total license fees of RM16,600 for these two years.

Source: NST Online

All new applications for the Malaysia My Second Home Programme (MM2H) will be handled and processed by the Immigration Department (JIM) beginning October, after all the related legal processes are completed.

The Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture (MOTAC) in a statement said in the transition process, the ministry through the MM2H Centre would handle matters related to the existing participants until Sept 15 this year.

“When this period is over, the processing of existing applications and logistics matters will be taken over completely by JIM,” read the statement.

MOTAC will continue to play its role in promoting MM2H through Tourism Malaysia’s involvement and introducing the country as a long-term stay destination especially for retirees and high-income personalities, it added.

The ministry will also continue to support the MM2H programme to help the country’s economic growth as well as promote Malaysia at the international stage.

For further inquiries visit www.imi.gov.my or call 03-88801555/1556.

Source: Bernama

RITZE Perdana, a residential development scheme by Great Marvel Sdn. Bhd. at Simpang Ampat. Located along Jalan Perdana, also known as the phase 2C of  Taman Perdana. It is just a stone’s throw away from Simpang Ampat Small Medium Industrial Park, about 10 minutes drive from Bukit Tambun Toll Plaza. Surrounding amenities include GEMS International Schools, Pearl City Mall, banks, market, eateries, and a few other public schools.

This development will feature 44 units of 3-storey terrace houses with a standard built-up size of 1,805 sq.ft. Each unit comes with a parking space for up to 4 cars.

Project Name : RITZE Perdana @ Taman Perdana
Location : Simpang Ampat
Property Type : Terrace
Tenure : Freehold
Land Area: 1,540 sq.ft onwards
Built-up Area: 1,805 sq.ft.
Total Units : 44
Indicative Price: RM499,000 onwards
Developer : Great Marvel Sdn. Bhd.

Aerial view of Teluk Kumbar

A major flood mitigation project (RTB) is under construction in the southwest district of Penang island where it flooded last week on Wednesday.

State infrastructure committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the Teluk Kumbar RTB was expected to be completed by end of this year.

Two more projects in the pipeline in the district are the Teluk Bahang RTB and Pondok Upeh RTB, with both at the conceptual report stage.

“Both projects are expected to be tendered out by the third quarter of next year,” he said in a phone interview.

The southwest district Drainage and Irrigation Department (JPS) is in the process of tendering out a revised Drainage Master Plan for the district.

“As for south Seberang Prai, the Sungai Kechil RTB is currently in the conceptual stage and expected to be tendered out by the third quarter of next year.

“The state government through JPS has recently completed Parit Four and Five RTBs in central Seberang Prai.

“The Mak Mandin RTB in north Seberang Prai and the Sungai Nipah RTB on the island’s southwest district in Balik Pulau are expected to be completed soon.

“These projects are all major and are part of the RM150mil high impact projects that began in 2018,” he said.

Zairil also said that the state government procured three new mobile pumps last year, on top of the existing 12 mobile pumps which could be mobilised to reduce flash floods in the state.

“The state government via JPS is constantly upgrading waterways throughout the year especially before raining periods by de-silting, removal of aquatic plants, rubbish and blockage to ensure that water can flow,” he said.

Penang Hill Corporation (PHC) general manager Cheok Lay Leng said there were no major concerns of landslides at Penang Hill so far.

“Some of our staff members are tasked to monitor areas prone to landslides on the hill each day.

“We trimmed a few trees and branches as they fell after strong winds.

“We have been on full alert whenever there is heavy rain or wind, and are preparing our teams.

“We will monitor the wind speed and rainfall on the field every day.

“Every day, our teams will go around the hills to monitor the hotspots for landslides.

“If they come across fallen tree branches, they will attend to them immediately,” he said, adding that there were a few fallen trees but no landslides were reported at Penang Hill.

Since the area covering Penang Hill is big, Cheok said they sometimes had to rely on feedback from the public about fallen trees or soil erosion.

“If there is any report from hikers and residents, we will check the area around popular hiking trails and along the Jeep track, main roads, walking paths and railway tracks.

“Thankfully, there are no major landslides reported but there was soil erosion in some areas and we took quick action to clear them.

“Over the past one month, we have experienced around 12 incidents of fallen trees and branches,” he said.

Cheok advised hikers to be extra cautious and refrain from hiking during bad weather for their safety.

A Penang Island City Council spokesman said so far, there were landslides and slope failures reported at three locations in Balik Pulau.

“Due to the heavy storms, there were fallen and uprooted trees at five locations on the island which are at Jalan Utama, Jalan Bukit Salbiah, Jalan P. Ramlee in the northeast district; Jalan Teluk Kumbar and Jalan Pasir Panjang in the southwest district.

“Luckily, there were no casualties reported.

“MBPP has been monitoring high risk and hazardous hillslope areas by using drones or hiking physically and we have plotted a hazard and risk map for long-term monitoring.

“We take seriously the complaints by the public and NGOs through our WhatsApp hotline and take immediate action all the time,” she said.

Source: TheStar.com.my