Those who miss the old Penang ferries that were retired earlier this year will get a chance to ride on them again this year – on pleasure cruises.

The Penang Port Commission, the federal government body that owns the ferries, said today several companies have been given a 10-year lease contract to manage the five vessels.

Of the five vessels, one will be a floating museum, two will be restaurants and the other two will be used for pleasure cruises.

PPC chairman Tan Teik Cheng said the companies were selected as part of a request for proposal exercise which began on Jan 29.

The companies were also given an option to extend their lease for another five years on top of their 10-year lease.

The ferries will be handed over to them from July 1.

“We would like to ensure that these five iconic Penang ferries continue to be seen in our waters and continue to be a tourism pull for Penang and stimulate the state’s economy,” he said when contacted.

Tan said there were originally six old ferries in the fleet, with one of them given up to the state government.

The old ferries were retired before the vehicular-cum-passenger ferry service was ended earlier this year to make way for fast boats.

Source: FreeMalaysiaToday.com

The Penang state government has allocated an estimated RM468,000 to pay for the ferry fares of all Malaysian foot passengers for the next six months.

Infrastructure and Transport Committee Chairman Zairil Khir Johari said all Malaysians using the ferry service will be able to use it for free from July 1 onwards.

“The state government will be funding the ferry fees for all Malaysian foot passengers with an allocation of about RM78,000 for about 65,000 tickets per month,” he said in a statement today.

He said the move is to encourage more people to use the ferry service and to relieve the financial burden of those negatively affected by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Malaysian ferry passengers need only scan their MyKad at the Penang Port Sdn Bhd’s MyKad scanner before boarding the ferry to ride for free.

“This proposal is an extension of the My30 journey pass that was launched in March to fund Rapid Penang bus fares for those who signed up for the pass,” he said.

He said with the free ferry rides, both land and water public transport in the state will be at no cost for local users.

“We hope that by providing free ferry rides at this critical time, it will be able to reduce the costs of transportation for those who use the ferry daily,” he said.

Source: MalayMail.com

A total of 150 construction sites nationwide have been ordered to close since June 1 for failing to comply with the stipulated standard operating procedure (SOP) of the Movement Control Order (MCO) 3.0.

The Works Ministry said in a statement that the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) had inspected a total of 2,423 construction sites, with 446 (18%) of them operating and 1,977 (82%) not operational.

“Of the 446 sites that were operating, 150 (34%) of them did not comply with the SOP. The ministry takes a serious view of the high percentage of SOP non-compliance at the construction sites because it is a matter of great concern and will jeopardise the objectives of the MCO in curbing the spread of Covid-19.

“The ministry wants all contractors to be committed to ensuring construction sites and placement of workers comply with the SOP, including making sure they have undergone screening tests and are confirmed to be free of the virus before being allowed to work at the sites,” the statement added.

The ministry also said that of the 150 construction sites closed, 45 were located in Sarawak; Selangor (24); Melaka (16); Penang (10); Terengganu (10); Sabah (9); Johor (7); Kuala Lumpur and Pahang (6 each); Perak (5); Kedah and Negeri Sembilan (four each); Perlis (3); and Kelantan (one).

However, 11 of the construction sites that were ordered to close have been allowed to operate again after complying with the stipulated SOP.

The ministry also reminded the construction industry players to always comply with the SOP or face stern action by the CIDB.

According to the statement, apart from ordering the construction sites to be closed immediately, the CIDB can also impose a penalty not exceeding RM500,000 or suspend and cancel the Contractor Registration Certificate.

All construction industry players are also required to comply with current directives and SOP issued by the National Security Council (MKN) to ensure the objectives of MCO 3.0 can be achieved, it said.

“Since the MCO 3.0 began, the CIDB has intensified inspections at construction sites in an effort to curb the pandemic following a spike in Covid-19 positive cases at construction sites nationwide, especially in the Klang Valley,” the statement added.

Source: Bernama

Aston Residences, an upcoming low-density residential development by Ekar & Hektar Sdn. Bhd. (subsidiary of Harta Intan Group) in the heart of Bukit Mertajam. Located along Lebuh Aston, adjacent to Aston Park East gated and guarded housing scheme. It is only 10 minutes walk to The Summit and just a stone’s throw away from Aston Acacia by Huayang Group.

This development comprises a 14-storey residential tower, featuring 52 condominium units with a standard built-up size of 1,518 sq.ft. Recreational facilities include a swimming pool.

Project Name : Aston Residences
Location : Bukit Mertajam
Property Type : Condominium
Land Area: (to be confirmed)
Built-up Area: 1,518 sq.ft.
Total Units: 52
Tenure : Freehold
Indicative Price: RM468,000
Developer : Ekar & Hektar Sdn. Bhd. (Harta Intan Group)

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 GEM Residences

GEM Residences, a commercial development by Belleview Group at Prai, Penang. It is part of the company’s 6 hectares mixed development along Jalan Baru, diagonally opposite Megamall Penang. Next to it will be the upcoming largest mall in the northern region – GEM Mall, the tenant mix include SOGO (first and largest departmental store in the northen region at 212,000 sq.ft.) and a supermarket (largest at 50,000 sq.ft.).

Find out more about GEM Residences