The Penang Island City Council (MBPP) has appointed an independent checker to carry out the Traffic Impact Assessment (TIA) for developers in the Penang island.

According to MBBP mayor Datuk Yew Tung Seang, Lean Kok Woei from Perunding Trafik Bakti Sdn Bhd will be council’s official consultant effective from January 2021.

“Previously, the developers would be sending us the TIA report obtained from their respective consultants.

“But now, developers need to go through our independent checker to get their TIA report. This is to enhance the accountability and competency.

“The cost of the TIA reports will be borne by the developers themselves,’’ Yew said during the MBPP regular meeting held at City Hall today.

Yew added that the newly appointed consultant, who has 10 years of experience, is capable of executing the job in a professional manner.

“The independent checker that is appointed cannot be taking up any development project that comes under the administration of MBPP.

“This makes the whole process unbiased and professional,’’ said Yew.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

Garden Villas II is the second phase of the prestigious residential enclave also known as Jasa Ria within Jesselton Hills, comprising 64 units of 2-storey semi-detached and 2 units of limited-edition double storey bungalow. The project is situated on an elevated site surrounded by greenery shrouded parks and man-made lakes.

Following the fast sell-out of phase 1 in 1H-2020, Garden Villas II is now introduced to cater for the needs of many who desire bigger and better homes within a guarded and safe community. Every house come with ample parking space to accommodate 4 cars coupled with extra land for gardening and outdoor space for kids to move around.

In addition to its unique 5+1 bedrooms design, Garden Villas II are aesthetically pleasing with practicality in mind. These homes emphasize on the seamless interaction between the indoor and outdoor. Every home has a generous balcony and outdoor terrace for residents to enjoy its beautiful surrounding. High windows and ceiling create ease of natural light and ventilation.

The linear landscaped park and lake garden encourages residents to embrace an active lifestyle as well as improve quality time with family. This vast green space also doubles as a recreational space for the community to connect as one.

Project Highlights:

• Elevated land : 10m above sea level
• Car Porch Length : approx. 30’
• Side Land & Backyard : approx. 10’
• Enjoy HOC 2020/21* stamp duty exemption

Project Name: Garden Villas II, Taman Jasa Ria Phase 2
Location : Bukit Mertajam
Property Type : Double-storey Semi Detached Villa
Land Size : 39’ x 82’ (3,229 sqft)
Built-up Size: 2,497 sqft
Total Units: 64 units 2 Storey Semi-D & 2 units 2 Storey Bungalow
Developer : DNP Land
Contact No.: 04-5387788 / 012-4486599

Penang’s iconic ferries are going to be retired on Dec 31. They will be replaced by “fast ferries” similar to the ones used in Langkawi from Jan 1.

With this move, commuters using cars to travel between the mainland and the island will no longer be able to take the ferry, but have to use one of the two bridges.

One of the last two vessels will cease operation on Dec 31 and the other will be retained to transport just motorcycles and bicycles until the newer vessels are put in service.

By mid-2022, five new vessels – three “water buses” and two transporters for motorcycles and emergency vehicles – will be introduced at a cost of RM64 million. The cost includes upgrades to the terminals on the island and mainland.

The new vessels would increase the reliability of the cross-channel service, and shorten travel time from about 20 minutes to 10 minutes, Penang Port Commission (PPC) said at a press conference today. The service would run at an interval of 20 to 30 minutes.

The commission also said the last two remaining vessels – Pulau Talang Talang and Pulau Angsa – will be turned into a floating museum and a restaurant.

PPC chairman Tan Teik Cheng said it was looking for interested parties to submit their proposals and would consider other purposes for the vessels as well.

He said, however, that both ferries, which are believed to be about 40 years old, would remain docked at the Tanjung City Marina in George Town.

Tan said the decision to retire the old ferries was simply due to age and cost because spare parts for the engines had to be purchased from Germany and Sweden.

“With the lockdown, it was difficult to obtain these parts. So, every morning, I pray hard that these two old ferries don’t break down.

“I also pray the phone does not ring to give me news that the ferry had broken down,” he said, adding that it would have cost over RM2 million to repair and overhaul one ferry.

Tan said the rationale in doing away with ferries transporting cars was that the two bridges are readily available and the majority of 1.2 million out of 1.5 million ferry users per year were pedestrians.

He said the finance ministry has given RM30 million to Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB), the company licensed by PPC to run the state’s ports, to buy the new vessels and to upgrade terminals on both ends. The remainder sum of RM34 million is to be borne by the company.

In giving details of the upgrade, PPSB CEO Sasedharan Vasudevan said it had commissioned a naval architect to come up with the design of the new water buses, to be modelled after the one in Amsterdam.

He said both ferry terminals in George Town and Butterworth would be closed for the time being to allow it to be modified to fit the new water buses and “water wheelers” (vehicle transporters) later.

For the time being, he said, those who would like to take the water ferries would have to use the present cruise terminal at the Swettenham Pier at King Edward Place. A new bus stop would be built near the pier.

On the Butterworth side, a pontoon would be put up adjacent to the existing ferry terminal to help in the transfer of passengers. Shuttle services for the elderly, disabled, and expectant mothers would be provided on both sides.

Sasedharan said the new water buses would fit 200 passengers at any one time and 100 motorcycles through vehicle transporters. He said the water bus would have speeds of 12 to 15 knots (22-27km/h) compared with the seven to eight knots for the old ferries.

Tan said the fares would remain the same for now, until the water ferries are introduced. The fare for adults is RM1.20, but it is half-price for children, senior citizens and the disabled.

“However, these prices may be subject to change as SPPP (Penang Port Commission) sees fit, determined by a consultative meeting with stakeholders and later referred to the transport minister.”

Source: FreeMalaysiaToday.com

Ivory Properties Group Bhd has acquired Copthorne Orchid Hotel & Resort in Penang for RM75 million cash to expand its land bank and strengthen its foothold in the property market there.

The hotel sits on a parcel of freehold land measuring at 2.5 acres, and has ceased operations.

Ivory Properties said it is buying the property on behalf of its wholly-owned subsidiary company, Ivory Utilities Sdn Bhd. Both Ivory Properties and Copthorne Orchid Penang Sdn Bhd have inked the sale and purchase agreement for the acquisition today, the group’s bourse filing showed.

Copthorne Orchid Penang is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Singapore Exchange’s Main Board listed company, City Development Ltd.

Established as an entrepôt in 1786 by the East India Company’s Francis Light, George Town was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia. Today, it is the capital of Penang.

The city of George Town includes the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone, a high-tech manufacturing hub called the “Silicon Valley of the East”.

The historical core of George Town was declared a Unesco World Heritage site in 2008.

Penang International Airport links George Town with several major cities in the region while a ferry service, the Penang Bridge and the Second Penang Bridge connect the city with the rest of Peninsular Malaysia.

George Town’s Swettenham Pier has emerged as the busiest port of call in Malaysia for cruise ships.

Analysis by Property Advisor shows that interest in high-rise properties in George Town has been on the decline as the median price and transaction volume have dropped continually since 2018.

In the first half of 2019 (1H2019), transaction volume dropped 41% year on year while the median price plunged 61%.

This year, transaction volume and median price dipped 10% and 5% respectively.

Landed properties were trending upward last year, compared with 2018, as the transaction volume increased 7% in 1H2019. The median price followed suit with a 9% increase. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic, transactions dropped 40% in 1H2020 with a drop of 19% in median price.

Despite the decrease in transactions, median prices in George Town remained steady in 1H2020, and even skyrocketed in the first-home buyer (FHB) market.

After a median price drop of 53% from 1H2018 to 1H2019, the price shot up by a whopping 118% in 1H2020. The investors’ market saw a 67% plunge in 1H2019 but remained unchanged in 1H2020.

FHB transactions were down 45% in 1H2019 and fell a further 67% in 1H2020. Investor transactions dropped about 35% in 1H2019 and 1H2020 compared with the year prior.

What does the expert say?

Savills Malaysia director of research and consultancy Amy Wong told Property Advisor that George Town is well established and has easy access to various facilities and amenities.

“Being a Unesco World Heritage site, development and planning in George Town have to balance between progress and heritage, in adherence to its Special Area Plan, which was gazetted in 2016.

“As such, increasing the quality of life and standard of living in George Town is best embraced by positioning it as a smart city and riding the wave of digitalisation that is trending globally,” she said.

Wong said the state government has rolled out a few initiatives to improve connectivity within the state, such as the Penang Connectivity Master Plan and the recent collaboration between Penang Island City Council and IBM Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Other than that, she said developers might leverage growing digitalisation needs by offering future-proofed products or by integrating solutions with the state government’s smart city initiatives.

Impact of Covid-19 on George Town’s property market

The property market’s performance this year has generally been similar across the key states in the country, said Wong. “As the country recorded a 28% decrease in the volume of transactions and 32% in value, Penang saw a 29% reduction in transactions and 20% in value.

“The direct impact is the economic uncertainty for businesses. Most corporations and small and medium enterprises are working hard to keep their businesses afloat and protecting jobs while the government is paving the way for an economic recovery (as proposed in Budget 2021).”

She said consumers tend to be more careful of their spending now, given that everyone is entering into another phase of the Conditional Movement Control Order and this is likely to be an on-off arrangement until vaccinations are available.

For the office segment, Wong said that although most companies have adopted flexible work arrangements, there have been few changes in terms of space requirements at the moment given that business operations need to adhere to physical distancing rules.

Nevertheless, she hopes George Town will move forward with the construction of public transport, which will significantly enhance accessibility and connectivity on Penang Island – and hopefully free up congested roads.

Source: FreeMalaysiaToday.com