The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) has commenced the construction of a building to cater to the current demand for office and work spaces after the proposed RM1.3 billion Business Process Outsourcing Prime (BPO Prime) project has been shelved.

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the smaller project would be located beside the current PDC headquarters in Bayan Baru.

“It will be known as GBS@Mahsuri.

“The initial BPO Prime project was supposed to be sited at the current PDC headquarters. The plan was to tear down the PDC headquarters for the BPO Prime project.

However, the BPO Prime project has been shelved.

“Nevertheless, we are still seeing interest from relevant parties with regard to office and work spaces. Hence, we are working on a smaller scale project to cater to the business needs.

“The Mayang Mall in Bayan Baru has already run out of office space,” Chow told a press conference at his office today.

It was reported that PDC had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Temasek Holdings Pte Ltd on May 23, 2014, to undertake the development of BPO Prime in Bayan Baru and the Penang International Technology Park (PITP) in Batu Kawan. The BPO Prime was to be managed by the Economic Development Innovations Singapore Pte Ltd (EDIS) once its completed.

It was also reported that the BPO Prime project was shelved due to the soft market.

Chow said that there was no earthwork done for the BPO Prime project.

“There was no holding cost assumed by PDC for the BPO Prime project and there was no exit fee which had to be paid to EDIS.

“The abortive cost for PDC was RM8 million, which includes the engagement of consultants and other works done,” Chow said.

He added that there were no losses incurred by PDC in relation to the aborted deal.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

Now that the HOC has received the nod to extend its campaign and seamless benefits until the end of December by many, make your way down to the Affordable Homes, Primary & Secondary Market at the PECC (Sunway Carnival Mall Level 4) on the 23rd to the 25th August 2019 (Friday – Sunday) from 10am to 10pm.

If your urge to own a home is vigorous, then keep gauging as the doors will be opened with the best housing deals, trustable government housing schemes, and a feasible access for better financing aids. Everything that you need to know is right here!

A newly proposed commercial development by Pin Da Development Sdn. Bhd. in the heart of George Town. It is strategically located along Jalan Anson, about 15 minutes walk from KOMTAR. The land parcel is currently occupied by Oldtile Enterprise Sdn. Bhd.

The proposed development plan will see the construction of a 30-storey hotel with 248 rooms. It will also feature commercial spaces located at level 8-11 and 30.

More details to be avaialble upon project approval.

Project  Name : (To be confirmed)
Location : George Town
Property Type : Commercial
Built-up Area : (To be confirmed)
Total Units : 248 rooms
Developer : Pin Da Development Sdn. Bhd.

Location Map:

A total of 2,093 buyers of The Rise affordable housing near S.P Chelliah Road here will soon receive their keys as final clean-up work is being carried out by the developer, Zubicon Sdn. Bhd.

Housing, Town and Country Planning and Local Government Committee chairman, Jagdeep Singh Deo, when informed of the matter, expressed his excitement when the project, developed over three years ago, became a reality and boasted that it had amenities like those in luxury condos.

“I understand that the project will be delivered to buyers by the end of this month, and now the developer is in the final phase of cleaning and sales have reached 99 percent of the total 2,093 units.

“What’s exciting about this is the Affordable Housing (RMM) project located in the heart of George Town with various amenities such as a children’s and adult swimming pool, playground, gym and resource center.

“These facilities are not ours (the State Government) which demands that they are not in the guidelines, but this is a gift from the developer,” he said, joking that the RMM project may be the first in a country to have such facilities with the sale unit price beginning. RM200,000.

Jagdeep also praised Zubicon’s efforts to obtain a Green Building Index (GBI) rating for both projects (KSR and RMM).

The number of stratified residential properties offering short-term home-sharing or rentals seem to be rising in Penang even though the practice is deemed illegal by the Penang Island City Council (MBPP).

Interviews with several Airbnb operators showed even developers with unsold units would furnish them and rent them out for holidays.

“It’s now common, especially in newly-built condos, ” said Ching, a former home-sharing operator.

Another operator, S.H. Tan, said as far as Airbnb operators understood it, there were no issues if the residential property joint management bodies (JMBs) allowed them.

However, a check with MBPP showed no such policy exists.

“It is still illegal to rent out a residential property like a hotel.

“But we are waiting for the state government to issue guidelines on regulating home-sharing operators, ” said a city councillor who declined to be named.

At the state level, a source revealed that regulating home-sharing operators was “not so easy”.

“The National Land Code clearly states that property owners have the right to enjoy rental income from their properties.

“The Code, which is equal to an Act of Parliament, does not restrict tenancy to short or long terms.

“Any regulation we attempt to draft must conform with the Code, or it will breach property owner’s rights, ” the source said.

The Malaysian Association of Hotels Penang chairman Khoo Boo Lim said the government must speed up efforts to regulate home-sharing.

He said he found many instances where tourists who chose home-sharing in Penang felt cheated after they found JMBs barring them from using facilities such as pools.

“It is bad for tourism and tarnishes the state’s image, ” he said.

One such tourist, Spanish visitor Elena Guasch Pescuer, wrote an open letter on July 8 sharing her unhappy experience of renting a condominium in Bukit Gambir.

She described feeling cheated because although the pictures of the place showed a beautiful swimming pool, her family and her were denied access to it.

Adding that short-term rentals of residential homes were particularly damaging to many hotels classified as four stars and below, Khoo called on the state government to regulate home-sharing to safeguard the tourism experience in Penang.

Penang Hoteliers Association and the Malaysian Budget Hotel Association Penang Chapter chairman Datuk Lim Mee Lee said cheaper hotels have been hit hard.

“We have many regulations to follow but home-sharing operators don’t have to worry about anything.

“We must not let this continue.”

Meanwhile, Deputy Tourism, Arts and Culture Minister Muhammad Bakhtiar Wan Chik said his ministry was working with the Malaysian Productivity Centre, trade organisations and other agencies to draft guidelines for local authorities to regulate home-sharing.

“Home-sharing was made possible through technology, and like many disruptive technologies, it is growing faster than regulation.

“So, we are racing with it and we welcome local authorities to take steps to regulate home-sharing themselves, ” he said.

Source: TheStar.com.my