The Penang government has decided to postpone its decision to raise the contribution fee by developers who fail to build low-cost and low medium-cost housing until the year-end.

State Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the state received complaints from Penang Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (Rehda) and other stakeholders after the new rate was imposed on Feb 1.

“Rehda wrote to me earlier and the state government had looked into the matter. I told the Chief Minister that instead of imposing the new rate immediately, the state should give the developers a moratorium.

“In the state exco meeting on Wednesday, we agreed to postpone the new rate until the end of the year so that they can have a transition period.

“However, I would like to remind developers to get ready for the new rate,” he said when asked about Rehda’s complaints at a press conference yesterday.

Jagdeep stressed that the state administration was a government for the people and not developers.

“You must understand the reason we have this contribution – the state government wants low-cost and low medium-cost units to be built.

“The contribution fee serves as a penalty to developers who do not build such housing units,” he said.

Jagdeep said the contribution was being raised so that the state government would have the funds to build low-cost and low medium-cost housing.

“If you (developers) don’t build, you pay. Then I (state government) build.

“And now, we have the Goods and Services Tax, the prices of steel are going up, and the construction cost of each unit is rising. That is the reason we increase the contribution from RM120,000 to RM150,000,” he said.
A Chinese daily quoted Penang Rehda chairman Datuk Toh Chin Leong as saying the association had met the state government over the new rate.

Toh said the increase would affect the real estate industry in the state, and the developers might transfer the additional cost to the house buyers.

The state government strictly enforces the requirement for developers to build 40% low medium-cost units on the island and 30% low-cost units on the mainland in any housing development projects.

Only in certain cases deemed fit by the State Planning Committee will the developers be allowed to pay a RM120,000 contribution per unit in lieu of not building such units.

Source: TheStar.com.my

The Penang government will spend RM10mil to refurbish the Mayang Mall building in Bayan Baru and turn it into a Global Business Services (GBS) centre for investors.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the GBS industry had huge growth potential and needed a conducive business environment in order to flourish.

“The refurbishment works will include a major facelift of the building facade and improvement of shared facilities,” he said in his speech during the launching of GBS@Mayang at the mall’s atrium on Friday.

Most importantly, he said the infrastructure upgrades would meet the standards of the MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) Malaysia Cybercentre.

About 110,000sq ft of office space will be made available once the refurbishment is completed in January next year.

“Penang is second after Klang Valley in hosting the most number of MSC Malaysia status-companies in Malaysia,” he said.

He added that GBS@Mayang was part of the state’s master development plan to offer conducive enterprise space and environment for investors and supporting talents worldwide.

He said a second phase, tentatively called ‘GBS by the Sea’ at Phase 4 of the Bayan Lepas Free Industrial Zone (FIZ), would follow soon.

Penang Development Corporation general manager Datuk Rosli Jaafar said the rebranding of Mayang Mall was timely as it would create synergy and connectivity within the satellite township of Bayan Baru.

“Bayan Baru township was developed in the 1970s as an industrial town supporting and complementing the growth of the Bayan Lepas FIZ.

“Over the years, our industrial technology has grown by leaps and bounds as we move to high technology, R&D (research & development) and skilled labour force.

“Penang’s vision is to attract more GBS, both local companies as well as multinationals,” he said during a slide show presentation.

Source: TheStar.com.my

A proposed development by Total Vista Development Sdn. Bhd. in Bukit Minyak. Located next to Taman Markisah, just a stone’s throw away from Bukit Minyak Industrial Park. It is only less than 5 minutes drive to AOEN Big hypermarket.

This development will be developed in four phases, offering a mix of high-rise and landed residential units:

Phase 1

• 2-storey terrace houses (56 units, gated & guarded)
• 2 block of 19-storey condominium (268 units)
• 1 block of 15-storey low cost apartment (220 units)

Phase 2

• 2 block of 19-storey condominium (268 units)

Phase 3

• 1 block of 17-storey low cost apartment (182 units)

Phase 4

• 1 block of 17-storey low cost apartment (182 units)

This project is still pending for approval. Details to be available upon project launch.

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : Bukit Minyak, Penang
Property Type : Residential
Total Units: 56 (terrace), 536 (condo), 584 (apartment)
Indicative Price: (to be confirmed)
Developer : Total Vista Development Sdn. Bhd.

Location Map:

A proposed mixed development by Kiara Masterpiece Sdn. Bhd. in the heart of George Town, Penang. Strategically located at the intersection of Jalan Transfer and Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, diagonally opposite Menara KWSP.

This development will see the restoration of the existing heritage building (currently occupied by Deluxcious Hotel Spa & Restaurant) and the demolition of a single storey annexe/building (currently occupied by Red Apple Furniture). It will be replaced by a 23-storey serviced residence featuring 178 residential units.

This project is still pending for approval. Details to be available upon project launch.

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : George Town, Penang
Property Type : Mixed development
Total Units: 178
Indicative Price: (to be confirmed)
Developer : Kiara Masterpiece Sdn. Bhd.
Last Update: March 2019

Location Map:

The conversion of a hotel in a suburb near here into a hostel for foreign workers was not done in compliance with the state’s guidelines, said Deputy Chief Minister I Datuk Mohd Rashid Hasnon.

He said the hotel was also not among the list of places which had been approved to house foreign workers.

“I was told that a few floors have been converted without approval,” he said at a press conference in Komtar yesterday.

It was reported yesterday that the Penang Island City Council had given the hotel 30 days to revert to its original use after it was illegally converted into a foreign workers’ hostel at the end of last month.

A former employee of the hotel, who declined to be named, said it closed down late last year following a decline in occupancy.

Penang Housing Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said the state had approved five applications to build foreign workers’ dormitories in Juru, Bukit Minyak, Permatang Tinggi, Kawasan Perin-dustrian Valdor and Permatang Damar Laut in Batu Maung.

He said the dormitories at these five places would be able to accommodate more than 25,000 workers.

“Penang has around 200,000 foreign workers. We are looking at catering to 10% of the number,” he said, adding that the dormitories were required to have facilities such as a multipurpose hall, canteen and sick bays.

Jagdeep said the purpose was to absorb workers currently staying at places such as flats.

He said there had been numerous complaints from the public of the big numbers of foreign workers staying at flats, sometimes occupying over half of such housing schemes.

Source: TheStar.com.my