Candlelight vigil for Sabah quake victims; Day of National Remembrance for Singapore victims
A mural in Kota Kinabalu has become the spot for people to pay tribute to the victims of the Mount Kinabalu earthquake. The mural depicting a mountain guide carrying an injured climber was painted on Sunday morning, and by evening it had become a location for people to pay their respects, place flowers, leave notes and light candles. A total of 19 people died in the disaster. (The Star Online)
Singapore observes a Day of National Remembrance today for the 8 Singaporeans (6 primary school children and 2 adults) who perished and 2 still missing in the Sabah earthquake. Flags will be flown at half-mast on all government buildings around the island. (Channel News Asia)
Evening memorial vigil for victims of the Sabah earthquake (Source: Instagram @borneobeachfishingtravel)
China mourns shipwreck victimes, search continues
Hundreds of people gathered at the river bank at Jianli on Sunday morning to mourn the victims of the Eastern Star shipwreck. More than 500 rescue workers and government officials held an official mourning ceremony, observing 3 minutes of silence to pay their respects. Sunday, the seventh day since the accident, is a key occasion to mourn the dead in Chinese tradition. Out of the 456 passengers on the ship, 432 bodies have been found, 10 remain missing, and only 14 survived. (Xinhua)
New housing policy implemented in Negeri Sembilan
Effective last Friday (June 5), the new housing policy implemented in Negeri Sembilan has the increased Bumiputera ownership quota to 50% from 30% previously. The policy also stipulates that 50% of every new housing project must consist of affordable houses. Houses priced below RM80,000 will not be given Bumiputera discount, and must be landed residential units measuring at least 20 feet by 60 feet. (The Star Online)
1MDB board to step down in July
Sources have said that the 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) board of directors will be made to step down as early as July, in order to mitigate mounting criticism against the strategic investment fund. Another source added that the advisory board would also step down en bloc. The removal is seen as a prelude to winding down the debt-ridden fund, which accumulated RM42 million debt in less than 5 years. (The Malaysian Insider)
Sunway strong bidder for BRT expansion
Sunway Construction Bhd, which built the country’s first elevated dedicated bus lane – known as the bus rapid transit (BRT) – is a strong contender for the expansion project when bidding opens next year. The second BRT project is planned to link Central Market in KL to Klang in Selangor. The 40km stretch would not be elevated and will be built along the Federal Highway. The Sunway BRT, which started operations on June 1, was 70% funded by Prasarana Malaysia Bhd, 15% by Sunway Bhd and 15% by the government’s public-private partnership (PPP) facilitation fund called UKAS. (The Star Online)
A total of 15 electric buses will ply the 5.4km route around the Sunway area, connecting the Setia Jaya Komuter station to the USJ 7 LRT extension line station. (Photo/ THE STAR)
Pua: Severing PAS-DAP ties will affect Selangor
Selangor DAP chairman Tony Pua has said that Selangor will be in a state of limbo now that PAS has severed ties with DAP, joining fellow DAP lawmaker Lim Kit Siang in warning of a possible collapse in the state administration in the following months. He pointed out that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would not be able to function as a pact and continue without cooperation between its member parties. The future of PR and the state government will be determined as the parties decide on a new political alignment.(The Malay Mail Online)
Agrobank to be Islamic bank by year end
Bank Pertanian Malaysia Bhd (Agrobank), the state-owned development financial institution, intends to turn into a full-fledged Islamic bank by end of this year, after missing its self-imposed deadline in 2009. Becoming an Islamic bank will allow it to offer a wider range of syariah-compliant banking products. The bank is mandated by the government to use 70% of its gross loan portfolio for primary agricultural activities. (The Edge Financial Daily, June 8, pg. 12)
Kampung Puyu main entry point for human traffickers
Kampung Puyu in Satun, Thailand is believed to be the main entry point for human traffickers bringing Rohingya and Bangladeshi immigrants into Malaysia, used as the first location to house the victims. The village is located 1.5 hours from Kuala Perlis and 30 minutes from the Tammalang jetty in Satun, and separated from other populated areas by dense forest along the Malaysia-Thailand border. (Bernama)
UDA offering 2- and 3-storey bungalows in Terengganu
UDA Land East Sdn Bhd is offering 2- and 3-storey bungalows at its Sarai Kuala Terengganu Golf Resort” at competitive prices. The project is located next to a golf resort and near the airport, as well as supermarkets and two public universities. The bungalows are priced between RM900k and RM1.32mil. The houses are expected to be completed by the third quarter of this year. (Bernama)
