Karak Highway closed due to landslide, no casualties reported
The Karak Highway has been closed to traffic in both directions, after a landslide occurred at KM52.4 near Lentang-Bukit Tinggi yesterday evening. The Selangor Fire and Rescue department said no casualties were reported in the 7pm incident. However, five vehicles including a trailer were hit and buried by the landslide, but nine people in the affected vehicles managed to escape before the rescue team arrived at the scene. Cleaning work is underway and being handled by the highway authorities. (The Malaysian Insider)

Zecon signs deal with Unimas for health metropolis project
Zecon Bhd has signed an MoU with Universiti Malaysia Sarawak’s unit Unimas Holdings Sdn Bhd (UHSB) to undertake the Unimas health metropolis project, which will involve building a 300-bed hospital, 90-bed nurses hostel, an annex academic block and a commercial block. The commercial block will comprise a hotel, service apartment, apartment, office tower and shophouses. UHSB has been invited to take a 20% stake in the special purpose vehicle (SPV) for the commercial block in consideration of the UHSB providing land for the development. (The Star Online)

Axis REIT buys Kulai business property for RM61mil
Axis REIT is acquiring a two-storey office building with four single-storey detached factories in iPark industrial area in Kulai, Johor. It proposed to buy the property, located on 3.95ha freehold land, for RM61 million cash from Axis IP Sdn Bhd, a company related to ARMB directors who are also Axis-REIT unitholders. On Monday, Axis REIT had announced that it aborted the proposed acquisition of an industrial facility in Port Klang for RM46mil cash. (The Star Online)

Osram invests €1 billion for expansion in Malaysia
German-based global leader in lighting products Osram will invest 1 billion Euros for the construction of a new light emitting diode (LED) chip plant in Kulim, Kedah, the largest and latest six-inch LED chip production site worldwide. This is in addition to its 2 billion Euros put towards research and development for the Osram group globally, in line with its plan to become a semiconductor company following the planned disposal of its traditional lamps and light bulbs business. The project would benefit Malaysia in terms of job creation, strengthen the value of other local players in the LED industry, and make the country more conducive for deployment of high-technology projects. (Bernama)

Nearly 50,000 apply for housing aid in Sarawak
A total of 49,614 eKasih recipients in Sarawak had applied for the Housing Assistance Programme (PBR) as of Nov 5. Of that number, 26,422 recipients applied for the aid to repair their existing houses and 23,192 applied for the construction of new houses. A total of 16,499 applications have been approved so far this year. The Ministry of Rural and Regional Development was allocated over RM328.5 million of which RM115.9 million was for house repairs and the remainder for the construction of new houses. (The Borneo Post)

Launch of the KL Tourism Bureau (Photo from The Malaysian Insider)

New KL Tourism Bureau launched with RM16mil funding
The establishment of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau, which was launched yesterday by KL Mayor Datuk Mhd Amin Nordin Abd Aziz, will see more long-term tourism initiatives introduced for Kuala Lumpur. The Tourism Bureau will replace the Tourism Unit of Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) with a more comprehensive organisation comprising the city police, the Tourism and Culture Ministry, the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD), tourism-linked associations and stakeholders. The bureau has initial funding of RM16 million from DBKL, and will oversee the implementation of the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015-2025, which aims to double foreign tourist arrivals and quadruple tourism income, although it is expected to eventually be self sustaining. (The Malay Mail Online)

Survey shows Malaysia 10^th most generous country
A recent survey has ranked Malaysia the 10^th most charitable country out of 145 nations, falling three places from last year. The World Giving Index 2015 by UK-based charity Charities Aid Foundation measured the countries in volunteering, helping strangers and donating money. The top spot went to Myanmar for the third consecutive year, where 92% of its people donated money in 2014, with the donations being small but given daily. The least charitable nation in the survey is Burundi in Eastern Africa. (The Malay Mail Online)