BBCC to get Mitsui mall, Ascott serviced residences
Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), the landmark redevelopment of the former Pudu Jail site, has drawn in first investors from Japan and Singapore. BBCC Development Sdn Bhd – a special purpose vehicle to undertake the RM8.7 billion development – yesterday signed agreements with Japan’s Mitsui Fudosan (Asia) Pte Ltd and Sony Music Entertainment (Japan) Inc subsidiary Zepp Hall Network Inc to develop a 1.4 million sq ft lifestyle mall and a concert hall that can house an audience of over 2,000 respectively. Mitsui Fudosan (Asia) deputy managing director and chief regional officer for Malaysia Takehito Fukui said despite the weakened ringgit and China economy slowdown, consumption of Malaysian consumers is still high, and that Malaysia was the right place to invest due to its location and encouraging response to its Mitsui Outlet Park at KLIA. BBCC Development also signed a MoU with international serviced residence owner-operator The Ascott Ltd, a member of Singapore’s CapitalLand Ltd to bring the brand of serviced residences to BBCC. The 19.4-acre BBCC development will comprise six blocks of serviced apartments, a retail and entertainment block, a 4-star hotel, a strata office, and an 80-storey signature tower housing a five-star hotel, luxury residences and corporate offices. (The Edge Markets)
Sunway Construction bags RM1.21bil MRT job
Sunway Construction Group Bhd has won a RM1.21 billion contract to construct the viaduct guideway and other associated works for a 4.9km stretch of the mass rapid transit (MRT) Sungai Buloh-Serdang-Putrajaya (SSP) line. This is the second viaduct work package to be awarded following the one given to Ahmad Zaki Sdn Bhd last week. MRT Corp CEO Datuk Seri Shahril Mokhtar said this was a good development for the project, and was confident that the schedule would be on track for phase 1 to begin operations in 2Q of 2021 and the rest of the line in 2022. (The Edge Markets)
St Regis opens debut property in Langkawi
St Regis Hotels & Resorts has announced the brand’s debut property in Malaysia, the St Regis Langkawi Resort. Scheduled to open on April 6, it will be the first luxury resort to open within the last decade in Langkawi, also known as the “Island Jewel of Southeast Asia”. The resort is composed of resplendent architecture, landscape, and interior design and is a masterpiece of Indonesia’s Rajawali Property Group and the St. Regis brand. Designed around the concept of “Paradise Found and Refined: Rainforest Meets Riviera Lifestyle”, the resort embodies a harmony of contrasts where tropical splendour blends seamlessly with the style and energy of a European mansion, thoughtfully accented by Middle Eastern finishes. The St Regis Langkawi fronts a 600-metre private beach, and is also the first all-suite luxury resort on the island, with four villas and 85 suites, of which 20 come with private swimming pools and cabanas. (Breaking Travel News)
St Regis Langkawi Resort
World Bank regional office opens in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia has been recognised by the World Bank as among the top countries to promote strong reforms, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib at the official opening of World Bank Group’s regional office in the Sasana Kijang building in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. World Bank’s selection of Malaysia as the location for its Southeast Asian headquarters proves the efficacy of the country’s fiscal consolidation efforts, including the slashing of subsidies and the introduction of the Goods and Services Tax (GST). The World Bank Group office in Kuala Lumpur will serve as a knowledge and research centre. (The Malay Mail Online)
Government urged to reviw taxi services
A member of Parliament has proposed tha the government review taxi services in the country so that it can continue to be competitive. Citing apps like Uber, Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad said the government should look at how the Internet could used to attract more passengers. He also called for measures to reduce costs, including for vehicle inspection. (New Straits Times Online)
99 heat-related cases since March 1
The number of heat-related cases has risen along with the temperature this month, with Malaysians struggling with the heat and humidity brought by the El Nino phenomenon. A total of 99 hear-related cases reported since March 1. According to a statement by Health Ministry, there were 22 heat cramp cases, 63 heat exhaustion cases and 14 heatstroke cases reported since last Tuesday. A police trainee was reported to have died of heatstroke in Johor recently. (The Malay Mail Online)
