MK Land’s Perak project back on track after 10 years
MK Land Holdings Bhd’s 3,000-acre (1,214 sq m) mixed development project Bandar Teknopolis Perdana (formerly known as Lembah Beriah) in Perak is back on track after a hiatus of over 10 years since the launch of the first phase of residential homes. The project was not prioritised as there were issues about access to the site, but following the Alor Pongsu elevated interchange completion this year, the group is looking to kick off the next phase, which will include the development of a campus and industrial properties. MK Land has obtained approval to rename the development to “Bandar Teknopolis Perdana”. The group may also consider developing the 1,000-acre Bukit Merah Laketown Resort in Perak to include other components over the next three to five years. (The Edge Markets)

Rehda ready to discuss ways to reduce development costs
The Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Malaysia (Rehda) is open to discuss with the government alternative ways of reducing the costs of development, in light of the ongoing challenging marketplace. Rehda president Datuk Seri FD Iskandar Mohamed Mansor called for the government to reexamine impractical and repetitive policies, as well as unimportant guidelines and procedures so that the housing market can become more efficient. He pointed out that developers who are badly impacted by these existing policies are the smaller developers from the small and medium enterprises (SMEs) segment. He also urged the government to open government-owned lands in strategic locations to private developers for the development of affordable housing as these lands are only available to PR1MA and government-linked companies. (New Straits Times Online)

No plans for third bridge, says Singapore PM
Singapore has no plans, for now, to build a third bridge to link the island state with neighbouring Malaysia. “We are not currently planning for a third bridge. I have seen some statements in Malaysia suggesting one, but the High-Speed Rail (HSR) is a very ambitious project,” says Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong. Business groups, urging for a third land link to Singapore, said it was ‘no longer an option’ citing traffic congestion along the Johor Causeway and Second Link. They said that the present two links were not able to cope with the amount of traffic, and proposed that a third bridge be built at the Kong Kong area in Pasir Gudang, going into Sembawang in Singapore. (Bernama)

The Four Seasons Hotel Kyoto, hotel restaurant – Image from Four Seasons

Berjaya to build second Four Seasons hotel in Japan
Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand) will build a Four Seasons hotel and hotel residences on the 100-acre site in Okinawa after it launched its first Four Seasons hotel in Kyoto, Japan. The Four Seasons in Okinawa is expected to be completed in four years for an undisclosed price, but will mirror the concept of the hotel built in Kyoto, which features a number of private residences that will be sold to wealthy individuals. The four-storey Four Seasons Hotel and Hotel Residences in Kyoto was launched on Tuesday. It has 57 units of residences and 123 hotel rooms. About half of the residences had been sold and the remaining half might cost more for future buyers. The residences had been on sale since June and most of the buyers had been Japanese and Taiwanese. (The Star Online)

YTL Land to buy remaining 30% in Sentul Raya for RM252mil
YTL Land & Development Bhd is planning to acquire the remaining 30% equity interest in Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd from Keretapi Tanah Melayu Bhd (KTMB) and its wholly-owned subsidiary KTMB (Sentul) Sdn Bhd for RM252.42 million. The proposed acquisition will allow YTL Land to consolidate Sentul Raya’s earnings in full as its wholly-owned subsidiary, which is expected to enhance the future earnings of YTL Land and increase shareholders’ value. Sentul Raya’s ongoing project is The Fennel, which is nearing completion for the first two blocks of four high-rise towers, with the remaining two blocks scheduled for completion in 2017. Its completed projects include 5 condominiums and 2 retail and office blocks. (The Edge Markets)

Putra Perdana bags RM408mil Sime Darby contract
Putrajaya Perdana Bhd’s subsidiary, Putra Perdana Construction Sdn Bhd (PPC), has clinched a RM408mil contract to build a 17-storey service apartment for Sime Darby Ara Damansara Development Sdn Bhd. The contract is for the ‘Cantara Residences’ project, which is expected to be completed by May 2019. The project, in Ara Damansara, would be sprawled over 288.14 ha of land and involve the construction of 756 serviced apartments. Another nine floors, comprising 108 units of serviced apartments, would be built above the podium located on level six. (The Star Online)

One killed in under-construction pedestrian bridge collapse at KL Eco City site
A Vietnamese worker was killed and five other workers injured when a pedestrain bridge under construction opposite MidValley City, near the Abdullah Hukum Apartment in Jalan Bangsar, collapsed yesterday. The bridge was being built to connect SP Setia’s KL Eco City project to The Gardens Mall. The five injured workers – two Vietnamese, two Bangladeshis and an Indonesian – were sent to the Universiti Malaya Medical Centre for treatment. Police also found a seriously injured Bangladeshi worker trapped at the site. The City Fire and Rescue Department received a call around 3.30pm reporting that part of the pedestrian bridge under construction collapsed and crushed some of the workers. (Free Malaysia Today)