KL ranked 4th best city for expats in 2017
Kuala Lumpur’s high levels of general friendliness which facilitates expatriates in getting settled and enjoying a great work life placed the city fourth out of 51 cities in the Expat City Ranking 2017, also making it the best Asian city for expats. Kuala Lumpur joins Manama (1), Prague (2), Madrid (3), Amsterdam (5), Barcelona (6), Johannesburg (7), Bangkok (8), Basel (9), and Frankfurt am Main (10) in the top 10 list. Paris was the worst city for expats in Europe, placing near the bottom at 49th place, just ahead of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Lagos, Nigeria. The study cited Parisians’ cold and unwelcome attitude towards foreigners as the biggest contributing factor. (Malay Mail Online)
Bina Puri confident about bagging RM1bil worth of jobs
Bina Puri Holdings Bhd is confident about securing RM1 billion worth of construction and infrastructure jobs in the next six to nine months. The group has been securing projects in excess of RM1 billion on a yearly basis. It currently has ongoing projects worth RM2.3 billion and an outstanding order book of RM1.18 billion. Bina Puri’s tender book stands at RM1.5 billion, which include potential jobs such as the Sabah portion of the 1,663km Pan-Borneo Highway, flood mitigation projects and upcoming developments within the Klang Valley like the Tun Razak Exchange and Menara Warisan Merdeka. (The Edge Markets)
‘Integrated registry can help address land conflicts’
The conflict between the federal and state governments in terms of land ownership and administration in Malaysia can be better addressed if an integrated cadastral mapping and land registry system is introduced, says the World Bank. World Bank senior land administration specialist Katherine Kelm said: “Pooling of the right types of data across Malaysia through spatial data infrastructure will offer better discussions and informed decision-making [among] the parties involved in the matter.” The land registration system in Malaysia is under the purview of state agencies, while mapping of lands is undertaken by the federal government — except Sabah and Sarawak. (The Edge Markets)
Paramount 9M property sales hit record RM633mil
Paramount Corp Bhd, which reported a seven-fold increase in net profit for 3QFY17 following the sale of its Sri KDU campus, has achieved record high property sales of RM633 million for the first nine months of FY17. The tally is 57% higher than the RM403 million it recorded for the entire FY16. Revenue climbed 42% year-on-year to RM191.1 million, with higher contributions from both its property and education divisions. (The Edge Markets)
Amcorp Properties up 5.13% on solid on 2Q earnings
Shares in Amcorp Properties Bhd rose 5.13% in thin trade this morning after its net profit jumped nearly 15 times to RM26.11 million in 2QFY18, mainly from its shares of joint ventures results. “This was higher than 2QFY17’s profit before tax of RM10.7 million due to profit recognition from the progressive delivery of sold units of the Burlington Gate project in London,” Amcorp stated. Quarterly revenue fell 40.1% year-on-year, because of a sale of a piece of land in Pajam, Negeri Sembilan, in 2QFY17, and also lower sales achieved for Malaysia property projects. (The Edge Markets)
MyHSR calls for HSR social impact assessment tender
MyHSR Corp Bhd will be calling for a tender to appoint the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) consultant for the KL-Singapore High Speed Rail (HSR) project on Nov 17. The appointed consultant will be required to complete an independent assessment on the social and land use impact arising from the implementation of the KL-SG HSR project within Malaysia. The SIA study is a requirement under the Town and Country Plan Act 1976 (Act 172) for government mega projects. (NST Online)
EcoWorld chairman conferred honorary doctorate
Eco World Development Group Bhd chairman Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin was conferred an honorary doctorate of entrepreneurship by INTI International University. Liew, who graduated from Universiti Malaya (UM) in 1981, co-founded SP Setia over 40 years ago and was instrumental in securing the Battersea Power Station project in London. He then joined and headed EcoWorld in 2014. INTI said the doctorate degree was awarded based on recognition for his exemplary business leadership both in Malaysia and internationally, as well as for promoting nationalism through the AnakAnakMalaysia campaign and his commitment towards the EcoWorld Foundation. (The Edge Markets)
Eco World chairman Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin receiving an honorary doctorate from INTI International University (Photo from NST)
Tadmax and Korea Electric open RM2bil in bids for Pulau Indah power plant
About RM2 billion in bids for power plant project in Pulau Indah, Selangor has been opened up following Tadmax Resources Bhd’s (Tadmax) partnership with Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO). The partnership is valued to have a total of RM3.5 billion in investments, with 25% shares held by KEPCO. Tadmax announced its partnership with KEPCO being awarded the contract to build a 1400MW (Dual-Fired) Combined-Cycle Power Plant (CCPP). It will be sited on a 60-acre land at Pulau Indah, Klang, Selangor. (NST Online)
The SarawakPay app is available for Android and iOS (Photo from Astro)
Sarawak govt accepts e-Wallet cashless payment, first in Malaysia
Sarawak is further digitalising its economy by launching SarawakPay, a cashless mobile payment solution implemented by the state government to empower the state’s digital economy agenda. With SarawakPay, payment is made by way of electronic wallet (e-Wallet), credit card or internet banking. The e-Wallet, licensed under PaymentGalaxy®Wallet and governed by Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM), is the first e-Wallet system to be implemented by a state government in the country. Currently, the “Scan & Pay” feature can be used to pay electricity and water utility bills, local council assessment and two hotels. It will expand the feature to all government agencies and other utility bills, local retailers and merchants in Sarawak. (Malay Mail Online)
