BNM : Banks in Malaysia maintain sufficient liquidity
Banks in Malaysia have maintained sufficient liquidity to support intermediation and meet exigent needs, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) said in its “Monthly Highlights-January 2019” report. BNM said the country’s banking system liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) stood at 144.3%, with all banks recording LCR levels above 100%. The Basel III LCR has been phased in since June 2015, with initial compliance set at 60% and progressive increments of 10% each year. As of Jan 1, 2019, the minimum requirement was set at 100%. Meanwhile, the central bank said the performance in the domestic financial markets was mixed, with the ringgit appreciating against the UD dollar in January 2019, while the KLCI declined in the same period. (The Edge)
Find ways to develop Malay reserve land, says DPM
The decreasing size of Malay reserve land which is taken for development and often not replaced with land of equal size or value are among the issues which impact seriously on its position currently. Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail said worse still is when the land which was named ‘reserve’ for the well-being of the Malays are often administered as idle land or low-value land. This makes the property, which should be very beneficial, becoming idle and abandoned without an apt and just market price. “(As such,), we must ensure the future of Malay Reserve Land is guaranteed… We must find a way to allow development on Malay Reserve Land without affecting the sovereignty of the land,” she said. (Malay Mail)
SP Setia targets RM5.65bil sales this year
SP Setia Bhd is targeting property sales of RM5.65 billion this year, up 10%, from the RM5.12 billion sales achieved in 2018, said president and CEO Datuk Khor Chap Jen. 89% of the total sales this year would be derived from local projects while the balance would come from overseas projects. SP Setia planned to launch RM6.8 billion worth of properties this year. Local launches involving RM6.66 billion would comprise four new projects in Semenyih, Setia Alam, Salak Tinggi and Cyberjaya, as well as established developments such as Setia Alam, Bandar Kinrara, KL Eco City and Setia Ecohill 2. International launches would comprise new phases in Eco Lakes and Eco Xuan in Vietnam amounting to RM139 million. (Malay Mail)
Sime Darby Property plans up to RM2.5bil projects
Sime Darby Property Bhd plans to launch RM1.5bil to RM2.5bil worth of projects in its financial year ending Dec 31, 2019. This is up to 2,000 to 3,000 units, of which an estimated 60% shall comprise landed residential properties and priced below RM750,000. The group will also focus on strategic partnerships to develop industrial and logistic properties, which will serve as a catalytic development for its townships, diversification beyond traditional products and increasing its recurrent income in the long term. Sime Darby Property is currently partnering Japan’s Mitsui & Co and Mitsubishi Estate Co Ltd to develop a managed industrial park in Bandar Bukit Raja. Besides that, the group is expected to commence operations of a new mall – Galleria, KL East – in the fourth quarter of the year. (The Star Online)
‘No agreement’ reached at Kim-Trump nuclear talks
The nuclear summit between US President Donald Trump and Kim Jong Un in Hanoi ended without an agreement Thursday, the White House said after the two leaders cut short their discussions. They had “very good and constructive meetings” and “discussed various ways to advance denuclearisation and economic driven concepts“, White House press secretary Sarah Sanders said in a statement. No joint communique was issued, despite high expectations beforehand for progress. In the event, both men left the summit venue without a public signing ceremony and Trump moved up his news conference by two hours, sparking doubts about the progress made at the summit. (NST Online)
