Govt asks Singapore for 6-month extension on RTS project
The Malaysian government has requested for a six-month extension from Singapore before making a decision on the Rapid Transit System (RTS) project. Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said today that the extension request until September was to enable the government to examine several issues, including the cost of implementing the project. “We are looking at the cost of the project, and how we can reduce (the cost) further and how we will utilise the project,” he said. The project, which connects Bukit Chagar in Johor to Woodlands, Singapore, is expected to ferry up to 10,000 passengers per hour each way. (NST Online)
Penang Port Commission solicits development bids for land bank
The Penang Port Commission (PPC) is calling for proposals to develop around 100ha of land it has amassed in prime locations around the state since before Merdeka. PPC chairman Jeffrey Chew said the decision to develop the land bank valued at over RM500 million would benefit the commission and Penang. The commission is beginning the exercise with requests for proposals (RFP) for three locations: Tanjung City Marina, the former PPC sports clubhouse in Anson Road, and a 1.8ha plot at along Jalan Chain Ferry in Butterworth. “The development should complement the cruise tourism of Swettenham Pier and heritage value of George Town,” he said, regarding the Tanjung City Marina. (Malay Mail)
RM1bil land sale by Sime Darby
Sime Darby Plantation Bhd (SDP) is looking to dispose of over 4,300 acres of freehold estate land in Peninsular Malaysia that is estimated to bring in proceeds of more than RM1bil if it is able to get the price it seeks. Industry experts have pegged the sale price between RM200,000 and RM250,000 per acre, which is described as the higher band of valuation for brownfield plantation land. In relation to the disposal, SDP had placed an advertisement last week for the sale of several parcels of oil palm land scattered in Kuala Langat and Klang (Selangor), Sitiawan and Hilir Perak (Perak), Merlimau (Malacca), Kuala Muda and Kulim (Kedah) and Seberang Prai Selatan (Penang). (The Star Online)
Gov’t looking for “best solution” to deal with Lynas waste
The government is looking for the “best solution” to resolve the waste management problem faced by Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd. The company has come up with several suggestions on how to deal with the waste and the government is considering them, Entrepreneur Development Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Redzuan Yusof said. However, he stressed that there was no indication Lynas’ operations posed an environmental threat. He also pointed out that there was no agreement with the company to send the waste back to Australia. Redzuan said the waste management issue was separate from the government’s decision to allow Lynas to continue operating in Malaysia. (The Sun Daily)
British MPs reject all Brexit alternatives, again
MPs on Monday once again failed to find a majority on any alternative Brexit plan before them, leaving Britain’s chaotic path towards leaving the EU mired in uncertainty less than two weeks before its departure date. Brussels has set Britain an April 12 deadline to agree to the divorce terms Prime Minister Theresa May has struck with the bloc, find an alternative or crash out of the European Union. MPs have already rejected the Brexit divorce deal three times, shredding May’s authority. Brexit Secretary Steve Barclay warned that otherwise “the default legal position is the UK will leave the EU in just 11 days time” without a deal – an option that experts have warned could cause huge economic disruption on both sides of the Channel. (NST Online)
