Western Digital 14.6-acre site up for sale
Following Western Digital’s announcement to shut down the hard disk drive (HDD) assembly facilities in Sungei Way Free Trade Industrial Zone (FIZ), the American computer HDD maker and data storage company has confirmed that it has put up 14.6 acres for sale, according to a statement from Knight Frank. The sale will involve two parcels – a 3.6-acre site and an 11-acre site. Both pieces flank the north-eastern and north-western corners of the Sungei Way FIZ. No price was mentioned in the statement but a 2018 report by a business publication put the price of the 11-acre site at between RM160mil and RM190mil. It is rare for such a sizeable facility within an established FIZ to be made available to the market. Most existing FIZs within the Klang Valley are generally occupied. (The Star Online)
Govt unaware of proposals to build new airport in Seberang Prai
The federal and state governments are unaware of any proposals from the private sector to build a new airport in Penang, said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng yesterday. He slammed the report as “baseless speculation” that is “grossly unfair” as it gives “the negative impression that the federal government is riding roughshod over the state government or the rakyat, by considering such a massive project involving thousands of hectares of padi land or 5,000ha of reclaimed land from the sea”. He added that Transport Minister Anthony Loke, Kedah Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir, and Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow had told him they had no knowledge of the matter. According to The Star, the proposals have been presented to the federal government. However, it did not reveal the ministry or public department where the proposals were presented to. Guan Eng stressed the federal government’s position, as stated in Budget 2019, to expand the PIA to accommodate a capacity of 16 million passengers yearly, from the current 6.5 million. (The Edge)
Be aware of environmental impact of projects, developers told
Assistant Finance Minister Kenny Chua urged property developers to be aware of the environmental impact of their developments, particularly in relation to flash floods. Chua, who is also the Inanam assemblyman, said the state government welcomed developers to undertake development projects in Sabah. At the same time, he said developers should also take into consideration environmental factors in their projects. “In the process of developing Sabah, we should be sensitive to environmental impact so as not to bring damage to properties of nearby residents.” Chua said he did not wish to see villagers suffering from flash floods due to nearby developments. (The Borneo Post)
PM: Emulate Melaka in building ‘Rumah Peduli’ affordable houses
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has urged other states to emulate the Melaka government in building the “Rumah Peduli” affordable houses, especially for the hardcore poor. Dr Mahathir said he was impressed with the efforts made by the state government to help this group of people who own land by building affordable houses for them. He said the system used for developing the affordable housing project was very good with an offer price of almost RM40,000 and that the houses built were also far cheaper than those in other projects. He, however, reminded the people not to be too dependent on government assistance but instead to strive to improve their economic well-being so that they could help contribute to the country’s wealth. (Malay Mail)
Scientex buys land to expand property development to Penang
Scientex Bhd is buying six parcels of freehold land measuring 7.83 million square feet in Penang to expand its land bank for property development activities to the north from the southern part of Peninsular Malaysia. Its unit, Scientex (Skudai) Sdn Bhd, inked the agreement to buy the land in North Seberang Perai from Palma Indah Sdn Bhd for RM109.59 million. The land bank expansion was in line with the group’s vision to build 50,000 affordably-priced quality homes throughout the nation by 2028. The deal is expected to be completed in the first half of next year. (The Edge)
