E-hailing firms foresee rides could cost up to 50% more from Friday
Several e-hailing companies have cautioned passengers to expect to pay higher rates and longer wait times for rides starting July 12 when the Public Service Vehicle (PSV) deadline hits. This is because of a lack of e-hailing drivers who have the compulsory PSV licence — which costs RM115 a year and is required by the government — and annual vehicle inspections at Puspakom. “Many part-timers are opting out; plus many other drivers are still not PSV ready,” Malaysia E-hailing Drivers Association (Mehda) president Daryl Chong said. He predicted the fees could rise as much as 50%. The Transport Ministry revealed on Tuesday that only 16,338 drivers out of 167,000 registered — or under 10% — have signed up for their PSV test. And of that figure, only 10,151 drivers are PSV-qualified to date. (Malay Mail)

IGP: Negotiations to bring back Jho Low in progress
The Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) is negotiating with authorities of a certain country to bring back controversial businessman Low Taek Jho or Jho Low to Malaysia. Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Abdul Hamid Bador said the negotiations have to be done meticulously to avoid mistakes. “However, the negotiations are in progress with the authorities in the country concerned,” he said, in response to questions on the latest development by the police in their search for Low, who was identified by investigators from Malaysia and the United States as the main character in the multi-billion ringgit 1MDB scandal. (Malay Mail)

Investor confidence in Johor remains strong, says Johor MB
Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Sahruddin Jamal has denied allegations by the opposition that investor confidence towards investing in the state has purportedly declined. He said investor confidence towards the conditions and economic ecosystem of Johor remained strong and could be seen from the highest annual investments received in Malaysia. Other than this, the state’s economic growth prospects was also seen as positive, with the growth rate projected at between 5% – 5.5% for this year. Johor’s position in being close to Singapore, would continue to provide an economic edge to the state in the future. (Malay Mail)

Sustainable development plan to address pollution in Pasir Gudang
The Johor government is drawing up a sustainable town development plan for Pasir Gudang as a long-term measure to address environmental pollution in the area. Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal said it would involve studying the possibility of relocating high-risk chemical factories and creating a buffer zone between the industrial and residential areas. The state government will set up two committees to monitor the pollution situation in Pasir Gudang. One of it is the Technical and Scientific Working Committee that will coordinate, monitor and track the impact that will occur in Pasir Gudang, while the other will be a monitoring committee to provide the latest status on pollution in Pasir Gudang. The state government had allocated RM6.4 million for cleaning of toxic waste in Sungai Kim Kim. (The Sun Daily)

MoF may have set year-end target for HK asset sale
The Finance Ministry (MoF), in a meeting with local and foreign agents earlier this week, is believed to have set a year-end deadline for the sale of the Malaysian consulate building in Hong Kong, sources say. The tender documents, or requests for proposals (RFPs), are to be submitted to the MoF not later than noon on July 9, a Hong Kong source said. The source said the MoF would like “to formalise” or complete the sale of 50 Gloucester Road, Wan Chai, Hong Kong, by the last quarter, “possibly not later than November 2019”. The MoF did not set a price. The source said the RFP documents were offered only to estate agents who had attended a briefing session in Putrajaya. The present government had initially said it wanted to wrap up the deal at RM1.6bil (about HK$3bil). (The Star Online)