Khairy: Appointments for Covid-19 vaccination based on first registration in MySejahtera
Science, Innovation and Technology Minister Khairy Jamaluddin explained today that one’s Covid-19 vaccination appointment will be based on their first registration in the MySejahtera application, even if they have tried a second time. He also assured the public that following an update, the application will inform everyone who has registered for the national Covid-19 vaccination programme, and advised the public to be patient for the notification to appear. “For those who did and see a later date of registration, rest assured we have record of your first try. Appointments given based on the first time you registered.” He added that a further update to the application would allow users to register their dependants (parents) for the vaccine. Late last month, the MySejahtera application was updated with a new section for vaccine registration ahead of the National Covid-19 Immunisation Plan. (Malay Mail)
Sunway Property to roll out RM2.8bil of new projects in 2021
Sunway Property aims to roll out RM2.8 billion worth of new property launches in Malaysia, Singapore and China this year and is bullish on the take-up. The developer is setting a sales target of RM1.6 billion for 2021, 23% higher than what it achieved last year. In 2020, Sunway Property achieved RM1.3 billion in property sales, which was higher than its target for the year. Its managing director Sarena Cheah attributed the developer’s confidence to the anticipated economic recovery which will be driven by the successful roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccine across the world this year. Cheah said of the new launches, 40% or RM1.1 billion worth of properties would be launched in Klang Valley, while the remaining 60% of launches will be international projects in Singapore and China. Cheah said Sunway Property would also be busy this year as it looked to complete its portfolio of investment properties under construction in its various integrated townships. (NST Online)
Business licence, rental concessions extended to July 31, says FT minister
The Federal Territories Ministry has agreed to extend the period for free renewal of business licences and premises rental discounts, including the People’s Housing Project (PPR) under its purview, until July 31. Its minister Tan Sri Annuar Musa said that the decision was made after taking into account the current situation of members of the public. “Hawkers and small traders are still struggling with the sluggish business situation… DBKL and local authorities have to bear the loss in terms of revenue, but we feel the need to extend the period of free licence renewal and half the rent of premises,” he said. He added that the move would benefit more than 40,000 tenants including nearly 10,000 traders and hawkers as well as 5,000 traders who are participating in the free trade area programme. The “Wilayah Cakna 3.0” initiative which aims to help city dwellers, especially the B40 group, provides rental discounts for premises owned by DBKL, Putrajaya Corporation (PPj) and Labuan Corporation (PL) as well as free renewal of business licence. (Malay Mail)
Proptech startup Juwai IQI to hire 1,000 tech staff in Malaysia
Malaysia-based proptech company Juwai IQI announced that it is building a data and technology team with more than 1,000 employees in Kuala Lumpur. The new job roles range from platform and mobile app developers and data scientists to social network community specialists. Juwai IQI’s technology hub will be located at Millerz Square, and the company has begun the process of designing and fitting out the new space, with plans to move in during the first quarter of 2022. Founded in 2019, Juwai IQI offers real estate marketers an end-to-end marketing and sales solution that integrates its app, a network of more than 15,000 real estate agents, and its property marketplaces. Apart from Kuala Lumpur, Juwai IQI has another team in Shanghai, which serves as its base for research and development in the greater Chinese market. The move is in line with the Malaysian government’s MyDigital initiative to attract RM70 billion in digitalization investment by 2025. The digital economy is expected to contribute 22.6% to Malaysia’s gross domestic product by 2025, said prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. (Tech in Asia)
Paramount sets property sales target of RM1bil for 2021
The current low interest rate environment bodes well for the property market due to lower borrowing costs, says Paramount Corp Bhd group chief executive officer Jeffrey Chew. Against this backdrop, coupled with the fact that the local economy is widely expected to recover in 2021, he is hopeful that the property market this year will be better than the last two years. “Interest rates have come down and hopefully will stay low, prompting people to start buying properties,” Chew said. The property developer achieved total property sales of RM770 million in FY20, 11% higher than the RM692 million recorded in FY19 despite the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic. Chew said the group has achieved a total sales of nearly RM100 million for the first two months of 2021, double the same period last year. On the back of this optimism, Paramount is setting a property sales target of RM1 billion for FY21, with RM1.2 billion worth of new launches planned — 44% higher than last year’s new launches. (The Edge)
