KJ: States can buy vaccines but must be approved by NPRA
The agreements inked between the Federal Government and Covid-19 vaccine manufacturers stipulate that the companies must first provide the Malaysian Government its order before selling to other parties in the country, says Khairy Jamaluddin. “The other parties mentioned include state governments, industries and private hospitals,” said the National Covid-19 Immunisation Programme (PICK) coordinating minister. However, vaccine suppliers not included in the PICK programme are excluded from this requirement,” he added. Khairy also said states were allowed to buy their own vaccines, provided the vaccines are approved by the National Pharmaceutical Regulatory Agency (NPRA). Currently, the three vaccines that have received NPRA approval are the Pfizer, Sinovac and AstraZeneca vaccines. (The Star)
Malaysian Employers Federation supports stricter MCO but not blanket lockdown
The Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) supports the call for stricter implementation of movement control order (MCO) to flatten the curve of new Covid-19 infections, but it is against a blanket lockdown of the economy. MEF president Datuk Syed Hussain Syed Husman said the current nationwide MCO is estimated to cost the nation about RM300 million per day. Comparatively, during the MCO 1.0 total lockdown last year, Malaysia lost about RM2.4 billion per day. “Stringent MCO measures should be implemented in states which report a surge in new infections, particularly Selangor which recently recorded more than 1,000 new cases per day. While the impact of a blanket MCO would be devastating to business and the economy, it is understood that there is a dire need to curb the rising number of new daily infections,” he said. He added that the MEF is doing its utmost to comply with the prescribed standard operating procedures to curb the spread of Covid-19. (Malay Mail)
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Malaysia is the world’s fourth best destination for expats in 2021
Malaysia has been ranked fourth as the best destination for expatriates to live and work in this year according to the Expat Insider 2021 survey. The findings were released by InterNations, the world’s largest expat community boasting around four million members. Malaysia came in fourth out of 59 countries in the survey, ranking above the global average in every index. Taiwan topped the list, followed by Mexico, Costa Rica, Malaysia, Portugal, New Zealand, Australia, Ecuador, Canada, and Vietnam. 77% of expats said they found it easy to settle down in the country, and 92% found it easy to live in the Southeast Asian country without speaking the local language. 82% of expats rated Malaysia’s cost of living positively. However, Malaysia ranked 36th in the Safety & Security subcategory with 26% citing the country’s political stability as a concern. Kuwait (59th), Italy, South Africa, Russia, Egypt, Japan, Cyprus, Turkey, India, and Malta (50th) was voted the worst countries for expats. This year’s survey included findings on how expats coped with Covid-19 and how the pandemic has impacted their lives. (Malay Mail)
Guan Eng: Extend HOC to clear housing glut
Former finance minister Lim Guan Eng has urged the government to extend the House Ownership Campaign (HOC) for the rest of the year to help the property sector recover from the fallout wrought by Covid-19. The DAP leader cited the need to clear the RM40 billion property overhang in residential units and serviced apartments recorded in 2020, and the HOC had shown to benefit homebuyers through discounts and stamp duty waivers. Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin had said it was imperative that the HOC be continued until the end of 2021 to aid the economy in its recovery and assist home ownership. But the Finance Ministry said the drive, to expire at the end of May, will not be extended because it would forego RM500 million in stamp duty revenue. Developers participating in the HOC are required to offer a minimum discount of 10% and buyers of properties originally priced below RM2.5 million and higher than RM300,000, will enjoy waivers of stamp duties in the Memorandum of Transfer and Loan Agreements. The projected RM36 billion in sales revenue under the HOC could also spur the economy by catering to continuing demand for property-related activities and services, he added. (Malay Mail)
DPS to undertake RM150mil mixed development project in Melaka
DPS Resources Bhd, through wholly-owned subsidiary Shantawood Sdn Bhd, will undertake a mixed development project with a gross development value of RM150 million in Alor Gajah, Melaka. The property developer and furniture maker said Shantawood today signed a JV agreement with Rembia Properties Development Sdn Bhd (RPD), which owns the 10.48-hectare freehold land where the project would be sited. RPD would be entitled to RM19 million from the development, to be paid over seven years. “The joint venture represents an opportunity for the group to build up landbank and ensure sustainable growth for DPS over the next few years,” group managing director Edward Sow Yuen Seng said. He added that the outlook of the property market in Melaka is expected to recover gradually in 2021 with the allocation of funds from the state government to spur economic activities. (The Edge)
