Khairy: Malaysia, Merck sign agreement for Covid-19 drug Molnupiravir

Malaysia has signed an agreement with Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD) to procure antiviral medicine Molnupiravir for Covid-19 treatment. Health Minister Khairy Jamaluddin said the government signed a letter of undertaking on Thursday (Oct 7) to procure 150,000 courses of Molnupiravir to treat Covid-19 patients. “This decision was made in preparation for Malaysia’s move into the endemic phase and living with the Covid-19 virus. This is another “weapon” of choice to fight the coronavirus, besides the use of vaccines and other public health measures,” said Khairy. Research conducted by Merck Sharp & Dohme found that Molnupiravir is able to reduce 50% of hospital admissions and is also effective towards more infectious variants of Covid-19 including Gamma, Delta and Mu. The minister however stressed that Molnupiravir does not prevent infection and is only beneficial for people who have been infected by Covid-19. (The Star)

Malaysian housing market to gradually recover in 2022 but prices to remain flattish

The overall value in the residential sub-sector in Malaysia is likely to remain soft throughout 2021 and pricing for prime housing, in particular landed properties, is expected to gradually rise throughout 2022 as the property market is widely expected to start recovering on the back of a more positive outlook, according to Knight Frank Malaysia. “Moving forward, with domestic investors shifting from the stock market to safer and less volatile alternative investment products – supported by record-low interest rate environment, lockdown savings, attractive property deals (Home Ownership Campaign and developers’ sales campaigns) – the overall housing market is expected to gradually recover throughout 2022 although prices, in general, are expected to remain flattish,” said Knight Frank Malaysia deputy managing director Keith Ooi. The story for residential markets across Asia-Pacific has been one of resilience in the last 12 months. Hong Kong has achieved record prices, Singapore’s sales and rental sectors have seen robust levels of activity, while the appetite for property among domestic buyers in New Zealand and Australia has surged. (The Sun Daily)

Only 4 developers capable of build-then-sell, says govt

Only four developers in Malaysia are capable of practising a build-then-sell system, says housing and local government minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican. Reezal said this was one of the more preferred methods in selling houses, especially to first-time buyers. “However, only four developers can do this because they have strong financial positions,” he said. Nevertheless, he said, the ministry is working on amendments to the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Act (Act 118) to offer better protection for house buyers. Reezal also said 79 private housing projects were abandoned as at Sept 30, involving more than 17,000 units and affecting 11,000 buyers. Selangor had the most abandoned housing projects with 33, followed by Kelantan (12), Johor (9), Pahang and Terengganu (6 each), Perak (5), Negeri Sembilan (4), Kedah (2), and Kuala Lumpur and Melaka (1 each). (FMT)

MPIC will work with agencies to build houses using kenaf-based IBS technology

The Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities (MPIC) will collaborate with several government agencies to utilise the kenaf-based Industrialised Building System (IBS) technology in developing housing projects. Its minister, Datuk Zuraida Kamaruddin said the construction of buildings using kenaf-based IBS technology was more economical, faster with the installation of structures at the construction site as well as cleaner and safer. “I see the use of the kenaf-based IBS technology as very suitable for housing projects for military and police quarters and projects under the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT),” she said. Zuraida, who had the opportunity to visit a model house using the kenaf-based IBS technology near the processing centre in Saujana, is also confident that more kenaf farmers will be able to benefit directly if the government agreed to implement housing projects using the new technology. (The Edge)

Tourism Ministry gearing up to welcome foreign tourists to Malaysia

The Tourism, Arts and Culture Ministry (Motac) is gearing up to welcome foreign tourists, including those from West Asia, to a safe environment free from Covid-19, says its Minister Datuk Seri Nancy Shukri. Nancy said the ministry was committed to improving the accessibility of tourists to the country once the international borders were reopened. The statement followed Nancy’s meeting with management representatives and sales agencies of four international airlines in West Asia, in an effort to establish cooperation to promote Malaysia as a preferred tourist destination. The four airlines are Qatar Airways, Saudi Arabian Airlines, Air Arabia and Emirates Airlines. Among other matters discussed at the meeting were strategies and plans to promote Malaysia to attract international tourists from other markets, such as Europe, America and Africa through their respective airline networks. (The Star)

Roadblocks off, SOP checks still on

Although roadblocks at borders will be removed when interstate travel is permitted, Khairy Jamaluddin said authorities will continue with checks on standard operating procedure compliance. The Health Minister admitted that it would be more difficult to catch SOP offenders as having large-scale roadblocks was no longer viable. “As we transition towards the endemic phase, the onus is on us to be honest and responsible. The police will still be conducting random checks on the ground under Ops Patuh to enforce SOP compliance,” he said. Khairy said even if an unvaccinated individual manages to travel across borders, their movements would still be limited because of their status. The government will allow interstate travel once 90% of the adult population is fully vaccinated. As of Wednesday, 88.8% of adults had completed their Covid-19 jabs and the 90% threshold is expected to be reached very soon. (The Star)

Hong Kong at new start for development, to tackle housing

Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam said the city was at a new starting point for development under a national security law imposed last year and her priority is to focus on tackling a long-standing housing shortage in the Chinese-ruled city. Authorities in Hong Kong and Beijing have long blamed unaffordable housing in the former British colony for deep-rooted social problems that they say helped fuel anti-government protests in 2019. “Fortunately, the implementation of the National Security Law and the improvement to our electoral system have restored safety and stability in society. Hong Kong is now ready again for a new start for economic development,” Lam said in her annual policy address. Beijing imposed the law in June last year. Private home prices hit a record high in July, buoyed by limited housing supply and large flows of capital from mainland Chinese buyers. The average waiting time for public housing in Hong Kong has climbed steadily and now stands at more than 5.5 years. (Reuters)