Ampang on verge of city status
Ampang could become Malaysia’s newest city next year, Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin. She said that the Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) has met the requirements of administering a population of over 500,000 people and recording a revenue of RM100 million from its 24 localities. “Only one criteria that they have to qualify which is a university in the area, but the ministry is willing to look into it because there are so many private higher learning institutions in Ampang,” she said. Alternate goals for MPAJ and its chief, Datuk Abd Hamid Hussain, include introducing a trash-for-cash scheme and community hub projects in all its localities as well as a command centre at Pekan Ampang. Currently there are 14 local authorities with city status in Malaysia. (Malay Mail)
EcoWorld Malaysia to launch new housing brand for young buyers
Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld Malaysia) aims to launch a new housing brand for the young generation of buyers next year. The property developer is in the middle of designing and creating a new brand to be launched sometime next year to meet demand from young Malaysians for homes, its president and CEO Datuk Chang Khim Wah said. “(The brand) will cater to the young group of Malaysians, offering homes with good amenities and pricing,” he said. The projects will involve high-rise homes in townships including Eco Ardence in Setia Alam, Eco Sanctuary in Kota Kemuning, Selangor and Eco Botanic in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor. Chang said the new housing brand is planned for EcoWorld Malaysia’s mature townships as they already have the infrastructure, adding that it also makes sense for the company to increase the population of the townships. (The Malaysian Reserve)
Jagdeep: Penang Airport expansion works to begin in March next year
Construction works for the expansion of the Penang International Airport (PIA) will begin in March next year and are expected to be completed in 2024, said state Housing, Local Government, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo. The expansion project is estimated to cost RM800 million. Jagdeep also said that the indicative plan for reclamation works off Batu Maung for a possible new airport site, will not proceed. The PIA expansion project will be carried out in four phases, and will double the terminal’s current gross floor area of 54,000 sq ft. The renovated airport will be able to accommodate 28 planes, up from 15 planes currently, as well as receive up to 12 million passengers compared to 6.5 million passengers currently. (Malay Mail)
Median monthly salary of graduates at RM3,936, says Stats Dept
The median monthly salaries and wages of graduates with full-time equivalent principal occupation was RM3,936 in 2018 compared with RM3,550 in 2017, according to the Statistics Department. Employed graduates in skilled category earned RM4,684 while semi-skilled category received RM2,139, according to the department’s salaries and wages survey 2018. Chief statistician, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said 4.96 million persons or 20.3% of Malaysia’s working age population in 2018 are graduates, which were defined as individuals aged 15 years and over with the highest certificate obtained from universities, colleges, polytechnics, recognised bodies or equivalent, where duration of study is at least two years. The report showed that overall, the number of employed female graduates in 2018 was marginally higher than male, recording a percentage share of 50.4% or 2.01 million persons. Graduates’ unemployment rate in 2018 was slightly lower at 3.9% compared to 4% in 2017. (The Star Online)
Cabinet agrees to establish Malaysian Media Council
The Cabinet has agreed in principle to establish the Malaysian Media Council (MMC), says Deputy Communications and Multimedia Minister Eddin Syazlee Shith. He said he would be chairing the first meeting to discuss the framework of establishing the council next week, with eight representatives from the media. “The establishment of the MMC is to secure the future and safeguard the welfare of media practitioners in the country, ” he said. The MMC has been proposed as a self-regulatory body that can set high standards for the media community to help build and maintain public confidence in the industry and to act as an arbitration body between the people and the media for the benefit of all Malaysians. (The Star Online)
