Penang Bridge crash: Operation to retrieve SUV postponed, body spotted in vehicle
The operation to retrieve a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that plunged into the sea from the Penang Bridge has been postponed. Marine Police Region 1 commander ACP Rosman Ismail said that a body was spotted inside the vehicle but they have yet to confirm the identity of the victim. Divers have so far managed to secure the car in the water but have yet to hoist it up. “Strong water currents and poor visibility due to murky water make the task difficult. After four attempts to hoist it out from the water, the knot attaching the rope to the vehicle’s wheels broke,” he said. The operation will resume at 9am today. The SUV plunged into the sea after a collision with a black car at 2.54am on Sunday. The driver of the vehicle has been identified as college student Moey Yun Peng, 20. (The Star Online)

Direct tax collection at record RM137bil last year
Malaysia’s gross direct tax collection in 2018 broke previous records in terms of highest amount received. Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng announced that the Inland Revenue Board had collected RM137.03bil last year – an increase of 11.13% from 2017. “The rise is attributable to increased collection from components of taxpayers such as companies, individuals, petroleum, cooperatives, stamp duty and others,” he said. Corporate tax was the largest component of the direct tax collection, contributing RM70.03bil or 51.11% of direct taxes. This was followed by individual tax component which contributed RM36.06bil or 26.32% of direct taxes. (The Star Online)

Night-time property auction draws over 100 bidders
A recent property auction fair for a bank attracted more than 100 bidders for 150 properties. The unique part of the auction is, it was held at night. It was the first property fair held on such a scale and total sales was RM10mil worth of properties nationwide over 90 minutes of bidding. The auction conducted by Ng Chan Mau & Co Sdn Bhd for RHB Bank was held at their auction hall at Megan Avenue 2 Kuala Lumpur. Its business director Low Chee Hian was glad to see the overwhelming response from the buyers comprising new and old faces. “Although the property market has generally soften, I think home buyers and investors will still buy if the property and price is right,” he said. (The Star Online)

‘Bangsar South’ officially reverts to Kg Kerinchi in win for identity, tradition
Bangsar South is now once again to be known as Kampung Kerinchi. In a proclamation ceremony on Saturday (Jan 19), the urban settlement which started in 1870s was declared to return to its old name Kampung Kerinchi. Roughly seven years ago, the area was increasingly gentrified and renamed Bangsar South by property developers. Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil said a lot of people have mistakenly assumed that the Federal Highway that cuts through the area has been in existence since day one. When the highway was opened in 1956, it effectively split Kampung Kerinchi into half. “There is a mismatch between a place being sold and touted as Bangsar South with the reality that this was not Bangsar to begin with. Bangsar is north of the Federal Highway on the other side,” he said. (Malay Mail)

PKR President Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Lembah Pantai MP Fahmi Fadzil and other political dignitaries at the official announcement in Kampung Kerinchi (Photo from NST)

Bigger fines to ensure safer construction sites in the works
Construction workers can expect better safety at their worksites with a proposal for a huge increase in the fine for employers who fail to protect them from workplace risks and hazards. Under proposed amendments to the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) 1994, the maximum fine for the offence, which is currently RM50,000, will be raised. Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) director-general Omar Mat Piah declined to reveal the exact figure for the new maximum penalty but said it would be a significant increase. The amendments will also hold project owners and designers responsible for construction safety and health alongside employers and main contractors. (The Star Online)