天定实兆远河挖深河床 推动海事工业 工程近期展开

曼绒7日讯）交通部长拿督斯里江作汉说，耗资4000万令吉的挖深天定河和实兆远河至12米深的工程会在近期内动工，以便能容更大型的钻石台、货轮等经过到实兆远甘榜亚齐港口和海事工业区。
他连同马华红土坎区会执委与曼绒县内逾30名大专生、青年组织领袖等进行对话交流后说，实兆远甘榜亚齐区的肯油企业进行的钻油台、探油船、驳船等海事工业的年营业额已达40亿令吉，为国家带来极大的外汇和就业机会。
他说，肯油企业早期建议的挖深河床深度只是至10米，但随着外国订单的增加和建造更大型钻油台等工程，建议政府将天定和实兆远河床深度挖至12米，因此交通部计划将河床挖得更深，以利更大排水量的船只和钻石台往来。
方便更大船只往来
“目前聘有逾7000名各类工人的肯油企业和其他海事工业，将会在近期内动工挖深的河床工程中受益，并带动使海事工业领域进一步扩大，带动饮食、服务及房屋业等的发展。”
他说，红土坎港口和旅游业也蓬勃的发展，加上西海岸滨海大道的经过曼绒县，以及原产品的好价等，可见曼绒县的发展潜能极佳，大专生必须把握机会选修能在家乡大展拳脚的科系，以便在家乡发展。
他希望大家不要只是看到物价受油价不断升涨带来的各在物品通膨影响，其实树胶、棕油等原产价格也是受油价上调的带动而呈好价，所以各方须从多个角度去探讨问题，不能只听一方面的负面资讯。
他在会上与大专生交流的的话题涉及政经文教等领域的问题，让大家对政府的转型和社区的发展计划有更深一层的了解。- 光华

相关照片

■ 将挖深以容纳更大排水量货轮和钻油台航行的天定及实兆远河。

■ 江作汉（前左5）与马华区会执委与交流的大专生合影，前左起施敦昌、程元佑、赵善平、陈兴旺、陈修志、李芳柔、陈油福和郑有美。

Villa Emas Condo - Poolview

*Strategically located - Near Queensbay Mall, Bayan Lepas Industrial Park, Bandar Mutiara
*Built-up: 850 square feet - just nice for young couple and newly wed
*Poolview
*Full condo facilities with big garden and nice landscape
*Fully renovated & furnished
*Priced to rent quickly
*RM1,300 per month

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Gurney Drive - Terrace For Rent

Double Storey House For Rent
• Newly renovated
• Fully furnished
• 3 Spacious Rooms and 2 bathrooms (upstairs)
• 1 Bedroom and 1bathroom (ground floor)
• 1 spacious Dining room
• 1 huge Living room
• 1 kitchen
• 1 laundry area
• 1 private car parking space
• Great location!!!!
• 5 minutes walk to Gurney Drive and the beach
• 5 to 10 minutes walk to schools, colleges, malls,hospitals, shops, restaurants, fitness clubs, etc. . .

Rental: RM3500 per month

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Nunn Crescent - Worth Considering

5 & 1 ROOMS + 3 FULL BATHS. 1.5 storey. FULLY RENOVATED. 5 A/Cs. Sought after area. V safe. Minutes to shopping, wet market, schools, hospitals, Botanical Gardens, Youth Park, places of worship. Easy commute to Georgetown, beach, Free Trade Zone (FTZ)
Walk to St Christopher's International School, St George's School, Sekolah Sri Pinang, Taska Nania, Disted
Eat-in kitchen, huge living room, formal dining, patio ideal for outdoor dining
Master suite has walk-in-wardrobe, double sink, private balcony & good view
All bathrooms are tiled, have imported Grohe fixtures & granite countertops
Parking space for 3 cars
Low maintenance garden
Utility/hobby/au-pair room
Patio
Gas stove with 1 electric burner
Hot water to kitchen as well.
Peranakan tiles in doors
Good floor plan, quality finish.

Rental: RM3800 per month

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Short Term Tenancy

* Near Penang Bridge, Queensbay Mall & Bayan Lepas Industrial Park
* Full facilities
* Astro, Internet, cleaning & laundry services
* Fully furnished & full air conditioning
* Rental: Negotiable

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Halaman Kristal Condo - Move In Condition

1100 sq. ft., 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms.
Corner unit.
1 covered car park included.
Immediate move-in condition.


Rental: Only RM1000 per month

Furnished with:
- Refrigerator
- Automatic washing machine
- Water heater
- Kitchen cabinet with 2 cooking stoves
- TV Set with DVD player
- Wardrobe
- 2 single beds
- Study table and computer table
- Fans and lightings in every room
- Aircond at master bedroom

FREE facilities:
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- swimming pool with slide
- children playground
- gym & games room
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Very near to schools, wet market, 24 hours restaurants e.g. McDonalds,
government clinic, shops and many other conveniences.


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Looking for A Place Calls Home, This is it

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* 24 hours security
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* Only RM1,300 per month

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Need for master planner of affordable housing

THE current challenging economic times is a good time for reflection and we should not waste the opportunity to take stock of where we are heading as a people and a nation.

Going by the adage that life begins at 50, Malaysia is still a fairly young nation and adopting more inclusive policies that mobilise the country’s rich human and natural resources will be able to cushion the country from any adverse external shocks.

Reading about Bhutan and how its much-beloved king places great value on the wellbeing and happiness of his people by inventing the Gross National Happiness index is very inspiring indeed.

The fact that the people’s happiness is listed as the top priority speaks volume of how much they are appreciated as individuals. Other inspiring aspects that we can take a leaf from include the emphasis on preserving the natural environment and promoting simple and non-intrusive way of living. Despite a deliberate policy to limit the number of tourists allowed to visit Bhutan, an increasing number of tourists are finding their way to Bhutan for its natural beauty and simple way of life.

Their simple way of lifestyle means one can get by with less and there is less pressure to chase material wealth.

In its place is the emphasis on personal virtues and wholesome values of integrity, honesty, generosity and empathy for other people.

I believe the promoting of such values will set the foundation for wholesome community and nation building for our country.

The Bhutan story must have prompted many of us to start reflecting on our journey of life, and how we have fared in terms of the happiness index.

Come to think of it, since the world economy is on the verge of a double-dip scenario and there will be very low or no growth in most nations, some tweaking in national policies and priorities may be what Malaysia needs to see our country and the people through the challenging times.

It may be a good idea for us to draw up a Malaysian Happiness Index to measure how our people are faring against the rest of the world.

In the fast changing world we live in today, the elements that contribute to our happiness are constantly changing but there are some evergreen or “true blue” ones that will remain come what may.

The list may include whether the people have a roof over their head; the cost of living and how much does it take for a family to get by on a daily basis; freedom of expression and to pursue one’s interest; and ability for the people to keep safe and thrive in their society.

Recent events around the world have shown that social disparity is still a huge problem in both the developed and developing countries, and can become a source of social discord and public unrest.

In the face of the high cost of living and inflated property prices, one of the immediate tasks of the Government is to pay more attention to social or public housing, and ensure that people have a roof over their heads.

Providing the less-endowed populace with some basic necessities such as a home of their own is tantamount to offering them hope for a better tomorrow.

Even China is counting on its massive effort to build low-priced social housing for the low-income group to provide enough demand to sustain its real-estate market from collapsing. It has set a target to build 36 million subsidised housing by 2015.

In Malaysia’s case, the need for concerted efforts to build adequate public infrastructure and housing cannot be over-emphasised as the ongoing efforts are still quite fragmented.

Instead of involving so many agencies in the execution process, having a dedicated agency as the master planner to oversee the overall planning and execution of the projects will ensure a higher rate of success to benefit more people.

Providing enough public housing and other social amenities should be accorded one of the top priorities along with the other economic-based initiatives under the government’s Economic Transformation Programme.

The sharp increase in prices of goods and services, including that of property, meant people have less disposable income and spending power.

These projects will be able to wipe out the many squatters and slumps, and rejuvenate our cities. Focusing on public housing can also provide a cushion for the property market from stagnating during troubling economic times. - The Star

l Deputy news editor Angie Ng hopes improving the Malaysian Happiness Index will be the basis for all nation building policies and initiatives going forward.

BNM may raise OPR by 3.25pc in 2H12

KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Investment Bank Bhd says that although Bank Negara Malaysia has the room to cut the overnight policy rate (OPR), it is more likely that a rate hike of 25 basis points to 3.25 per cent, sometime in the second half of the year can be expected, as inflationary pressures build up.

"Bank Negara has the room to cut the OPR should the need arises.

But given the balance of risks, we expect Bank Negara to hold the OPR steady at 3.0 per cent, for at least the first half of 2012," said OSK Investment.

In a research note today, OSK Investment also said it believed that the central bank would cut the OPR, only if the global environment deteriorates significantly.
On Tuesday, Bank Negara decided to maintain the OPR, at three per cent.

OSK Investment said more likely than not, risk could be bias to a rate hike instead as inflationary pressures could build up, as a result of healthy private and public consumption spending.

It said inflation looks unlikely to pose a threat to the economy.

OSK Investment expects favorable base effects and slower global growth to reduce inflation this year, which is expected to average 2.7 per cent.

"However, inflation can still rear its ugly head with the "risks to inflation", coming from supply disruptions that would result in higher food and commodity prices," it said.

Meanwhile, MIDF Research said concerns are still brewing over the global economic and financial conditions.

Problems such as the European debt crisis and heightened market volatility are expected to continue applying downward pressure on growth in the advanced economies and raise the downside risk to global growth, it said.

MIDF Research expects Bank Negara to keep rates unchanged at the current level this year, given the global economic and financial conditions remaining uncertain as well as domestic economic growth leaning on private expenditure, complemented with public spending. -- BERNAMA

Rehda: More launches in 1H

KUALA LUMPUR (Jan 20): The first half of 2012 (1H12) is expected to see more new property development launches despite concerns of a market slowdown, according to a survey conducted by the Real Estate and Housing Developers' Association of Malaysia (Rehda).

The survey showed 63% of respondents, made up of developers, have plans to launch projects in 1H12, up from the 45% obtained in a similar survey in 2H11.

The Rehda Property Industry Survey for 2H11 was conducted in December 2011 with 148 development companies responding.

According to Rehda Wilayah Persekutuan (KL) branch chairman NK Tong, "There was a downtrend in anticipated launches in 2012 earlier — but in the next six months, 63% of the respondents planned to launch new developments," he said at a media briefing on Thursday.

"This is what they plan to do, and it will be very interesting to see what really happens in the next six months," he added.

The respondents also anticipate better sales performance and 56% of the respondents planned to launch landed property as opposed to 44% for strata property.

The report also showed that 44% of respondents expected an increase in property prices in 1H12 compared to 53% in 2H2011.

The survey recorded 74% of respondents feel that the price movement is on an upward trend spurred by the increasing cost of land prices and building materials, higher compliance and higher market demand.

The survey also highlighted problems faced by Rehda members regarding unsold units, mainly unsold bumiputera-allocated units within the RM250,000 to RM500,000 price bracket.

The number of respondents with unsold units increased to 69% in 2H11 from 65% in 1H11 and 61% in 2H10. Another reason for the increase in unsold units was the low market demand amid economic uncertainties.

According to Rehda president Datuk Seri Michael Yam, the government should formulate concrete policy regarding the automatic release of unsold bumi lots.

He explained that there are some areas where such units were not well-received by bumiputera buyers.

In some cases, the bumiputera buyers themselves do not approve of the bumi lots as they are denied the benefit of selling their properties at a much higher price as in the case of non-bumi units.

"The government needs to look into this matter since there is no clear cut policy on the auto-release of bumi lots," he said.

Yam said 2012 will be a challenging year for developers as rising building materials and labour costs continue to be a major challenge for the industry. Members are also cautious about the market conditions considering the stricter requirements imposed on the housing industry, the uncertain global economy and inadequate information and data regarding property demand and supply.

Rehda also announced that the Malaysian Property Exposition (Mapex) will be held from March 2-4 at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre. The property event is considered the largest convenient one-stop centre for property developments that are under construction and recently completed.

This year, Rehda will be expanding the number of booths for the expo and opening its doors to foreign property developers, including those from the UK, China and Australia, to showcase their products here. - The Edge