Felda plans 768.90ha township near RM60bil Rapid project

MERSING: Felda is now in the final stage of drafting an integrated township development project in Pengerang, in the Kota Tinggi district near the Petronas Refinery and Petrochemicals Integrated Development or Rapid complex.

Chairman Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad said the layout plan of the proposed project was awaiting the Felda board of directors' approval.

“We hope to do it (submit the plan for the state government's approval) in the first quarter of 2013, and start the project probably in the second half of next year,'' he said.

Isa said the proposed township development would be sited on a 768.90ha and priority would be given to Felda settlers to purchase the residential and commercial properties.

He said the balance of the properties would be offered to other buyers, including the oil and gas companies planning to set up their operations in Rapid.

The RM60bil Rapid complex is located in southeast Johor and its proposed 300,000-barrels-per-day crude oil refinery capacity is larger than the combined capacity of Petronas' existing refineries in Malacca, Kertih and Gebeng.

“We are upbeat on the property market in the Pengerang in the years to come, as the oil and gas-related activities will create demand for houses,'' Isa told reporters after launching Projek Sentuhan Kasih Felda, an affordable housing scheme, at Felda Tenggaroh 3 here yesterday.

The scheme comprising single-storey bungalows with a built-up area of 1,000 sq ft and a land size of 3,000 sq ft priced between RM60,000 and RM80,000 each is specially tailored for the children of first-generation Felda settlers. To qualify for the scheme, applicants must reside and work with the Felda group or run a micro-sized or small business within the settlements nationwide.

For a start, Felda has chosen Felda Tenggaroh 3, Felda Chini Timur 2 in Pahang and Felda Tenang Besut, Terengganu for the affordable housing scheme with 100 houses each. The three projects have a combined gross development value of RM120mil.

“We are planning to build 20,000 houses under the scheme in our settlements within the next five years,'' said Isa.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/12/27/business/12506766&sec=business

Many interested in developing high-speed intra-city commuter train for Iskandar

JOHOR BARU: The proposal to develop the intra-city commuter train (ICCT) service for Iskandar Malaysia is still open and interested parties are invited to submit their proposals on the project. Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Datuk Ismail Ibrahim said there were no reasons to stop those interested in the project from doing so. He said although Irda had received a proposal on the project by Metropolitan Commuter Network Sdn Bhd (MCN), the Federal Government had yet to make a decision on it. “There is no exclusivity on the part of MCN and we do not deny other interested parties from proposing the project to us,” Ismail told StarBiz.

He said the high-speed train (HST) project has attracted many potential investors, and companies could submit their proposals for the intercity rail project in Iskandar Malaysia. The feasibility study on the HST project will be completed by the end of the year and the Land Public Transport Commission (SPAD) will submit its findings on the project to the Government in the first quarter of 2013. It will only take 80 minutes on the high-speed train from Kuala Lumpur to Johor Baru and 90 minutes to Singapore.

“We (Johor and Irda) have done our part to support the proposal, but supporting does not tantamount to agreeing to the project to be implemented in Iskandar Malaysia,” said Ismail. He recalled last year when several newspapers had misquoted Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, who is also Irda co-chairman, as saying that Johor had agreed to the MCN’s project.

MCN is a joint-venture company between KUB Malaysia Bhd and Malaysia Masteel Works (KL) Bhd and the company had proposed to the Government to construct and operate the rail transit network in Iskandar Malaysia. The company had proposed to develop the RM1.23bil rail network covering 100km to serve all the major suburbs in the country’s first economic growth corridor. Under the proposal, seven new stations will be built along the route together with 16 halts and the rail network will also include a shuttle service from JB Sentral in the city centre to Woodlands in Singapore. Among the areas to be covered by the service are Nusajaya along with major developments such as Legoland Theme Park, EduCity, the Johor Premium Outlets and the Senai Hi-Tech Park. The ICCT is expected to start operations by 2013, with total deployment of 19 three-car trains.

“The Johor state government is not the approving authority of the project as it comes under the purview of agencies in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya,” said Ismail.Johor and Irda supported the proposal by MCN as well as those from other companies as there is demand for the project.

Ismail pointed out that approval of the project had to be given by the Transport Ministry, the Finance Ministry, the Economic Planning Unit, the Public-Private Partnership Unit of the Prime Minster’s Department and SPAD. He said more details and review were needed by the approving parties before a decision could be made on the ICCT project to ensure its viability. Ismail said other than supporting the proposal, Irda could not say more on the intercity rail transit network.

“Nevertheless, we noted the high implementation cost for the project while coverage is somewhat limited compared with the other public transport system,” he said. Meanwhile, SPAD chairman Tan Sri Syed Hamid Syed Jaafar Albar had said in September that there was no study conducted on the ICCT project in Iskandar Malaysia. “No study is as good as not having such a project in Iskandar Malaysia, but we always welcome those who are interested to send their proposals to us,” he said.

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Arena of superpowers

A new report sees South-East Asia as the strategic venue of a possible great game' by two superpowers - again.

CHINA'S irrepressible rise amid US continued pre-eminence has been reverberating around the globe, spewing truckloads of issues for dissection and debate.

Among these issues is South-East Asia as a regional theatre for economic integration, diplomatic engagement or military entanglement. Despite declarations of the best intentions by all, the events that result may not always be desirable.

The New Geopolitics of Southeast Asia, released this month by the London School of Economics' (LSE) IDEAS, a centre for the study of international affairs, diplomacy and grand strategy, focuses on the region in this context. So what is one to make of China-US or US-China relations in this regional “theatre”?

Part of the first section, dramatically titled “The Clash,” and the Conclusion are by Malaysian banker Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid, a doctoral student at the LSE back in 1978. Dr Munir is also the only South-East Asian among the three contributors in this section.

He begins by sketching the regional scenario as it develops: China's rise, followed by US scurrying to make up for a perceived lack of attention to East Asia after its preoccupation with West and South Asia. Washington's “relative neglect” is now embodied in its “pivot” strategy of moving 60% of its naval force to East Asia by 2020.

Interestingly, 2020 is also the target year for this region first Malaysia, then Asean as a whole, and then China to achieve peak economic performance. And there lies the rub: while East Asian planners emphasise economic development, US planners stress military force.

The economic dimension remains paramount in East Asian thinking in times of plenty and adversity. As Dr Munir notes, during the devastating 1997-98 financial crisis China stopped its planned devaluation of the renminbi as a lifeline to stricken regional economies, while the US was “conspicuous by its inaction”.

However, he also finds that US moves have not entirely neglected economics, such as Hillary Clinton's regional roadshow towards the end of 2010. Nonetheless, these efforts are still seen as belated, few and far between.

The larger issue is whether the US can accommodate China's rise with wisdom, maturity and equanimity. Prickly talk in Washington about branding China a “currency manipulator”, or a tendency to resort to military manoeuvres, is not encouraging.

Dr Munir recounts US strengths and weaknesses, but includes among the former a “military force without equal”. But having to spend half the entire world's military expenditure each year is more a weakness than a strength, particularly when the US is also the world's biggest debtor nation.

The only “strength” there resides in the US military-industrial complex, since the military sector is unproductive and can conceivably “profit” only through war and conquest. Recent developments however suggest that such gains tend to be temporary or illusory.

Meanwhile, the political strategy behind the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which includes some countries but excludes others, the latter being the newest Asean countries and notably China, is likely to weaken Asean. Such divisiveness in a supposedly economic entity is illogical, counter-intuitive and ultimately counter-productive.

But that is consistent with US refusal to adopt a more internationalist outlook on the conflicting claims in the South China Sea. Dr Munir says the US should, instead of simply repeating outdated mantras, consider the deep seabed the common heritage of mankind and form US policy on this basis.

That approach would engage China positively and win support and confidence among other countries. But in his own recent experience in Washington, senior senators and policy researchers were predictably uncreative in their approaches.

On the recent South China Sea spats between China and the Philippines and then Vietnam, Dr Munir refers tellingly to Washington's ambiguity in extending protection to security allies in the region. Where treaties or some formal understanding exist, what can the declared US “neutrality” mean or be taken to mean?

This ambiguity applies also to the East China Sea, where Japan's security treaty with the US is often assumed to cover outbreaks of conflict over the disputed Senkaku/Diaoyu Islands with China. Some US officials, like the US Congressional Research Service that informs policymakers, reject such disputed areas as distinctive national territory covered by categorical security guarantees.

Much of Dr Munir's contribution centres on issues arising from conflicting maritime claims, which represent the most likely flashpoint in today's South-East Asia, despite there being other important issues to consider. The key question is whether any country can conceive of a rising China in the context of today's realities, as distinct from ideological preconceptions and national prejudices.

Dr Munir finds the economic data showing that far from China swamping other countries by “its” exports, these are really mostly exports of its major investors based there. It is a China “at the centre of regional and international division of labour” and of regional and international economic integration.

Between 2009 and 2010, imports into Asean countries from the US declined sharply while imports from China rose even more sharply. It gives a whole new meaning to “import substitution” in South-East Asia, apart from everything else.

Complex situations framed with delicate issues require sensitive and nuanced responses. A hyperpower anxious to even the score in the region will only act like the proverbial bull in the china shop, upsetting everybody's applecarts to nobody's benefit.

The rapid pace of changes is undisputed.

Dr Munir says China's economy may become the world's biggest by 2030, but others like the IMF now put it earlier at 2016.

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/16/nation/12323551&sec=nation

M'sia-S'pore Rapid Transit System feasibility study to be ready by end-Nov

JOHOR BARU: Malaysia and Singapore have a year starting from next month to make their decision on the Malaysia-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) link project.

Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Datuk Ismail Ibrahim (pic) said the feasibility study on the project would be completed by the end of this month.

He said phase one of the joint-engineering study would focus on the various alignments, customs, immigration and quarantine-related matters and multimodal terminal locations and other critical perimeters.

“Although both countries have a year to discuss the matter, they don't really have to wait to complete the cycle before making the announcement,'' Ismail told StarBiz.

He said a joint-announcement could be made any time from December until November 2013, if they found the study was good and the project was viable.

Ismail said the announcement could either be made in the first or third quarter of 2013, or even a month after the study was submitted to the respective government.

“Although both countries have a year to discuss the matter, they don’t really have to wait to complete the cycle before making the announcement,’’ Ismail told StarBiz.

“This one year time-frame doesn't mean a delay. We are giving ourselves ample time to study the project, but it must be running and operating by 2018,'' he said.

He said Malaysia and Singapore need to consult their respective agencies and discuss the project at the top level, before cascading it to the implementing agencies.

“There are three possibilities or options for the RTS project linking Johor Baru and Singapore,'' said Ismail.

He said the first option was to build another Causeway or a land bridge, while the second one was an elevated bridge and the last choice was to build a tunnel.

Ismail explained an elevated bridge could be a low bridge with an elevation of below 15m and impassable by boats or a high bridge of at least seven storey high or more than 35m high and passable to large vessels.

He said the third option was a tunnel a tube tunnel made elsewhere and sank from the surface of the sea or a bore tunnel involving drilling work like the Smart tunnel in Kuala Lumpur.

“Which is the better choice (the RTS link) will depend on the recommendations of the study, engineering point of view, costing as well as environmental impact,'' said Ismail.

He said the undersea tunnel was more favourable as it would have minimal disruptions to traffic movements during construction as the project would be located near to the CIQ complexes of Malaysia and Singapore.

However, Ismail said the final outcome on what kind of link was the prerogative of both governments, adding that Johor and Irda would welcome any of the choice made by the two countries.

“The main idea of having the new link is to cater for the people's movement and to accommodate for bigger volume and improve connectivity and accessibility between Johor Baru and Singapore,'' he said.

Ismail hoped that the final choice made on the link would result in a permanent solution in solving the current congestion on the existing Causeway.

In May this year, Malaysia and Singapore had announced that both countries would undertake a project to improve connectivity by opening a RTS from Singapore to Johor Baru by 2018.

The joint Singapore-Malaysia statement said that the terminating stations of the link would be in the city of JB Sentral here and the vicinity of Republic Polytechnic in Singapore.

It added that the RTS link was targeted to be up and operating by 2018 and to have a co-located facility in Singapore and Johor Baru so that commuters needed to clear immigration only once for each way of travel.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/16/business/12325879&sec=business

Masteel offered 14.3ha site for commuter train depot

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Steel Works (KL) Bhd's joint venture for a proposed commuter train service has been offered 14.31ha in Kempas, Johor for its Iskandar Malaysia commuter train depot.

Masteel said on Tuesday its JV company -- Metropolitan Commuter Network Sdn Bhd (MCN) -- had received the offer from the Transport Ministry to build the depot. It would submit the application to Perbadanan Aset Keretapi for the land.

"The size of the land is sufficient for MCN's depot construction and is strategically located in Johor for the efficient operation of MCN's proposed commuter train service," it said.

MCN is a joint venture with KUB Malaysia Bhd.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/11/6/business/20121106191729&sec=business

IJM Corp to take up 25% stake in Scomi Group

KUALA LUMPUR: IJM Corporation Bhd is taking up a 25.08% stake inScomi Group valued at RM149.3mil as it seeks a foothold in the fast expanding oil, gas and energy sector.

IJM said on Tuesday it had entered into subscription agreements with Scomi Group to subscribe for 119.11 million new shares or 10% stake for RM39.30mil, which was 33 sen per share.

It also subscribed for redeemable convertible secured bonds of an aggregate nominal value of RM110mil cash. The tenure of the bonds are three years with a 10% yield.

"The proposed strategic investment in Scomi Group, therefore, serves as an excellent opportunity to enhance shareholder value by providing the company with new business streams at a reasonable entry cost," IJM said.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/9/25/business/20120925112456&sec=business

By ZAZALI MUSA
zaza@thestar.com.my | Mar 18, 2011

New transport hub in Johor

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PASIR GUDANG: An integrated transportation hub would be built in Bandar Seri Alam township here to serve residents in the Eastern Gate Development Zone. Seri Alam Properties Sdn Bhd acting head of subsidiary Frankie Tan Kiat How said a 3.19ha site near to a private medical centre has been slated for the project. “The hub will be developed within the next two years and it will improve connectivity from the Eastern Gate to other parts of Iskandar Malaysia,’’ he toldStarMetro.

Tan said this after hosting an appreciation lunch for members of Johor Baru media and the company’s corporate clients at Amansari Residences and Resorts.

He added that the hub would encompass train commuter, feeder bus and taxi services with the commuter system to be inter linked with the rail network at the Kempas Sentral. The latter is part of the KTM Kempas Baru station which would be developed into an integrated transportation hub for Iskandar Malaysia, similar to KL Sentral, but several times bigger.

Eastern Development Gate is one of the five flagship development zones in Iskandar Malaysia – others are the Johor Baru City Centre, Nusajaya, Western Development Gate and Kulai-Senai. Areas that come under the Eastern Development Gate are Pasir Gudang, Pasir Gudang Port, Pasir Gudang industrial park, Tanjung Langsat Port and Tanjung Langsat industrial complex.

“There is a possibility of a link-up with the Singapore’s Mass Rapid Transit system with the transportation hub which will extend from Singapore to Pasir Gudang,’’ said Tan.

In a separate matter, Tan said the company had allocated 16.18ha site in the township for a proposed public hospital in Pasir Gudang to cater for the increasing numbers of residents in the Eastern Gate.

He hoped the government would give priority to the project as residents seeking medical treatments at public hospitals now have to go either to Hospital Sultan Ismail in Pandan or Hospital Sultanah Aminah in Johor Baru. Although there is a private medical centre here, he said not everybody especially wage earners from the medium-low income brackets groups could afford the high medical charges.

“A full-fledged public hospital at least with 200 or 300 beds is a better choice to serve residents here rather than a small hospital,’’ said Tan.

Seri Alam Properties, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Malayan Land Bhd, and currently undertakes the development of 1,347.60ha Bandar Seri Alam township. Development started since 1992, as of todate 60% of the area has been developed with about 10,000 residential and commercial properties and 50,000 residents.

JB-S’pore RTS project being evaluated, Dewan Rakyat told

JB-S’pore RTS project being evaluated, Dewan Rakyat told

Tuesday, 27 March 2012 07:03 Anuja Ravendran 0 Comments

The bullet train project between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is not a priority for both the Malaysian and Singapore governments as much as the rapid transit rail system (RTS) between Johor Baru (JB) and Singapore, according to the Malaysian government. Working committees from both the Malaysian and Singapore governments are evaluating open tender bids for the RTS, aimed to relieve peak hour traffic between both countries, and expect the project to be completed by 2018, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Ahmad Maslan told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

“Construction is expected to commence in 2014 and complete in 2018,” he said in response to Tebrau Member of Parliament (MP) Teng Boon Soon on updates on the proposals to build the mass rapid transit and underwater tunnel between Singapore and Johor Baru as well as the Johor Baru-Kuala Lumpur (KL) bullet train.

The international open tender exercise for the RTS project, expected to include an underground tunnel between both cities, was opened in November and closed in February this year, he said.

The evaluation process has to comply with the requirements set by both countries, he said, adding that the cost for building the RTS will be borne by both governments. He said that the RTS was discussed by both Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Razak and his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong at the last three ministerial retreats between both countries but the bullet train was "not given priority".

At present, it was more important to relieve peak hour traffic between Malaysia’s southern-most city and Singapore as between 30,000 and 40,000 Malaysians and Singaporeans cross over into the both countries at peak hours, with a total of 320,000 people making daily crossovers on normal working days.

“During public holidays, the number doubles,” he said.

Despite this, Ahmad said the government has not dropped the bullet train project and results of the feasibility study will be announced in due course. The project was mooted by YTL Corp Bhd, helmed by Tan Sri Francis Yeoh, in 2006.

The bullet train project has surfaced a number of times since the 1990s. According to news reports in 2008, the government dropped the project, then being bandied with a price tag of RM8 billion, due to the high cost of construction but the project found its way into the limelight again in 2010 when it was announced as a potential Entry Point Project under the ETP.

When asked by Opposition MP for Kuala Selangor Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad on the reason for the delay in announcing the bullet train project for which the cost will continue to grow as the years pass, Ahmad said KL-Singapore travellers have the North-South Expressway to serve their current needs.

The bullet train is touted to cut down travelling time between both cities from six hours by road to 90 minutes.

proposed amendments governing construction sector

BUTTERWORTH: Three proposed amendments governing the Malaysian construction industry is likely to be tabled in Parliament for first reading, the Board of Quantity Surveyors Malaysia said today.

Its President Datuk Abdull Manaf Hashim said the board was trying to get the amendments for first reading in the current Parliament session. The session started yesterday and will end on June 28.

The amendments are Registration of Engineers Act 1967, Architects Act 1967 and Quantity Surveyors Act 1967, he told reporters after opening a seminar on Legal Reforms in the Malaysian Construction Industry.

 

Abdull Manaf said the amendments are the result of the emerging challenges due to globalisation and trade liberalisation within the Malaysian construction industry.

 

"The globalisation and liberalisation have opened up phenomenal opportunities for Malaysian players to explore previously unchartered waters in international construction contracts and in joint venture participation," he said.

 

Abdull Manaf said the industry needed legal reforms to deal with increasingly complex and wider coverage of liabilities and obligations as well as growing concerns and commitment for projects to be completed and delivered in a lawful manner.

 

He said two amendments were approved recently, namely Construction Industry Development Board Malaysia (CIDB) Act 502 and the Construction Industry Payment and Adjudication Act (CIPAA) will be implemented next year.

 

CIPPA's main objectives are to manage persistent cashflow problems arising from frequent miscommunications of contractual obligations and ensure all payment terms are easily understood and accepted by all parties involved in a contract.

NST 12 June 2012

 

New bus network to link to USJ 6 LRT and KTMB stations

BANDAR Sunway and Subang Jaya residents can look forward to a better transport system with the launch of the Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) network connecting the USJ 6 LRT and KTMB stations. The USJ LRT line, which is an extention of the Kelana Jaya LRT line, and BRT will be completed in 2014.

Prasarana Group chairman Tan Sri Ismail Adam said the BRT network would be connected to the USJ 6 LRT station and KTMB Setia Jaya station near the Federal Highway. “Construction work on the BRT lanes passing through more than 6km with stops at strategic places will begin in the second quarter of 2013,” he said. Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah said the BRT would be an effective transport system with seamless connectivity to ease the burden of the community. However, the total cost of the proposed project by Prasarana and Sunway Group is still being worked out.

It is expected to create a positive spillover effects to the country’s construction and transportation sectors. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the maiden BRT-Sunway Line project under a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) initiative between Prasarana and Sunway Berhad at the Sunway Monash Residence last Saturday. “The public transport system in the Klang Valley had improved greatly and this project is aimed at improving the network. “I hope Prasarana will continue to further enhance its services so that Malaysia will be famous for its superior urban public transport system,” Cheah added.


The project is seen as the best solution to address the traffic congestion in Bandar Sunway and Subang Jaya, which had about 500,000 residents and students from higher learning institutions like Monash University, Sunway University and Taylor’s University in the area. The buses will operate on designated lanes which can be elevated depending on the needs of the area. Prasarana representative also said there would be new buses for the line but could not confirm the number of additional buses.

By JAROD LIM
metro@thestar.com.my | Jun 13, 2012

KUB awaiting green light to develop commuter train service for Iskandar Malaysia

NUSAJAYA: KUB Malaysia Bhd (KUB) is still waiting for the Government to decide on its proposal to develop the intra-city commuter train (ICCT) service for Iskandar Malaysia.

Group managing director Datuk Wan Mohd Nor Wan Ahmad said as of to date, the company was the only one to have submitted a proposal for the project. Asked whether the company was confident that it would be the one chosen by the Government to develop the multi-billion ringgit project, he said “we have to wait and see.”

“Hopefully, we’ll hear some good news soon as it has been a year since we submitted the proposal,” said Wan Mohd Nor.He said this at the handing over of RM226,000, business tithes by the company’s wholly-owned subsidiary KUB Agrotech Group Sdn Bhd to Johor Islamic Religious Council.Wan Mohd Nor said the company would make an official announcement on the ICCT project at its upcoming annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur.

KUB and Malaysia Steel Works (KL) Sdn Bhd had in April 2011 via Metropolitan Commuter Network Sdn Bhd (MCN), submitted the proposal of the ICCT service for Iskandar Malaysia. MCN is a joint-venture company between KUB and Malaysia Steel Works and the company had proposed to the Government to construct and operate the rail transit network in Iskandar Malaysia. The company had proposed to develop the RM1.23bil rail network covering 100km to serve all the major suburbs in the country’s first economic growth corridor. By ZAZALI MUSA zaza@thestar.com.my | Jun 12, 2012

Four additional packages of MRT jobs awarded

KUALA LUMPUR: Mass Rapid Transit Corp (MRT Corp) has awarded four additional packages RM3.22bil for the construction of viaducts and depot for the Sg Buloh–Kajang (SBK) MRT Line.

This follows the conclusion of the One-Stop Procurement Committee (OSPC) meeting yesterday chaired by the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak in Putrajaya.

The viaduct packages include construction and completion of viaduct guideways and related works, while the depot package is for the construction of the Sg Buloh Depot and related buildings.

Syarikat Muhibbah Perniagaan and Pembinaan Sdn Bhd won package V1, a bumiputra-exclusive package worth RM1.09bil. It entails works between the Sg Buloh and Kota Damansara stations of the SBK alignment.

Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd was awarded the RM1.17bil package V4, for works between Section 17 in Petaling Jaya and the Semantan Portal, where the alignment will connect to the underground portion of the railway network.

Meanwhile, MTD Construction Sdn Bhd won package V7 worth RM499.98mil for works between Bandar Tun Hussein Onn and Taman Mesra, both in Cheras.

The final package of RM458.98bil - involving works related to the Sg Buloh Depot – was awarded to bumiputra company Trans Resources Corp Sdn Bhd.

MRT Corp CEO Datuk Azhar Abdul Hamid was pleased that further progress had been made with the awarding of the tender packages, adding that this was the third tender award by the OSPC chaired by the Prime Minister.

“The award of the viaduct 5 and viaduct 6 packages in January (to IJM Construction Sdn Bhd and Ahmad Zaki Sdn Bhd, respectively), as well as the underground package in March (to MMC-Gamuda joint venture), show further progress for the SBK line.

“I congratulate the winning bidders, and take this opportunity to remind them the importance of this project not just to Kuala Lumpur as a city, but to Malaysia in general,” he said in a statement yesterday.
He added that like the previous awards, best evaluated tenders were selected after a stringent, proper and fair evaluation by the OSPC.

MRT Corp is expected to award more tenders over the next month.

The Star 10 May 2012

On chinese language

So you have to pack in 40,000 words into 400 possibles sounds. It makes it so that certain sounds have 50 different characters to write them. It also has a hard time absorbing loan words compared to languages like French or Japanese.

a, ai, an, ang, ao
ba, bai, ban, bang, bao, bei, ben, beng, bi, bian, biao, bie, bin, bing, bo, bu
ca, cai, can, cang, cao, ce, cei, cen, ceng, cha, chai, chan, chang, chao, che, chen, cheng, chi, chong, chou, chu, chua, chuai, chuan, chuang, chui, chun, chuo, ci, cong, cou, cu, cuan, cui, cun, cuo
da, dai, dan, dang, dao, de, dei, den, deng, di, dian, diao, die, ding, diu, dong, dou, du, duan, dui, dun, duo
e, ê, ei, en, er
fa, fan, fang, fei, fen, feng, fo, fou, fu
ga, gai, gan, gang, gao, ge, gei, gen, geng, gong, gou, gu, gua, guai, guan, guang, gui, gun, guo
ha, hai, han, hang, hao, he, hei, hen, heng, hm, hng, hong, hou, hu, hua, huai, huan, huang, hui, hun, huo
ji, jia, jian, jiang, jiao, jie, jin, jing, jiong, jiu, ju, juan, jue, jun
ka, kai, kan, kang, kao, ke, kei, ken, keng, kong, kou, ku, kua, kuai, kuan, kuang, kui, kun, kuo
la, lai, lan, lang, lao, le, lei, leng, li, lia, lian, liang, liao, lie, lin, ling, liu, long, lou, lu, luo, luan, lun, lü, lüe
m, ma, mai, man, mang, mao, mei, men, meng, mi, mian, miao, mie, min, ming, miu, mo, mou, mu
n, na, nai, nan, nang, nao, ne, nei, nen, neng, ng, ni, nian, niang, niao, nie, nin, ning, niu, nong, nou, nu, nuo, nuan, nü, nüe
o, ou
pa, pai, pan, pang, pao, pei, pen, peng, pi, pian, piao, pie, pin, ping, po, pou, pu
qi, qia, qian, qiang, qiao, qie, qin, qing, qiong, qiu, qu, quan, que, qun
ran, rang, rao, re, ren, reng, ri, rong, rou, ru, rua, ruan, rui, run, ruo
sa, sai, san, sang, sao, se, sei, sen, seng, sha, shai, shan, shang, shao, she, shei, shen, sheng, shi, shou, shu, shua, shuai, shuan, shuang, shui, shun, shuo, si, song, sou, su, suan, sui, sun, suo
ta, tai, tan, tang, tao, te, teng, ti, tian, tiao, tie, ting, tong, tou, tu, tuan, tui, tun, tuo
wa, wai, wan, wang, wei, wen, weng, wo, wu
xi, xia, xian, xiang, xiao, xie, xin, xing, xiong, xiu, xu, xuan, xue, xun
ya, yan, yang, yao, ye, yi, yin, ying, yong, you, yu, yuan, yue, yun
za, zai, zan, zang, zao, ze, zei, zen, zeng, zha, zhai, zhan, zhang, zhao, zhe, zhei, zhen, zheng, zhi, zhong, zhou, zhu, zhua, zhuai, zhuan, zhuang, zhui, zhun, zhuo, zi, zong, zou, zu, zuan, zui, zun, zuo

Syllables spelled with "u", but pronounced with "ü":

ju, juan, jue, jun
qu, quan, que, qun
xu, xuan, xue, xun
yu, yuan, yue, yun

Syllables where "u" and "ü" must not be mixed up:

lu, lü, lüe
nu, nü, nüe

Those are every possible Chinese spoken sound.

Notice, no "th" "tr" "sl" "sk" .... consonant clusters are rare ans other languages use them a lot.

http://www.economist.com/comment/1168102#comment-1168102

Bina Puri receives letter on highway

ETALING JAYA: Bina Puri Holdings Bhd has confirmed that it has received a letter of intent dated Nov 11, 2011 from the National Highway Authority in Islamabad, Pakistan with regard to the conversion of the existing four-lane Karachi-Hyderabad super highway into a six-lane motorway on a build, operate and transfer basis.

“We are currently negotiating the financial and legal aspects of the concession agreement with them. We will make further announcements on the progress of the concession,” it said in a filing with Bursa Malaysia.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/13/business/10254865&sec=business

Gamuda confirms CRCC offer for Gemas-JB rail job

KUALA LUMPUR: Gamuda Bhd said it had been invited by China Railway Construction Co (CRCC) earlier on to be one of its local construction partners for the upgrading of the Gemas-Johor Baru railway line to an electrified double-tracking track.

Confirming a StarBiz report yesterday, a Gamuda spokesperson toldStarBiz that it believed it had been chosen to be part of the consortium as it had a proven track record and expertise from the Ipoh-Padang Besar electrified double-tracking project.

StarBiz had reported on Tuesday that Gamuda had been roped in to be part of a group which is the front-runner for the construction of the Gemas-Johor Baru line.

A source had told StarBiz that the Malaysian construction company was in a consortium with CRCC and another local party linked to the Johor royal family and that this group was presently the front-runner for the RM8bil rail upgrading project.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2012/1/11/business/10239226&sec=business

2012

Property – Bad news priced in but outlook remains challenging                         

Sector Update

-          Fundamentals are still wobbly as property sales are largely driven by GDP growth. Given our GDP growth forecast of 3.6% for 2012, we expect property sales to slow to 5% after a 20% growth in 2011 (annualised).

-          We prefer larger caps with sufficient liquidity such as UEM Land, Sunway and Mah Sing for trading opportunities if their share price weakens.

(source RHBInvest)

KUALA LUMPUR: With many of Malaysia's economic sectors having performed solidly over the past 12 months, the country is poised for another strong performance this year, says Oxford Business Group (OBG), a global publishing and consultancy company.

Though final figures have yet to be issued, OBG said it was expected that the Malaysian economy would have expanded by more than 5% in 2011...

At the end of November, the Organisation for Economic and Cooperative Development (OECD) forecast that this solid rate of growth would continue for at least the next five years, predicting that Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) would expand by 5.3% in each of the next few years and hit 5.6% by 2016.

OBG said the OECD's forecast was somewhat more optimistic than theAsian Development Bank or the World Bank, which was looking at a growth for Malaysia's GDP rising by 4.7% and 4.9% respectively, in 2012 although it was roughly in line with the International Monetary Fund's projection of 5.1%...

Along with the GDP, Malaysia's balance of payments figures were also positive in 2011, with the current account surplus standing at US$23.8bil for the nine months ended Sept 30, an 18% increase on the US$20.2bil posted in the same period last year.

However, OBG said there were some concerns that Malaysia's export trade could suffer in 2012, as major segments of the global economy could flirt with recession.

While Malaysia's exports rose by a healthy 15.8% in October, this rate of increase was lower than that of the previous month, though still above the 9.1% rise spread over the first 10 months of the year, it said...

The latest figures released in November by the Statistics Department showed inflation had remained fairly steady, with consumer prices rising by 3.4% year-on-year in October.

Inflation could ease further in 2012, dipping to between 2.5% and 2.8%, OBG said.

This would be a result of a slowing of demand, and a slight deceleration of growth, with commodity prices moderating, it said...

The report, released in mid-December, said the outlook for Malaysian lenders was stable though household debts, currently running at 76% of 2010 GDP, remained high.

OBG said another sign of the stability and appeal of the Malaysian economy came in the form of inflows of FDIs, which rose by 43% to US$8.3bil during the first nine months of the year in comparison to the same period in 2010.

Indeed, the year-end total for 2011 was likely to meet or exceed the US$10bil forecast by the government, it said...

“Though there were still positive FDI inflows in the third quarter, the US$1.6bil between July and September 2011 was some 50% less than in the previous quarter, reflecting uncertainties and growing caution among international investors. This unease could well continue into 2012,” it added. Bernama

Gemas-JB rail job winner to emerge in March

Three Chinese companies were earlier shortlisted for the RM8 billion project known as the Gemas-Johor Baru Electrified Double Tracking Project (EDTP).


They are China Railway Engineering Co (CREC), China Railway Construction Co (CRCC) and China Communication Construction Co (CCCC). The three are subsidiaries of China’s Ministry of Railway.


The Ministry of Transport said recently the rail link was still in the design process and its minister, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said he was not aware of any contract being awarded yet despite unconfirmed news saying the government has decided winner of the tender.


The Gemas-Johor Baru project includes the building of 197km of parallel railway tracks, stations, depots, halts, yards and bridges and covers systems such as electrification, signalling and communications.

Read more: Gemas-JB rail job winner to emerge in March http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20120103232153/Article/index_html#ixzz1iRUTj9uZ

KL Metropolis

KLORR - Seven days left to view report on expressway

PETALING JAYA: 

The public has seven days left to review the detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (DEIA) report on the proposed 35.5km East Klang Valley Expressway (EKVE).

EKVE, which is the eastern and final uncompleted route of the Kuala Lumpur Outer Ring Road, would link the Kajang Silk Ex­­pressway and the Karak Ex­­pressway.

The EKVE would provide a by-pass route and enable motorists from the southern part of the Klang Valley such as from Cheras, Bangi and Subang to travel to Selayang and Gombak and vice versa without having to go through the city centre.

It would also serve as a bypass route around Kuala Lumpur for inter-regional traffic from the Karak Highway, according to the executive summary of the DEIA.

There would be six interchanges – Sungai Long, Bukit Mah­kota Cheras, Hulu Langat, Am­pang, Ukay Perdana and IIUM (Inter­national Islamic University Malaysia).

The report said 214.7ha of forest reserves would be affected along the corridor of the project, namely the Hulu Gombak, Ampang and Hulu Langat Forest Reserve.

The report noted that wildlife movement and roaming habitat could be affected and outlined measures to minimise the impact.

The report, prepared by EKVE Sdn Bhd’s consultant, can be viewed at the National Library, the Department of Envi­ronment’s (DOE) office in Putrajaya, state offices and the Ampang Jaya, Kajang and Selayang municipal councils.

The public should forward their written comments to DOE by Jan 23.

http://www.starproperty.my/PropertyScene/PropertyNews/17964/0/0