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Showing posts with label Bayan Lepas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bayan Lepas. Show all posts

Friday 18 August 2023

EXOLORE NEW FERRY ROUTES IN PENANG, PPSB TOLD

 

PPSB told to explore new ferry routes

Ferry operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) has been told to explore new routes between the island and mainland, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke.

Loke said after the official launch of the new ferry service at the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal in George Town on Thursday (Aug 17).

Loke: We can have a new jetty along the coast in Bayan Lepas

GEORGE TOWN: Ferry operator Penang Port Sdn Bhd (PPSB) has been told to explore new routes between the island and mainland, says Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.

He said the matter should be looked into as there are those who live in the mainland but work in the free industrial zone in Bayan Lepas.

“We have proposed to the ferry operator to look at other points between the mainland and island where jetties can be built.

“We can have a new jetty along the coast in the Bayan Lepas area.

“The ministry has proposed the ferry operator do a feasibility study on the possibility of new routes in Penang.

“The ferry services should not be confined to carrying passengers from the Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal on the mainland to the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal on the island and vice-versa only,” he said after the official launch of the new ferry service at the Raja Tun Uda ferry terminal here yesterday.

He said PPSB could also look into working with several operators of privately-owned jetties in the state.

“If there is demand, the ministry will have no problem offering new ferry routes in Penang,” he added.

Loke said the first week had seen about 50,000 passengers and 20,000 motorcyclists using the new ferry service that began on Aug 7.

He added that the new ferry service should also be made available for private charters or tourism purposes.

“PPSB can offer any private companies or corporate sectors that want to rent the ferry for events, or any tour agencies that want to bring their tourists to explore Penang through sea routes.

“The operator can venture into this possibility and turn it into a tourism product for Penang,” said Loke.

He added that there were plans to turn the old ferries that had been decommissioned into tourism products.

The launching of the new ferries was officiated by Penang Governor Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak.

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Related:

Penang's new ferry service begins with first passengers | The Star

Penang's new ferry service begins with first passengers | The Star



Monday 6 August 2012

Straits International School (SIS) coming up in Penang

PENANG has been chosen by Charter Sdn Bhd as the site of their first educational centre called the Straits International School

SIS Charter Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Lita Nasyitah Goh Abdullah said they decided on Penang as their first education hub in Malaysia as they believed Penang was one of the most developed states.

“We look forward to nurturing and guiding young Penangites towards greater success and a lifetime of achievement.

“We choose Bayan Lepas specifically as it is a free industrial zone and a destination for plenty of multinational companies.

“The locality also has great accessibility, infrastructure and logistics,” she said.

She was speaking before the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MoA) between Oztek (M) Sdn Bhd and SIS Charter Sdn Bhd at the Eastin Hotel recently.

“We see that Penang is gearing up to be an education hub. Hence, the setting up of our campus here is a decision which will defi-nitely benefit all concerned,” she added.

Oztek (M) Sdn Bhd managing director Datuk Alex Ooi, who is the developer, said that his company was currently finalising the building plan with the Penang Municipal Council.

The company is clearing a 0.809 ha plot of land in Jalan Tun Dr Awang.

“The build-up area of the school is about 200,000sq ft (about 18580sq m) and the building costs about RM20mil to RM25mil.

“Construction will start in January next year and is scheduled to be completed in the third quarter of 2014.”

Ooi added that the building will be able to host about 1,500 students.

“We are looking to lease the building to SIS Charter Sdn Bhd for 20 years,” he said.

SIS will begin its academic programme from its temporary campus at 1-Square, Penang Cyber City, which is at Tingkat Mahsuri 1, Bayan Lepas,

The new term will start on Aug 27.

Witnessing the MoA followed by the launching of the temporary campus was Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Lim said that the new five-storey building of the school would be a state-of-the-art facility.

“The incorporation of the SIS underlines the growing importance of providing quality curriculum.

“This move will help place Penang as an educational hub of choice for not only the locals but the expatriate communities living in Thailand and Indonesia.”

The Star/Asia News Network

Sunday 26 February 2012

Poser over Penang Bayan Mutiara deal


Bayan Mutiara is a prime land
Bayan Mutiara is a prime land, given its proximity to the Bayan Lepas free trade zones, the international airport and also the second Penang Bridge.


Comment by KHOO KAY PENG

There are still several questions left unanswered by the Penang government over the sale of the prime property.

SEVERAL Penang-based analysts and local community leaders have questioned the Penang government for selling a 41.5ha plot of prime state land to a private developer, Ivory Properties Group Berhad, for RM1.07bil.

Their concern is understandable due to scarce availability of state-owned land on the island which may hinder the ability of the state government to drive a balanced development and ensure it does not drive out the lower middle-income group from the area.

Most private property projects on the island are focused primarily on premium and luxury property which have driven up prices beyond the reach of most Penangites. There is worry that the sale of the state-owned Bayan Mutiara land to a private developer may end up in a similar fate.

Apart from escalating property prices, there is a concern that the land may have been sold below the prevailing market value. The state government had explained that the current selling price was above market value at the time of transaction.

However, it does not explain if it is usual to allow the purchaser a period of five years to settle the full payment. Did the transacted price factor in any interest payment accrued by the five-year payment period?

The opportunity cost derived from a potential increase in land premium over the next five years should be included to ensure that it is a fair deal.

Accusations and allegations of a lack of transparency in the tender process should be comprehensively addressed by the state government. Critics had alleged that the sale was done through direct negotiations between the state government and the purchaser.

Without justifying the five-year payment period, these allegations will create doubt over the much ac­­claimed transparency and ac­­count­ability of the state government.

Moreover, the allegations are peppered by talk that a bidder who is prepared to make a full payment for the purchase was not selected during the tender process.

Some analysts have questioned how can the sale benefit the people? They wonder why the development of Bayan Mutiara cannot be taken up by the Penang Development Corporation (PDC) which has the capacity and experience to handle people-centric development projects such as the Penang Free Trade Zones, housing estates, Komtar and others.

Regrettably, the issue of public accountability and good governance has been grossly politicised by certain parties. Politicians have gone to the extent of throwing down the gauntlet of challenging each other to resign over false allegations related to the land sale. We expect such showmanship from politicians but we deserve straight and accurate answers from them.

Politicising this issue is going to deprive many concerned stakeholders a chance to ask relevant and legitimate questions about the decision to sell the land to a private developer.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng had described allegations of wrongdoing over the tender award for the Bayan Mutiara mixed deve­lopment project by PDC as “a pack of lies”.

While some of these allegations may be malicious, it is pertinent for Lim’s administration to identify legitimate concerns over the sale. He should acknowledge that the state government controls less than 5% of total land size on the island and this calls for a prudent and strategic management of state-owned prime land.

Hence, it is best for his administration to address these issues immediately in order to convince the people of Penang that it has taken the best interests of the people into consideration before agreeing to the sale. Major issues include:

> What was the rationale to allow a five-year payment period to the purchaser? It gives an impression that the purchaser may not have secured financing for the purchase.

> Is it true there was another bidder who was prepared to pay an upfront full payment for the asking price?

> Did the transacted price factor in any interest charges or projected land price appreciation over the next five years?

> Is there any restriction or precondition between the state government and the purchaser to discourage any sub-sales? If the purchaser were to divide and resell some parcels of the land to other developers at a higher premium, it may further drive up property prices on the island. If such sales were allowed, is the state government entitled to a share of the higher premium?

> It is understood that the government would like to use the proceeds from Bayan Mutiara land to finance its low-cost housing scheme in Batu Kawan. While the low-cost housing scheme is welcomed and encouraged, the state government needs to justify if the sale of Bayan Mutiara land is the best option to help finance the project.

> Lim said part of the RM500mil financing for the housing scheme came from the state coffers. If this is the case, what is stopping the state from raising money through external sources to fund the entire project and carefully weigh all options to optimise the use of the Bayan Mutiara prime land bank?

Bayan Mutiara is no longer about selling above the current market value but the use of scarce prime land on the island for the purpose of socio-economic transformation. Ownership of prime land is very crucial for the state government to drive the state’s economy.

We do not want a repeat of high premium-reclaimed lands being sold to private developers who in turn inflate property prices in Penang and raked in billions in profit at the expense of the people.

Bayan Mutiara could be what the state government needs to help transform the landscape of Penang and create new attractions to boost its attractiveness as a tourism and cultural destination and a services hub.

Time will judge if the current state government has made the right decision on Bayan Mutiara and if the proposed plan is not going to turn out to be just another expensive commercial project by a private property developer.

> Khoo Kay Peng is an independent policy analyst and a management consultant. He was born and raised in Penang. Khoo can be contacted at kpkhoo@gfworld.com.my.

Sunday 3 July 2011

Get industry help, varsities told





UK research director: Experts can advise academics on needs of private sector

By DAVID TAN davidtan@thestar.com.my

MALAYSIAN universities should consider engaging professionals who have served in multinational corporations (MNCs) to enhance collaboration between universities and the private sector to produce skilled human resources.

Dr Shi Yongjiang (pic), who is a research director of the Centre for International Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, said retired and semi-retired professionals could identify the fields of collaboration relevant to the needs of industry.

He said the university had all the while engaged those who had served in well-known MNCs to serve as tutors and consultants for its industrial systems, manufacturing and management programme (ISMM).



“With their experience, they can serve as tutors to instruct and to give input on how to improve the curriculum to better serve the needs of the industry.

“As consultants, they can advise on how to improve the communication between the academic and private sectors,” he said.

He was speaking after visiting Qdos Holdings Bhd, a flexi-circuit production company in Bayan Lepas, Penang.

Shi is visiting Malaysia and Singapore from June 26 to July 10 with 10 postgraduate students to compare the industrial systems of the United Kingdom, Malaysia and Singapore.

“Under the ISMM programme, students are sent to work in manufacturing plants to apply what they have learnt in theory.

“This is to test how effective the theory is,” he said.

On Malaysia’s competitive edge, Shi said the country had very advanced skills in management systems and inventory planning compared to countries such as India, China, and Indonesia.

On the shortage of engineers in Penang, Shi said the problem was not unique as the UK and Germany also faced the same problem.

“One way to overcome the problem is to open the doors to international talents.

“The other solution is to revamp the engineering curriculum in universities and the science curriculum in high schools to make the subjects interesting. This is being done in the UK,” he said.

Shi said one of the reasons for the shortage of engineers in the UK was the very attractive salaries in the banking sector.

Engineering graduates are lured to jobs in the banking sector because of the pay. Banks are also in favour of hiring engineering graduates as they have the analytical ability to solve complex problems,” he said.
Shi added that local companies should invest more on research and development activities to move up the value chain.