Rightways to Success

Thursday, 10 October 2024

On track with Penang LRT construction from December

Exciting new journey: An artist’s impression of the Penang LRT’s Mutiara Line. — File pic

Penang's Long-Awaited LRT Project Set To Break Ground ...

GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s Light Rail Transport (LRT) dream will begin to take shape in December with a groundbreaking event, with the first station to be built in Lebuh Macallum.

Transport Minister Anthony Loke is said to have approved a date to get the 29km Mutiara Line landmark project off the ground.

The alignment starts from Penang Sentral on the mainland before crossing the channel to Lebuh Macallum.

From there, the multibillion-ringgit line will pass through Komtar, Bandar Sri Pinang, Sungai Pinang, East Jelutong, The Light, Gelugor, Jalan Universiti, Sungai Dua, Sungai Nibong, Bukit Jambul, SPICE, Jalan Tengah, the Free Industrial Zone, Free Industrial Zone South, Sungai Tiram, the Penang International Airport, Permatang Damar Laut and Silicon Island, which will serve as a depot.

A component of the Penang Transport Master Plan, the Penang LRT will have 20 stations, including two interchange stations at Komtar and Penang Sentral in Butterworth, with completion slated for 2030.

It was reported recently that project developer Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) might opt for a rubber-tyred metro system to save on operations and maintenance costs.

With annual ridership projected at between five million and 42 million passengers, the Penang government is counting on the mammoth project to ease chronic traffic congestion in the state.

The Gamuda-led group SRS Consortium is currently finalising terms and conditions for the civil works package, which will cost about RM7.6bil.

Gamuda is planning to bid for the electrification and signalling works, worth about RM1.2bil.

The project has three main components: civil construction works for Segment 1, covering the alignment of Silicon Island to Komtar; Segment 2, which covers the line from Komtar to Penang Sentral, and a turnkey contract for system and carriage (coach) works.

Small and Medium Enterprises Association honorary national secretary Yeoh Seng Hooi said the LRT project would also provide more jobs, with skilled locals to benefit.

“The spillover effects will benefit subcontractors and those providing goods and services for the project.

“Infrastructure development, which reduces transport costs and travel time, will boost foreign and domestic investments,” he said.Transport analyst Abi Sofian Abdul Hamid said incorporating support networks like shuttle services and parking facilities would ensure the LRT system’s efficacy.

He said transit-oriented “last-mile” development around LRT stations would contribute to green transportation and lower carbon emissions.

In June, Loke said he hoped that physical work could commence before the year’s end.

He also revealed that the LRT’s alignment had been finalised.

He said this was done after discussions with all parties and that the Penang government agreed with the alignment proposed by MRT Corp, with the passenger station starting from Bayan Lepas to Komtar and one line to Penang Sentral.

On March 29, Loke announced that the Federal Government had taken over the Penang LRT project from the state government, with MRT Corp appointed as developer and asset owner.

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Wednesday, 9 October 2024

Fake property agents scamming renters

Calling for action: Chong (seated, second from left) with Lee (Chong’s left) with the six property agents during the press conference. — LOW LAY PHON/The Star

KUALA LUMPUR: Scammers have now ventured into new territory, posing as property agents to dupe unsuspecting renters in the Klang Valley out of thousands of ringgit, with 10 cases reported so far.

Apart from using the profile pictures of legitimate agents and copying their verification numbers on property sites, the scammers even conduct viewing sessions for clients and later collect rental deposits before going missing when the key handover is due.

Victor Lee, a spokesman representing six property agents whose profiles were duplicated by scammers to create identical accounts on a property site to dupe the public, said they only came to know of this after being alerted by their company.

“However, we were not aware of these transactions taking place using our names. Only after it happened did we realise that there were impostors,” Lee told a press conference held by MCA Public Services and Complaints Department head Datuk Seri Michael Chong here yesterday.

He said checks on the property site would find two accounts of the same agent, with one being fake.

“The contact number on the impostor account also redirects to a private number (which is not ours). Listed property prices in the impostors’ accounts are also lower than market rates to attract clients,” he said.

On viewing sessions conducted by the “agents”, Lee said he suspected the impostors rented the property through online rental sites, thus giving them access.

The scammers, he said, would then collect a three-and-a-half month rental deposit upfront, when the norm is that only one month’s advance rental is collected if the client agrees to the unit.

“The balance is usually paid when the unit is handed over to the tenant,” he said.

He said the deposits were also banked into an account number provided by the “agent” and once the transaction was made, the scammer would immediately block the mobile number of the client.

Meanwhile, Chong said losses from the scam amounted to about RM6,000 per case with approximately 10 cases reported so far.

Most of the scam victims are local and foreign students, he said.

“We want to warn the public about this type of scam and ask them to beware of the mobile numbers used in these cases,” he said, adding that he also suspected the scammers could be property agents themselves as they were well versed in rental procedures.

Chong said they would also hold dialogues with real estate associations to alert them on the matter.

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Syndicate using names of real estate agents

Looking to broaden their TVET skills

Malaysian students chosen for MCYTT programme grateful for learning opportunity in China

Vocational education in China

SEPANG: Malaysian students selected to gain more exposure in technical and vocational education and training (TVET) at China’s TVET institutions are grateful for the learning opportunity.

Pavitheran Ganesan said he was elated to go to China as he did not expect to be chosen for the programme.

The 22-year-old, who is studying an automotive course in light vehicle maintenance at a TVET institution in Batu Gajah, Perak, hopes to learn more about electric vehicles (EVs) in China.

“I applied the moment I knew about it and thought it was an opportunity not to be missed,” he added.

He said he has had a love for cars since young as he was always at his grandfather’s workshop.

Pavitheran, who hails from Batu Gajah, also speaks fluent Mandarin, and hopes his language skills will help him once he lands in China.

“It is also my first time on a plane and travelling so far from home,” he added.

He was one of 200 students who were chosen for the Malaysia-China Youth TVET training (MCYTT) programme at China’s TVET institutions.

These students are from vocational colleges in Johor, Negri Sembilan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Perak.

About half of them left for China yesterday.

Muhammad Firas Aiman, 23, said he was glad to have the unique opportunity to gain more knowledge in China.

He will be undergoing more training at Gansu Vocational and Technical College of Nonferrous Metallurgy for two weeks.

“Since I was in primary school, I had an inclination towards practical skills, and when I was presented with this opportunity, I took it immediately,” said the TVET student from Kluang, Johor.

He said the trip would also enable him to learn more about China’s working culture and lifestyle.

Another student from Perak, Tiew Chung Bin, 20, said he hopes to have a comprehensive understanding of EVs.

Hailing from Ipoh, Tiew said he has a deep interest in EVs, adding that he wishes to see the EV technologies in China.

While he was nervous about the flight to China yesterday, he looked forward to enjoying the food there.

He will be heading to the same polytechnic in Jiangxi with four of his coursemates.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who sent off the students at KLIA Terminal 1 here yesterday, expressed optimism that the quota for Malaysian students to participate in MCYTT will increase.He said in the early stages, 3,125 students were given the opportunity to gain exposure in China.

“I am grateful that after my visit to China, the Chinese government increased that number by another 2,000, bringing it to 5,125,” he said in a speech.

Ahmad Zahid, who is also the National TVET Council chairman, said the government will pay back students from this cohort who had to fund their own flight tickets.

All students, including those from previous cohorts, who had paid for their flight tickets will be able to receive reimbursement from the government, he added.

Started on Nov 9, 2023, MCYTT provides TVET training for Malaysian youth in China in various fields, such as electric vehicle technology, solar, the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity.

Since its inception, 1,776 Malaysian students have had the opportunity to train in China’s TVET institutions.

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