PENANG is once again blanketed by thick haze, dropping visibility to as low as four to six kilometres at one point. According to the Department of Environment (DOE), the Air Pollution Index (API) in Seberang Jaya early last week was 84. Read here.

The haze continued to worsen over the week, with the API climbing to as high as 96, just short of the 101 "unhealthy" mark. A DOE official attributed the haze to a variety of factors, including open burning, prolonged hot and dry weather and south-westerly winds carrying smoke from hot spots in Sumatra. Read here.

Developers meet at property fair roundtable

Developers from around the country attended The Star Property Fair 2011 Roundtable to discuss the future of property development in Penang.

Most believe that the Penang market will continue to see expansion, with many anticipating that projects like the second Penang Bridge will help close the gap between the island and the mainland. "The mainland and island are now better connected in terms of distance, and accessibility, which will be further enhanced with the completion of the second bridge," said KC Tan, general manager of DNP Land Sdn Bhd (northern region). "We can expect a shift in the property market towards Batu Kawan, especially when the second bridge and the Electrified Double Track Project (EDTP) connecting Ipoh and Padang Besar are completed."

Mabel Ooi, general manager of Lone Pine Group of Companies, acknowledged that current trends appear to be moving away from condominiums. "The trend is to go for smaller units. I would say there is still a demand for big units, as there are buyers attracted by unique concepts." Read here.

Meanwhile, Sunway City Bhd, Mah Sing Group Bhd, Lone Pine Group of Companies, Ivory Properties Group Bhd, MTT Properties and Development Sdn Bhd, Asas Dunia Bhd, and DNP Land Sdn Bhd have announced plans to launch properties worth more than RM2.27bil in Penang. About 1,722 units worth RM1.89bil in gross sales value (GSV) are planned for Penang Island, while the remaining 1,389 units (RM372mil) will be allocated to the mainland. Read here.

Other news

• EO detainee Dr Michael Jeyakumar in IJN: PSM’s Sungai Siput MP Dr D Michael Jeyakumar, presently detained without trial under the Emergency Ordinance 1969, has been admitted to the National Heart Institute (IJN)  here for heartbeat abnormality. Read here.
• Iranian weightlifters crowned as 2011 world junior champions: Iranian athletes have won two more medals on the last day of the competitions in Malaysia to lead Iran to the crown of the games for the first time. Read here.
• Black water by night: A treasure trove of street food can be found at Air Itam in Penang, and prices are still very reasonable. Read here.
• Government will upgrade Penang jetty if number of ferry users increases: The government will take appropriate action to upgrade Penang Jetty if the number of pedestrians and vehicles using the ferry service increases in the future. Read here.
• Jetty roof blown off in storm at Weld Quay: A storm wreaked havoc at the Weld Quay reclamation area as zinc roofs and tiles of at least three houses and a fishing jetty were blown off. Read here.

For more news on Penang, please click through to iGT NetBuzz July 4 to 10, 2011 here. For daily updates, "like" iGeorgeTown on Facebook or join us on Twitter.

Comments (0)

Show/Hide comments

Show/Hide comment form