This article first appeared in The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on January 19 - 25 , 2015.

The route rarely taken

WHEN you look up Kampung Attap on the Internet, Restaurant ZK emerges among the top 10 searches on the list. Apart from this restaurant famous for its fish head curry dish, little else is known about the history and origins of the area.

THE STATE is open to meeting with bankers to conduct joint public auctions on foreclosed units that fall into the low and low-medium-cost (LC and LMC) category.

MORE THAN 40% of low and low-medium-cost homes that are put up for auction annually in Penang do not get sold due to the state’s stringent criteria for first-time homebuyers, says Penang Auctioneers Association chairman Stephen Soon.

He says a proposal to lift or relax the criteria will be submitted to the state government in two months’ time.

AS THE local property sector braces for a tough year ahead, Penang’s real estate developers are appealing to the state to lower their cost of development.

In 2012, the state government increased the cost of development by introducing new contribution charges and raising existing ones.

KLUANG in Johor is regarded by many as a small town. To Kluang-born Tey Ah Kau, it is a home that he is proud of and he believes there are many development opportunities there.  

DUE TO a lack of opportunities, architect Keisuke Maeda worked as a construction site manager after he graduated from Kokushikan University in Tokyo. But he never gave up his dream of establishing his own architecture firm.

IN THE second half of 2014, Kota Kinabalu saw few launches across all sectors with most developers focusing on the sale of leftover units from earlier launches. However, the overall outlook continues to be optimistic in the medium to long term, according to Knight Frank’s Kota Kinabalu Market Outlook for 2H2014.