The government has raised petrol prices several times and the unpredictable global weather is not helping. It will mean poorer production of vital crops, and as a result, we can be sure that food prices will rise again this year. Merely fretting over rising costs is counter-productive, so why not think of ways to lower costs.

HONG KONG: The overall office demand in Asia remained positive in 1Q11, thanks to abundant liquidity, according to the Asia Pacific Office Market Overview recently released by Colliers International.

SINGAPORE: Malaysia's Sime Darby Property’s (SDP) unique Idea House was awarded the much-coveted Platinum Green Mark recognition at Singapore’s Building and Construction Authority (BCA) 2011 Awards here on May 19

BANTING: Green technology is being used to construct 11 buildings and five roads under the 10th Malaysia Plan, Works Minister Datuk Shaziman Abu Mansor said on May 19.

The projects are now in various stages of completion, he told reporters after opening a factory of the German company NAUE Asia Sdn Bhd in Teluk Panglima Garang near here.

BEIJING: The property arm of Hong Leong Group, GuocoLand China Limited's (GLC) plans to develop its first shopping mall in Beijing into one of Beijing's symbolic landmarks.

Guoson Mall has so far attained 50 per cent occupancy, says Managing Director Violet Lee.The occupancy is expected to touch 75 per cent by end of July, she told  a media interview here.

KUALA LUMPUR: The country's dependency on foreign labour, especially in the construction industry, can be reduced if more
companies adopt the Industrialised Building System (IBS), which involves using a pre-cast construction method.

GEORGE TOWN: The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) will ask the Institute of Public Works (IKRAM) to inspect a block of flats in Lengkok Mahsuri, Bayan Baru which is said to be tilting.

Pantai Jerejak State Assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin said, a structural inspection would be carried out on all 11 blocks of the four-storey flats built in 1982.

KUALA LUMPUR: Paramount Corp Bhd's pre-tax profit for the first quarter ended March 31, 2011 has risen 16.3 per cent to RM25.7 million from RM22.1 million in the same quarter in 2010.

Its revenue grew 1.5 per cent to RM103.9 million from RM102.4 million previously, the company said in a filing to Bursa Malaysia on May 19.

HONG KONG: The overall office demand in Asia remained positive in 1Q 2011, thanks to abundant liquidity, according to the Asia Pacific Office Market Overview recently released by Colliers International.

KUALA LUMPUR: UOA Development Bhd, which is targeting to list on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia on June 8, is planning to undertake 13 projects with a gross development value of RM10 billion.

Its chief operating officer of development David Khor said on Thursday, May 19 the company had 13 projects in the pipeline of which 65% would be in Bangsar South.