Looking to the Middle East

These are exciting times for the Maju Group of Companies with the recent appointment of a new chief executive and big plans not just locally but overseas as well. 

Real estate investment trusts (REITs) and property stocks are alternatives to property investment. While both are listed on Bursa Malaysia, they offer different potential risks and rewards.

If you take a drive to Kemensah, a stone’s throw away from the National Zoo in Kuala Lumpur, you will notice a number of on-going projects there. The area is attractive for its lush greenery and impressive hills, its proximity to the Kuala Lumpur city centre, and several major expressways that ensure convenience and connectivity.

Investment gurus Robert Kiyosaki and Donald Trump once remarked on their love for investing in property.

PETALING JAYA: Sunway City Bhd (SunCity) has signed a collaboration agreement with Sino-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Investment and Development Co., Ltd (SSTEC) to develop 41 hectares of the 3,000-hectare Tianjin Eco-City in Tianjin, China with a gross development value of RM5 billion.

BEIJING: China's capital city of Beijing has ordered that families can buy only one home from now on, a potentially tough new tactic in the country's fight against rampant property speculation.

The rule will apply to purchases above and beyond what families already own, meaning that people with multiple homes will be allowed to retain those and could even acquire one more.

DUBAI: A Dubai-based Malaysian businessman is embarking on a project to build 200 low-cost houses for earthquake victims in the city of Padang in West Sumatra, Indonesia.

PETALING JAYA: Hwa Tai Industries Bhd has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement on April 30 with Maple Synergy Sdn Bhd for the purchase of a 1-storey factory-cum-warehouse in Tongkang Pecah Industrial Estate, Batu Pahat, Johor, for a total consideration of RM1.08 million.

KUALA LUMPUR: Metacorp Australia Pty Ltd, is acquiring 38.1% equity interest in Whitsundays Hermitage Pty Ltd for A$95,000 (RM281,718).

Metacorp Australia is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Metacorp Bhd which in turn is a wholly-owned subsidiary of MTD Capital Bhd.

KUALA LUMPUR: Global steel prices have increased rapidly in annual terms as steel producers press for price increases to cover growing input cost, according to MEPS (International) Ltd.

This is despite weak demand from end user sectors, prompting steel product distributors to be cautious about rebuilding inventories.