After just about two months in office, new Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha feels there is a need for change — not in the ministry but in the people’s perception of it. People tend to blame the ministry for all their housing-related woes, so making them understand the role of the ministry better is one of his key challenges, says Kong.

In April 2007, the government heeded calls for the build-then-sell (BTS) approach to be implemented, mainly to protect homebuyers from becoming victims of abandoned projects. It introduced two BTS variants — the complete BTS 0:100 and partial BTS 10:90 and offered incentives to encourage developers to adopt the system to deliver houses.

Section 14 in Petaling Jaya has been the subject of much talk following the collapse of part of the old Jaya Shopping Centre in the early evening of May 28. The building was in the process of being demolished when a 5-storey portion of the structure gave way, killing seven construction workers.A few days after the incident, the scene of the tragedy continues to attract curious passersby.

Overall occupancy and rental rates in the Klang Valley office market for 1Q2009 indicate signs of a downward trend.Knight Frank Malaysia executive director Sarkunan Subramaniam, when presenting The Edge/Knight Frank Malaysia Klang Valley Office Monitor for the three-month period, says the market is beginning to see the effects of the global financial crisis and weaker market sentiment.Sarkunan

The old Jaya Shopping Centre building is an investment property under CIMB-Mapletree Real Estate Fund 1 (CMREF 1) currently managed by real estate fund management company CIMB Mapletree Management Sdn Bhd — a 60:40 joint venture between CIMB Group and Singapore’s Mapletree Investments Pte Ltd.When contacted, CIMB-Mapletree Management said it would be premature to comment as the authorities are

Some property buyers seem to have no qualms about buying off the plan, armed only with information gleaned from glossy brochures dished out by sweet-talking sales personnel. While the number of discerning investors may be growing, there are still the uninitiated and the presumptuous who do not know what they are getting themselves into.

The Klang Valley secondary housing market in 1Q2009 was generally flat with little change in prices in most areas from the previous quarter.

Jalan Imbi poised for growth Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle is popularly recognised as the country’s main commercial hub with world-class shopping centres, hotels, offices and trendy shops that are bordered by Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Imbi.

When it comes to property development in Sri Hartamas, among the players that are likely to be mentioned is Malaysia Land Properties Sdn Bhd (Mayland). The Hong Kong-based developer, which recently launched its serviced apartments, The Regalia development off Jalan Sultan Ismail in Kuala Lumpur last year, is still busy in Sri Hartamas.

KUALA LUMPUR: The shops on Jalan Imbi, located in Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle, may soon pave way for new developments as land in the city centre becomes scarce. The Imbi stretch from the intersection of Jalan Bukit Bintang to Jalan Sultan Ismail started out with residential bungalows. From the 1950s, shops sprouted up as some of the homes were converted for commercial use.