Malaysia's Infrastructure and Utilities

[nazrey]

Extra RM30b for development
Friday June 27, 2008, TheStar



KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has proposed an increase to the development allocation ceiling from RM200bil to RM230bil for the mid-term period of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) due to rising costs.

“I would like to emphasise that the Federal Government will continue to implement the 9MP (2006-2010) development projects in all states,” he said at the Dewan Rakyat yesterday, when tabling the motion on the mid-term review of the plan.

For the latter period of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, the Government would continue to manage the macro economy in a prudent manner to ensure that the economic fundamentals remained strong, he said.

While the global economic growth is projected to moderate at 4.1% for the 2008-2010 period, the Malaysian economy is forecast to expand at an average of 6% per annum.

Abdullah said the policy and strategy framework for the mid-term review would focus on five main thrusts:

> Moving the economy up the value chain by increasing productivity and competitiveness, generating new sources of growth and expanding the markets for the country’s goods and services;

> Raising the capacity for knowledge and innovation and nurturing a first-class mentality. The strategies include improving the quality of education and accessibility, making national schools a preferred choice, creating tertiary institutions of international standing, nurturing quality R&D and enhancing scientific and innovative capabilities and fostering a society with strong moral and ethical values;

> Addressing persistent socio-economic inequalities between ethnic groups, in which six key strategies would be implemented: poverty eradication, improving income distribution, ownership restructuring, achieving balanced development between regions and the development of the bumiputra commercial and industrial community (BCIC);

> Improving the standard and sustainability of life by increasing healthcare services, meeting housing needs and improving urban services, building basic infrastructure, improving transportation facilities and ensuring environment conservation and sustainable management of resources; and

> Strengthening institutional and implementation capacity of the public service delivery system, increasing confidence in electronic-based services and implementing outcome-based planning, monitoring and evaluation.

[nazrey]

Projects ‘will go on in good times’
Friday June 27, 2008, TheStar

THE Government had to defer several major projects slated under the 9th Malaysia Plan (9MP) because of the prevailing economic situation, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.

The Deputy Prime Minister said these would be continued when the situation improved.

“It’s not a question of punishing anyone,” he said at Parliament lobby after the tabling of the motion on the mid-term review of the 9MP by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday.

“When we review the projects, it doesn’t mean that they are cancelled. Essential projects will continue to be implemented, whether the state is run by Barisan Nasional or otherwise.”

Najib was asked about projects in Pakatan Rakyat-ruled states, such as the Penang Outer Ring Road and the Penang monorail, which cost more than RM3bil.

Asked whether these states could use their own methods to fund them, Najib said it would be subjected to the Federal Constitution.

“The states have to decide whether the development programmes are under the state or federal list. If they need to borrow funds, they will need Federal Government’s permission,” he said.

Najib said the overall ceiling figure for development allocation under the 9MP had been increased to RM230bil (from RM200bil) to cater to the rising cost of implementation, and also the need to finance basic necessities in Sabah and Sarawak.

He added that the increase was sourced from funds created from the recent restructuring of the fuel subsidies. “If the restructuring process had not been carried out, the national budget would have faced critical problems, and we needed to avoid that.”

[nazrey]

GDP growth at 6% for 2008-2010
27-06-2008:
THEEDGEDAILY


KUALA LUMPUR: The government expects the country’s real gross domestic product (GDP) to average 6% per annum during the remaining of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) which ends in 2010, despite the soaring oil prices, rising inflation and global economic volatility.

In a media briefing on the mid-term review of the 9MP on Wednesday, Economic Planning Unit director general Tan Sri Dr Sulaiman Mahbob said the expected GDP growth was based on the assumption that oil prices cost US$100 (RM330) per barrel.

The inflation during the remaining period under the 9MP is expected to be between 3% to 4% as opposed to 2.8% in the 2006/2007 period.

He said the growth was expected to be driven by domestic demand, especially private sector expenditure.

The federal government had targeted its private consumption growth to be 7.6% annually for 2008 to 2010, as it anticipated further improvement in consumer confidence with increasing employment opportunities and higher disposable income. On the other hand, public consumption is expected to grow at 6.6% a year.

Meanwhile, private investment is projected to grow at 10.6% per annum. In nominal terms, private investment is estimated to reach RM120.1 billion or 56.4% to total investment in 2010, while total private investment in the remaining 9MP is estimated to be RM305.8 million.

Per capita income in current terms was projected to increase by 8.8% to RM29,711 and per capita income in purchasing power parity to US$18,439 in year 2010.

The review report also said the privatisation programme and private finance initiatives (PFI) would also contribute towards increasing private investments.

Sulaiman said the Ministry of Finance has allocated RM20 billion for the PFI, which would be used mainly to build schools, civil servants’ quarters and office buildings. Of the 956 projects under the PFI, 107 were under implementation and 849 had not commenced.

The services sector is expected to sustain its growth momentum at 7.9% per annum. Growth will be led by the financial and business services subsector growing at 9.8% annually with Islamic banking, takaful and re-takaful, shared services and outsourcing as the main contributors.

Manufacturing sector is expected to register moderate growth at 3.5% annually, due to sluggish global demand of electrical and electronics products. However, its growth would be led by domestic-oriented industries.

The construction sector is anticipated to record 5.8% growth annually, underpinned by civil engineering activities and the residential and commercial property subsector, apart from development of regional growth corridors.

The agriculture sector is expected to grow 4.4% annually, with the food crop subsector growing at 6.2% and the industrial crop subsector growing at 3% per annum.

On the other hand, gross exports is projected to expand at 8.1% for the 2008-2010 period, on the back of growth in exports of agricultural and mining commodities that was caused by higher export prices.

Gross imports would also be expected to grow at 9.8% annually, mainly intermediate and capital goods, which would constitute 85.3% of total imports, as it was in line with the sustained demand for imported components with the expansion in the manufacturing sector.

On the country’s fiscal position, the federal government was expected to sustain its fiscal deficit at 3.2% of GDP in 2010. Its operating expenditure is targeted to moderate to 6.9% annually, as it revamped fuel products subsidy in light of high oil prices.

[nazrey]

RM4.9b to boost urban,rail transport systems
27-06-2008: by Surin Murugiah, THEEDGEDAILY

KUALA LUMPUR: The government will invest RM4.91 billion to improve urban and rail transport systems as part of the fourth thrust of the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), which is improving the standard and sustainability of quality of life.

The amount includes RM350 million and RM35 million for RapidKL and Rapid Penang respectively, RM528 million for the acquisition of 22 cars of train and an estimated RM4 billion on the extension of the existing light rail transit (LRT) lines. The extension is from the Kelana Jaya line to Putra Heights and Sri Petaling to Putra Heights, each measuring 16km each. The rail line is expected to be completed by early 2012.

Under the plan, the 22 new car trains will be delivered beginning early next year and completed by 2010 to ease the congestion on the Kelana Jaya light rail transit line.

As for the RapidKL bus services, there are currently 167 routes with 650 buses covering 980 residential areas with a total bus ridership of 400,000 per day.

According to the mid-term review report, while traffic congestion continued to be a challenge in major cities and urban centres, the insufficient road space to cope with the rapidly increasing number of private vehicles and inadequate public transport services would be addressed systematically.

It said a public transport commission would be established to plan and coordinate all public transport programmes and initiatives, and that the commission will also regulate the sector and develop an efficient and integrated transport system.

Meanwhile, on the overall outlook of the fourth thrust of the 9MP, the report stated that efforts to strengthen the family institution and protect vulnerable members of society would contribute to a more caring society.

It said sports and recreational activities would be promoted to enhance the well being of the community while public safety will be improved.

“Mainstreaming environmental considerations in development will be emphasised for environmental protection and sustainable use of natural resources.

“The promotion and preservation of culture, arts and heritage will contribute to building national identity and unity,” it said.

[nazrey]

UEM to sign new 2nd Penang bridge pact
By Zuraimi Abdullah Published: 2008/06/26, BusinessTimes

The new deal will cap the project's total cost at RM4.3 billion and call for an open tender of the bridge's toll concession

UEM Group, together with its Chinese partner, expects to sign a new agreement to build the second Penang bridge next month, its top executives said.

The new contract will cap the project's total cost at RM4.3 billion but the UEM-China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd consortium can claim extra expenses from fluctuating material costs, they said.

The new deal follows the government's decision to allow for an open tender of the bridge's toll concession, amid rising costs due to soaring energy and commodity prices worldwide. The move reversed the original plan to let UEM, via subsidiary UEM Builders Bhd, manage the concession once the bridge is completed.

"The (new) contract agreement has been finalised and we hope to sign it soon," group chairman Tan Sri Dr Ahmad Tajuddin Ali said.

Tajuddin and managing director Datuk Ahmad Pardas Senin said the group was managing the construction cost partly through forward- and pre-buying of key materials like steel and cement.

They said the group was well poised to bid for the toll concession when the time comes. UEM is bullish about its chances, given its experience and expertise in highway and toll operation and maintenance locally and abroad.

Tajuddin and Ahmad Pardas were speaking at a press conference after UEM World Bhd's annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Ahmad Pardas, who is also group chief executive officer, said the bridge's design had been tweaked with some "esthetic changes" but the alignment remains as in the original plan.

Tajuddin, meanwhile, said the listing of the group's property arm, UEM Land Bhd, is expected to take place in early November. The listing is part of the UEM group's restructuring announced in February this year.

The planned capital repayment to UEM group shareholders, another key component of the restructuring, should be made by the third quarter, he added.

On revenue growth this year, Ahmad Pardas said the target set under its KPI (key performance indicator) is achievable despite a more challenging business and economic environment.

He added that construction, engineering, healthcare and property divisions would continue to contribute significantly to the company's performance.

UEM announced recently a 13 per cent growth each in revenue and return on equity under its KPI targets for the year ending December 2008.

Last year, the group's revenue grew 46 per cent to nearly RM7 billion, although the growth is still short of its targeted 65 per cent under its KPI. Group net profit rose fourfold to RM939.2 million from RM194.9 million previously.

The performance was largely due to major land sales in Nusajaya in Johor, the benefits from the dilution of its investment in Costain plc and a gain of the listing of Opus International Consultants Ltd in New Zealand.

[nazrey]

Stitching work on Penang Bridge
By DERRICK VINESH, TheStar



An artist impression of how the Penang Bridge
would like after the expansion work.

WHILE most Penangites go to sleep, work to widen the Penang Bridge is being carried out late into the night and early hours of the morning to avoid disrupting traffic flow.

About 500 workers, including local contractors, Indonesian and Bangladeshi labourers, are at the famous Penang landmark from midnight until 6am daily, working together to put up additional lanes on both sides of the bridge.

Stitching work to merge the outer lanes with additional new lanes started 10 days ago.

“Motorists using the bridge may not see the workers as they are mostly working under the bridge,” said UEM Builders Berhad project director K. Preamakanthan.

“We have also placed temporary fences on the guardrails to prevent motorists from being unduly distracted by the ongoing work while driving on the bridge.”

Under the RM585mil bridge-widening project, the existing island-bound and Prai-bound dual-carriageway lanes, each measuring 8m wide, will have an additional 4.8m wide lane each.

Preamakanthan said only 700mm from the 3.65m-wide outer lane would be temporarily closed when stitching works were being carried out.

“We chose to do the work at night to avoid clashing with the heavy traffic flow on the bridge during the day,” he said.

He said the nine lay-bys on the bridge would be moved outside the additional lanes while 2m-wide demarcations would be drawn along the new lanes for motorcycles.

Preamakanthan said since widening works started in November 2006, concrete piles had been driven into the land and marine areas of the bridge between the midspan and Prai.

Piling work for the remaining stretch between the midspan and Penang island, he said, would be completed by August.

“We have started stitching work on a 1.6km-long stretch on the Prai-bound lane. Here, concrete columns have been vertically placed in be-tween large pre-cast concrete boxes, called crossheads,” he said.

Preamakanthan said in between two standing columns, a pair of 40m-long ‘I’ and ‘U’ shaped beams had been placed horizontally to rest on the crossheads.

These beams, he said, were manufactured at the company’s pre-casting yard located near the new toll plaza.

“The I and U-shaped beams, which each weigh 80 tonnes and 140 tonnes respectively, are hoisted using a gantry and placed on a multi-axel trailer to be transported to the designated sites.

“Two 350-tonne launching cranes onboard a 76m-long barge are deployed to pick up the beams and place them in position on the crossheads,” he said.

Preamakanthan said that so far, a total of 80 I and U-shaped beams had been put in place at a rate of two beams per night.

He said the company hoped to complete the laying of all 288 I-shaped beams and 296 U-shaped beams by early January. Work began last December.

Concrete mix will later be poured over the steel bars in a formwork (mould) placed on the beams to create a cemented deck slab.

New concrete guardrails would also be built on the outer side of the new lane, he added.

“The old guardrails will then be hacked to expose some parts of its steel frames that would later be overlapped on the protruding steel frames from the inner side of the new deck slab.

“Concrete mix will then be poured over these steel bars that are placed in a 1.2m-wide formwork to stitch both the old and new lanes,” he said.

Preamakanthan said the process of hacking, steeling and concreting at each stretch between two columns took about 18 days to complete.

He said that based on the rate of progress on the works, he was confident that the overall widening project would be completed by the Aug 24, 2009 deadline.

[nazrey]

Government compensates concessionaires RM2.97b
by Kevin Tan, 03 Jul 2008 12:26 PM
THEEDGEDAILY

KUALA LUMPUR: The government has paid RM2.97 billion in compensation to four highway concessionaires — PLUS Expressways Bhd, Lingkaran Trans Kota Holdings Bhd (Litrak), Kesas Sdn Bhd and MTD Capital Bhd — for delaying their toll rate increases.

A lion’s share amounting to RM2.09 billion went to PLUS, which operates the North-South highway, said Deputy Works Minister Datuk Yong Khoon Seng. He was responding to an oral question by Lim Lip Eng (Segambut-DAP) in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.

Litrak received RM630.4 million for operating the Damansara-Puchong highway, Kesas RM150 million for the Kelang-Shah Alam highway and MTD RM98.35 million for the Kuala Lumpur-Karak highway, he said.

“Until now, there is no compensation for the Cheras-Kajang highway (operated by Grand Saga Sdn Bhd) because there was no delay in its toll rate increase, while the New Pantai Expressway, Kajang Dispersal Link Expressway and Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya highway have not had any toll increase since they started operation,” Yong added.

To a supplementary question from Lim on the total toll collected by the concessionaires, he said it would be replied in writing as he was not informed on the matter earlier.

“We have 23 tolled highways. I will be accused of distortion if I give the wrong information,” Yong said.

On whether the government would take over these highways, he said the government was conducting a study on taking over the highways or reducing their tolls. “When we make a decision, we will inform the parliament,” he added.

Meanwhile, M Kulasegaran (Ipoh Barat-DAP) asked the deputy minister why the government refused to reveal the terms of the concession agreements to the public.

Yong said the government no longer needs to compensate these concessionaires as the traffic volume was more than projected.

However, he said the government had been providing information on the matter in the past few years and stressed that the government was not negligent in having to pay compensation to the concessionaires as there were such provisions in the agreements.

Meanwhile, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz said the government would enact a comprehensive law to protect whistle-blowers and witnesses.

“The government, through the Attorney-General’s Chambers, is looking into all relevant laws relating to protecting whistle-blowers and witnesses,” he added.

[nazrey]

SATS investing RM70m in Aero Mall
By ZAZALI MUSA, TheStar



Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman (right) being briefed by
Datuk Mohd Sidik Shaik Osman on the Aero Mall project.

SENAI: Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn Bhd (SATS) is investing RM70mil in the Aero Mall project, Malaysia’s first stand-alone and external airport mall.

Of the mall’s total space of 9,290.304 sq m (100,000 sq ft), 3716.121 sq m (40,000 sq ft) is retail space and the balance the concourse.[/b][/u]

SATS general manager finance and retail development Chan Kwai Yew said the company wanted to position and market Aero Mall as the area’s new lifestyle hub.

“Shopping, dining and entertaining at airports is getting popular now as airports are no longer just for air travellers,” he told StarBiz recently.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be held today.

The project is scheduled to complete in 18 months.

Chan said the best example of such a concept was Terminal Three at Singapore’s Changi Airport which had successfully attracted non-air travellers and residents from nearby areas to shop and dine there.

He said Aero Mall’s target markets were the business community, employees in the nearby industrial estates and the population in the Senai-Kulai area.

Chan said the mall would be connected to the present airport terminal building and constructed on the existing open air parking area. A new basement parking area would also be built.

He said the new mall, an extension of the airport’s present retail segment, would offer air and non-air passengers more choices to shop and dine, adding that the airport received overwhelming response when it introduced mid-level lifestyle products.

Chan said between 4,000 and 5,000 air passengers currently used Senai airport, which provided an active market for the existing 25 retailers.

He said among the new mall’s outlets were Secret Recipe, Kyros Kebab, Chocz, SASA Hong Kong International, MPH Bookstore, KFC, Laksa Shack, Starbucks, Nationwide and FedEx.

Concurrently SATS would also be launching the Senai Free Zone (80.937ha) and Senai Aviation Park (40.468ha), he said, adding that both would create some 20,000 job opportunities.

The Free Zone will house a mixture of SME operations, warehouses and logistics for parts and components that could be exported via air cargo at Senai Airport.

The Aviation Park focuses on maintenance and repair operations for the maintenance of smaller aircraft engines and avionic products like radios and meters.



Chan Kwai Yew showing an artist’s impression of Aero Mall

[nazrey]

Second Penang bridge on track for completion by 2011
Thursday, July 3

PENANG, July 2 (Bernama) -- Preliminary work on the construction of the RM4.58 billion second Penang bridge has started and it is on track to be completed as originally planned by 2011.

"We expect the main construction will take off early next year," said UEM Group Bhd's managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Ahmad Pardas Senin.

He said RM200 million had been committed for the construction cost of 26-kilometre bridge.

Ahmad Pardas said the casting yard located in Batu Kawan was in advanced stage of completion and would be used to produce box girders, the critical component of the bridge.

He said progress had been made in terms of completing soil investigation, pile testing and construction of Batu Kawan site office.

Originally, the bridge was estimated to cost RM3.6 bilion but this was then revised upward to reflect the escalation of costs due to rising prices of oil and building materials, Ahmad Pardas said.

"I would like to clarify here that the original costing for the whole project is RM3.6 billion and not RM2.7 billion, which was actually referred to the cost of building the 17-kilometre bridge span over water," he told reporters during a media visit to the Batu Kawan site here today.

"The price of building materials today is higher. The real cost depends on the respective building material costs. In the future, if the price of the building materials drops, the cost of construction may go down as well," he said.

The project is being undertaken by UEM Builders, a member of the UEM Group, under a joint venture with China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd.

Identified as one of the major infrastructural projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan for the northern region, the bridge is slated to become a regional icon and serve as a strong growth catalyst for the Northern Corridor development. -- BERNAMA

[nazrey]

Penang Bridge
by Phillage



The Bridge was built by the Government at a total cost of RM800 million (excluding the cost of land acquisition). With 3 interchanges, the 13.5 km Penang Bridge of which 8.4 km is above water was officially open to public on 14 September 1985. It has 533 spans of which 192 spans for the Bridge is above water.

Constructed with a 6.2 km dual carriageway and 2.2 km three lanes at the Main span, this Bridge is the only physical link between the Mainland of Peninsular Malaysia and Penang Island. Seen from the Penang Island interchange, the channel crossing consists of elevated bridge structures known as "Cable Stayed Concrete Girders". Being famous landmark in the country, Penang Bridge has contributed significantly to the development of Penang both as a tourist and industrial centre.

Its distinctive design and features saw the Penang Bridge won awards. In 1986, it has won the Grand Award in the United States of America Engineering Excellence Competition sponsored by the Council of Consulting Engineers, Washington. In 1993, it won the FIABCI Special Award (Development and Construction Phase Category) from the International Real Estate Federation of Malaysia.

Bridge Structure Widening : Low level viaducts from dual-2 lane to dual- 3 lane.
The structural widening of 4.80 m both side of the bridge
inclusive of 2.0 m paved shoulder

by Claude BARUTEL

image hosted on flickr


image hosted on flickr


Penang Bridge, undergoing some construction for expanding the driving lane.
by qshlrene



by mingthein

[nazrey]

Johor



Sungai Johor Bridge. it is part of the Senai - Desaru Expressway.



Sungai Johor Bridge
Construction phase: 2006 - 2009
Status: under construction
Location:Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Structural Type: Cable-stayed bridge
Contractor: Ranhill Engineers and Constructors Sdn Bhd
main span: 500 m
total length: 1 708 m
height: 150 m

The Johor River Bridge or Jambatan Sungai Johor is a major bridge across Johor River on Senai-Desaru Expressway. The 1.7 kilometre cable stayed bridge connects Kong Kong in the west to Teluk Sengat in the east. When completed, it will become a major landmark of Johor and become the longest river bridge in Malaysia after Raja Pemaisuri Bainun Bridge (Sungai Dinding Bridge) in Perak.

History

Construction officially began in 2005. Construction was led by Senai Desaru Expressway Berhad with a main contractor Ranhill Bersekutu Sdn Bhd. The bridge will completed by June 2008.

by M.Schwerdtner

[nazrey]

Johor



JB Sentral
Johor Bahru





JB Sentral Terminal is sited on the northeast of the existing Johor Bahru Railway Station on KTMB land.

The JB Sentral was designed to upgrade the existing railway station at Johor Bahru in response to the increasing demand of rail commuters.

New bus and taxi pick up points are provided along Jalan Jim Quee to enhance this new rail station.

Two (2) multilevel car parks (comprising 726 car parking bays) are situated over both sides of the JB Sentral to provide parking facilities for the entire project.

As part of the new gateway, the JB Sentral will be located along Jalan Tun Abdul Razak. The new rail station sits over new tracks that will be connected to a swing bridge to cross the Straits of Johor to Singapore.

[nazrey]

Balfour Beatty gets RM1b rail systems job
by Racheal Lee Mei Nyee, 08 Jul 2008 11:57 AM, THEEDGEDAILY


PETALING JAYA: Ingress Corporation Bhd's 49% associate company, Balfour Beatty Rail Sdn Bhd, in a joint venture with Italy-based Ansaldo STS Malaysia Sdn Bhd, has been awarded a RM1 billion contract by MMC-Gamuda Joint Venture Sdn Bhd.

The contract is awarded for the implementation of rail systems package for the Ipoh to Padang Besar double-tracking rail project.

The award of the contract to Balfour Beatty and Ansaldo meant that it beat other notable international players that included German-based Siemens AG, France's Alstom and Westinghouse Rail Systems Ltd.

In a statement yesterday, Ingress said Balfour Beatty received the letter of acceptance from the MMC-Gamuda JV. It said Balfour Beatty Rail would be involved in the design, supply and installation of electrification and power supply. The implementation will take 54 months and is scheduled for completion in January 2013.

Genoa-based Ansaldo is listed on the Milan stock exchange and is controlled by Finmeccanica SpA, Italy's largest defence company. It has been reported that Ansaldo has stamped its mark on signalling systems in Europe and had nicked several large portions of a high-speed train project connecting Milan and Bologna in Italy.

UK-listed Balfour Beatty controls a 51% stake in Balfour Beatty Rail. Ingress yesterday rose four sen to 46 sen, with 25,000 shares done. Gamuda rose 20 sen to RM2.47, but MMC Corporation Bhd fell 11 sen to RM2.42.

Ingress said the project was expected to contribute significantly to the group's earnings for the whole duration of the project.

[nazrey]

Penang now wants RM4.7b cash
by Regina William, 08 Jul 2008 1:26 PM, THEEDGEDAILY


PENANG: The Penang state government has asked for RM4.7 billion cash from the federal government, in lieu of the cancellation of the projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP), to be used for projects that would reduce the financial burdens of Penangites.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the money would be for the deferment of the proposed RM2 billion monorail, RM1.5 billion Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR), RM1.1 billion Mengkuang Dam expansion and RM100 million in other smaller projects such as the RM40 million upgrading works on the Bukit Bendera funicular train.

He said Penang would use the RM4.7 billion to focus on agricultural development relating to food economics and security.

"We are willing to take RM4.7 billion in cash to replace the cost of projects so that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi can prove that he did not act in an unjust act of political vengeance to punish Penangites for selecting the DAP-PKR coalition government.

"Second Finance Minister Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop is trying to distract attention away from the federal government's victimisation of Penang by claiming that the Penang state government is too obsessive with mega projects such as building the monorail system.

"Such attacks by Nor Mohamed only show his guilty conscience at being exposed for not loving his home state by supporting the drastic cut in development funding for Penang by RM4.7 billion," Lim said in a statement.

"If he refuses to refund in cash the RM4.7 billion taken away from Penang, isn't such action tantamount to trying to undermine or even 'sabotaging' Penang's economy," he added.

He said the new Penang state government leaders refused to be treated by the federal government like a doormat that is "weakened, trampled and ineffective".

"Any government leader who loves Penang would be upset when projects in Penang are cancelled in an arbitrary and high-handed manner without consultation or justification. Furthermore, these cancelled projects were not substituted with new projects," he added.

Lim was responding to Nor Mohamed's comment that the state goverment ought to focus not on these projects but on improving the economy.

He said there has been no word from either Abdullah or Nor Mohamed on the request for the RM4.7 billion cash.

"Is that not political vengeance for cutting down development funding for Penang at the same time that the Federal government is increasing funding for the Ninth Malaysia Plan (9MP) by 15%or RM30 billion from RM200 billion to RM230 billion?

"As compared with other states, Penang's original allocation under the 9MP of RM6,152 million constituted 3.1% of the total allocation under the 9MP of RM200 billion. Following the mid-term review, Penang's share in total allocation under the 9MP of RM1,452 million constitutes only 0.6% of the increased total allocation of RM230 billion.

"Both of them must explain the 80% drop in share of total allocation for Penang. Any failure to properly explain or justify is a clear and unequivocal signal of singling out Penangnites for punishment," Lim said.

[nazrey]

Sarawak to build railway network
Tuesday July 8, 2008 MYT 2:39:39 PM,By STEPHEN THEN, TheStar

BINTULU: Sarawak is to embark on a pioneer project to build a railway network, the first ever railway project in this vast state.

The railway project will have a dual purpose - to provide a relatively cheaper yet reliable form of mass transportation for the people, and to facilitate the movement of raw materials and goods for the construction of the projects that will be carried out in the Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy (SCORE).

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud on Tuesday said a railway system is the most viable and cheapest form of fast transportation for massive bulk of both goods and people.

''This will be the first railway in Sarawak. The main area involved will span the (320km) stretch between Similajau in Bintulu Division and Tanjung Manis in Mukah division. That area comprises 57% of Sarawak.

''The rail project will be a viable alternative of transportation in view of the constantly rising costs of fuel and other costs.

''The SCORE project will bring tremendous benefits and opportunities, not only in terms of industries, but also other spin-offs for the people of the state,'' he said at the state-level Conference of District officers and Residents held in this gas capital of Sarawak.

Taib, who is also the state's 1st Finance Minister and state's 1st Minister for Planning and Resources Management, however, did not disclose the cost of the railway project nor the date for the project to commence.

He said the Government will be spending some RM67bil to develop the basic infrastructure needed for SCORE to proceed.

''We have now obtained up to RM300bil in investment pledges. The majority will be from private sectors,'' he said.

Taib said the SCORE project will also see the development of the coal industry, which Sarawak has more than one billion tonnes in reserve.

He noted that up to 20,000 MWs of power will be developed within the next 30 years and during that period, Sarawak will be able to provide cheap and efficient electricity to the people in the state and country.

A RM1.5bil plant to produce halal food will also be constructed in the region, he added.

''The Federal Government had already allocated RM3bil to the state to kickstart SCORE,'' he said.

[nazrey]

Port of Tanjung Pelepas to spend RM3b on expansion
Published: 2008/07/10, BusinessTimes


THE Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), ranked 17th among the world's busiest container ports, will spend up to RM3 billion in capital expenditure on expansion over the next few years.

But this is dependent on the economic situation.

"The expansion includes the construction of two new berths at a cost of RM360 million and work commenced earlier this year.

"The berths will increase PTP's annual terminal handling capacity to 10 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), from the present eight million, to cater to growth over the next 18 months," said chief executive officer, Harun Johari, in an interview.

Harun also said that PTP had recorded a double-digit growth since starting operations in 2000.

Last year, it recorded a throughput of 5.5 million TEUs.

"We are ready to cater to the growth in existing customers and also new ones. This year, especially the past six months, has been good for PTP," he added.

According to earlier reports, PTP should be able to achieve a target of 6.5 million TEUs this year.

Harun also indicated that depending on other potential customers using the port, a further RM800 million would be invested in two more berths for a total of 14.

This year, PTP is expected to take delivery of more than RM480 million worth of additional port equipment such as twin-lift quay cranes, double-hoist quay cranes and rubber-tyre gantry cranes.

"The completion of a RM40 million, 132-kilowatt electrical sub-station in October will also ensure reliability of power supply and smooth port operations.

"Other expansion plans include the construction of additional container yards," Harun highlighted.

Harun said about RM3 billion has been spent to develop PTP.

A further RM90 million was spent as part of PTP's social responsibility commitment to relocate the local community affected by its development to a modern and permanent resettlement.

Harun also stated that PTP had always been focused in its efforts to attract more shipping lines to utilise it.

"The current initiatives, including the expansion plans, are all geared towards this.

"But the process of signing up shipping lines is not easy and it does not happen overnight.

Among other things, we have to first gain their trust and build bankable relationships.

"It is not merely about making a deal. We want the shipping lines to grow together with PTP."

Harun pointed out that PTP's existing customers like Maersk Line and Evergreen had grown organically and were doing well.

"Having MISC on board as a new customer this year will benefit the development of PTP," Harun noted.

In April, PTP signed a joint venture agreement with MISC to serve it and other shipping lines. The aim was also to make PTP the main transhipment hub in the region.

PTP's deal with MISC will benefit its customers, particularly the Johor area shipowners, and further enhance PTP's regional as well as worldwide shipping connectivity.

Harun said with the availability of MISC's shipping services at PTP, shipowners have additional options in terms of freighting their cargo into and out of Johor.

"We are excited about the future. The transhipment business in the region is expected to grow," Harun added. - Bernama

[nazrey]

KUALA LUMPUR SMART Tunnel
Stormwater Management And Road Tunnel (SMART)





KG BEREMBANG – STORMWATER CONTROL CENTRE
From http://www.smarttunnel.com.my/

[nazrey]

NEW

[nazrey]

[nazrey]

to SMART Tunnel