No cement price hike in S’wak – Abdul Karim

July 30, 2012

BINTULU: The price of cement in Sarawak will stay put. Assistant Minister of Housing Abdul Karim Hamzah gave this assurance at the Sheda Home and Property Roadshow here on Saturday.

He said reports in national dailies that the price of cement could go up by RM1 per 50 kg bag and RM20 per metric tonne was applicable only to the peninsula, and not in Sarawak.

“This (price hike) is not true, and is not happening in Sarawak. We won’t worsen the current situation by increasing the price of cement,” Abdul Karim said.

Meanwhile, CMS Cement Sdn Bhd, Sarawak’s sole cement producer and manufacturer, also gave an assurance that they would not be raising the price of cement as they respected the Malaysian Competition Act.

It added that they would not engage in price discussions with any Malaysian cement producers.

Cahya Mata Sarawak Berhad group managing director Datuk Richard Curtis said CMS Cement had always remained committed to the socio-economic wellbeing of the state.

“Even though cement production in Sarawak poses a logistical challenge due to terrain, raw materials and geographical population spread, we will not be increasing our prices.

Kementerian cari jalan stabilkan harga rumah di Bintulu

July 29, 2012 

BINTULU: Kementerian Perumahan akan memantau dan mengenal pasti pendekatan yang boleh diambil untuk menstabilkan harga rumah di Bahagian Bintulu sekali gus meng-elakkannya daripada terus me-ningkat.

Menteri Muda Pembangunan Belia (Bandar) dan Menteri Muda Perumahan, Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah berkata, hakikatnya purata harga rumah dan sewa rumah di Bintulu adalah paling tinggi berban-ding bandar-bandar utama lain seperti Kuching, Miri dan Sibu.

Katanya, terdapat pro dan kontra mengenai harga tersebut, namun kenaikan itu berpunca daripada beberapa sebab, antaranya pembangunan pesat bandar Bintulu sendiri dan pusat bagi pelaksanaan projek-projek Koridor Tenaga Diperbaharui Sarawak (SCORE).

“Daripada sebuah kampung nelayan terpencil, Bintulu seperti apa yang dapat dilihat hari ini menjadi bandar yang sangat pantas membangun di Sarawak,” ujarnya semasa me-rasmikan Jerayawara Perumahan dan Hartanah Persatuan Pemaju Perumahan dan Hartanah Sarawak (SHEDA) di Hotel Parkcity Everly sema-lam. Jerayawara akan berakhir hari ini.

Abdul Karim berkata, pembangunan Bintulu amat pesat, justeru permintaan pasaran rumah turut meningkat.

“Ada pemaju tidak gembira dengan keadaan itu (pengurangan harga rumah), namun begitu di samping membina rumah yang lebih baik, pemaju juga perlu sedar mengenai tanggungjawab mereka kepada masyarakat dengan membina rumah yang mampu dimiliki,” katanya.

Beliau berkata, pemaju perlu melaksanakan lebih banyak program bagi memastikan penduduk mampu memiliki rumah yang lebih baik.

Don’t focus only on profits, developers urged

July 29, 2012

UPCOMING PROJECT: Sheda vice-president and Bintulu branch liaison chairman Troy Yaw (second left) briefing Abdul Karim on the Bintulu Commerce Square project at Parkcity Commercial Centre as Sheda president Zaidi Ahmad (left) and others look on.

BINTULU: Housing developers in the state are urged not to just focus on profit margins but also focus on their social responsibility towards the community.

In saying this, Assistant Minister of Housing Abdul Karim Hamzah added that house developers should construct houses that meet the needs and expectations of consumers.

“Developers are also instrumental in determining the safety of the master plan. I hope they will have good ideas and innovation to build places with a soul,” he said.

He said this when officiating at the opening ceremony of Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developers’ Association (Sheda) Home and Property Roadshow Bintulu 2012 at the ParkCity Everly Hotel yesterday.

He was representing Housing Minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg.

The three-day event from Friday till today is said to be the biggest property event held in Bintulu every year.

Abdul Karim also admitted the prices of houses in Bintulu were escalating compared to other developing areas in the state due to the drastic growth of Bintulu division in recent years.