Reminder: EPF workers' contribution back to 11% from January 2011

The Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has reminded employers that the monthly statutory contribution rate for the employees has reverted to 11% from 8% and this comes into effect from the January 2011 salary.

The EPF said employers had to ensure the correct amount was deducted from the employees’ wages based on this revised contribution rate and remitted to the EPF starting from the February 2011 contributions.

The employees’ statutory rate was lowered from 11% to 8% for two years from January 2009 to December 2010.

"Members who had previously submitted Form KWSP 17A (AHL) Khas/KWSP 17AA Khas to maintain the contribution rate at 11% during the two-year period, would not be required to take any action," it said.

It added the employers’ share of the monthly contribution to the EPF was unchanged at 12%.

I suggest that everyone that's working out there make sure you check your payslip come end of Jan to make sure that the deduction is now back at 11%. For those that have choosen to remains at 11% previously, do double check to confirm as well.

SP Setia wins Penang People's Park project deal

SP Setia Bhd (8664), the country's largest developer by sales has won a RM300 million project to build and operate the Penang International Convention and Exhibition Centre (sPICE), Bloomberg reported, citing an email statement from the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

Last Thursday, Business Times reported that the property developer was the front runner and on the verge of winning the job.

Securing the project should bode well for SP Setia, which posted sales of RM1.74 billion and a net profit of RM251.81 million in the year ended October 31 2010.

The project aims to create a "Penang People's Park" that includes the country's first subterranean sPICE, a 2.83 hectares public park on the rooftop, a refurbished and upgraded Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa), a refurbished and upgraded Aquatic Centre and a four-star hotel with retail outlets and a spacious parking lot.

The project will be developed through a public-private partnership agreement between the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) and developer SP Setia Bhd's unit Eco Meridean Sdn Bhd.

On September 3 2010, SP Setia had bought 2 ordinary shares of RM1.00 each in Eco Meridian Sdn Bhd, resulting in the private company becoming a wholly owned unit of SP Setia.

Financing for the Penang project will see MPPP injecting some RM50 million, through a combination of land and cash, while Eco Meridean will finance the rest.


The proposed sPICE, which initially came with a RM50 million priceline, has been mired in controversy ever since Lim proposed it.

One of the concerns raised was that the project would incur huge expenditure, which could result in the council becoming insolvent.

Lim, however, claimed the council could save some RM25 million from the refurbishment, repairs and upgrading work on Pisa and the Aquatic Centre and that Eco Meridean will pay RM13.5 million for land to build a four-star hotel to complement sPICE.

This means that the net sum of MPPP's investment in the project would be RM11.5 million.

Work on the project is expected to start within three to six months' time and will be completed in three years.

Not sure if this project gonna go on smoothly as there are so many critics and complains from everywhere...

2nd Penang bridge project behind time

Construction work on the second Penang bridge is behind schedule by 3%.

Datuk Dr Ismail Mohamed Taib, the managing director of Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd — the biggest concession holder of the project — said however, that the delay would not affect the September 2013 completion date for the bridge.

“The total project completion stands at 40% and is just a little bit off schedule.

“We are confident that the contractors will be able to catch up (the 3%) in the year’s second quarter.

“These small delays are normal in construction and we have not yet reached a stage where the project is critically delayed,” Dr Ismail said, adding that projects would be considered critically delayed when construction was 20% behind schedule.

He said the construction of the RM4.5bil second bridge comprised five packages, of which only one — Package One by CHEC (China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd) (M) Sdn Bhd —was ahead of schedule.

Dr Ismail said CHEC was moving ahead at between 5% and 10% ahead of their timeline on their construction of the main navigation span and substructure, and foundation works of the approach spans.

He was speaking to reporters after a site visit and briefing for the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid.


Azmi, who visited the CHEC office in Batu Maung, the bridge’s mid-span and the UEM casting yard in Batu Kawan, said PAC was visiting the project for a briefing and not an investigation.

Okok, I'm fine with the 3% delay. But please do not use this reason to accumulate more cost on it. At the end of the day, we rakyat are paying for it !!!

Check in online, urges AirAsia @ Penang International Airport

In the midst of the airport expansion works, I believe this is the best way to check in to AirAsia flights to avoid any inconvenience.

AirAsia is urging passengers to check in online during the ongoing expansion of the Penang International Airport.

Its Penang station manager Kenneth Tan said this would also help ease congestion and delay during peak times and festivals such as the forthcoming Thaipusam and Chinese New Year.

“We are expecting large number of passengers for Thaipusam and Chinese New Year and we hope that passengers would check in using AirAsia’s website in the convenience of their homes or offices instead of coming to the airport and waiting in queue to check in,” he said yesterday.



Expansion works costing RM250mil at the airport is expected to be completed by June 2012.

Tan said passengers could check in by logging in to www.airasia.com and clicking on to the web check-in.

“For the web check-in, passengers need to refer to the terms and condition online,” he said.

He also advised passengers to be at the boarding gate at least 40 minutes before boarding time.

New management for Sg Nibong express bus terminal

Passengers using the Sungai Nibong express bus terminal here will begin to notice changes to the facility now following the appointment of a new management.

Among the visible changes now are fewer ticketing touts and a new coat of paint for the building.

The changes were attributed to the new management who took over in November last year.

Syarikat Aspirasi Utara Engineering Sdn Bhd, which was awarded the tender, has acted to resolve pressing issues by discussing with the express bus operators, the Penang Municipal Council and the state government.

Its manager Mohd Faisal Abdul Kadi said the priority now was to ensure a smoother flow of traffic.

“Traffic flow is being hampered by motorists and motorcyclists when dropping off passengers during peak hours.

“The terminal’s main entrance is actually the one facing the Pesta Pulau Pinang,” he said.

Mohd Faisal said many passengers do not know where was the main entrance and some were afraid to enter the terminal’s right-side access road due to the parking fees imposed near its entrance.

“Many people prefer to drop or pick up passengers along the terminal’s side entrance without the need to pay for parking fees,” he said.

He said the management was in talks with the state government, who owns the Pesta Pulau Pinang land, to provide some space so as to encourage more people to use the main entrance.

Mohd Faisal said one other aim of the new management was to ensure that every bus company has its own counter.

“There are only six counters operated by registered bus operators. The rest are actually appointed agents who do not own buses,” he said.



He explained that an operator can hire an agent to sell its tickets and the agent, who represents a few operators, uses only one counter.

“In this manner, they only pay expenses for a single counter such as monthly rent. They maximise their profits, but this is against the stipulated contract with us.” Mohd Faisal said adding that he now aims to ensure that there is only one counter per bus company.

MPPP councillor Zulkifli Mohd Noor said the upgrading works cost more than RM300,000 and is expected to be ready by end February.

“We need to build proper waiting and pick-up points for the public,” he said.

Zulkifli also wants the enforcement agencies to prevent bus drivers from picking up passengers in other parts of Penang.

“As express buses operators, they are only allowed to pick up passengers from this terminal and leave the island. This can also reduce the traffic congestion in town as express buses need not journey there,” he said.

The top floor of the terminal will also undergo changes with the setting up of a convenience store, a bakery and an Internet cafe for passengers’ convenience.

New management? I sure hope it's better management and well-manage place! After all, it's our island's main bus terminal, not counting the one in mainland.

MPPP calendar of events 2011 at Komtar office

Then, we have the event calendar by the state government. Now we have the event calendar from MPPP? I'm sure there will be a lot of overlaps. Why not just combine up and come out with a single calendar in order not to make the public confuse? Or maybe it's just 1 calendar after all, just the name different?

ThePenang Municipal Council (MPPP) has launched its calendar of events for the year.

Its president Patahiyah Ismail said the pocket-sized calendar, which is distributed free to the public, contains the date and location of 14 events to be held throughout this year.

She also said it was the first time the council had published such a calendar.

She said the events are organised by the council in collaboration with NGOs and corporate bodies.

Among the events are futsal, bicycle fun ride, bowling, charity run and recreational programmes.

The calendar also contains 13 sporting events for council workers such as table-tennis, ten-pin bowling, fishing, paintball, archery and sepak takraw.

State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow launched the calender during the council’s Family Day celebrations at Penang International Sports Arena (PISA).

Members of the public can obtain the limited copies of the calendar at the council office on Level 3, Komtar.

Tourists & Public TAKE NOTE: Ban on horses, ATVs in Batu Ferringhi

Hmm, I believe our beach will be safer with the action of banning these 2 activities, just wondering what new tactics will the operators coming up with after this...read on:

Penang’s North-east district land office will put up billboards at Batu Ferringhi to inform the public that horse riding and beach buggies (all-terrain vehicle) are now banned activities at the beach.

State Local Government and Traffic Management Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the office would soon put up the billboards while the Penang Municipal Council (MPPP) will intensify its enforcement.

“The billboards will let the operators and beach-goers know that these activities are no longer available.

“So far we have been advising the operators that the activities are prohibited. We haven’t seized any buggies yet.

“However, the council had earlier confiscated several horses that have been claimed back by the operators. We have advised them to sell off the horses,” he said after launching an intermediate Chinese course at Han Chiang College on Saturday.

The council had in November last year decided to ban commercial horse rides and beach buggies on the Batu Ferringhi beach starting this month to protect beach goers.

An MPPP online poll earlier had shown that 69.2% of 501 respondents disagreed that beach buggies be allowed on the beach while 40.1% were against horse rides.

I still remembered few years back when I went to the beach there after so many years of my last visit. It was filled with beach activities and operators and touts everywhere. Can't I just sit along the beach and enjoy the breeze?