KUALA LUMPUR: The hardly traded GuocoLand (M) Bhd has attracted buying interest of late following its recent acquisition of a property company to expand its land bank and a slew of development plans.

THE Malaysian economy beat forecasts with its gross domestic product (GDP) growing at 6.2% in the first quarter of 2014 (1Q14), thanks to sustained domestic demand and recovering net exports.

HONG KONG: Hangzhou, one of the cities in China most deeply affected by an oversupply of housing and weakening property prices, has announced fresh moves to ease home purchase restrictions, following similar steps taken by other city governments.

KUALA LUMPUR: Properties near Crossrail are expected to outperform those in London by about 4% according to Nicholas Holt, Knight Frank’s Asia-Pacific head of research, during a talk on the next hotspots in London on Wednesday.

JOHOR BARU: Phase 2 of Frontier Industrial Park by WB Land Sdn Bhd saw its Type A and Type B factory units fully sold as of their official launch on July 19. The development was launched by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

JOHOR BARU: The g Residence serviced apartments in Johor Baru by GSB Properties Sdn Bhd has achieved an overall 31.5% take-up rate with 51% of its non-bumiputera units taken up since their launch on July 11.

As of July 22, 32 out of its 143 non-Malay reserve units in Tower A and 124 out of its 143 non-Malay reserve units in Tower B have been sold.

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Group and Japanese developer Daiwa House Industry Co Ltd will collaborate to build prefabricated houses in the future. This was revealed at the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday to study the benefits and feasibility of building prefabricated houses in Malaysia. No date has been set as to when the product will come into market.

KUALA LUMPUR: UEM Sunrise Bhd has appointed Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib UEM Sunrise Bhd has appointed Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib as its new managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO), effective Sept 1, replacing the late Datuk Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim.

KUALA LUMPUR: Boustead Holdings Bhd has proposed to acquire Hyde Park Hotel in London for RM138.975 million (£25.7 million), in a move to expand its property operation beyond Malaysian shores.

In a statement yesterday, Boustead said it had signed a sale and purchase agreement with Pastel Estate Ltd to acquire the property, which comprises the 68-room hotel as well as freehold titles.

KUALA LUMPUR: Talam Transform Bhd has appointed Chan Tet Eu, the youngest son of the group’s founder Tan Sri Chan Ah Chye, as a non-independent and non-executive director with immediate effect.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia yesterday, Talam Transform said Tet Eu, 29, had worked in a media outlet and production house prior to joining a property development company.