KUALA LUMPUR: Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has expressed concern over the low occupancy rate of high-rise buildings in Kuala Lumpur.

This, he said, might primarily impact the banking sector as the situation can bring about long-term debts.

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Government is seriously considering building a road tunnel, particularly in the hilly area, to connect the city or major towns to towns in the interior, said Deputy Chief Minister Tan Sri Joseph Pairin Kitingan.

KUALA LUMPUR: The state governments can now renew the period of leaseholds to not more than 99 years on leasehold land to applicants renewing their existing land lease before their expiry.

MELAKA: After being declared as a developed state on October 20, Melaka's Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam revealed his vision of seeing Melaka emerging as the "Green State" by 2020.

NEW YORK: Regulators and lenders may emulate the US lending markets' diversity of funding channels which emphasises less reliance on banks as sources of credit, said global real estate consultancy DTZ.

This change in direction could arise from issues related to debt and equity, it said in its Global Debt Funding Gap on Nov 24.

SINGAPORE: SC Global Developments Ltd has announced three commercial tenants for its Martin No 38 mixed development, close to the Singapore River.

The first tenant is The Mill, a "hip boutique gymnasium" that specialises in providing customised training programmes. The gym is managed by body builders Augustine Lee and Joan Liew, the duo behind the Fitness Factory gym at Boat Quay.

KUALA LUMPUR: IOI Properties Bhd has achieved a take-up rate of 70% of the non-Bumi units for its recently-launched Odora Parkhomes in its gated and guarded 16Sierra in Puchong.

Speaking to TheEdgeProperty.com recently, its general manager Lee Yoke Har said the Odora Parkhomes is the third launch in the leasehold township, and consists of 220 units of 3- to 3½-storey townhouses.

LONDON: The student accommodation sector is poised to deliver stable and sustainable returns underpinned by its strong performance in September despite a challenging economic backdrop, said global property consultancy Knight Frank's head of student property James Pullan.

KUALA LUMPUR: LBS Bina Group Bhd recorded a net profit of RM4.15 million compared to a net loss of RM1.74 million a year ago in its third quarter (3Q) financial statements ended Sept 30, 2010, the group announced on Tuesday, Nov 30.

Revenue for the quarter under review rose 91% to RM79.713 million from RM41.709 million a year ago.

KUALA LUMPUR: Mahajaya Bhd bought a piece of freehold land in Cheras measuring 9.375 acres from Chong Shee Jan, Chong Shee Leok and Chong Soo Lim for RM15.52  million, the group announced on Tuesday, Nov 30.

The land is currently subject to the category of land use as pertanian ("agriculture") with an express condition of tanaman getah ("rubber trees").