KUALA LUMPUR: Office rentals in Kuala Lumpur are expected to stabilise in the first half of 2010, barring any major economic setbacks, according to a special report by CB Richard Ellis Research, Asia on Malaysia’s Market Prospects.

GEORGE TOWN: Ivory Properties Group, which is developing the RM1.1 billion Penang Times Square project is awaiting the nod from the Securities Commission for its listing on Bursa Malaysia.

Ivory executive director Datuk Seri Nazir Ariff said Ivory hoped the listing would be "soon" but declined to elaborate.

HONG KONG/SINGAPORE: Bank of America (BofA) has decided to hold on to, and raise new money for Merrill Lynch's Asia property fund business, which the US bank had planned to sell during the financial crisis, partly because of a rapid recovery in Asia's property market, sources said.

BEIJING: Sales of new apartments and existing homes in Beijing fell some 70% in the first three weeks of January from a month earlier, the local Beijing News reported on Jan 27.

HONG KONG: Keppel Corp, the world’s largest oil-rig maker, said fourth-quarter profit climbed 30% as higher sales at a property unit offset slumping demand for rigs.

Net income climbed to S$343 million (RM835.1 million) from S$263 million a year earlier, the company said on Jan 26 in a statement to the Singapore stock exchange. Sales dropped 19% to S$3.03 billion.

KUALA LUMPUR: Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) yesterday hinted of a sooner-than-expected interest rate hike after keeping the country’s overnight policy rate (OPR) unchanged at 2% at its first monetary policy committee (MPC) meeting for the year.

“Moving forward, monetary policy would remain accommodative to ensure that the economic recovery is well entrenched.

KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Investment Research sees the tie up between Sime Darby Property and Sunrise Bhd as a brilliant strategic move.

KUALA LUMPUR: The Selangor state government has identified Serendah, Subang, Klang Valley 2 and I-City Shah Alam to be its new industrial hubs.

Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim, said the surrounding areas of the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Airport in Subang would be developed for aerospace industry and Serendah in Kuala Selangor for the automotive sector.

PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia is committed to adopting renewable energy and green technology to become a leading nation in the 21st century, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

The prime minister said the government realised that in the 21st century renewable energy and sustainable energy as well as green technology would be the core of economic growth for all countries.