KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian commercial property market, which ended on a high note in 2009 after a lull from mid-2008, can expect exciting times this year.

KUALA LUMPUR: Ho Hup Construction Company Bhd on Jan 27 confirmed receiving a query from the Securities Commission (SC) with regard to a "third force" acting-in-concert, pushing the company to convene an extraordinary general meeting on Feb 4.

KUALA LUMPUR: The government’s liberalisation measures carried out last year on the property sector and abolishing the 30% bumiputra equity requirement in certain sectors of the economy will have a far reaching impact on the local property sector, according to a special report by CB Richard Ellis Research, Asia on Malaysia’s Market Prospects.

KUALA LUMPUR: The demand for buildings equipped with green technology will continue to rise as environmental awareness grows and more companies embrace corporate social responsibility, said CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Research, Asia in a special report – Malaysia Market Prospects today (Jan 27).

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.