12 theSun | TUESDAY AUGUST 4 2009

business

Guocoland Malaysia to launch projects worth RM1.7bil

RAWANG: Property developer
GuocoLand (Malaysia) Bhd plans to roll
out several high-end projects in stages
at Emerald Rawang, Selangor, with a
total gross development value (GDV)
of RM1.7 billion.
“Going forward, the RM1.7 billion
GDV will have a bigger impact in
terms of contribution. The projects are
expected to be completed in 2016 or
2017,” executive director Chan Chee
Meng told reporters during a media
tour yesterday.
Emerald Rawang is a joint venture
project between GuocoLand Malaysia
and Hong Bee Land Sdn Bhd, with
the former as the project manager.
GuocoLand Malaysia is a member of
the Hong Leong group.
The Emerald Rawang township
comprises Emerald East and Emerald
West.
Emerald Rawang sits on about
1,000 acres of freehold land, compris-
ing a mixed-use development ranging
from link, cluster and semi-detached
homes to high-end bungalows.
To date, a total of 1,300 homes
have been built with sales of RM375
million, Chan said, adding the company
has targeted another RM100 million
sales by year-end on expectation of
good demand for the semi-detached
homes.
“We plan to launch four more
phases this year because it is timely
due to the recovery of the market
and buyers are upgrading to more
established projects,” he said.
– Bernama

Govt mulls more

WiMAX licences
KAMARIDUAN MOHD NOR/THESUN

by Husna Yusop Last Friday, Rais has warned the three

newsdesk@thesundaily.com companies holding WiMAX licences which
have yet to roll out their services nationwide
KUALA LUMPUR: The government plans to that they risk losing their licences.
issue WiMAX licences to more companies, in He has said the government had the right
UMW Toyota aims to sell 100 Second
from left:
UMW Toyota
addition to the four players now, Information,
Communications and Culture Minister Datuk
to revoke their licences if they did not roll out
their services by year-end, especially to Sabah

units of Prius by year-end chairman Tan

by Eva Yeong
newsdesk@thesundaily.com
SUBANG JAYA: UMW Toyota Motor Sdn
Bhd (UMW Toyota) aims to sell 100 units of
its newly launched third generation hybrid
car, Toyota Prius, by end of this year.
“Our target sales for Prius this year is
100 units, and 300 units for next year,”
said UMW Toyota president Kuah Kock
Heng at a media preview yesterday.
“Order taking starts today and the
public launch will be on Aug 7. Due to its
overwhelming popularity since its launch
in Japan, there has been a bottleneck in
supply,” said Kuah.
“However, with much thanks to Toyota
Motor Corporation, we managed to pro-
ceed with the launch although we did not
get as many as we would have wanted.”
Prius was first introduced in Japan in
1997 as a mass-produced, petrol-electric,
hybrid vehicle and was subsequently
launched in the US and Europe in 2000.
In 2003, Toyota introduced its second
generation Prius featuring the Toyota Hy-
brid System-II which achieves a high level
of compatibility between environmental
performance and power.
“With the introduction of the second
generation Prius, Toyota has sold more
than 1.2 million units in 44 countries by
end of 2008,” said Kuah.
Despite the soft economic condition,
the new Toyota Prius became the top
seller in Japan with more than 31,000
units sold and more than 180,000 units
booked, he said.
“The new Prius will feature a power
train that is 90% newly developed with
significant improvements over the previ-
ous generation. The Prius adopts a new
beltless 1.8 litre, four cylinder petrol
engine with 98 horsepower. It runs at
lower RPMs at highway speeds for more
relaxed driving, better fuel efficiency and
improved uphill performance,” he said.
Toyota Motor Corporation chief
engineer Akihiko Otsuka said the Toyota
Prius has less drag due to its aerodynamic
design and an Eco Mode to enhance fuel
economy. Only eco-friendly materials
which are easy to recycle are used to
produce the car, said Otsuka.
The car is priced at RM175,000 in Pe-
ninsular Malaysia, inclusive of insurance
for private registration.
Kuah said all its branches in Penin-
sula Malaysia will be able to service the
Prius by end of this year, with four of its
60 branches already prepared namely
Subang Jaya, Cheras, Penang and Johor.
Sri Asmat
Seri Dr Rais Yatim said.
He said three out of four companies licensed
now were not up to the mark in rolling out the
Kamaluddin,
broadband services to consumers but there
Otsuka,
were many others capable of doing it.
UMW Toyota
deputy
“I believe there are many others (capable).
And to be fair to the industry, we should en-
chairman
courage them to come and offer their services,
Takashi Hibi
especially to render coverage for Sarawak and
and Kuah at
the media
Sabah.
“We are still in the Jurassic Park area there
preview of
the third
– in many parts of the two states,” he told
theSun in an interview on Sunday.
generation
Prius.
He said it was only fair to get more players
in the broadband industry as it was now not
moving fast enough at only 25% penetration
rate of the whole population.
“I will be informing the government that
with just these four players, and only one
is in reality playing the role, we should be
encouraging more,” he added, while refusing
to elaborate pending further developments.
Raja Arshad named Ekuinas
chairman, Rahman Ahmad as CEO
KUALA LUMPUR: Former PriceWater-
houseCoopers executive chairman Raja Tan
Sri Arshad Raja Tun Uda has been appointed
chairman of Ekuiti Nasional Bhd (Ekuinas).
Media Prima Bhd outgoing group managing
director/chief executive officer Abdul Rahman
Ahmad, meanwhile, was made chief executive
officer and director of the newly established
private equity investment institution.
Their appointments take effect on Sept 1,
said a statement issued by the Prime Minis-
ter’s Office yesterday.
Ekuinas is the newly established private
equity investment institution aimed at pro-
moting effective bumiputra economic par-
ticipation in a sustainable and market friendly
manner.
Other founding members of Ekuinas board
of directors are Symphony House Bhd group
chief executive and former managing direc-
tor of Pengurusan Danaharta Nasional Bhd
Datuk Azman Yahya, Institute of Strategic
and International Studies Malaysia chairman
and chief executive officer Tan Sri Mohamed
and Sarawak, adding that the terms of their
licences required it as part of their responsi-
bilities.
He also said he has instructed the Malay-
sian Communications and Multimedia Com-
mission to look into the issue and review the
licences of the three companies.
Four companies were in March 2007
awarded the 2.3GHz spectrum, allowing
them to offer wireless broadband services us-
ing WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for
Microwave Access) technology.
They are Packet One Networks (M) Sdn
Bhd, REDtone International Bhd, YTL e-Solu-
tions Bhd and Asiaspace Dotcom Sdn Bhd.
It was reported that Packet One, a subsidiary
of Green Packet Bhd, has the widest roll-out so
far while REDtone offers services in parts of
Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, Asiaspace covers
70 to 80 locations in Klang Valley and YTL
e-Solutions has yet to roll out its broadband
services.
Jawhar Hassan and Economic Planning Unit
director general Datuk Noriyah Ahmad.
Ekuinas’ establishment was announced
by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul
Razak on June 30 as part of a number of
measures announced to further enhance the
competitiveness of the Malaysian economy
whilst maintaining the government’s
commitment towards promoting sustainable,
meaningful and effective bumiputra
participation through genuine partnerships
and meritocracy.
It will manage an initial fund of RM500
million which subsequently, will be enlarged
up to RM10 billion.
It will be commercially driven, with in-
vestments focused on strong Malaysian com-
panies with high growth potential and will
work towards attracting and nurturing talent
for management in investee companies, the
statement said.
Ekuinas will also collaborate with private
capital and adopt best practices of global pri-
vate equity firms, it said. – Bernama

Public Mutual declares distributions for 6 funds

KUALA LUMPUR: Public Bank’s wholly-owned
subsidiary Public Mutual has announced total
gross distributions for six of its funds for the
financial year ended July 31, 2009.
They are Public Growth Fund (4 sen per unit);
Public Islamic Opportunities Fund (2 sen); Public
Islamic Select Enterprises Fund (1.25 sen); Public
Bond Fund (5 sen); Public Islamic Select Bond
Fund (3.50 sen); and Public Islamic Income Fund
(2.50 sen).
According to The Edge-Lipper Fund Table
dated July 20, 2009, Public Growth Fund and
Public Islamic Opportunities Fund have gener-
ated a three-year return of 40.11% and 45.01%
respectively for the period ended July 10, 2009.
As for the bond funds, Public Bond Fund has
generated a three-year return of 15.56% while
Public Islamic Select Bond Fund which was
launched in 2007 has generated a one-year return
of 6.59%. These funds have outperformed their
benchmarks for the respective periods.
Meanwhile, Public Islamic Select Enterprises
Fund and Public Islamic Income Fund which were
launched last year have generated a six-month
return of 16.08% and 4.45% respectively for the
period ended July 10, 2009.
Both funds are open for EPF Members Invest-
ment Scheme. – Bernama