Latest news with #331
New Straits Times
3 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Woman protests double agent fee for JB apartment rental renewal
JOHOR BARU: A Malaysian woman working in Singapore has raised concerns over being charged a second agent commission despite only renewing her rental for a property near the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) Complex here. In a Facebook thread that has since gone viral, the tenant questioned why she was asked to pay another RM1,431 in agent fees — the same amount she paid when she first rented the property a year ago. "I'm not moving. I'm staying in the same house. Why should I be charged again? What service justifies this?" she wrote in a post shared under the username miarania96, which included a full breakdown of her initial rental costs totalling RM11,331. According to her, the agent responded by calculating that the fee equated to "RM4 a day" and said it was for "our service for the upcoming one year". The woman, who works in Singapore and depends on accommodation at rental units near CIQ due to transport constraints, said she felt pressured to comply. "They told me it's standard practice in Johor. But when I rented in Selangor, agents didn't charge again for renewals — some even let me deal directly with the owner," she said. The Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Act 1981 (amended 1997) regulates property professionals in Malaysia, requiring agents to operate ethically and transparently. The woman's post has sparked debate on whether such repeat charges are legally permissible or simply an industry practice. The 'New Straits Times' is contacting the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (the regulatory body overseeing real estate agents in Malaysia) and state-based authorities and associations, to clarify whether repeat commission fees on rental renewals are allowed under current regulations.
Associated Press
19-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Really, who were those masked men? New series of books probes backstories of Marvel superheroes
NEW YORK (AP) — If you love movies or comics, you've likely followed the adventures of Spider-Man, Iron Man and other superheroes. A new line of books will let you explore the back stories of their creation. On Wednesday, Bloomsbury and Marvel announced a multi-year, multi-volume licensing agreement for 'Marvel Age of Comics.' The books will combine history and personal narrative, starting this fall with Stuart Moore's 'Doctor Strange,' Paul Cornell's 'The Mighty Avengers of the 1970s' and Chris Ryall's 'Daredevil.' The illustrations will feature original work from Marvel's digital archive. Initiated by Marvel, the new series was inspired in part by Bloomsbury's 33 1/3 books, short and compact works about popular music ranging from the Clash and Judy Garland to Madonna and Kendrick Lamar. 'We've been tremendous fans of Bloomsbury's work on projects like 33 1/3, and we can't wait to see them take a similar approach combining their reverence for the material, academic expertise, and unique insights with some of our greatest publishing moments for the new 'Marvel Age of Comics' series,' Sven Larsen, vice president of licensed publishing at Marvel, said in a statement. Haaris Naqvi, director of publishing at Bloomsbury USA, said he had been a fan of Marvel since childhood and welcomed the comics empire's proposal for a 'smart' series on its history. 'I remember me and my brothers reading Marvel issues when they came out in the '80s,' he said during a recent interview. 'Working on this series has brought me back to that time. I would love it if the series had that effect on readers.'
