Latest news with #AlanHu
The Star
22-07-2025
- Health
- The Star
Bukit Gambir residents join hands for clean-up to beat dengue
CONCERNED residents in Taman Jade View, Bukit Gambir, banded together for a gotong-royong in a bid to contain the dengue outbreak in their area. The high-rise residential property located in Gelugor became Penang's sole hotspot after recording 17 dengue cases in just a month. The clean-up effort saw some 30 residents taking part to clear the apartment grounds, flushing drains, trimming overgrown trees as well as removing dead stumps and bulk waste, with assistance from the Penang Island City Council (MBPP). Hu hopes increased awareness among residents will help contain and halt the spread of joint management body (JMB) chairman Alan Hu said the 17 dengue cases were recorded within the past 30 days, all involving residents of the apartment complex. 'There are about 2,000 residents living in 496 units across seven blocks,' he said, while describing the outbreak as 'alarming'. 'We are also surrounded by four factories and two ongoing condominium projects. 'Rain, overgrown trees and stagnant water at the construction sites create the perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.' Hu expressed hope that the gotong-royong and increased awareness among residents would help contain and halt the spread of dengue here in Taman Jade View. Hu added that two residents tested positive for dengue through rapid tests conducted on 61 individuals recently. Health department officers also set up booths during the clean-up to educate residents on dengue prevention. One of the key messages shared was that the Aedes mosquito, which spreads dengue, can complete its life cycle in just a week under ideal conditions, while its eggs can remain dormant and active for up to six months in dry environments. MBPP councillor Chan Soon Aun said while the city council would increase surveillance and work with health authorities to destroy mosquito breeding spots, another concern was the irresponsible feeding of stray dogs in the area. 'We found food waste and containers left along the roads behind the neighbourhood. 'These containers collect stagnant water and become mosquito breeding sites, while the strays have been multiplying. 'We estimate there are at least 50 stray dogs roaming this area and scavenging for food,' he said. Penang youth, sports and health committee chairman Daniel Gooi Zi Sen said as of June 28, dengue cases in the state had dropped by 62% compared to the same corresponding period last year. 'A total of 1,025 dengue cases have been recorded this year, down from 2,685 cases during the same period last year. 'At the moment, Taman Jade View is the only dengue hotspot in Penang, and health authorities are keeping a close watch,' he said. Gooi also noted a slight decline in Covid-19 cases during the 26th epidemiological week from June 22 to 28. A total of 240 cases were reported in Penang, compared to 243 cases the previous week.
CTV News
20-06-2025
- Business
- CTV News
B.C. Realtor's licence cancelled over ‘deceptive and underhanded' conduct
Real estate sale signage is shown on a street in Oakville, Ont., west of Toronto, on Thursday, Nov.7, 2024. (Richard Buchan / The Canadian Press) A B.C. Realtor who lost a court case against a former client earlier this year has now had his licence cancelled by the provincial real estate regulator. Alan Hu and his Personal Real Estate Corporation recently entered a consent order agreement with the B.C. Financial Services Authority, in which they agreed to pay a $120,000 fine and have their licences cancelled. The penalties stem from the same incident that led to a court decision against Hu in January, in which B.C. Supreme Court Justice Amy D. Francis found Hu had 'intentionally undermined' his client Pei Hua Zhong by purchasing for himself the Surrey home that Zhong had made an offer to buy. Francis' decision in the case describes Hu's conduct as 'deceptive and underhanded' – a description that is repeated in the consent order document published on the BCFSA website Friday. What happened The court case revolved around Zhong's attempts to purchase a property on 174 Street near 20 Avenue in Surrey. The one-acre parcel had an assessed value of just over $3 million for 2025, according to BC Assessment. 174 Street property in South Surrey The property at the centre of the lawsuit is seen in this 2011 photo from BC Assessment. ( Zhong met Hu in November 2017 and hired the Realtor to facilitate both the sale of his home on Poplar Drive and the purchase of a new home, according to the court decision. Through Hu, Zhong made two offers to purchase the 174 Street property. The first, for $2.1 million, was accepted, but expired when Zhong was unable to sell his home in time to raise the necessary funds for the down payment. While the first offer was expiring in late December 2017, Hu was in Las Vegas with his wife and another couple – Lingxia Tao and her husband Zhi Chen. According to the decision, what exactly was discussed between the parties in Las Vegas was disputed during the court proceedings, but the end result was that Tao made an offer on the 174 Street property for slightly less than $2.1 million, which was accepted, while Zhong made a new offer of $2.05 million, which was rejected. Two weeks later, Tao assigned her contract to purchase the property to Hu, who ultimately completed the transaction. Hu later sold the property in September 2021 for $3.35 million – a profit of more than $1.2 million over what he had paid when he assumed Tao's contract less than four years earlier. Francis ruled in Zhong's favour, ordering Hu to 'disgorge' his portion of the profits, a number that remained unspecified in the court decision because of ongoing litigation between Hu and Tao over their purported agreement to invest in real estate together. Regulator-imposed consequences The BCFSA consent order details these same circumstances, albeit with the names of the other parties and the address of the property redacted. According to the document, Hu's client (Zhong) learned that Hu was the owner of the property when he performed a title search in September 2021. Zhong filed his civil lawsuit in January 2022. In April of that year, he submitted a complaint to the BCFSA, the consent order indicates. The document notes that Hu made false statements to BCFSA investigators about his agreement with Tao and falsely claimed that he had offered Zhong the opportunity to take the assignment of the contract to buy the 174 Street property. He later admitted during the trial that he had never told Zhong about the assignment. Hu also failed to notify the BCFSA when the B.C. Supreme Court judgment against him was issued earlier this year, according to the consent order. In the agreement, Hu admits to a lengthy list of conduct unbecoming of a licensee and professional misconduct, including: Failing to act honestly in providing real estate services Failing to disclose 'all known material information' to a client Failing to maintain the client's confidentiality Failing to act in the best interests of the client Failing to take reasonable steps to avoid a conflict of interest Failing to promptly and fully disclose a conflict of interest to a client Providing trading services outside of the brokerage with which he and his PREC were licensed Collecting funds in relation to the purchase of a property without promptly remitting the money to his brokerage Failing to keep the brokerage's managing broker informed of the assignment contract Failing to promptly notify the BCFSA of the court judgment Failing or refusing to co-operate with an investigation And making false or misleading statements in relation to an investigation Hu and his company admitted this misconduct and agreed to the cancellation of their licences. They are jointly required to pay the $120,000 fine within six months of signing the consent order agreement. 'Real estate licensees have an enshrined duty to act in the best interests of their client, and Hu's actions ran wholly contrary to that duty,' said Jon Vandall, the BCFSA's senior vice-president of compliance and enforcement, in a news release issued Friday. 'Hu undermined his own client for personal gain and demonstrated a clear disregard for the established ethical expectations for licensees. The significant penalty issued to Hu, including the outright cancellation of his real estate licence, reflects the severity of Hu's actions.'
