Latest news with #hawkers
The Star
6 days ago
- Business
- The Star
SMEs urged to grab chance to grow
Mohd Jafni (second from left) speaking with Tey (centre, in white) and hawkers and petty traders who received tents from the state government during a ceremony at Johor Baru City Council. MICRO businesses as well as small and medium enterprises (SME) are urged to seize opportunities that come with the development of Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). State housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said JS-SEZ had the potential to contribute an additional US$28bil (about RM120bil) to Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) by 2030. He said the initiative spanning 11 key economic sectors was expected to see the start of about 50 projects in the first five years, with the number of projects going up to 100 in 10 years. 'This shows that JS-SEZ has many opportunities for SME and micro businesses to grab,' he said. The 11 key economic sectors under the JS-SEZ are manufacturing, logistics, food security, business services, tourism, energy, digital economy, green economy, financial services, education and health. During an interview, Mohd Jafni added that the state government, through its 16 local councils, had also been clamping down on the abuse of business licences to ensure that locals benefit from the economic activities. 'We have been running joint operations regularly to go after those abusing business licences, such as illegally renting them to foreigners,' he said. 'We want to ensure that the right people benefit from the state's development and this is the Johor government's priority.' Mohd Jafni highlighted that SMEs contributed 37% of the country's GDP and generated about 48% of the nation's workforce including in sectors such as services, manufacturing, agriculture and commerce. 'The state government recently distributed 6,000 units of tents worth RM3mil to petty traders and SME for the year.' He said the state government had also been collaborating with Bank Rakyat to assist businesses through the BR Johor Niaga financial scheme. As of March 31, 644 entrepreneurs had been accepted for the scheme, which had disbursed more than RM43.2mil since it was launched on March 22, 2023. The scheme allows eligible applicants to receive interest-free funding of between RM5,000 and RM50,000. The interest is fully borne by the state government. Johor Baru Small Business Association president Tey Tian Hwang urged eligible entrepreneurs to apply for the zero-interest scheme to upgrade and improve their businesses. 'SMEs, including hawkers and mobile traderswho are looking forward to the JS-SEZ implementation, should make plans to upgrade their businesses and uplift their services and image. 'With more developments, there will naturally be a higher demand for goods and services, which SMEs will stand to benefit from,' he said. Tey added that next year's Visit Johor Year promotion and completion of the Rapid Transit System Link, connecting Johor and Singapore by rail, would further boost the economy.
Malay Mail
07-05-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Penang Hill's RM20m food court project set to begin construction in July
GEORGE TOWN, May 8 — Construction of a new RM20 million food court on Penang Hill is slated to begin in July or early August following the demolition of the existing structure, which is currently underway. Penang Hill Corporation general manager Datuk Cheok Lay Leng said demolition of the old Astaka is progressing and is now 60 per cent complete. 'We aim to complete demolition before July so that construction of the new food complex can commence by July or August,' he told Malay Mail in an interview. Phase one of the Astaka redevelopment, which involved constructing a temporary food court for hawkers, was completed in February. 'The hawkers have already moved into the temporary food court. Phase two, which involves tearing down the old Astaka, is now in progress,' he said. The old Astaka is currently being demolished. Cheok explained that the old structure could not be restored due to its deteriorated condition, including leaks, making complete demolition necessary. 'We also need to carry out slope stabilisation work to ensure safety, as the site is located on the slopes of the hill. This can only be done after the old structure is removed,' he said. The new food court is designed to accommodate more visitors, with capacity doubled to about 600 people at any one time compared to the old Astaka. 'The new structure will be built to last and cater to a larger crowd,' he added. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with the food court targeted to open to the public by December 2026. The completion is set to coincide with the ongoing cable car project, which Cheok said would enhance the appeal of Penang Hill. 'We hope these projects will provide more attractions for visitors to Penang Hill,' he said.
The Star
30-04-2025
- The Star
MBPJ discovers 43 illegal dumpsites in housing areas
MBPJ is open to discussing the revitalisation of Pasar Jalan Othman. — Filepic Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ) has identified 43 illegal dumping hotspots in housing areas in the city, with 12 of them monitored by mobile CCTV cameras as of April 28. The cameras are monitored from the operations centre in Menara MBPJ. Mayor Mohamad Zahri Samingon said that under the PJ Watch Programme, CCTV surveillance had led to the detection of 19 individuals, 17 vehicles and three business premises involved in illegal dumping activities. Enforcement actions also resulted in 23 individuals apprehended, four vehicles seized and 32 business premises implicated, he elaborated. 'A total of 149 compounds have been issued for violations under Refuse Collection, Removal and Disposal By-Laws 2007,' he said at MBPJ's full board meeting. Earlier this year, mobile video cameras recorded 31 incidents of illegal rubbish dumping which included 14 repeat offenders, 15 cases involving vehicles and two cases related to business premises. Following the full board meeting, Mohamad Zahri told StarMetro that MBPJ was open to discussing a revamp of Pasar Jalan Othman and welcomed suggestions from key stakeholders. 'The discussion will involve all parties including the MP, state assemblyman, city councillors and the hawkers,' he said. He was commenting on the initiative by Petaling Jaya MP Lee Chean Chung who recently met representatives of Pasar Jalan Othman hawkers. Lee agreed to submit proposals to MBPJ on improving the market environment and revitalising business activities. Commenting on the lack of parking at Pasar Jalan Othman, Mohamad Zahri said he had visited the multi-level carpark at the market and found many empty bays on the upper floors. 'I have been there several times, where the top floor of the parking area is often empty and people choose to park along the roadside,' he said, adding that MBPJ was considering stricter enforcement. 'If visitors remain stubborn, we will issue compounds. 'But if our enforcement officers are present, we will try to direct them to the top floor,' said Mohamad Zahri. He said CCTV footage would be used to assess fairness before penalising customers, but fines would be issued if motorists parked outside despite available bays in the carpark.
