- No more running away from speed cameras
- ETA will be required for Malaysians who travel to the United Kingdom
- BYD is in hot waters in Brazil
IN Malaysia
Major infrastructure projects in the pipelines in Penang
- The Penang Water Supply Corporation (PBAPP) announced six new water projects worth over RM1.8 bil, with four projects due to kickstart this year. Below are the details of the six projects –
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2 new water treatment plants, one in Mengkeng Dam worth RM250 mil and another one in Kubang Kerian that costs RM402 mil, both have a combined capacity of 228 mil litres per day (MLD);
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A 13 km pipeline from the Sungai Dua plant to Butterworth valued at RM128 mil;
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A 3.9 km pipeline worth RM44 mil on Penang Island, connecting the Macallum area to the Bukit Dumbar Reservoir and Pumping Station Complex;
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2 new water treatment plants, one of which has a capacity of 136 MLD in Sungai Perai for RM588 mil while the other has a capacity of 114 MLD in Sungai Muda for RM435 mil.
The projects stated above are set to address the issue of water-poor Penang. Do you know that Penang’s per capita domestic water consumption is higher than the national average, consuming 284 litres/capita/day (LCD) in 2023, while the national average was 237 LCD in 2022. In Singapore, the per capita domestic consumption stood at 141 LCD in 2023. So, Penang water is better than Singapore water?
- Putrajaya is currently mulling over funding the construction of the new RM7.5 bil, 19.5 km six-lane highway dubbed the Pan Island Link 1 (PIL 1) that will tunnel through the hill ranges of Penang Island connecting Gurney Drive to Bayan Lepas. PIL 1, which is applied under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), will cut travel time from Gurney Drive to the airport down to 15 minutes. However, the project received strong opposition from environmentalists when it was first mooted in 2019, citing sinking risks due to tunnelling through the ‘water-seeped’ fault lines of Penang Hill.
MOT to outsmart motorists in combating overspeeding
The days of sudden braking, when you see speed cameras in order to avoid detection, will soon come to an end as Transport Minister Anthony Loke has announced that the Automated Awareness Safety System (AwAS) cameras will be upgraded to a point-to-point monitoring method, replacing the current static approach. The new method will calculate the average speed between two checkpoints, using distance and travel time. If motorists complete the journey faster than expected, it indicates speeding, and penalties will apply. The pilot project for the ‘smart’ speed cameras will be implemented at two places in hazardous and high-risk areas, such as the hilly stretches of the Kuala Lumpur-Karak Expressway (KLK) near Genting Sempah and the Menora Tunnel in Ipoh. To those Tokyo Drift-wannabes that have been burning rubbers speeding through the Karak highway up to Genting, enjoy the sleek corners while it lasts. It has been a good journey.
Shorts
- Should we be worried about the so-called Covid 2.0 or formally known as the Human metapneumovirus (hMPV)? hMPV is not a new disease and has existed for over 60 years before being identified by scientists in the early 2000s. The symptoms are non-lethal and will gradually subside in about a week for most people. In Malaysia, cases of hMPV are not new where there were 327 positive cases in 2024 and 225 cases in 2023. According to the molecular virologist and associate professor at the Jeffrey Cheah School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr B. Vinod, hMPV is unlikely to become a global threat like Covid-19.
Source: https://www.therakyatpost.com/news/2025/01/06/what-is-hmpv-how-worried-should-malaysians-be/
- Soon, you can just use QR codes at 40 special lanes in KLIA Terminal 1 and 2 for your immigration checks. This new initiative will reduce the bottleneck at the country’s main gateway, reducing immigration clearance time from 15 – 25 seconds (using the conventional automatic gates) down to 5 – 7 seconds. However, one first needs to download the MyBorderPass application to register their travel details, before utilising the QR code system.
- Unfortunately, those who are travelling to the United Kingdom for leisure or balik kampung (sarcasm intended) purposes, will need Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) to enter the country of our former colonists. According to the UK government website, each ETA application costs RM56 which will allow multiple entries into the country. Those with a visa or permission to live, work or study in the United Kingdom do not need an ETA. ETA is an advance travel permission that checks your information against security databases, as part of the country’s Nationality and Borders Act 2022.
Around the S.E.A.
A BYD scandal is brewing in Brazil
According to Reuters, an investigation revealed that China-based electric vehicle producer BYD has been importing hundreds of Chinese workers to Brazil under dodgy visas to build a factory in the country. To be exact, 163 of those workers, hired by BYD contractor Jinjiang, were found to be working in what Brazilian authorities said were ‘slavery-like conditions’. Labour authority named Liane Durao stated that those workers have been rescued and returning to China and BYD will be fined for each worker found in that kind of situation, albeit the fine amount is undisclosed. Brazil is a key market for BYD outside of China, where the EV manufacturer has invested USD620 mil to set up the factory in the South American country. Apart from that, nearly one in five cars BYD sold outside China in the first 11 months of 2024 was in Brazil. So, BYD has a lot to lose from this scandal.
Key investment deals around the region
- Thailand – Amazon Web Services (AWS) has officially launched in Thailand, as part of the company’s rapid expansion into the Southeast Asia region. AWS is committed to investing more than USD5 bil in the Land of Smiles over the next 15 years. As a comparison, AWS committed a higher amount in Malaysia, to invest USD6.2 bil through the year 2038. AWS’ investment in Thailand is projected to create 11,000 full-time jobs and contribute USD10 bil to the country’s GDP.
Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/business/tech/40044951
- Singapore – US-based chip manufacturer Micron Technology is putting USD7 bil on the table to expand its plant in Singapore. The new plant that will start its operation in 2026 will be utilised to package high-bandwidth memory chips, a type widely seen in AI data centres, and create about 1,400 jobs. Micron is joining its peers to set up shop in the island state as NXP Semiconductors NV and a firm backed by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co are building a USD7.8 bil wafer plant in Singapore too.
- India – Another US company, Microsoft Corp is pledging to spend USD3 bil in India in order to expand its cloud computing and artificial intelligence capabilities. Microsoft is expanding its presence in India, the native country of its CEO Satya Nadella, having employed more than 23,000 people and committed to giving AI training to 10 mil people in the country by 2030.
For your EYES only
Have you seen a road so easily dismantled, that it looks like it is being patched up using double-sided tape? View below to see how poorly built a new road in Indonesia.
Infrastruktur era @prabowo @Gerindra
Tak beda dengan era Jokowi.
Gimana menurut kalian,
Jalan saja masih di korupsi.
Menyedihkan….! pic.twitter.com/nPqAzyqjc2— 🇮🇩7464H4T1✍🇮🇩 (@H4T14K4LN4L42) January 7, 2025
