Bitcoin CEO arrest leaves long trail of unanswered questions

Tokyo (AFP) - The arrest of MtGox boss Mark Karpeles has begun to shed light on the defunct Bitcoin exchange after hundreds of millions of dollars in virtual currency vanished from its digital vaults last year.

But as details of a lengthy investigation by Japanese police trickle out, at least one crucial question remains unanswered: where is the money?



On Friday authorities issued a fresh arrest warrant for Frenchman Karpeles over claims he stole several million dollars from clients, including about $48,000 allegedly spent on a luxury canopy bed.

Karpeles, 30, who has reportedly denied the allegations, was initially taken into custody earlier this month and has been held without formal charges for three weeks, as allowed under Japanese law.

A fresh warrant resets the clock on how long police can hold him and grill the self-described computer geek over Tokyo-based MtGox's missing Bitcoins.



So far, police have accused Karpeles of manipulating data and stealing sums that amount to just a fraction of the 850,000 coins -- worth around $480 million at the time, or $387 million at current exchange rates -- that disappeared last year.

MtGox, which once said it handled around 80 percent of global Bitcoin transactions, filed for bankruptcy protection soon after the cyber-money went missing, leaving a trail of angry investors calling for answers.

The company initially said there was a bug in the software underpinning Bitcoins that allowed hackers to pilfer them.

Karpeles later claimed he had found some 200,000 of the lost coins in a "cold wallet" -- a storage device, such as a memory stick, that is not connected to other computers.

But the whereabouts of the money and Karpeles' involvement appear far from solved. "If there were instances of mismanagement or fraud like this carried out by Mark Karpeles, then he should be held accountable," Bitcoin investor Kim Nilsson told AFP.

Mark Karpeles, head of the MtGox Bitcoin exchange, looks out of a police vehicle on his way to the p 

(But) if these charges against (him) don't adequately explain where all the Bitcoin ... money went, then there are still unresolved questions, quite possibly additional crimes and criminals, that must be investigated further."

 - Real or fake? -

Nilsson also questioned whether MtGox's Bitcoin deposits were even real in the first place.

"Did MtGox at any point actually hold the coins in question, or have there been faked deposit entries merely making it look that way?" he asked MtGox reportedly kept its own funds and clients' money in the same bank account.

In an interview with Japan's top-selling Yomiuri newspaper, Karpeles' mother said her "genius" son learned computer languages at age three and started making simple programmes of his own two years later.

Back in 2006, Karpeles -- who reportedly lived in an $11,000-a-month penthouse Tokyo apartment -- wrote on his blog that computer crime was "totally contrary to my ethical principles".

But four years later, a Paris court sentenced him in absentia to a year in prison for hacking. He had come to Japan to work for a web development company in 2009 and later got involved with the Bitcoin exchange. - Tangible object -

Investors have called on the firm's court-appointed administrators to publicise its data so that experts around the world can help analyse what happened at MtGox.

But the case presented a complex challenge to Japanese police, as financial watchdogs around the world struggle to work out how to regulate digital money.

Unlike traditional currencies backed by a government or central bank, Bitcoins are generated by complex chains of interactions among a huge network of computers around the planet.

"The Bitcoin case is really an embezzlement case, but embezzlement has to involve a 'tangible object,'" said Hisashi Sonoda, a criminal law professor at Japan's Konan University.

"Japanese criminal law treats digital currency as 'data,' not what we call 'tangible object' in a legal sense."

Backers say virtual currencies, which started to appear around 2009, allow for an efficient and anonymous way to store and transfer funds online.

But critics argue the lack of legal framework governing the currency, the opaque way it is traded and its volatility make it dangerous.

Following Karpeles' arrest, Tokyo vowed to boost digital-currency regulations.

Japan's penal code "is not really catching up with quickly changing business models", hampering authorities' investigation, Sonoda said.

"If there was a clause or a fresh law targeting digital currency, that would have been helpful for investigators."

 By Hiroshi Hiyama

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By-laws governing strata property in Malaysia, part 3

General prohibitions of a proprietor according to the Third Schedule of Strata Management Regulation 2015

A PROPRIETOR shall not use his strata parcel for any purposes, illegal or otherwise, which may be injurious to the reputation of the development area; use as fuel of any substance or material which may give rise to smoke or fumes or obnoxious smells or shall not use any substance which the management corporation in a general meeting shall decide; and throw or allow to fall, any refuse or rubbish of any description on the common property or any part thereof except in refuse bins maintained by him or in refuse chutes or in refuse bins in common refuse chambers provided in the building.

PROHIBITION OF NUISANCE
A proprietor shall not use language or behave in a manner likely to cause offence or embarrassment or nuisance to any other proprietor or to any person lawfully using the common property.

APPEARANCE, FAÇADE AND COLOUR OF EXTERIOR
A proprietor shall not change the appearance, colour code and façade to any part on the exterior of his parcel without the prior written approval of the management corporation and, where necessary, the approval of the appropriate authority.

PEST CONTROL
A proprietor shall take all necessary steps to prevent his parcel from infestation by termites, vermin, rodents, pests and insects provided that any netting installed shall first be approved by the management corporation.

KEEPING OF ANIMALS IN A RESIDENTIAL BUILDING
A proprietor shall not keep any particular animal in his strata parcel or on the common property thereof that may cause annoyance or nuisance to the other proprietors or which may be dangerous to the safety or health of the other proprietors or which contravenes any written law or rules and regulations of the relevant state or the local authority.

DRYING OF LAUNDRY
In a building used for residential or dwelling purposes, a proprietor shall not, except with the prior written approval of the management corporation, hang any washing, towel, bedding, clothing or other article on any part of his strata parcel in such a way as to protrude outside, other than at the areas designated for such purpose and leave them there only for a reasonable period.

IDENTIFICATION FOR SECURITY PURPOSES
The management corporation may require any person on the common property to identify himself for security purposes and any person who refuses to comply and who is not a proprietor to leave the common property or the development area immediately.

PROHIBITION OF OBSTRUCTION
All fire escape routes, including but not limited to, the stairways, landings and passageways in the building or the common property shall not be obstructed by the proprietor at any time and the management corporation may, without prior notice, remove or confiscate any property of a proprietor, including but not limited to, bicycles, potted plants, vases, furniture, trolleys, boxes,goods or objects of any kind whatsoever. The management corporation may put up a notice of any removed or confiscated property which may be claimed by the proprietor within fourteen days from date of the notice subject to payment to the management corporation of a charge not exceeding RM200. If a removed or confiscated property is not claimed at the expiry of the period of fourteen days, the management corporation may discard or dispose of such property as it deems fit without any liability to the proprietor.

GARDEN, LAWNS AND POTTED PLANTS
A proprietor shall not damage any lawn, trees, shrubs, plants or flowers in the common property.

ENCROACHMENT ON COMMON PROPERTY AND OTHER PARCELS
A proprietor shall not do anything to his strata parcel which may encroach on any part of the common property or any other strata parcels. A proprietor shall not mark, paint, put up posters or banners or notices, drive nails or screws, or fasten brackets or the like into, or otherwise damage or deface, any part of the common property except with the prior written approval of the management corporation. An approval given by the management corporation shall not authorise any addition(s) to the common property.

VEHICLES
Every vehicle shall be properly parked in the designated parking bay without causing any obstruction to any adjacent vehicle or the flow of traffic. An improperly parked vehicle may be towed away or wheel-clamped by the management corporation, at the vehicle owner’s cost without prior notice, and in such a case, the wheel clamp will only be removed after payment to the management corporation of a charge imposed by the management corporation which shall not exceed RM200, and with any towing cost and holding charge actually incurred by the management corporation.

SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL
A proprietor shall not cause any unsightly accumulation of dirt, garbage, rubbish or debris in his strata parcel and accessory parcel that is visible from the outside and affecting the appearance or façade of the building or common property.

RENOVATION WORKS AND REPAIRS
A proprietor shall not carry out any renovation works to his strata parcel without first obtaining a prior written approval from the management corporation and, where necessary, from the appropriate authority.

RESTRICTIONS IN RENOVATION WORKS
Unless prior approval in writing has been obtained from the appropriate authority and the management corporation, a proprietor shall not:
• construct another floor level to his strata parcel (e.g. to split the level of any portion of the existing floor in the strata parcel by adding platforms);
• relocate any external door or window of his strata parcel;
• remove or make changes to any building safety feature in his strata parcel and notwithstanding such approvals, the proprietor shall indemnify and keep indemnified the management corporation against any liability which may be incurred or suffered as a result of such removal;
• shift any plumbing and sewerage system in a strata parcel;
• change or upgrade the whole electrical system in a strata parcel; or
• illegally connect or tap electricity supply.

POWER OF THE MANAGEMENT CORPORATION 

Where the condition of any strata parcel(s) in the development area affects or is likely to affect the support or shelter provided by that parcel for another parcel in the same building or the common property, or causes or is likely to cause damage or destruction to another parcel or any property therein in the same building or the common property; and the proprietor of the parcel in that condition has neglected or refused within a reasonable time of two written notifications of at least fourteen days each from the management corporation to take such action as is necessary to have that condition rectified; the management corporation may, as agent for the proprietor of the parcel in that condition, take such actions and proceedings as are necessary to have that condition rectified and the management corporation may recover the cost and expense of such actions and proceedings from the proprietor of the parcel in that condition as a debt due to the management corporation.

CHANGES TO BY-LAWS 

A developer during the developer’s management period may make additional by-laws or make amendments to such additional bylaws, not inconsistent with the bylaws in the Third Schedule, with the approval of the Commissioner of Building.

A joint management body may, by a special resolution, make additional by-laws or make amendments to such additional bylaws, not inconsistent with the bylaws in the Third Schedule, for regulating the control, management, administration, use and enjoyment of the building or land intended for subdivision into parcels and the common property, including all or any of the following matters:
• safety and security measures; • details of any common property of which the use is restricted;
• the keeping of pets;
• parking; • floor coverings;
• refuse control;
• behaviour;
• architectural and landscaping guidelines to be observed by all strata parcel owners; and
• imposition of a fine, not exceeding RM200 against any parcel owner, occupant or invitee who is in breach of any of the by-laws.

Follow our article next week on The Strata Management Tribunal, highlighting criminalising nonpayment of service charges.

BY DATUK PRETAM SINGH DARSHAN SINGH, The Sun

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  A strata property living nightmare: leakage

  The party responsible is not your upstairs neighbour but the management Stiff penalty: Whoever fails to give access to the party ca...

A strata property living nightmare: leakage

The party responsible is not your upstairs neighbour but the management

Stiff penalty: Whoever fails to give access to the party carrying out the inspection commits an offence. The fine imposed is up to RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both, under regulation 63(2).

IF you live in a high rise building and have an inter-floor leakage issue, you can be rest assured that you are not alone. Inter-floor leakage is without a doubt one of the biggest problems faced by many dwellers of high rise buildings.

Whilst the leakage may appear only in a particular parcel, the source of the leakage may lie in the parcel above or even elsewhere. The cooperation of more than one party is therefore required; without which one cannot even begin to identify the problem, let alone solve it.

Two issues must be identified when there is an inter-floor leakage. Firstly, the source of the leakage and secondly, the person or body responsible for repair or rectification. Who is supposed to identify the source of the leakage to start with? The person or body responsible of course, you may say, but how do you know who is responsible before the cause of the problem is ascertained? A bit of a chicken and egg situation arises.

New Act

Will the new management Act answer to all ceiling leakages?

In February 2013 the Strata Management Act 2013 (SMA) was passed by Parliament. With that came a presumption in law, under Section 142 of the SMA, that if the leakage is on the ceiling, then such leakage is presumed to be from the parcel above unless it is proven otherwise. So, if you have a leakage from your ceiling, go to your upstairs neighbour and tell him/her that he/she is responsible and must therefore find the source of the leakage and do the repair. What if he/she disclaims responsibility? Simple, You just quote Section 142 of the SMA. What a magical section with a “one fits all” answer to ceiling leakages! I thought so too when I first read Section 142, but I was not completely right for the law does not place the entire responsibility squarely on the upstairs parcel owner.

It was to be another couple of years before the SMA was implemented in June 2015 but the good news is that with that came also the implementation of the Strata Management (Maintenance & Management) Regulations 2015 (SMR). Many thanks to those (including HBA volunteers) who worked tirelessly on drafting and fine tuning the provisions of the SMR, we now have some definite answers on what to do if you have a leakage from your ceiling.

Who is responsible?

In dealing with inter-floor leakage one must not just look at Section 142 of the SMA but also Part XV of the SMR. Indeed it is Part XV of the SMR which tells you what to do if you discover dampness, moisture or water penetration from your ceiling or if you were to go home one day only to find that it is raining in your apartment.

Go to the developer if you are still covered by the defects liability provisions.

If the leakage is still covered by the provisions of your sale and purchase agreement (SPA), follow the provisions of your SPA. For homebuyers, these are typically cases where the leakage or defect occurs during the defects liability period, and which the housing developers are required to rectify, as provided in the statutory SPA.

JMB/MC/Management first in the line of responsibility – regulation 56

If the leakage is not one which is covered by the SPA, then notice may be served by the owner of the affected parcel on the developer or the joint management body (“JMB”) or the management corporation (“MC”) or the subsidiary management corporation (“sub-MC”), as the case may be.

This is provided for in regulation 56(1) of the SMR. What regulation 56 essentially means is that you serve notice on the body responsible for the maintenance and management of the common property, which for convenience I shall refer to as “the management”. So, now you see, the party first in the line of responsibility is not your upstairs neighbour but the management.

Once notice is received, the management must, within seven days, carry out an inspection to determine the cause of the leakage and the party responsible for rectification (regulation 57). Thereafter, the management must issue a “Certificate of Inspection” stating the cause of the inter-floor leakage as well as the party responsible for rectification (regulation 59). A standard form certificate for this purpose can be found in Form 28 under the Second Schedule of the SMR.

So, what is the purpose of Section 142, you may ask? Section 142 merely creates a presumption that the defect lies in the parcel above. In practical terms, this does nothing towards resolving any inter-floor leakage issues other than perhaps as a starting point for inspection. After all, one cannot possibly rectify a defect which causes the leakage until and unless the actual defect is identified. The legal implication of Section 142, however, is perhaps best left to those much more qualified than I but I do wonder if this statutory presumption alone can be a valid ground for holding the upstairs parcel owner responsible and if so under what circumstances in light of the provisions of the SMR.

Determining factor(s)

Under regulation 58 of the SMR, the management must take into account not just the aforesaid presumption but also the following matters which to my mind are far more relevant once the defect is identified:-

(1) that any defect in something which serves more than one parcel is a common property defect; and

(2) that any defect in something which serves only one parcel is a defect of that particular parcel even though that something is situated in common property or in void space.

In other words, the determining factor is not the location of that defective something but which parcels that something serves. If it serves just one parcel, that particular parcel owner is primarily responsible and must rectify the defect failing which the management shall carry out the rectification works and charge the expenses to that particular parcel owner. I say primarily because whilst regulation 61 of the SMR imposes the obligation on a specific parcel owner such obligation is expressly stated to be without prejudice to that parcel owner seeking indemnity from someone else.

That of course begs the question of who can be held liable for such indemnity; a question which is beyond the scope of this article but I certainly will not rule out any parcel owner, including the affected parcel owner, who contributes towards the defect or any delay in the rectification of the defect.

The decision of the management is, as expected, not final. Anyone not satisfied with a decision made against him/her may refer to the Commissioner Of Buildings (COB) who shall ascertain the cause of the leakage and the party responsible in accordance with regulation 64(1) & (2) and the decision of the COB shall be complied with by all parties concerned.

Grant access for inspection or risk prosecution

It goes without saying: that neither inspection nor rectification works can be effectively carried out without access to all relevant parcels and common property. Hence, the imposition of a statutory obligation on all relevant parties to give access as provided by regulation 63(1) of the SMR comes as no surprise at all.

Whoever fails to give access to the party carrying out the inspection commits an offence! And the punishment is severe too; a fine of up to RM50,000 or imprisonment of up to three years or both, under regulation 63(2).

Given that the lack of cooperation on the part of some parcel owners/occupiers has remained one of the main causes of delay in resolving inter-floor leakage problems, these provisions are definitely a step in the right direction. It does puzzle me, however, that whilst a failure to give access for inspection tantamount to an offence, the same does not seem to apply to a failure to give access for rectification.

Some of you cynics out there may be tempted to brush this aside as something unlikely to be enforced by the authorities but do you want to take that chance? Do you really want to risk prosecution over something as simple as giving access for inspection and/or rectification?

Beside, now that the Strata Management Tribunal has been set up you may be slapped with an order much sooner than you think.

By Chang Kim Loong Buyer Beware

Chang Kim Loong AMN is the honorary secretary-general of the National House Buyers Association: www.hba.org.my , a non-profit, non-governmental organisation manned purely by volunteers.

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Scientists Finally Discover How the Obesity Gene Works

Scientists have finally figured out how the key gene tied to obesity makes people fat, a major discovery that could open the door to an entirely new approach to the problem beyond diet and exercise.

The work solves a big mystery: Since 2007, researchers have known that a gene called FTO was related to obesity, but they didn’t know how, and could not tie it to appetite or other known factors.

Now experiments reveal that a faulty version of the gene causes energy from food to be stored as fat rather than burned. Genetic tinkering in mice and on human cells in the lab suggests this can be reversed, giving hope that a drug or other treatment might be developed to do the same in people.

The work was led by scientists at MIT and Harvard University and published online Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine.

The discovery challenges the notion that “when people get obese it was basically their own choice because they choose to eat too much or not exercise,” said study leader Melina Claussnitzer, a genetics specialist at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. “For the first time, genetics has revealed a mechanism in obesity that was not really suspected before” and gives a third explanation or factor that’s involved.

Independent experts praised the discovery.

“It’s a big deal,” said Dr. Clifford Rosen, a scientist at Maine Medical Center Research Institute and an associate editor at the medical journal.

“A lot of people think the obesity epidemic is all about eating too much,” but our fat cells play a role in how food gets used, he said. With this discovery, “you now have a pathway for drugs that can make those fat cells work differently.”

Several obesity drugs are already on the market, but they are generally used for short-term weight loss and are aimed at the brain and appetite; they don’t directly target metabolism.

Researchers can’t guess how long it might take before a drug based on the new findings becomes available. But it’s unlikely it would be a magic pill that would enable people to eat anything they want without packing on the pounds. And targeting this fat pathway could affect other things, so a treatment would need rigorous testing to prove safe and effective.

The gene glitch doesn’t explain all obesity. It was found in 44 percent of Europeans but only 5 percent of blacks, so other genes clearly are at work, and food and exercise still matter.

Having the glitch doesn’t destine you to become obese but may predispose you to it. People with two faulty copies of the gene (one from Mom and one from Dad) weighed an average of 7 pounds more than those without them. But some were obviously a lot heavier than that, and even 7 pounds can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy weight, said Manolis Kellis, a professor at MIT.

Related: More U.S. Adults Are Now Obese than Overweight

He and Claussnitzer are seeking a patent related to the work. It was done on people in Europe, Sweden and Norway, and funded by the German Research Center for Environmental Health and others, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

Researchers can’t guess how long it might take before a drug based on the new findings becomes available. But it’s unlikely it would be a magic pill that would enable people to eat anything they want without packing on the pounds. And targeting this fat pathway could affect other things, so a treatment would need rigorous testing to prove safe and effective.

The gene glitch doesn’t explain all obesity. It was found in 44 percent of Europeans but only 5 percent of blacks, so other genes clearly are at work, and food and exercise still matter.

Having the glitch doesn’t destine you to become obese but may predispose you to it. People with two faulty copies of the gene (one from Mom and one from Dad) weighed an average of 7 pounds more than those without them. But some were obviously a lot heavier than that, and even 7 pounds can be the difference between a healthy and an unhealthy weight, said Manolis Kellis, a professor at MIT.

Related: ‘Healthy Obesity’ Turns Unhealthy Over Time

He and Claussnitzer are seeking a patent related to the work. It was done on people in Europe, Sweden and Norway, and funded by the German Research Center for Environmental Health and others, including the U.S. National Institutes of Health.

“It’s a potential target” for drug development, said Dr. Sam Klein, an obesity researcher at Washington University in St. Louis. He called the work “an amazing study” and “a scientific tour de force.”

Dr. Rudolph Leibel, an obesity expert at Columbia University in New York, used the same term — “tour de force.” Still, some earlier research suggests the FTO gene may influence other aspects of obesity such as behavior and appetite.

“It’s possible there are several mechanisms being affected,” and that fat-burning is not the whole story, he said.

Read This Next: There Are 6 Types Of Obesity — And Each Should Be Treated Differently

- Associated Press

Malaysian property sector still attracting overseas investors

Canadian pension fund invests in JV with Pavilion Group

KUALA LUMPUR: The largest pension fund manager in Canada will invest RM485mil for a 49% interest in its joint venture (JV) with Pavilion Group to develop Pavilion Damansara Heights – a mixed-used property in Kuala Lumpur.

This is Canada Pension Plan Investment Board’s (CPPIB) first direct real estate investment in the region.

“We are pleased to make our first direct real estate investment in South-East Asia through this JV with one of Malaysia’s most well-respected developers, the Pavilion Group.

“This JV fits well with our investment strategy, as it provides us with a great opportunity to work with a smart partner in a high-quality real estate asset that will provide attractive risk-adjusted returns over the long term,” said CPPIB managing director and head of real estate investments Asia Jimmy Phua in a statement.

The Malaysian property market is still attracting strong interest from overseas investors, despite reports suggesting a possible slowdown in demand.

Major property players from China, including Greenland Holdings Group Ltd and Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd, are among big investors in Johor.

Pavilion Damansara Heights is a freehold development integrating corporate towers, luxury residences and a retail galleria.

The development is located in one of the prime and affluent locations in Kuala Lumpur, less than 10km from the Petronas Twin Towers. It is well-connected by a network of highways and strategically served by two upcoming Mass Rapid Transit stations within walking distance to the development.

Pavilion Group is an experienced local developer of commercial and residential projects and is one of the strongest and most well-established Malaysian retail developers. It has developed several prominent retail malls, and office and retail projects in Kuala Lumpur.

“We are looking forward to the opportunity to partner with CPPIB in this exciting development in Kuala Lumpur.

“It is a highly anticipated landmark for Damansara Heights, set within Malaysia’s most affluent neighbourhood, offering a world-class integrated development that is synonymous with the Pavilion Brand,” said Pavillion Group project director Timothy Liew.

Pavilion Group was in the news recently as it had set a record of sorts for pricing its high-rise serviced residential units of its latest project – the Pavilion Suites – along Jalan Bukit Bintang starting from RM3,000 per sq ft.

The high-end property is being built on a half-acre parcel that had created a buzz in the property sector in 2010.

In the same year, Urusharta Cemerlang Sdn Bhd, a company controlled by property magnate Tan Sri Desmond Lim, had purchased the tiny strip of land from Singapore billionaire Kwek Leng Beng for a record price of RM7,209 per sq ft.

Source: Starbiz Asia News Network

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  IJM and Genting excluded from investments wealth fund due to severe environmental damage

  Environmental issues: IJM and Genting have interests in palm oil operations. Norwegian fund to call off investments on environmental iss...

IJM and Genting excluded from investments wealth fund due to severe environmental damage

Environmental issues: IJM and Genting have interests in palm oil operations.

Norwegian fund to call off investments on environmental issue

PETALING JAYA: Norway’s US$871bil sovereign wealth fund Norges Bank has excluded IJM Corp Bhd and Genting Bhd from its investments due to risks of “severe environmental damage”.

Two other companies that the fund said it would not invest in are South Korean steelmaker POSCO and Daewoo International Corp, a trading company and listed subsidiary of POSCO.

“Norges Bank has decided to exclude the companies IJM Corp, Genting, POSCO and Daewoo International Corp from the investment universe of the Government Pension Fund Global.

“The companies are excluded based on an assessment of the risk of severe environmental damage,” it said in a statement. Both IJM Corp and Genting have interests in palm oil operations.

According to the fund’s website, it held US$46mil investments in IJM Corp and US$40.8mil in Genting.

The fund also has investments in IJM Land Bhd and Genting Malaysia Bhd.

The world’s top sovereign wealth fund has a range of ethics criteria for excluding firms from its portfolio, including environmental factors, nuclear weapons-making and labour conditions.

A handful of Malaysian companies are also on Norges Bank’s list of “exclusion of companies”, including WTK Holdings Bhd, Ta Ann Holdings Bhd, Lingui Development Bhd and Samling Global Ltd.

Norges has been one of the largest foreign fund investors in Malaysian equities since 2010. As at end-2014, the fund had invested about US$1.66bil in 139 Bursa Malaysia-listed companies. - Starbiz

Norwegian fund Norges allots RM800mil to invest in Malaysian small, mid-cap stocks

The foreign fund has invested about RM1.7bil in 53 Bursa Malaysia-listed companies.

PETALING JAYA: Norwegian fund Norges has allotted RM800mil more to invest in small to mid-cap stocks in Malaysia.

A market source said the foreign fund appointed Eastspring Investments Bhd about a month ago and was investing in general equity, with a preference for the small to mid-cap equity space.

“There are no specific guidelines as to which sector Norges is keen on. It wants to look at good companies and it so happens the local small and mid-cap space is doing well this year,” the source said.

Norges has been one of the largest foreign fund investor in Malaysian equities since 2010.

In April, StarBiz reported that the foreign fund had invested about RM1.7bil in 53 Bursa Malaysia-listed companies, managed by Kenanga Investors Bhd. At the time, the fund was already sitting on a paper gain of some RM600mil, with its entire holdings in Malaysia valued some RM2.3bil. Its performance in Malaysian equities was attributed to the big run-up in many of the small oil and gas companies since last year.

The source added that Norges was still looking for more fund managers to manage its investment in Malaysia. “It has always had this allocation for Malaysia which it had not entirely fulfilled yet. So it is continuously looking for fund managers,” the source said.

PublicInvest Research in its strategy note for the second half of 2014 said smaller-capitalised stocks in Malaysia have had a good run year-to-date, reflected by the FBM Small Cap Index’s 18.6% gain compared with the FBM KLCI’s 0.3% gain and FBM Mid 70 Index’s 1.2% rise.

Eastspring Investments had about US$105bil (RM334.2bil) in assets under management as at March 31.

The asset management house was named Asia’s leading retail fund manager for 2013 in an annual survey by Asia Asset Management.

Norges, also referred to as the Norwegian oil fund, has a market value of 5,038 billion kroner (RM2.73 trillion) as of end-2013.

Norges is managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, the asset management unit of the Norwegian central bank.

As of end-2013, it is invested in 8,000 stocks in 82 countries and owns 1.3% of the world’s listed companies, delivering annual returns of 5.7% since 1998. - By LIZ LEE Starbiz

Norwegian fund nibbling at Malaysian small and mid caps

PETALING JAYA: Norway-based Norges, one of the largest foreign funds investing in Malaysian equities, has been nibbling small to mid cap stocks that offer exciting upside here.

It has taken up small stakes in 53 Bursa Malaysia-listed companies, with total investments of around RM1.7bil, according to a fund manager.

Norges has a market value of 5,038 billion kroner (RM2.73 trillion) as of end-2013.

Norges began investing heavily in the Malaysian market since 2010 and is now sitting on a paper gain of some RM600mil, giving its entire holdings in Malaysia a value of some RM2.3bil.

Among Norges’ investments are a string of mid-sized oil and gas firms such as Alam Maritim Bhd, Daya Bhd, Scomi Energy Services Bhd and Barakah Offshore Petroleum Bhd.

It has even invested in special purpose acquisition companies Sona Petroleum Bhd and Cliq Energy Bhd.

“An investment from Norges is a positive endorsement from an independent party. It shows that the company has fulfilled the international standards of a foreign sovereign fund,” said one fund manager, who tracks Norges’ movements.

In Malaysia, Norges’ appointed fund manager since 2010 has been Kenanga Investors Bhd. Every year since then, sources said that Norges had allocated Kenanga at least RM150mil as it was pleased with its local counterpart’s performance.

Prior to Kenanga Investors, Norges’ appointed fund manager was RHB Investment Bhd.

“Kenanga Investors has been investing in small and mid caps even before the recent run-up in such companies over the last one year. The big run-up in many of the small oil and gas companies has significantly enhanced Norges’ performance here,” said a fund manager familiar with Norges’ strategy.

This indicates that Norges has a lot of interest in the sector, which isn’t surprising considering that Norges itself has gained its funds from the oil and gas revenues of Norway’s state-owned pension fund.

Aside from oil and gas stocks, Norges has also invested in other sectors such as banking and property.

“The reason it has done well is because it identified mid cap investing very early on. While the Employees Providents Fund (EPF) only articulated its interest in investing in mid-sized companies last year, Norges has been doing that for the last 3 to 4 years,” said the source.

Last June, EPF chief executive officer Datuk Shahril Ridza Ridzuan said it was looking at making investments in 40 mid-cap stocks, adding that the fund was already invested in a number of mid-sized companies.

He said the EPF was happy to support companies that fulfilled its investment criteria, which include having ample liquidity, the ability to generate cash flows and dividends, and having good corporate governance practices in place.

Slightly differing from the EPF which oftentimes take substantial stakes, Norges has a policy of not going beyond 3% in any particular stock, sources said.

“Norges is in the business of portfolio management. It isn’t in the business of running companies,” said the source.

Norges, also referred to as the Norwegian oil fund, is managed by Norges Bank Investment Management, the asset management unit of the Norwegian central bank. Norges is mandated to hold 60% in stocks and 35% in bonds, and is aiming to build up a 5% holding in real estate.

As at end-2013, it is invested in 8,000 stocks in 82 countries and owns 1.3% of the world’s listed companies. Between 1998 to 2013, Norges has been delivering annual returns of 5.7%.

 - By LIZ LEE Starbiz

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Cutting cost with 'DIY law'

Many people dread going to the lawyers as it means forking out hundreds if not thousands of ringgit in legal fees for their service.

However, Malaysians wishing to prepare uncontested wills and probate, documents on tenancy agreement, purchase or transfer of property, or even divorce petitions can be spared the dreaded trip to legal firms soon with the "Do-it-yourself law" set to become a reality, Nanyang Siang Pau reported today.

The "DIY law", which will be available free of charge online, will change the way how common legal matters can be dealt with.

According to the report, Bon Advocates, which has been pushing for "DIY law", is coming out with template agreements, allowing consumers to prepare wills and handle property purchases, loan agreements and divorces without relying on lawyers.

For example, the standard legal fee for a sale and purchase agreement for a property valued at RM150,000 is RM1,500.

With the DIY law, a property buyer can save this amount by filling out the relevant forms made available online.

Similarly, for wills, one can save between RM300 and thousands of ringgit the DIY way.

Edmond Bon of Bon Advocates told the daily that lawyers should be fighting for justice and rights of the people and not make profits from petty legal matters.

"Making wills, tenancy agreements, property purchases and transfers, etc can be done using template documents provided online, without the help of lawyers," said Bon, whose firm has been working with some law students on the DIY law on pro bono basis.

Bon said DIY law is a new concept in Malaysia, but it is common in the United States, United Kingdom and Singapore.

US and UK's Rocket Lawyer and the Law Canvas of Singapore are common DIY law, the human rights lawyer pointed out. - By The Sun Daily

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High cost under new law may affect property investors' profit margin

Strata regime: Return on investment will always be a consideration as higher cost would certainly affect the possible margin of profit in today’s buyers’ market.

Counting the cost: Investors' profit margin may be affected under new law

PROPERTY has topped the list of investment options for those who have extra cash. Property investors and those who prefer other instruments, are trying to gain maximum returns on their hard earned money.

Property investment has gained momentum because of the price boom in the last 10 years as seen by the massive development and high take-up rate.

Because the bulk of these properties are stratified residential properties, legislations have been updated for a more efficient delivery of strata titles. Essentially, these new legislations provide more protection to house buyers.

Among these are the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) (Amendment) Act 2012 (“HDAA”), Strata Titles (Amendment) Act 2013 and Strata Management Act 2013 (both “Strata regime”). The Strata Management Act came into effect on June 1, 2015.

Return on investment will always be a consideration as higher cost would certainly affect the possible margin of profit in today’s buyers’ market. While having new legislations are good news for house buyers, these new legislations could also impact the cost of any investment in strata residential property.

For a start, there is now higher compliance cost for the housing developers, as there is an increase in the amount to be deposited in the housing development account.

There is also the new requirement to maintain the common property defects account prior to the delivery of the keys to the house buyers.

This means that under the new regime, developers will have a higher compliance cost, which may indirectly result in fluctuations of property prices. This means developers need to be financially strong and there is the possibility that they may incur financial costs as they try to maintain a feasible and sustainable cash flow.

This will discourage the smaller players. Having fewer choices is definitely not good news for the investors.

In addition, there is also a higher transactional cost for those who plan to flip their properties.

The earlier issuance of strata title upon delivery of vacant possession will require investors to fork out expenses related to the stamp duty before selling the completed property to the next buyer.

In other words, there is no longer savings on the stamp duty on transfer for those investors who bought directly from the developers. This lowers the return on investment, not to mention having to bear with the longer and complicated process of double transfers for those who are eager to dispose of the property on delivery of vacant possession.

The new template of the prescribed sale and purchase agreement HDAA (Schedule H) also requires that the payment shall be in compliance with the schedule of payment and no person shall act as stakeholder to collect such payment.

In simpler sense, the developer is no longer allowed to collect booking fee from the investors for their preferred unit and the unit they have selected is only secured upon the signing of the sale and purchase agreement with the 10% payment.

As such, there is no turning back once you have signed on those dotted lines and there is no way to secure your unit of choice with lower amount while you are working on the full 10% deposit.

Another cost that will burden property investors is the maintenance fees charged by the management office when they get their keys to their properties. The new strata regime has provided for the possibility of limited common property usage and the exclusive use of certain facilities – a privilege – which comes with a price tag. If the management adopts any limited common property, they are looking at a two-tier service charges and sinking fund, with one for those who have the use of one set of common properties and the other for the use of limited common property, to be enjoyed only by a selected few.

Despite monetary cost, time cost is also a factor for investors. A purchase into a strata development now calls for more involvement in the management as the management corporation of the development is formed much earlier now with the possibility of having the title and the keys delivered at the same time.

The new strata regime requires the active participation of all owners, as the tenure of the office bearer is limited. Other owners are required to sit in the management corporation committee on subsequent years. Despite the fact that taking up the responsibilities of committee members offers monetary gains, any misconduct or negligence may now result in a penalty.

The new restrictions on advertisement and representation by the developers also mean that the investors are required to spend time on research and do their own due diligence to better understand the investment. There is no longer permitted representation such as time/distance from a particular venue, projected monetary returns/gains and rental income. Thus, before making decision to invest, the consumers have to do more personal research on the investment.

While property investment remains feasible over the longer term, investors are advised to take these legislations into consideration to come out with a realistic projection of investment return.

By CHRIS TAN Real Legal

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Light shines brightest when it is dark

THE one time I felt really scared in an unfamiliar physical environment was many years ago when my friend and I got lost in Taman Negara.

Because of a wrong turn, what was to be a simple two-hour track to a riverside lodge took us nearly eight hours. The jungle was getting really dark. The leeches were having a feast. And the sounds of wild animals in the distance made us shiver in our pants.

We eventually found our way to the lodge and quickly lit a kerosene lamp we had brought with us.

In the heart of the deep jungle, the light was truly reassuring. After a dinner of delicious instant mee and a tin of sardines, we turned down the lamp and lit some candles to illuminate the lodge.

Those of us who live in towns may not fully appreciate the beauty of a lit candle in the midst of total darkness. But it is really true that light shines brightest in the dark.

Life is not all sunshine. There are times when we feel like we are walking through very dark valleys.

It could be due to the loss of a job, the death of someone very dear to us, or a recurrent illness where treatment seems to bring more problems than the disease itself.

At times like this, it is only natural that we yearn to see the light.

A person lost at sea is encouraged when he sees the beacon of light coming from a lighthouse. It signifies hope. But the light that we seek at times like this is not necessarily from a physical source. It can come in the form of someone who is prepared to drop everything to help us navigate through our tough times.

It could be someone willing to listen to you, with a box of tissue nearby, without saying a word.

I have, in the past few weeks, felt like I was walking through a very dark valley with no end in sight.

But it is always when I am at the lowest ebb that something invariably happens – a light shows up to brighten up my life.

Last week, I went to see my dentist and told her I would be a real challenge to her this time.

My mouth can hardly open. And from what the doctors tell me, and my own research on the Internet, this is one of the most troublesome side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

I have been having trouble eating, and even brushing my teeth is difficult. I wondered how my dentist would be able to use her tools to fix whatever problems she could find. But she patiently went to work, and spoke to me gently with reassuring words.

The session lasted close to two hours and she managed to do five fillings. It was amazing!

She told me not to lose heart over my mouth issue. Take things one day at a time, she said. “You will be fine.”

And when I went to pay, the clinic assistant smiled and said: “Doctor says no charge.”

Though my dentist knew I could afford the bill, she must have wanted to do something to cheer me up.

It was not about the money, but a reminder that I do not walk alone.

I won’t deny her the opportunity to be the giver, and for me to be the blessed recipient. There is joy in both giving and receiving, if done in the right spirit.

I got into my car and tears just streamed down. I had a good cry before I made my way back to work. Suddenly, the dark valley I had been walking through in recent weeks didn’t seem so dark after all.

By SOO Ewe Jin

Executive editor Soo Ewe Jin appreciates being on the receiving end of kind words, sincere fellowship and heart-to-heart conversations, underscoring the fact that the best things in life are not only free, but priceless.

The views expressed are entirely the writer's own.