The annual Malaysia Property Expo (Mapex), which showcases some of the latest residential and commercial projects in the country, starts in Kuala Lumpur tomorrow amid the SARS scare and the invasion of Iraq.

''We are confident that despite the virus scare and the war in Iraq, consumers will come,'' said Mohd Khalid Harun, vice-president of the Real Estate and Developers Association, which was organising the property fair.

The four-day event, which ends on April 13, would be held at the Putra World Trade Centre here from 10am to 9pm daily.

Khalid said 94 developers were taking part and an estimated 30,000 units of residential and business units valued at more than RM6.5bil will be exhibited.

He said the construction sector was not likely to be affected, like the tourism sector, at the moment.

He also gave an assurance that although the cost of raw materials and labour charges had increased, due to the effects of the war in Iraq, there would not be a fluctuation of house prices.

In Penang, about 4,800 units of property worth a total of RM943mil will be on sale during the three-day MAPEX 2003 to be held from Friday at the Penang Chinese Town Hall.

Organised by the Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Malaysia (Rehda) Penang branch, the expo will showcase units from 84 projects.

Organising chairman Lau Eng Sim said among these are stratified residential, landed residential, commercial and industrial units.

''We have property ranging from apartments, low medium-cost flats, condominiums, terrace houses, town houses, semi-detached houses, bungalows, office lots and industrial buildings,'' he told a press conference yesterday. Present was branch chairman Datuk Eddy Choong.

Lau added that a total of RM292mil worth of future projects by 27 developers would be on display. Thirteen financial institutions are also taking part in the expo from 10am to 9pm. Entrance is free.

On another matter, Choong appealed to the state government to be more flexible when approving housing projects.

He said one of the conditions which should be abolished was a clause compelling developers to set aside a piece of land to be turned into an open space.

"This condition makes it difficult for developers to build affordable houses as the land premium is very expensive, especially on the island," he said.

Source : The Star  9/4/2003