News in brief

Bina Puri Holdings Bhd subsidiary Bina Puri Construction Sdn Bhd has been awarded five mixed development projects, worth RM68.62mil, by Lintasan Mayang Development Sdn Bhd. 

The projects are expected to be completed two years from the date of commencement. 

The company also said another subsidiary, Sungai Long Industries Sdn Bhd, had been awarded by Selangor's Jabatan Kerja Raya a contract to supply and deliver bituminous premix and crushed aggregates and related materials to the latter. 

The three-year contract is worth RM25.86mil. – Bernama 

Sime Darby Bhd announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Sime Darby Motor Group (NZ) Ltd, had last Friday completed the purchase of the entire equity in North Shore Motor Holdings Ltd of 800,000 shares, comprising 10,000 A shares and 790,000 B shares of NZ$1 each, for a total of NZ$9.867mil. 

New Zealand-incorporated North Shore operates a retail dealership for new and used BMW motor vehicles and parts in Auckland. 

The acquisition was not expected to have a material effect on the earnings or net tangible assets of the Sime Darby group for the year ending June 30, 2004, the company said. – Bernama 

ASM MARA UNIT TRUST MANAGEMENT BHD announced that ASM Balanced Fund unit-holders would receive a cash dividend of 6 sen per unit and an additional four units for every 400 units held for the financial year ended Nov 30, 2003. 

In a statement, it said the cash dividend income payment would be made by next month. 

The cash dividend is equivalent to a return of 6.87% based on the net asset value per unit of 87.33 sen as at Nov 30. – Bernama 

KKB Engineering Bhd said EQ Development Sdn Bhd has given it a letter of award for the supply, fabrication and erection of structural steel roof truss for the proposed building works and IT works at UNIMAS Development Project 1 of Phase 1, Kota Samarahan, Sarawak. 

The contract sum is RM1.54mil and completion period of the contract is four months. – Bernama 

DUNHAM-BUSH (M) BHD has posted an improved pre-tax profit of RM5.55mil for the second quarter ended Oct 30 from a pre-tax loss of RM669,000 in the equivalent quarter last year. 

Revenue rose to RM106.24mil from RM93.89mil. – Bernama 

MALAYSIAN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT FINANCE BHD (MIDF) announced that the designation of group chief executive and director Datuk Mohd Sallehuddin Othman would be changed to group managing director from Jan 1. – Bernama 

SUNWAY HOLDINGS INC BHD has posted a pre-tax profit of RM32.52mil for the third quarter ended Sept 30 compared with a pre-tax loss of RM65.231mil in the corresponding period last year. 

Turnover rose to RM355.02mil from RM275.30mil previously. – Bernama 

Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd recorded a slight increase in pre-tax profit at RM49.44mil for the third quarter ended Oct 31 compared with RM49.09mil in the same period of last year. 

Turnover rose to RM230.64mil from RM199.08mil previously. – Bernama 

The projects are expected to be completed two years from the date of commencement.