According to the latest Asian Public Real Estate Association’s weekly REIT report, Asia’s REIT industry has a market capitalization of USD58.86bil, with Japan taking the lead with USD30.5bil Malaysia with 11 REITS has a USD1.43bil in market capitalization which is way behind others like Singapore (USD15.1bil); Hong Kong(USD8.3bil); Taiwan(USD1.53bi) and Thailand(USD1.52bil) [ For the Malaysia [...]

It would be interesting note that at 18 August 2009, the total returns from the eleven(11) Malaysian REITS are as follows: REITS PERFORMANCE AGAINST LAST YEAR Lowest Price Last Year Name Close @ 19/8/09 Increase agst Last Year’s Low Dividend Yield 1.00 Axreit 1.78 79% 8.60 0.73 Hektar 1.11 52% 9.20 0.88 UOAreit 1.25 42% 8.00 [...]

As discussed earlier, Malaysian reits have been disadvantaged by the following existing unfavorable witholding tax rate: foreign institutional investors especially pension funds and collective investment funds receiving income fro REITs listed in Bursa Malaysia are currently subject to a final witholding tax rate of 20% for 5 years; and non-corporate investors including resident and non-resident [...]

REIT Management Sdn Bhd, the manager of Tower REIT announced that Tower REIT would acquire the RM78 million junior bonds, which were issued by Injaz AsiaEquity Property under an asset securitisation exercise, for a total consideration of RM157.5 million. It will also acquire a call option for RM1 and the Kenanga International building for RM120 [...]

The SC in its revised REITS guidelines which came into effect yesterday, has just announce some of the following measures to enhance the attractiveness of Bursa Malaysia as a destination for REIT listings and promote a vibrant and competitive REIT industry domestically and regionally: REIT would now be able to acquire property under construction or [...]

Singapore-based CapitaLand Ltd has submitted its application to list its RM2bil real estate investment trust (REIT) on Bursa Malaysia. It’s chief investment officer Kee Teck Koon only expects to obtain the approval by the fourth quarter of this year. Assets to be injected into the trust will include Gurney Plaza in Penang, Mines Shopping Fair [...]

Besides being tax exempted on the disposal of property to a REIT, a company disposing industrial building where initial annual allowances have been claimed to REIT will also not have any balancing charge.