PETALING JAYA: UEM World Bhd is expected to announce in the next few days a major corporate exercise that could possibly involve the streamlining of the group's business structure to turn it into a pure property play, sources said. The sources said the four listed companies in the UEM World stable – UEM Builders Bhd, Opus Group Bhd, Pharmaniaga Bhd and Cement Industries of Malaysia Bhd (Cima) – were expected to be transferred to UEM Group Bhd. UEM Group controls UEM World. How the transfer would be structured is not known as those involved in the crafting of the deal are still looking at various options. One option is for all the shares held by UEM World in the four companies to be distributed to shareholders as dividends. The other option is for UEM Group to buy UEM World’s stakes in those companies. UEM World has a 51.7% stake in listed construction firm UEM Builders, 62.4% in Opus, an asset management consultant, 72.5% in Pharmaniaga and 51.2% in Cima. Read More
(The Star 14-2-2008)
