Issue 95

EAST MALAYSIA’S LEADING PROPERTY PORTAL, MAGAZINE & EXPO ISSUE 95 RM9.50 (Inc GST)

FINAL EDITION

HOT TOPIC

COVER STORY

CONTRIBUTOR

Mega Developments in Sabah

Riding the Digital Tsunami

Better Roads, Better Tourism, Better State

TM

EDITOR’S NOTE Property Hunter is published by: Maxx Media (S) Sdn Bhd (1043783-T) Lot 4, 1st & 2nd Floor, Block A, Heritage Plaza, Jalan Lintas, 88300 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia

Au revoir!

All good things come to an end they say. And with mixed emotions I welcome you to the final edition of Property Hunter magazine. What a journey it has been for the publication that started some 6 years

Level 13A, Wisma Mont’ Kiara, No 1, Jalan Kiara, Mont’ Kiara 50480, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

ago, in a time of flourish for the property market. Somehow people

Office Hours: 9:00am – 6:00pm (Monday – Friday) T: +6088-719 787 F: +6088-728 387 E: info@maxxmedia.com.my

and commentary on the industry. That endearing faith has brought

found value in a relatively unknown magazine with property listings us to where we are today.

It is a privilege to have helmed magazine number 95 – a milestone

PropertyHunterMalaysia

PropertyHunter

Propertyhunt3r

signifying a new era for this organization. Before you get all tearyeyed, this isn’t the end of our endeavours, we are merely shifting

Editorial Lawrence Julius Rebecca Michelle

Administration & Accounts Jerace Lee Media & Events Enquiries Victor Yong (Key Account Manager) T: +6013-835 1898 E: victor@maxxmedia.com.my

Creative & Design Stephenson Foo Danny Miki IT Research & Development Caleb Tseu Clifton Chin Jalon Juanis Datu Mohd Fadzli B. Datu Basrun Mohd Syarif Akmal B. Jamar Finance & Operation Elson Kho Marketing Italia Nayenti Boniface Magdelene Muh Debbie Eva Denis Emily Ligunjang Cherlynna Aprillisa Santos Fauzilah Baharin Bernice Chong

from Property Hunter and the standards we have set and still strive for, will still be available in a more focused and concise form. We’ll be able to put more resources into improving our online offerings and give our readers more accessible and digestible content, moving forward. We hope you stick around for what’s to come. By the way, there will still be physical version of Property Hunter, just not in the

Alan Wong (Key Account Executive) T: +6013-881 7898 E : alan@maxxmedia.com.my

form of magazine – look out for that announcement real soon.

Bryan Chang (Key Account Executive) T: +6013-852 2898 E : bryan@maxxmedia.com.my

Bhd personally detailing the journey of Property Hunter. We are also

Brian Ho (Key Account Executive) T: +6016-835 3162 E : brian@maxxmedia.com.my

Circulation & Subscription Albee Chung Mohd Azrie Ikhwan B. Mohd Jaya

online and consolidating. The quality content you’ve come to expect

Printing: Percetakan Kolombong Ria Sdn Bhd: Lot 3A & 5, Mile 5.5, Tuaran Road, Neutron Park, 88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia T: +6088-426 691

With that, enjoy the final edition. Inside you will find more of our shift to digital, with Elson Kho, one of the Directors of Maxx Media Sdn putting a spotlight on our IT team, who is always in the background but plays an integral part in taking us to where we want to be. I hope you don’t mind this being a bit of a throwback edition. All the same, I assure you a good read.

That said, this issue also features an interesting interview with Jonathan and Datuk Susan Wong of WSG Group where they share insights on their mother-son working relationship and how they run their ship. You might also get a kick reading on the thought process of developers when pricing their units and how to negotiate with owners when looking to rent. Not forgetting our contributors Chris Tan and Dr Rafiq in this edition, talking about how you can capitalize in a ‘buyers’ market’ and some of the key developments in Sabah over the past 10 years, respectively. All these and more are

Available bi-monthly at leading bookstores and newsstands throughout Malaysia

nicely tucked between the sheets.

Finally, I sign off this final edition with a heavy pen, but ecstatic to start the next phase of this journey together with you, our awesome readers. In the meantime, download our Property Hunter App and sign up on our website www.propertyhunter.com.my for your recommended dose of property.

See you on the flip side.

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Printed on environmentally responsible paper from imported high quality grade woodfree recycled paper in a Sabah based facility.

Supporting Local Talents & Businesses. www.PropertyHunter.com.my

Lawrence Julius Editor

CONTENTS Cover Story 20 Genesis: The Beginning 26 Riding the Digital Tsunami Interview 30 An Introduction to JWA Design & Build 38 Mother-Son Dynamics: WSG’s Unique Pairing

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Hot Topic 44 When Negotiating Rent 46 TAED, the Next Property Investment Hotspot 48 Mega Developments in Sabah Contributor 54 Better Roads, Better Tourism, Better State…

56 Sabah Development Corridor (SDC): Its Impact on the Sabah Economy 58 How and Why Properties are Increasing in Price?

Featured Event

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61 Greenfield City Celebrates Chinese New Year in Greenfield Residence 62 15 Performers Wowed Crowd at 12th Edition of KK Jazz Fest 64 Soft Opening of Ibis Styles Kota Kinabalu Inanam 66 PACIFICITY Celebrates Rooftopping Ceremony for Pacific Enterprise 68 Gamuda Land Launches Final Block of Phase 1 at Bukit Bantayan Residences 70 S P Setia Opens New Setia Welcome Centre at KK 71 Eventful Chinese New Year Celebration with Hap Seng Properties 72 RM1 Million to Spur Sabah’s Digital Economy 73 Asia Plantation Capital Opens Office in Kota Kinabalu

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Property News 75 KKIA Reaching Its Max Capacity. Time to Expand or Relocate?

76 MOU on Stones for Pan Borneo Highway 78 Five Winners for Sabah at Malaysia Tourism Awards 80 Seri Mengasih Centre Expected to Relocate to Make Way for TAED 82 Affordable Homes for Civil Servants

Disclaimer, Permission & Reprints: This publication is not an investment advice. It is intended only to inform and illustrate. No reader should act on the basis of any matter contained in this publication without first seeking appropriate professional advice that takes into account their own particular circumstances.The publisher and editors give no representations and make no warranties, express, or implied, with responsibility of any of the material (including statistics, maps, articles, loan product tables, advertisements and advertising features) contained in this publication. The publisher and editors expressedly disclaim all responsibility for any errors in or omissions from the information contained in this publication, including all liability for any loss or damage suffered or incurred by any person as a result of or arising out of that person placing any reliance, weather whole or partial, upon the whole or any part of the contains of this publication. No correspondents will be entered into a relation to this publication by the publishers, editors or authors. The publishers do not endorse any company, organisation, person, investment strategy or technique mentioned in this publication unless expressly stated otherwise. The publishers do not endorse any advertisements or any special advertising features in this publication, nor does the publisher endorse any advertiser(s) or their products / services unless expressly stated to the contrary. Articles are published in the reliance upon the representations and warranties of the authors of the articles and without our knowledge of any infringement of any third party’s copyright. The publishers and editors do not authorise, sanction, approve or countenance any copyright infringement. This publication is protected under the Law of Malaysia Act 332 Copyrights Act 1987 and may not, in whole or part, be lent, copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine-readable format without the express written permission of the publisher. Copyrights 2013 Maxx Media (S) Sdn Bhd. All rights reserved.

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COVER STORY 20. Genesis: The Beginning 26. Riding the Digital Tsunami

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COVER STORY

enesis Beginning The

By Elson Kho Property Hunter flips the switch to the online realm. A story of how our journey started and how it will continue.

I

Chapter 1 n the beginning (the year was 2012), property market around the region was experiencing a time of growth.

In fact, the growth rate and transaction activities

recorded in Malaysia during that period was exponential!

It was then a young and ambitious man by the name

of Michael Hiew looked around the media landscape in Sabah and thought “I can empower the public’s property buying decisions by sharing listing information.” A noble feat. After all, property is the single most expensive item a person commits to in his entire life (although some say its marriage, but we’ll leave that discussion to another day).

And so he said, “Let there be Property Hunter! A publication that supports the property industry and promotes growth by helping people make informed decisions.” Maybe he didn’t say it word for word but you get the point.

On 1 Jan 2012,

1

the first issue of Property Hunter was

published in a tabloid format counting at approximately 40 pages.

1. Property Hunter Magazine 1st Issue 20

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Chapter 2 THE GROWTH n the early days, the Property Hunter team was just a handful.

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The focus was

more on sharing for sale or rent listings submitted by local agents.

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We included

local property related news gathered from various news sources to make up the content of the magazine, and the large format tabloid size was made to look similar to a newspaper.

The publication was first distributed for free, at a handful of local food chains and the copy usually runs out within a week or two.

We were overjoyed by the overwhelming response – until one day we heard of people taking bulks of our magazine and selling it off as recycled paper and realized our intention of sharing information for free was abused.

Towards the tail end of 2012, we decided to give Property Hunter a facelift and started selling the magazine instead of giving it out for free. We revamped the publication into a proper magazine format with glossy paper. We also restructured our distribution strategy and expanded our point of sales to book shops all over Sabah.

2.Images of the early listing pages

It was at this divine juncture that a man was sent from heaven to support our work –

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Mr Ho Chin Soon, the Chairman of Ho Chin

Soon Research Sdn Bhd or better known as the King of Maps in Malaysia. We had the honour of hosting Mr Ho for a quick breakfast in Kota Kinabalu International Airport during one of his speaking engagements with a developer here in KK. We instantly connected and Mr Ho was kind enough to link us up with many prominent speakers and influencers in Kuala Lumpur.

4. (L-R) Elson Kho, Ho Chin Soon, Michael Hiew and Chris Tan

3. Images of the news pages

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COVER STORY

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

THE BIG TURNING POINT

THE RECOGNITION

he turning point for Property

ear 2014 was a busy and

Hunter came in year 2013

eventful year for Property

when a collaborative

Hunter. Apart from the ongoing

relationship was established

expansion, the magazine

with Sabah Housing and Real

received 2 recognitions from the

Estate Developers Association

media industry, validating the

(SHAREDA) through Datuk

work we put into building the

Francis Goh, who was the

publication.

President at that time.

Property Hunter magazine was shortlisted as a finalist for two From that point forward,

categories under the SPARKS Awards in Singapore, namely

Property Hunter had the

“The Best Subscription

privilege to support SHAREDA

Strategy” and “The Best

in promoting the property

Content Team”.

industry. Several partnerships were formed including appointing

5

Property Hunter

Magazine as the official

same year, the magazine Market” awards by the Malaysian Reserve Property Press Awards.

PropEX (Property Exhibition) as well as participation in SHAREDA NITE, the industry event of the year.

7. Michael Hiew (far left) receiving awards at the Malaysian Reserve Property Press Awards.

6. Datuk Chua Soon Ping, Chew Sang Hai, Datuk Francis Goh

Our relationship with SHAREDA was further fortified when we were invited by

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Mr Chew Sang Hai and Datuk Sr Chua Soon

Ping (then Deputy President and Council Member of SHAREDA) to co-organize property exhibitions in Tawau and Sandakan. And their support towards Property Hunter remains strong til’ today.

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In the

also won the “Outstanding Promotion of the Sabah Housing

magazine for SHAREDA’s

5. Official Magazine for PropEX13

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Chapter 5 THE EVOLUTION 9

ne of the most overused phrase

Our only competition is ourselves,

in our office is “Change is the only

truly a collaborative effort from our team members. Every aspect

constant”. Property Hunter as a brand

of the publication has been carefully put together, from the feel of

is constantly evolving to ensure we

stock paper, to font type, to size to the selection of pictures.

stay relevant with the times.

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every new issue published is

Our

publication has also gone through many rounds of face lifting to maintain its appeal to our readers and advertisers.

9. Contributor article

Apart from the aesthetic improvement, the quality of the content of the magazine is constantly raised to stay ahead of the market.

Through Mr Ho Chin Soon’s introductions, we started receiving contributing articles from industry professional and influencers which elevated the level of content in the magazine.

Internally, our editorial team also grew along with a strong backing of contributing writers. The aim is to make Property Hunter a reliable source when it comes to property information, be it hard data such as property prices, market opinion or tips and tricks on property ownership.

In 2017, we welcomed our Editor Mr Lawrence Julius to head our content team.

Backed with years of editorial experience and a uniquely broad skillset, his focus is now to bring Property Hunter’s content from printed editorial into interactive content in the digital realm.

8. 2016 Fresh New look

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COVER STORY

Chapter 6 THE PEOPLE “The future of any business on

he journey of Property Hunter is made possible because of the

this planet is in the digital world,

people. The magazine is blessed

both online and mobile. I am

to have a dedicated team of

very excited to be involved in this

people working diligently to

transformation that Property

make sure each issue is better

Hunter is embarking. Our

than the last one.

content will be more accessible now, literally to any one around the world as compared to the

Stephenson Foo, Chief Designer

traditional print medium,” said Ms

at Property Hunter and a

Italia Nayenti, Marketing Manager

veteran of the company has

at Property Hunter.

witnessed the transformation throughout the years. “I am

Besides these, we were also blessed to have Mr Enoch Khoo

glad to be involved in the growth

representing us in KL through his advertising agency ENK Ventures

of Property Hunter. I particularly

Sdn Bhd. He and his team led by Mr Vincent Chong, both Sabahan

enjoy the experience enhancing

based in KL at that time, played a crucial role in promoting

the magazine’s appeal as well

Property Hunter to the developers in Peninsular.

as working on the web and app user-interface. Seeing Property

Our readers are our greatest source of inspiration and drive. There

Hunter extending its reach to

are countless instances where we received praises for the quality of

a much larger audience with

the magazine, but often we also receive criticism and disapproval

online platform brings great

of what was published, which involved a couple of lawsuits. All

pride to me and the team. Moving forward, I envision Property

these incidents not only enriched our experience as a publisher,

Hunter to break geographical boundaries and be the leading

but also pushes us to outdo ourselves, every single time.

information source for real estate in Asia!”

Our clients, many of whom are members of SHAREDA and Victor Yong, Sales Manager at

Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) have entrusted

Property Hunter shared,

Property Hunter to be the channel to promote their brands and

“Property Hunter rode through the ups and downs of the

real estate. Our interdependent relationship has only grown stronger over the years.

Malaysian economy roller coaster. My biggest take away

Our support network plays a large part in the journey of Property

during this period is our ability

Hunter. They include our printer Mr Frankie Ngu of Percetakan

to stick together and overcome

Kolombong Ria Sdn Bhd, our courier partner Mr C Y Tan of ABX

every challenge that comes our

Expess (M) Sdn Bhd and Mr John Chong of Pick & Pay (one of

way. Today, I am proud to see the

our many strong magazine distribution outlets). It was these

number of readers and strong

farsighted businessmen whom first believed in the vision of

brand recognition throughout

Property Hunter and supported us throughout the years.

East Malaysia. I look forward to building Property Hunter into

Property Hunter prides itself in the quality of editorial content.

an internationally recognized portal, helping fellow Malaysians to

This is only made possible with the pool of talent we work with

achieve their dreams of owning a home.”

over the years. The regular contributors include Mr Ho Chin Soon, Mr Ishmael Ho, Dato Sri Gavin Tee, Dr Daniele Gambero, Mr

“My journey in this startup company has been an enriching one. I

Chris Tan, Mr Miichael Yeoh, Mr Richard Oon, Mr Enoch Khoo, Mr

have grown to love and enjoy my work and I believe that working

Ahyat Ishak, Mr Faizul Ridzuan, Mr Charles Tan, Mr Jason Lee, Ms

to be famous is always more powerful than working for the famous.”

Pamela Phui, Dr Rafiq Idris and many more throughout the years.

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Chapter 7 REVELATION his final issue of Property Hunter is not the end of our journey. In fact, it signifies our commitment to transform and be relevant. It is a natural continuation of our journey.

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Our first venture into the

digital realm was in 2013 when we launched our property search portal www.PropertyHunter.com.my.

Today, the site is more than just a search portal, it is a wellspring of property data, information and knowledge

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. All these are freely

accessible with a tap and a click on both laptop and through our Property Hunter app on mobile devices.

The reach of the portal is far greater and faster than that of a printed magazine, which is why we decided to consolidate our resources to grow our digital platforms.

10. Property Hunter Website

“Our focus will be on building an interactive platform that is of great value to all home finders and property investors. We want to position Property Hunter portal as the ‘go to’ source for all property related matters,” says Caleb Tseu, the Chief Technology Officer and Director of Property Hunter.

11. Property Hunter App

Like we always say, “Change is the only constant”. With this, we will continue to evolve and we invite you to be a part of our journey and most importantly find value in it. We’ll see you online!

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COVER STORY

RIDING THE DIGITAL TSUNAMI

Why we are shifting online and the team to bring us there.

By Lawrence Julius

P

roperty Hunter is not only a media organization but an IT company. There is little known about what goes on in the background, so this pays homage to the boys who run the show behind the firewalls. At the same time, we will dive into why IT is such an integral part of any organization in the age of knowledge. For us at Property Hunter it is high time to fully embody the spirit of an MSC status company and ride the waves. The digital tsunami.

The IT department, obscured from public view and confined to their dens, is one of the biggest departments in the company. I say “biggest� but it is not exactly Google. You would find however, a larger-than-expected team at the very least. Point being, from the website to mobile applications, there are hands and minds at work to continually improve the online offerings. There is a shift happening in the realm and that shift is tilting everyone towards a singular purpose.

Throughout this article I will explain the thought process of our shift and introduce the key enablers of this movement.

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BUILDING A WEBSITE This is a given. Who doesn’t have a website? Any organization of note should have a website by default in this day and age. Whether it is a good website or not is another story but unless the goal is to stay where you are, no company with big ambitions will go without one. This is the storefront, the façade, the information centre of your brand, and more. 15 or even 10 years ago, you might slip away unnoticed skipping on the website but in today’s world, not having any online presence is like opting for the bus instead of the bullet train.

In-house Programmer Jalon Juanis is a key personnel when it comes to safeguarding the Property Hunter website.

He handles plenty of the front-end development for both the site and app which means plenty of what civilians see and feel resulted from his exploits. He is at the frontlines,

Jalon Programmer

equipped with weapons of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. His

main directive is to scope out design concepts and shape it from maggots into capable features on the website and app. His field is a landmine of bugs and he is not afraid to correct them with stone cold precision. The day of his proudest moment came when he secured Version 3, the latest iteration of the website and app circa 2017, garnering him the coveted title of Ultimate Keyboard Warrior by his peers. His mission continues though, and with every bug squished the company moves closer to its objectives.

Forgetting your wallet at home when you head out of the house is not half as bad as forgetting your phone. I think most of you would agree. With your phone now able to double as your wallet via services like WePay and Paypal, there might be a time soon that we don’t need actual wallets anymore. We are constantly on our phones, either on a website or an app. The point is, our devices have climbed up the priority ladder – and to really maximize brand awareness and effectiveness, websites and apps are the way.

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COVER STORY

BUILDING AN APP At Property Hunter, the application that was

Clifton Chin is the shepherd. The crowd-controlling

techies, he jumps from site to site, slithering between

launched for Android and iOS back in 2015 has

phenom keeping everyone in check. A high-flying

back-end and front-end from HTMLs to PHPs,

undergone many iterations and improvements over

System Analyst by day, demure family man by night,

gobbling up every ounce of data that is available and

the years many would not even notice. There is still

he is the hero we need not the one we deserve.

spitting them out for others to enjoy. Lucky us. You

a way to go in terms of optimizing and tweaking and

Crunching the numbers to come up with methodical

need someone to do the dirty work, he is our guy.

getting everything right but the effort that has been

ways to solve problems is his cup-of-tea – nothing

injected into the app has been tremendous. At the

fancy, just effective. Apart from managing his team of

end of the day, users will know if the app is any good and feedback on bugs and wrinkles in the app is always encouraged to improve on the next iteration.

The Property Hunter app is a one-stop for property related news and knowledge. This is where the agents and buyers can connect and get deals done with an extensive listing of properties available.

Although the app is fully functional and has been well received, the team is still improving the features and constantly reiterating. There is a vision for the app that requires time and resources to properly execute. It will get there slowly, but surely.

Enter Syarif Akmal Jamal. The creator. The compiler.

A shining light of coding brilliance poised to destroy shoddy framework and long load times. Not at all

Syarif Programmer

intimidated being the newest member of the IT team, he went right into the deep end of the nexus pond and started on rebuilding the app from the ground up – completing a total revamp of the Android app in just 3 months. You might notice a slight speedup in the app. You might have not.

But that is beside the point. The point is he is now slaying the iOS version of the app, a feral beast not to be trifled with. Unless you have a master’s degree, adept in conversing in multiple computer languages and program for fun. In your sleep.

While creating an app, there are numerous factors that you should consider. One of them is to make sure the app is useful and easily accessible.

This alone is a massive roadblock for app creators to solve and is the most basic yet most complicated factor in the process. There is a web of interconnected structures and features that must be managed and controlled. Other departments work closely with IT and it is vital that everything comes across clear and tasks are executed precisely.

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Clifton System Analyst

BUILDING A DATABASE Online is where the future was and will be. We are now at a time that is opportune to evolve into more than just a property portal and become a transaction-based platform, where the act of purchasing and selling is much more seamless.

Imagine how much would change if properties can be simply bought and sold online, like buying a phone, eliminating much of the hassle. Of course, this is still a monumental task but no matter how it takes shape, the goal is ultimately to help buyers and sellers find value and find efficiency. People are the main drivers of any business and as a property

Datu IT Specialist

portal this is astoundingly true. Finding a home is not about the property it is about the individuals –

his abundance of knowledge while at the same

technocrats, the man behind the screen, Mr Caleb

the buyers and sellers.

time thinking of way to optimise the website and

Tseu. The masses rejoiced at his foretold coming

thinking of creative ways to engage the audience

and he has landed – to deliver us from uninspired

Introducing the IT Specialist, Datu Mohd Fadzli.

for an upcoming expo 3 years down the line. Mind

webpages, generic apps and inefficient systems.

This is what happens when you are a specialist

blowing and impossible for normal beings to even

With his vision and a team collectively with more

in so many aspects – it becomes your actual

comprehend. A machine void of feelings, his only

than 30 years of experience, he intends to shake

designation. He conquers in such an array of fields

objective is the ascendancy of the IT movement.

the very foundations of the online revolution and making it his own. Getting people to fight for his

that an army of supercomputers now live in the space where his brain used to be. Some may say

As for the new direction of the company, our focus

cause is his forte and getting the resources needed

the brain is actually better but that is false. You may

will be on generating content and optimizing the

to ultimately deliver his master plan of the perfect

have seen him around giving talks and spreading

segment that is on the website and application.

portal. In him we trust.

Such ambitious change isn’t achieved overnight, but the path is clear, all we

Backed by a pool of talented individual in the

need to do now is keep at

organization, there is no-doubt anything is

it and steer. Exciting things

possible. From the charismatic and creative Sales

are on the horizon.

and Marketing team to the guile of Editorial and Content team, there is plenty between the teams

With that, it’s with great

to make sure this transition is a smooth one.

pleasure and honour that

Collectively, anything is possible. It is now time to

I introduced the supreme

make the changes count.

geek master, the leader of

MILESTONES Apr 2015

Launch of www.propertyhunter.com.my (Web) Version 1

Jun 2016

Launch of www.propertyhunter.com.my (Web & Mobile) - Version 2

Jan 2017

Launch of Property Hunter App (Android & iOS)

Feb 2017

Obtained MSC Status Company from MDEC

Jun 2017

Launch of www.propertyhunter.com.my (Web & Mobile) - Version 3

Aug 2017

Collaboration with Loanstreest.com.my on Loan Calculator implementation

Caleb CTO www.PropertyHunter.com.my

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An Introduction to JWA Design & Build ‘Building Dreams’

IBIS Style Hotel - Architectural & Interior works

Interview by Rebecca Michelle

W

e wake up each morning excited about making dreams happen for

our clients; really getting down to the fun dirty details

– a bit like a child’s ecstatic delight in playing with sand. I mean not everyone gets the opportunity to impact the world through creating the spaces in which people live, work, and play right?!

What a powerful and amazing opportunity we have – Building Dreams!” were the passionate words of this young inspiring Architect, James Wong, during our sharing session with him in his cool new Kolombong office.

JWA Office - Work Station Area

JWA Design & Build is a fast-growing name in the construction industry not to be missed. This young energetic team of talented unassuming individuals seem to be doing something right, as they are constantly talked about around town. With a reputation for exciting designs, quality workmanship, and professional services, we had to sit with them under their custom made kuali pendant lights and get to know them!

JWA Office - Entrance Foyer

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Photo by Aznan Johary

What influenced you to get into Architecture and Design?

JWA: Since a young mischievous boy of about 9 years old when all I could think about is playing football all day, my dad, who was an Architect and Educator, and I sat down to plan my life and chart the very specific journey of the things I would have to go through and achieve until I was about 30 years old – my current age today.

With my end goal and ambition to become a Registered Architect, we began to plan exactly what subjects I would take, what skills I needed to develop, what university we should be planning towards, all with the intention to come back to serve in Sabah, get some work experience and eventually become a Registered Architect. And the rest is history. So, I would say, my dad was a big influence and role model in my life to encourage me on this journey, though “my dad was a big influence very tough at times, it has and role model in my life to been incredibly rewarding.

encourage me on this journey”

James & Annie

Can you briefly share with us on your design and build journey?

JWA: After finishing my Master’s in Architecture in New Zealand about 8 years ago, I came back and worked for a few Architectural firms doing Project Management and leading their design teams. What I noticed during my time was that we would always get into arguments with contractors not following all the details we had provided. There would often be contractual games of back and forth issuing architects instructions, insisting them to change and rectify the mistakes but they would always resist and find all sorts of excuses to somehow not comply and get away with the bare minimum. We spent a long-time crafting, developing and putting a lot of thoughts into our designs so this was very discouraging. I felt that there must be a way to improve or create a system that could control the quality in “I felt that there must be a way workmanship and greater to improve or create a delivery care in executing the system that could control the originally intended design, quality in workmanship and because clearly it just greater care in executing the wasn’t working.

originally intended design”

JWA Office - Meeting Room

Dragon Palace - JWA Construction Team

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INTERVIEW

IBIS Styles Hotel - Buffet area with custom gabion wall feature

IBIS Styles Hotel - Pre-function lounge area

IBIS Styles Hotel - Suite room with finger-joint timber bed head

So, in frustration and desperation, we surveyors, site supervisors, logistics and decided ‘Forget it, we’re going to try and do it transport team, and purchasing department. ourselves!’

And it just so happens that I am a “forget it, we’re going to try We decided Registered Professional Architect at to employ our the same time, which has helped us and do it ourselves!” own workers, become a much better contractor. purchase our own materials, and try do the construction ourselves, naïve as we were! Lo What does JWA stand for? and behold, after months of hard work, often JWA: Well, JWA originally stands for James under the sun, with cash-flow challenges and Wong Architect but JWA Design & Build Sdn in blood, sweat, and tears, surprisingly we Bhd is actually a construction company rather were able to compete with other contractors than an architectural consultancy. So, in a way who had been in the business for over 20 you can call us contractors. But unofficially, years. This gave us the spark of confidence the ‘A’ also stands for Annie – my wife, other that said, ‘Hey, we can director, and partner in actually do this!’ Thus, our life for without her, we “hey, we can actually do this!” journey in construction wouldn’t be where we are began about 5 years ago. Today, JWA today! And by the way, she pays my salary, so Design & Build is a full fledge Design & Build you know who’s the boss lah!

Construction Company with our own in-house team of construction managers, quantity

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How has your background as an architect helped you become a better design and build contractor?

JWA: So, with our background in architecture and design and my dream of a project delivery model of having both an in-house construction and design teams together, we noticed that there was a great advantage for several reasons: Speed of resolving issues in real time – We could resolve design issues and detailing straight away on site without the long process of requesting and waiting for consultant site visits and detailed drawings to be re-issued.

Systems Development - With our background in project management, we could see inefficiencies in our delivery process and help develop systems to improve and streamline it immediately.

Dragon Palace Restaurant - Main dining area with aquarium

Dragon Palace Restaurant - Entrance

Professionalism in Contract Management - With our understanding in contracts, we would not be easily bullied by our specialists or subcontractors and vice versa. We understand what is and isn’t fair in a building contract and we treat all parties fairly, earning their respect, to move fast as a team.

Professional Integrity – There is a level of uprightness and honesty when it comes to business dealings with our clients, given I also happen to be a professional architect. We are open to the client to scrutinize our claims and rates at any time, and if necessary engage a 3rd party certifier to keep us in check.

Dragon Palace Restaurant - Booth seating

Control on Quality – Given that our design and construction teams are all in-house, if we had, for example, constructed a brick wall that was unacceptable, we would tear it down at our own costs and immediately move on without any argument or wasting the client and consultants’ times, as delivering quality in our projects is our top priority. www.PropertyHunter.com.my

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Kundasang Golf Retreat Villa

Ease of Mind for the Client – Most of point designing wonderfully iconic buildings the time our clients are not trained in or interiors that just don’t serve the clients’ building contracts or are unable to filter the needs. Having said that, as an architect, information from we absolutely love “we absolutely love celebrating the many different celebrating the beautiful beautiful rawness and qualities of consultants, rawness and qualities the original material itself” contractors, and of the original material specialist parties itself, rather than advising them on what to do. So, if any dispute covering it up with a lot of veneer, laminate, occurs between parties it often gets very and cladding. That’s why you see a lot of confusing and frustrating for the client. In our exposed brick, gabion stone walls, wrought case, JWA Design & Build is solely responsible iron, and timber in our designs. It just feels to deliver projects accordingly and it gives our ‘honest’ and ‘right’! clients the peace of mind to enjoy the building process.

What are the most exciting projects you have recently completed?

How do you approach your designs?

JWA: One of our most exciting project is the JWA: Our designs always start with the client recently completed 13 Storey IBIS Styles Hotel and the way they function and use and would in Inanam. JWA Design & Build was involved like to fully utilise their space. There’s no with the design and build of the interior and

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most architectural works. We approached it with a heavily raw industrial concept with the client and consultants, which I believe has been very successful and portrays something different in KK. Another project we are proud of is the Dragon Palace Seafood and Dim Sum Restaurant in Suria Sabah Mall. This 8,000sqft high-end Australian restaurant was a momentous effort by us completing all the works within 3 months plus, from scratch with just the basic concrete structure! Works included coordinating a vast complex team of aquarium specialists, salt water system, filtration, kitchen equipment, air conditioning system, exhaust hood, fresh air supply, carpentry, architectural and ID works. We feel that after experiencing the complexity and delivery speed of this project, we can literally do anything!

Kudat Marina Resort - Bar & Restaurant

Where do you see JWA in 5 years’ time? capacity in our delivery system by training JWA: JWA Design up a capable workforce, project & Build wants to managers, and invest into new “we are committed to the continue serving facilities, machineries, and tools, business of ‘Building Dreams’, our clients with to improve the quality of our and we plan to do just that!” excellence and workmanship. A very challenging build up a reputation to become the go to journey it will be, but we are committed to the Design & Build Construction firm in Sabah business of ‘Building Dreams’, and we plan to for boutique projects requiring exciting do just that! designs, professionally executed, with quality workmanship. We hope to build greater

What would like to say to your fans and potential clients?

JWA: Even if we don’t try to take on all projects so that we can focus on a selected few, we would absolutely love the opportunity to chat further about your dream project and the possibility of how we can be a part of making it a reality!

“So, don’t be shy, we’re just a phone call or a cup of coffee away! I promise we don’t bite.” www.PropertyHunter.com.my

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INTERVIEW

Sutera Harbour Modern Bungalow

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Reservoir Bungalow

Let’s meet to discuss your dream project! : : : : : :

www.jameswongarchitect.com 088-335 618 016-8802 404 jwadesignbuild@gmail.com JWA Design & Build Sdn Bhd Lot No 11, 1st Floor, Lorong Kompleks BSA, Kompleks BSA, 88450 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Alamesra Bungalow

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INTERVIEW  by Rebecca Michelle PHOTOS  by Aznan Johary

Mother-Son Dynamics: WSG’s Unique Pairing Sons are the anchors of a mother’s life.

There has never been, nor will there ever be, anything quite so special as the love between a mother and her child. We sat down with Datuk Susan Wong and Jonathan Wong, pioneers of WSG Group, to learn of their unique mother-son working relationship.

Hi Jonathan, tell us a bit about yourself. Have you always wanted to be in the property line?

JW: I can’t really say that I’ve always wanted to be in the property line, but I think it’s a very interesting field to be in because there’s a lot to learn. And it’s with that that I became curious about the industry and I was eager to learn. I studied Project Management back in university and at that time, I would have never thought I’d end up being where I am today.

What is it like to have a mother-son working relationship?

JW: It’s not what people may think it is. To me, it’s the same as your normal employee and employer jobs. I don’t get any special treatments. I’m basically the employee here and just like most, if not all, employees, I still do need to perform and find ways to impress the boss. But the good thing about it is that at the end of the working day, I’ll still be able to talk to my parents about what happened in the office. Of course, when I first started, I’d get disappointed and embarrassed whenever I get cautioned about something but, I am lucky to have an encouraging team who supports each other. So, we normally just brush things off and do better.

DSW: It has been great actually. Jonathan is a very capable man and knows how to handle situations by himself. When he joined the company, he carried with him my burdens in marketing and promotional materials, dealing with customers and more.

It’s almost as if I depend on him here. He’s very steady when carrying out his own tasks and he would always say, ‘Calm down.

Calm down. Don’t rush. Take things step by step.’ I’m blessed to have my son on board with us. That’s the advantage of having him here - he always makes sure we know things will be fine if we do it systematically.

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with everything and it’s hard for us to catch up. So, it’s better to let them explore the opportunities and we support them however we can.

What are the key points in maintaining a unique relationship such as the one you both share?

JW: I guess it’s getting the chance to do something out of my own initiative. I don’t get it all the time but when I do, it feels good.

On normal basis when I do have an idea, I respect that my mum is my boss and even though she has appointed me as one of the Directors, I still do go through her with getting approvals before proceeding with something.

DSW: Support them with their decisions and give them the chance to be more independent. And if needs to, guide them whenever and wherever possible. That’s why I give him the freedom to try out new things, with my supervision of course! The younger generation today is very much up to date

What is your most exciting project this year?

JW: The most exciting and most challenging project would be Benoni Commercial Centre. Although the price is affordable, due to the economy and the banks getting stricter with loans, it’s challenging to be selling an apartment project, especially in the Papar area. Most people would still be building landed properties, so introducing an apartment is new to them. My sister and I are also involved in the construction of BCC. We started out the residential project a bit late because we were more focused on building the commercial area first.

DSW: BCC sits on 40 acres of land and seeing that Papar is quite far from KK City, we decided that building a mixed development project will benefit the people of Papar. Once this whole project is completed, it’ll be like a small town where people will be able to enjoy the shop lots, supermarket, shopping mall and marketplace without having to go down

to the city. And with the Pan Borneo Highway passing through our development, it drives us to build more.

Can you tell us a bit about Benoni Commercial Centre?

JW: BBC started with Phase 1 and we’ve received the OC for it. It’s a 2-storey shop lot.

Phase 2 is also completed with OC. And now we’re focusing on Phase 3, a 3-storey shop lot and it’s facing the Pan Borneo Highway.

The Benoni Gardens Apartment is just behind Phase 1’s shop lots. We’re still in the construction phase. Foundations have been done and we will start the ground works soon. We will only incorporate facilities such as a security guard house, playground, few barbecue pits and a sky deck. The sky deck will be fenced up with glass panels to ensure the safety of the residents.

DSW: In the near future, we plan to further develop the place. There’ll be a supermarket next to Phase 3 of BBC, which will be opened

by Servay and there’ll also be a 24-hour KFC drive-through. We also plan to build a shopping mall with a cinema and food court inside. We will also have a hotel with a banquet hall enough to fit 60 tables. I think it’s a good thing to have in Papar and it gives the residents an option to use the banquet hall or the existing multipurpose halls in Papar to host parties and events.

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INTERVIEW

What about The Palms Condo? How is that progressing?

JW: To date, we’ve built 3 towers. We’re planning to launch the 4th tower in the future. Each tower houses 128 units. Towers C and D are fully sold, and Tower A has about 10 units still up for grabs.

DSW: Buyers are already collecting their keys to Tower A. Those staying there will be able to enjoy the sea view and the facilities that we have there, namely the swimming pool and gym room.

What future developments can we expect to come?

DSW: We have around 60 acres of land next to Benoni Commercial Centre which we plan to develop once BCC is fully completed. We are proposing to build terrace and semidetached houses, apartments and condominiums. Of course, along the road, we’ll also build some shop lots. We will also try to build and bring in a college if possible. I think that would really benefit the people here. By the time these developments are completed, it will definitely be a game changer for Papar.

Jonathan, do you feel pressured to take over and follow your mother’s footsteps?

JW: I haven’t actually thought about taking over. The pressure is there but for now, I’m just doing my best to learn as much as I can and maybe in the near future if I think I’m capable enough then I might consider taking over. Of course, with the right support and encouragement, I know one day I can do it.

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Datuk Susan, what advice can you give to Jonathan in terms of progressing in the company?

DSW: Advice? Continue learning and take in as much knowledge as you can. He’s already doing a good job and I’m proud of him. Most of the time he’s advising me to be calm and to take things step by step, instead of the other way around!

Lastly, what does the future hold for WSG? JW: In my opinion, I think the company will expand to have a more variety of departments and to be more systematic.

I guess this is what most of us in this generation wants - a livelier atmosphere and better systematic office management.

DSW: We hope to have more developments on our landbanks and we hope that our young, creative individuals will be able to help with that. We currently have a 100-acre land in Tuaran, but for the time being Jonathan is running it as a fish farm. The location is perfect for a resort but I will leave it to Jonathan to decide.

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HOT TOPIC 44. When Negotiating Rent 46. TAED, the Next Property Investment Hotspot 48. Mega Developments in Sabah

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HOT TOPIC

HOT TOPIC  by Lawrence Julius & Eleen Ser

When Negotiating Rent

A

s the economy grows, price on goods and services will eventually increase.

That said many people, especially young adults can’t afford to buy a house due to limited purchasing power. Therefore, the alternative is to rent a place to stay. Ideally, landlords would like to list a higher rental price to ensure it covers the property’s loan which means higher rentals for you. That said, there is certainly room to move. Lowering your rental is possible, provided you know how to negotiate.

First of all, we should know that as potential tenants it is our right to negotiate the rental price. Both parties should get the best value possible out of the property which means savings on your side and paying off the loan on the owner’s. Getting your rent down from RM600 to RM500 over the course of 12 months

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means you have saved a total of RM1,200 for the year. So, how do we bargain without sounding “awkward”? When it comes to negotiating keep in mind that this is not limited to dollars or ringgits, things like time, amenities and other benefits are perfectly up for negotiation.

People tend to skip the “nego” part of the negotiation and go straight to the “initiation”. The fact is it is not as clear-cut as buying a bag of chips. There is still room to move but you must be aware and willing to explore some ideas.

Do your research We can start by researching the rent and facilities provided in the neighborhood especially leases that are charging a similar rent. The more information you have,

the more likely you will be successful in negotiating since you know what your expectations are. By curating all the information gathered from your research, you are granted more confidence as you know what is reasonable to ask for.

Ask your agent The best and easiest way to engage in negotiations is to let your agent do the talking beforehand. A good agent will be more than willing to help you get the best deals.

However, keep in mind that agents are also gatekeepers to the interests of the owners.

Once the ball is rolling, ask your agent if a meeting can be set up between yourself and the owner, you are more likely to get a positive outcome face-to-face.

What to negotiate As was mentioned before, this is not restricted to just the price of rental. There are several options for us to negotiate, for instance:

01

A free parking space Commonly parking spaces are considered as a given and no one bats an eye. However, parking can be a good leveraging tool. If there is no parking space readily available or you are required to pay for space, request for a reduction in rent. If there is space and you don’t need it, rent it to someone else in the building or let the owner have full control over it and shave a few bucks off your rental.

02

Upgrades to the apartment Most often than not, people move in as is and make due with shortcomings like old furniture, rusty pipes, cracked floors and even broken windows. List these things down and send it to your owner. More often than not, you will be surprised on how obliging they will be to do the repairs and replacements for you. If they refuse, calculate how much you’d have to fork out and again, use it to leverage for a lower rental.

03

Payment of utilities Your future landlord might not be too keen on lowering your rent as much as you’d hope but you might find some luck requesting to bear the utility bills instead, which is a fair negotiation if you ask me.

Negotiate your lease

Rather than hoping that the price of rent can be reduced, we as tenants can take initiative and offer some options that are more appealing to the owners:

01. Sign an extended lease This may become a double-edged sword if you are not clear on the terms. Instead of leasing for 2 years straight, opt for 1 year with an option to extend for another. This way you extend your lease without actually extending it because you can opt out if it if is not working out for you – or renegotiate the terms once the first year’s tenancy is up. On the other hand, owners will always be happy to get a possible long-term tenant in their unit and bypass all the hassle.

02. Prepay months in advance Owners will definitely appreciate this and may be convinced to lower down the rent. It is a highly effective solution to cheaper rent but you will of course, be required to pay a hefty sum upfront.

03. Agree to keep everything proper Promise the owner that you will not smoke in the apartment, keep the walls clean, no parties, no animals – you get the point. Better yet, don’t promise but make it legally binding. It is one thing to say it, another to have it in writing. These little things might seem ordinary and plain but owners might appreciate your dedication to keeping the unit in tip-top condition enough to lower your rental and save you some cash.

04. Structure a buy clause If you find that the unit is a place you would like to own someday, why not initiate the process early. You can agree with the owner to lock in the unit’s price for when you finally decide to buy it or pay a higher rental that goes toward your 10% deposit. There are multiple ways to structure the terms but owners will be happy to discuss this option, provided they are willing to sell off the unit in the first place.

So there you have it, some handy tips to keep in mind when out hunting for rentals. Do not be afraid to negotiate but do not go overboard and keep it friendly please. Having a good relationship with your landlord is just as important if not more so than saving a couple of bucks.

With that, happy hunting, happy negotiating and happy tenanting.

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HOT TOPIC

Dcubillas

HOT TOPIC  by Rebecca Michelle

TAED, the Next Property Investment Hotspot My favourite colour is sunset.

P

alm trees. Ocean breeze. Beautiful sunset. That’s what Tanjung Aru is best known for. Sabah is blessed with many great beach locations, and although most of them are a little distant from the city, one in particular is worth a visit.

Taking its name from the casuarinas or Aru trees that surrounds the soft sandy beach, this is the place for people to get the best seats for viewing the greatest sunset on earth every evening when the crimson sun slowly dips slowly into the horizon, leaving the vast skies fiery orange.

Tanjung Aru has transformed quite a bit from hawker stalls to restaurants and beachside cafes. The beach is divided into three sections – Beach 1, Beach 2 and Beach 3 and has a sentimental value to all Sabahans.

However, today, Tanjung Aru has lost much of its glory. What was once a soft sandy beach with crystal blue waters is now, on a bad day, smothered with trash washing

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up on the beach and the smell from nearby storm-water drains waft on the breeze, but bad days, luckily, are outweighed by what’s to come.

The State Government has proposed to redevelop the area under the Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED) project to revitalise the beach and its surrounding areas.

The proposed plan is said to include sea reclamation and various NGOs have opposed to this, saying it doesn’t make sense to destroy a natural beach and replace it with an artificial one.

The 642-acre Tanjung Aru Beach in Kota Kinabalu is set to undergo a massive ecotourism redevelopment that would make it a world class destination. Dubbed as one of the top spots in this region for sunset watching, the Tanjung Aru redevelopment covering more than 123 acres will see half of the area as public space. The balance would involve the construction of tourism facilities

including high-end resorts and a marina that would be built according to stringent and controlled environmental standards.

Barring any hiccups, the multi-billion-ringgit TAED project which will transform Tanjung Aru into one of the region’s best tourist spots will proceed as planned following the provision of a RM500 million facilitation fund by the Economic Planning Unit (EPU) in the Prime Minister’s Department.

The TAED project will start work in Q2 2018 with the Phase 1 of the development, said Datuk Seri Victor, who was appointed as Executive Director to manage the project on pro bono basis due to his experience in building and managing Perdana Park.

The construction site for the Phase 1 work is at the First Beach area or will be known as Aru Gateway which is approximately 64 acres, with a mixed commercial area stretching along Mat Salleh road.

Dcubillas

“We will keep the Second and Third Beach areas open to the public while work on the first phase is being carried out.

This project is expected to be ready in 36 months,” he said.

The project was scheduled to move into the first phase in 2016, with Luyang Assemblyman Hiew King Cheu calling on the state government to start the projects without any further delays despite the concerns from conservationists. He argued that the projects would bring job and economic opportunities to the locals, and that the environmental upgrade would attract the people’s interest to visit and live in the area.

Victor said only 31% of the 860-acre redevelopment area would be utilised, while the remainder would be returned to the people of Sabah through public amenities such as Prince Phillip Park.

The project drew concerns from local conservation groups, who labelled it as being unfriendly to the public and lacking in transparency and launched a petition to stop the project. Due to the concerns raised, a Special Environmental Impact Assessment (SEIA) report on the projects was

released in 2016 to share the feedback and recommendations from the public.

The development is also the first approved scheme in Sabah, meaning that it is an independent area, he said, adding that, they are also trying to get tax exemption for the development. He said the development will increase employment opportunities for the people across the board.

Datuk Seri Victor. He further added that they want to create a sustainable ecodevelopment to have an engine of growth.

The whole development consists of eight district zones; Aru Gateway, Prince Philip Wharf, Prince Philip Park, Aru Village, Aru Oceanfront, Aru Marina, Tanjung Aru Beach and Golf Retreat.

He added that Sabah’s Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Aman wanted to return Tanjung Aru Beach to the people of Sabah. Top experts from their respective fields such as contractors, consultants, environmentalist etc have been engaged to help development the project. Datuk Seri Victor has proposed that a certain 14 acres of land to be developed into affordable properties for the younger generations of Sabah. The cost of the land is to be absorbed by TAED.

Beaches have always enlightened the mind and heart of generations, with fun, joy, and peace. Children’s love for the beaches is unquestionable. Running aimlessly on the sand, building sand castles, and crushing into the gentle waves, seem to bring endless fun and joy to them. While adults would organize lots of activities at the beaches, from families picnics to BBQ parties, from leisure activities to competition sports. Many people weekends’ blissful lives evolve around the beaches too.

“The catch is that you cannot sell the residential unit in the first five years. The second catch is that the unit can only be sold back to a local resident (Sabahan only),” he further stated.

For the peace seeking individuals, walking along a quiet beach, listening to the sound of the rushing waves, and absorbing the beauty of nature around, can do a lot of good for the heart and soul.

“Tanjung Aru Beach has undergone heavy erosion over the last 50 years and that despite efforts by the Sabah government to stop the erosion through the setting up of barricades against the sea waves, it had failed,” said

Tanjung Aru coastal town will turn into a premier international green tourism destination and a sprawling commercial, residential and recreational centre once the project completes.

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HOT TOPIC

03 HOT TOPIC  by Rebecca Michelle

Mega Developments in Sabah The best way to predict the future is to create it.

The Sabah State government has always welcome property entities to venture into its property market. As the city change and shifts, bigger and more ambitious projects are poised to reshape the landscape. Sabah is changing at a rapid pace with some exciting developments on the horizon.

Plan: Transforming Kota Kinabalu City

02

01

01. Aeropod Location Status Completion

02.Coral Bay@Sutera : Tanjung Aru : Under construction : Expected to be completed by 2022

Location Status Completion

: Kota Kinabalu : Not constructed : Unknown

This strategically located development is the maiden mixeddevelopment foray into Kota Kinabalu by one of Malaysia’s finest developers, SP Setia. Spanning across 60 acres of land, Aeropod will almost certainly be the largest integrated linear city in Kota Kinabalu.

With hotel, retail mall, retail offices, residential suites, corporate offices, as well as green parks in the master plan, it looks to be a real holistic approach by the developer.

Touted to become the most expensive residential tower in Sabah once completed, Coral Bay@Sutera will definitely define the word “premium” in Kota Kinabalu. Located next to The Magellan Sutera Resort, the project is perched on one of the hottest pieces of real estate in the city. Couple together an oceanview with top-end condominium facilities and finishes, Coral Bay will likely be on the lips of many when completed.

What makes this project stand out is the inclusion of a provision for a light rail transit (LRT) system to improve the existing rail station in Tanjung Aru in the future.

Developed by GSH Corp Ltd, a company listed on the Singapore exchange, the plan is to develop Coral Bay@Sutera and other upcoming projects in the vicinity to cater to local and foreign buyers looking for the best Kota Kinabalu has to offer.

GSH bought over Sutera Harbour Resort, including the two pieces of residential land, in 2014 for RM700 million.

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04

03.Kota Kinabalu City Watefront (KKCW)

04.Kota Kinabalu International Cruise Terminal (KKICT)

Location Status

Location Status Completion

: Kota Kinabalu CBD : Under construction

KKCW is an integrated waterfront revitalization master plan initiated under the Sabah Development Corridor’s (SDC) blueprint to transform Kota Kinabalu City into a premium tourist gateway and a premier second home destination for the affluent.

KKCW will feature an upmarket lifestyle waterfront mall, a 365-room super luxurious waterfront hotel and 111 units of designer suites. The entire stretch will be linked by a Waterfront Boardwalk which is 2.1km long, one of the longest of its kind in Asia.

Other parts of the waterfront include Jesselton Quay and One Jesselton mixed-developments and Kota Kinabalu Convention City – all developed by different developers.

: Kota Kinabalu CBD : Expected to commence in 2018 : Expected to be completed in 2022/23

Suria Capital Holdings Bhd and its group of companies (SuriaGroup) spreads their wings by undertaking the development of the dedicated international cruise terminal at Kota Kinabalu Port. The terminal would serve as a marine gateway as well as a second entry point to the heart of the city.

The terminal will complement several other key developments namely Jesselton Quay, One Jesselton Waterfront and Sabah International Convention Centre, to name a few.

The first stage (Phase 1) of expansion works is expected to commence in 2018 and expected to complete in 2022. This expansion is believed to include the expanding of the current berth length from 500 meters to 850 meters. The container stacking area will be expanded to 84 acres from its current area of 24 acres.

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HOT TOPIC

05

06

05.Pan Borneo Highway Location Status Completion

: Kota Kinabalu – Kuching : Under construction : Expected to be completed by 2021

A key project to the development of Sabah and Sarawak, the Pan Borneo Highway is and road network development the government has embarked on which will link Kuching and Kota Kinabalu, as well as provide better access to the interior.

The 706 km highway would, among others, be upgraded from two-lane dual carriageway to four-lane including bypass.

Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd was appointed as the implementing partner of Phase One of the highway project.

The agreement was signed by the federal government and Sabah government on April 11, 2016.

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06.Sabah International Convention Centre (SICC)

07.Tanjung Aru Eco Development (TAED)

Location Status Completion

Location Status Completion

: Kota Kinabalu CBD : Under construction : Expected to be completed by October 2018

: Tanjung Aru : Expected to start Q2 2018 : Expected to be completed by 2021

SICC, another mega project under the Sabah Development Corridor, is owned by Yayasan Sabah and is being developed on a joint-venture basis with a Malaysian conglomerate. The completion of SICC would open doors for more Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) related activities to be conducted in the state capital.

A much-debated project ever since its announcement, the 642-acre Tanjung Aru Beach in Kota Kinabalu is set to undergo a massive ecotourism redevelopment in hopes to turn it into a world class destination rivalling the best in the world. TAED will consist eight district zones; Aru Gateway, Prince Philip Wharf, Prince Philip Park, Aru Village, Aru Oceanfront, Aru Marina, Tanjung Aru Beach and Golf Retreat.

SICC sits on 15 acres of land with a total built-up area of over 990,000sqft. With the state of the art technology, SICC comprises of a world standard Performing Arts Centre with a two-tier seating for 1,200 audience, 22 meeting rooms, an open plaza for outdoor usage, an exhibition hall, numerous VIP lounges, F&B outlets, and a cafeteria.

The TAED project will start work in Q2 2018 with the Phase 1 of the development marked at the First Beach area – soon to be known as Aru Gateway – is approximately 64 acres, with a mixed commercial area stretching along Mat Salleh road.

The unique architecture and interior design of SICC reflect the natural elements of Sabah which is known for its islands with crystal-clear water, lush tropical forests, and the iconic Mount Kinabalu.

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Tanjung Aru will turn into a premier international green tourism destination and a sprawling commercial, residential and recreational centre once the project completes.

Plan: Improving Mobility Kota Kinabalu’s traffic has exponentially risen over the years and has become the crux of many drivers in the city.

With developments on full gear in the city, it is only appropriate to plan for the improvement of mobility, especially for the residents living in the city centre and neighbouring areas.

KK city is congested with motorists where approximately 60% of total vehicles registered in Sabah are in KK Vehicles: 559,955

500,000 450,000 400,000 350,000 300,000 250,000 200,000 150,000 100,000

Motorcycles Motor Cars Taxis & Hire Cars Buses Lorries & Vans 4-Wheel Drives Others Vehicles Trailers Total Vehicles

Cars: 194,744

50,000

0

25,370

13,192 Kota Kinabalu

Sandakan

Tawau

350,000

Lahad Datu

Keningau

Kudat

30%

increase

300,000

Beaufort

Motorcycles Motor Cars Taxis & Hire Cars Buses Lorries & Vans 4-Wheel Drives Others Vehicles Trailers Total Vehicles

305,570 288,028

270,213

250,000

235,357

251,935

200,000 150,000 100,000 50,000

0 2006

2007

2008

492,606 Vehicles in KK

2009

2010

842,188 Total vehicles in Sabah Source : SEDIA

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CONTRIBUTOR 54. Better Roads, Better Tourism, Better State… 56. Sabah Development Corridor (SDC): Its Impact on the Sabah Economy 58. How and Why Properties Are Increasing in Price?

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CONTRIBUTOR CONTRIBUTOR  by Kashani Samat

Better Roads, Better Tourism, Better State…

“Before the development of tourism, travel was conceived to be like study, and its fruits wereconsidered to be the adornment of the mind and the formation of the judgment.”

- Paul Fussell, historian.

From such a stout quote, it can be digested that tourism plays such a massive role in the developmentof one’s cognizance in worldly events. In that instance, accessibility to such growth defines the rate ofwhich knowledge travels. Accessibility, in that sense this time around, would be the new Pan Borneo Highway Sabah.

Sabah has always been one of the epicentres for tourism in Malaysia. Known for its beaches, culture,rainforest, coral reefs and abundant wildlife, much of it within parks and reserves, Sabah is always looking to improve its industries to help the community as well as further stimulate economic growth. As of late, the Land Below the Wind is experiencing major transformation in its road infrastructure with the development of their new toll-free highway, which will guarantee expansion across all sectors of the economy, especially tourism.

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In an interview with Sabah’s Chief Minister, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Panglima Musa Hj. Aman mentioned that the 706km Pan Borneo Highway Sabah project will assist in shortening the time and distance of travel, hence boost the tourism sector in the region.

The Northwest Region of the Pan Borneo Highway Sabah alignment will essentially cover six (6) ‘workpackages’ and encompasses the erection of a new coastal highway from Tuaran up to Simpang Mengayau Kudat, where the popular tourist hotspot ‘Tip of Borneo’ is located.

Appointed as the first of its kind Project Delivery Partner (PDP) of Phase One of the highway mega project in April 2016, Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd has shown much progress in its commitment to complete the project by 2021. With the finalisation of its value assessments and engineering process for all 35 packages in Phase One, five of which are under construction while the remaining to beprogressively awarded between now till the first quarter of 2018, it will be in line with their motto“Memacu Masa Depan” or “Spurring the Future”, and catchy hashtag #tatapjadi.

With this new coastal highway, the surrounding littoral areas will see an increase in socio-economic activity and productivity, improved public transportation due to better roads, boosting industries, not to mention more accessibility to promote tourism – further stimulating Sabah’s economy as a whole. In his recent Budget 2018 speech, Malaysian Prime Minister YAB Datuk Seri Dato’ Sri Haji Mohammad Najib bin Tun Haji Abdul Razak emphasised on the above-mentioned so that Sabahans will find opportunities of economic advancement in careers, employment, business and livelihood. With an infrastructural upgrade such as the Pan Borneo Highway Sabah development, this would lead to improved access to the above, on top of encouraging local indigenous communities to contribute to Sabah’s tourism as a whole.

There exists immense potential in the tourism and travel sector, especially with regards to Sabah’scultural and heritage tourism, wildlife and adventure tourism, business and medical tourism etc. The State is endowed with natural beauty of spectacular mountain ranges, meandering rivers and miles and miles of dense forest.

The Sabah Chief Minister also reassured that the State government is committed to providing the necessary infrastructure

to allow easier access to rural areas. And with government-initiated policies put in place for rural communities to learn more about tourism and the service industry, this should promote better innovation and competitiveness among Sabahans, therefore further stimulate Sabah’s economic growth.

This may come by way of wayside amenities that will inevitably envelope the Pan Borneo Highway Sabah project. Wayside amenities offer the users of the highway a chance for rest and recreation as well as serve their needs for food, drink, fuel, vehicle repair, communication facilities etc. With this in mind, communities from surrounding areas shall benefit from increased awareness and productivityon local goods, as well as job opportunities.

In conclusion, it is safe to say that lives in Sabah will change for the better with the arrival of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah. Sabah has become Malaysia’s golden goose for most successful eco adventure tourism destination. Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd reassures the general populace that the development of the first mega project of its kind in Sabah will provide a better and safer road access, complemented by the increased volume of traffic that will facilitate more tourism activities. Also, not forgetting provisions for active socio-economic involvement of locals.

Quoting Ted Conover,

well-renown author and journalist, “Roads remain the essential network of thenon-virtual world. They are the infrastructure upon which almost all other infrastructure depends. They are the paths of human endeavour.”

Meet me at Property Hunter Convention Kota Kinabalu, for more info turn to page 4

Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP) BHP is a Government-appointed Project Delivery Partner (PDP) company that will implement Phase 1 of Pan Borneo Highway Sabah. BHP’s functions are to implement, supervise, manage and deliver the project within the time and budget allocated. The project involves widening of the existing roads to four-lane dual carriage wayV and building new coastal highway and expressway/bypass. The total distance of the project is 706km stretching from the Sabah-Sarawak border town of Sindumin in the Southwest to Simpang Mengayau in the North and Ranau to Mile 32 in Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau in the Southeast.

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55

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR ď‚„ by Dr Rafiq Idris

Sabah Development Corridor (SDC): Its Impact on the Sabah Economy 28th January marked the 10th anniversary of the Sabah Development Corridor (SDC).

Many good things have been brought into Sabah due to this national corridor program.

This article highlights my opinion on the projects by the SDC and how our economy has changed over the first 10 years of the SDC period.

The SDC is an economic corridor program that is undertaken to further develop various areas in Sabah. It is one of the four other corridor programs in the country namely Northern Corridor Economic Region, East Coast Economic Region, Iskandar Malaysia and Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy.

These five economic corridors program were initiated under the Ninth Malaysia Plan to reduce development imbalances throughout the country.

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Consistent with national agenda, the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) and the National Key Economic Areas (NKEAs) that aim to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by the year 2020, the SDC has several key focus areas: tourism, logistics and manufacturing, higher education, oil, gas and energy, agriculture and palm oil. In this regard, among the programs that fall under the SDC include Kinabalu Harbour Front and Gold Coast Enclave, consolidating logistic and transportation infrastructure, Sabah Agro Industrial Precinct, Sipitang Oil and Gas Industrial Park, Keningau Integrated Livestock Centre (KILC), Marine Industrial Cluster (MIC) in Southern region, Palm Oil Industrial Cluster (POIC) and Sandakan Education Hub (SEH).

As a result of some of these programs, among others, more downstream activities have been created under the SDC.

In terms of infrastructure, many have gone into the pipeline in the past 10 years. For example, the port transshipment hub in Sepangar and the Pan Borneo highway, among others shall definitely further improve the connectivity and logistical efficiency in Sabah. The Pan Borneo will ameliorate the connectivity between the various economic clusters under SDC. Besides that, it has the potential to lower the logistic costs and attract foreign direct investments, at least in the long run.

In addition, when looking at certain macroeconomic indicators, datas have shown significant improvements. For instance, poverty rate has reduced significantly within these 10 years. Poverty rate was reported to be 19.7% in 2009 and has reduced to 2.9% in 2016.

In terms of income distribution, Sabah’s distribution of income has improved. The gini coefficient level of Sabah was reported to be at 0.453 in 2009. In 2016, gini coefficient has improved where it was recorded to be at 0.404. This is slightly higher than the national one which was reported to be at 0.399 in 2016.

In terms of household income, it has increased significantly in the past 10 years. In 2007, the mean monthly household income (in Sabah & FT Labuan) was reported to be RM2866. In 2016, it increased to RM5,468 and this is a 90.7% increase. In comparison to a decade earlier, the period between 19972007, the recent increase in SDC period is

even more. The increase for the period of 1997 to 2007 was just a 39% increase.

Moreover, SDC has created many new jobs.

Based on vacancy availability, huge increases have been reported during the SDC period.

For instance in 2007, new vacancies (by occupation) in Sabah was reported to be only 7999. Between 2009 and 2010, annually the new vacancies were reported to be more than 50,000. Between 2011 and 2016, new vacancies were reported to be more than 100,000 every year. For instance, in 2016, it was reported to be 120,676. These number are the overall new vacancies (not only those under SDC programs).

To sum up, the economy of Sabah has significantly changed within these 10 years.

However, it is not to say that it is solely due to SDC. There are many other factors that may have contributed to the economic performance of the state in the past 10 years.

However, despite the Global Financial Crisis in 2008, the recent slowing down in the world economy, the drop in world oil price and the depreciation of Ringgit among others, Sabah has recorded a significant achievement at least in some of the economic indicators. It is hoped that Sabah will continue to grow in the years to come especially in the third phase of the SDC. Despite the achievements being made, there is always room for further improvement.

Meet me at Property Hunter Convention Kota Kinabalu, for more info turn to page 4

Dr Rafiq Idris Dr Rafiq Idris is an Economist, Senior Lecturer from Financial Economics Program, Faculty of Business, Economics and Accountancy, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. He is known for his research on international trade, health economics, economic development and expertise in Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA). www.PropertyHunter.com.my

57

CONTRIBUTOR

CONTRIBUTOR  by Chris Tan

How and Why Properties Are Increasing in Price?

Is it always the case?

Property investment is always interesting.

Like I shared in my proprietary model of “Property Invest Quotient” (PIQ) on many occasions, there are only 4 ways to put your property to work hard for you – buy, sell, use (lease and rent included) and borrow. This results in only 2 types of outcomes – either yield (recurring cash flow) or appreciation in value (for disposal or refinancing). Nothing more, and nothing less.

There is also a general belief that the longer you hold a property, the better the appreciation in values. The underlining assumptions are; there is no fundamental economic failure in the system, there is continuous prosperity within location and a growing population in the locality to go along with it. This therefore led to another

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belief that property investment is the best hedge against inflation.

Yet whatever beliefs that you have in relation to property investments, you cannot run too far away from the economic fundamentals of supply and demand. We were blessed in the past and may be more so in the foreseeable future as there is always a demand gap in a developing economy like Malaysia – it is not always the case for developed economies where demand is more predictable and the financing system more sophisticated in a liberal and less regulated environment (like the subprime crisis that have witnessed in 2008).

Increase in property prices has its roots in inflation, costs of living and most importantly the cost of replacement. The costs increase with building materials,

professional liabilities, labour wages, technology advancement expectations, timely living expectations as well as regulatory compliance – all contributing to the defence as well as the inflation of property prices. In another word, property prices can always be benchmarked upon the price of the latest supply of similar quality in the same location. Therefore, property prices are always northbound in any developing economy. As we grow closer to a developed economy, the profit of the property developers will be thinning to accommodate the escalating costs and the acceptable price point of the demand in the market. Perhaps, this explains why house ownership is generally lower in developed nations where homeownership is a luxury beyond the reach of the middleincome groups. The cost of a safety net offered in these economies are also a factor.

To keep winning in property investment, one has to constantly upgrade himself as the industry is getting ever more sophisticated. Here are some factors to consider:

1. Leveraging is always the key. Look

for financing packages that match your investment portfolio and risk profile.

Look beyond the banks. You can get financing elsewhere too, and at lower interest.

3. Look for lower entry costs by negotiating with the developer and seller by reducing the fixture and fittings to a more friendly initial payment schedule. In short, cut the frills and tailor-make a payment scheme unique to your ability.

4. Conduct a stress test on your cash flow (with a pe riod of no income) and assess your affordability.

5. Shop and learn the offerings in the market to keep up with the latest trends. It is a buyers’ market now; you are spoiled for choice. Don’t buy the first thing that comes to you, only fools rush in. You are never in a hurry when it comes to property investment. It is one of most stable commodities around.

2. Select a property with real expectations and eliminate uncertain speculations. Look for real demand with realistic value expectations. If you are offered a “Guaranteed Rental Return”, ask yourself, would you buy without the guarantee and if yes, then it is more likely that you should invest.

6. To make the best profits, gain at entry but plan for the exit too. Tax planning is essential, you make whatever you save. Choice of entity when investing as well as learning the types of taxes applicable will bring you a long way to making more money in property.

7. If you are buying from property developers, look for testimonials, background history and track records.

Remember not all property offers are the same and not all developers are born equal.

8. Different types of property investments require different types of considerations. If you are used to investing in residential properties, there is a distinction between buying a residential unit in a mix use integrated development. Obviously, investing in an industrial development is a whole new ball game all together.

While property investment is relatively safe, it is not risk-free. Bear the above in mind and happy shopping in 2018 – for it is officially a “Buyers’ Market” in the many hot spots in Malaysia.

Meet me at Property Hunter Convention Kota Kinabalu, for more info turn to page 4

Chris Tan One of the industry’s most prolific speakers, he is a lawyer by trade and is the founder of Chur Associates – a boutique legal service provider. One of this many honours was to be elected to serve the Malaysian Chapter of FIABCI for two terms from 2006 to 2010. He was also appointed to the Board of Directors of FIABCI International to preside over the portfolio of Young Members aged 35 and below for the term 2009/2010. www.PropertyHunter.com.my

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FEATURED EVENT 61. Greenfield City Celebrates Chinese New Year in Greenfield Residence 62. 15 Performers Wowed Crowd at 12th Edition of KK Jazz Fest 64. Soft Opening of Ibis Styles Kota Kinabalu Inanam 66. PACIFICITY Celebrates Rooftopping Ceremony for Pacific Enterprise 68. Gamuda Land Launches Final Block of Phase 1 at Bukit Bantayan Residences 70. S P Setia Opens New Setia Welcome Centre at KK 71. Eventful Chinese New Year Celebration with Hap Seng Properties 72. RM1 Million to Spur Sabah’s Digital Economy 73. Asia Plantation Capital Opens Office in Kota Kinabalu

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FEATURED EVENT ď‚„ by Property Hunter

Greenfield City Celebrates Chinese New Year in Greenfield Residence A sea of blue, a field of green.

In celebration of the auspicious lunar

then further escalated with energetic lion

project is the recent launched Greenfield

Chinese New Year, Greenfield City Sdn

and drum performances that symbolises

Residence Phase 2 development which has

Bhd held the Open House Celebration for

blessings and longevity and good fortune.

started earlier this year.

Greenfield Residence purchasers and the

It was a pleasure to be able to share the

community. The open house elevated the

joy and tradition of Chinese New Year with

The two new blocks of 7-Storey building will

excitement of visitors as they were impressed

the community of different races and this

be homed for 168 units of condominium

with the development featuring its signature

enhances the unity among the people of all

which featuring an elevated landscape deck

swimming pool and its 3 acres centralized

walks of life.

within the development. The condominium is selling at an affordable price ranging from

courtyard.

Greenfield Residence is a multi-phases

RM300,000.00 to RM450,000.00. Show unit is

Also present were the Directors of Greenfield

condominium development in the prime

now open for viewing.

City Sdn Bhd, Mr. Pong Vui Seng, Mr. Wong

land of Manggatal that has been developing

Keng Siong, Mr. Pong Chow Hin and Mr. Wong

and today, 252 units of condominium have

Keng Ming to grace the event. The event was

been completed. The current on-going

Prospective buyers may further contact the sales office for more details at 088858922 or 010-983 8922.

Aznan Johary

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61

FEATURED EVENT

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter

15 Performers Wowed Crowd at 12th Edition of KK Jazz Fest With great venues, comes greater events.

Celebrated their 12th edition and 12 years of

(Friday and Saturday) at the Covered Tennis

and foreign tourists, namely the Chinese and

jazz extravaganza, with an impressive line-

Courts of Sutera Harbour.

Korean tourists.

together with renowned and upcoming

Visitors were serenaded with performances

Jack also shared that money raised from

Malaysian talents during the exciting 2-day

from Kissinger, Vivace, Power Line,

the ticket sales will be used to fund the Cure

event.

Christopher Aban, Esther Applunius, Infinity,

Cataract Campaign, where members of RCKK

up of international bands and musicians,

Jumero, Rozella, The Movement, Andrew

will go into the rural area to identify patients

The annual fund-raising jazz extravaganza

Ngew, Shangri La, Alu Alu Project, Albino

that need cataract replacement.

is jointly organised by the Rotary Club of

Deer, Mezzotono (Italy) and Sybil Thomas

Kota Kinabalu (RCKK) and the Society of

(USA).

KKJF to pay for all the cost and/or expenses

Performing Arts Kota Kinabalu (SPArKS). The two-day event was held on 9 and 10 March

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“We at RCKK will use the money raised from

Organizing chairman, Jack Ong, said that

incurred in operating patients. One surgery

this year’s KKJF aimed to target both locals

can cost up to RM5,000,” shared Jack.

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63

PROPERTY NEWS

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter

Soft Opening of Ibis Styles Kota Kinabalu Inanam I like your style, Bro.

AccorHotels announces the launch of

“The hotel’s design features will be the

yet welcoming ambience of the hotel while

Sabah’s latest premium economy brand

first for ibis Styles Hotel in Malaysia to be

enjoying our facilities and great dining

hotel with the soft opening of ibis Styles

constructed with a rustic and urban industrial

outlet”.

Kota Kinbalu Inanam. Developed by Inanam

concept. It is also part of our approach for

Properties Sdn Bhd, the building features

an environmentally friendly place with a

With ibis Styles opening its doors,

184 tastefully designed rooms, a restaurant

distinctive casual design that blends with

AccorHotels further establishes its position

and bar, 3 meeting rooms which includes a

the surrounding of the town area,” said Mr

as the leading lifestyle and travel operator in

ballroom that can accommodate up to 140

Ong Hock Lai, Managing Director of Inanam

Malaysia as its 18th hotel and 4th ibis Styles

guests and a rooftop sky deck.

Properties Sdn Bhd.

Hotel. AccorHotels currently operates more than 800 hotels and resort across Asia Pacific

Ideally located in the bustling commercial

Mr Gordon Seet, General Manager of ibis

suburban area of Taipan Inanam, ibis Styles

Styles Kota Kinabalu Inanam Hotel also

Kinabalu Inanam Hotel features an urban

shares the same view and adds, “we invite

industrial design, inspired by the distinctive

our guests from the corporate and leisure

rural characteristics and charms of Inanam

travellers, families and local residents to

town.

immerse themselves in the casual, classy

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in 18 countries.

For more information, visit www.accorhotels.com/8457 or email H8457@accor.com for reservations.

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65

FEATURED EVENT

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter

PACIFICITY Celebrates Rooftopping Ceremony for Pacific Enterprise Take that rain!

The bustling metropolitan centre of Kota

furnished residences, and a premier lifestyle

as meeting and conference rooms

Kinabalu is set to welcome Sabah’s largest

mall. Designed to cater to Sabah’s growing

equipped with the latest audio-visual and

integrated residential, commercial, retail

affluent urban communities, PACIFICITY’s

teleconferencing facilities.

and entertainment hub in the heart of Kota

central location provides excellent

Kinabalu. Overlooking the picturesque bay

accessibility and a wide catchment area.

PACIFIC Enterprise offers small office suites from 500sqft to 2,000sqft, as well as larges

of Likas and surrounded by Kota Kinabalu’s most prime suburbs, PACIFICITY presents a

Today, Kota Kinabalu is the gateway to

spaces from 7,000sqft onwards, for sale or

multi-phased mixed development spread

Sabah and greater Borneo which are

lease.

across 25 acres of land in Likas Bay.

driven by the oil and gas sector, agriculture and aquaculture, tourism and an influx

Apart from that, the office complex is also

Pacific Sanctuary Holdings Sdn Bhd, a

of professionals, entrepreneurs and

equipped with high-speed fibre optic

Sabah based developer, today held an

expatriates.

internet infrastructure, multi-tiered security features, and decentralised air-conditioning

exclusive topping up ceremony of their office tower, PACIFIC Enterprise at their

The development, PACIFIC Enterprise

systems for easy control and energy

PACIFICITY development site.

featuring Grade A offices with 5-star

conservation. Dedicates office lifts provide

hotel-style lobby and reception, a top-

access to secure lobbies, whilst visitors and

PACIFICITY sports a mind-blowing selection

class business centre, food and beverage

professionals enjoy ample parking spaces.

of grade “A” offices, luxurious and fully-

facilities, private dining rooms as well

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67

FEATURED EVENT

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter

Gamuda Land Launches Final Block of Phase 1 at Bukit Bantayan Residences Keeping it in the family.

Gamuda Land officially launched Dilenia

During the 2-day celebration, visitors

“We want to help the younger generation to

Tower, the final tower of its first phase at

will be treated with fun-filled games and

own a home, that’s why we have introduced

Bukit Bantayan Residences during its Chinese

performances. A giant golden dog sits

our Paling Menang Easy Payment Scheme

New Year open house on Saturday, 3rd

proudly at the entrance of the sales gallery

3.0. With only RM1,000 booking fee, you can

March. The celebration will be held over the

to greet the visitors. Activities held include

now own a home. The balance of RM2,000

course of 2 days; 3 & 4 March at the Bukit

the prosperity toss (yee sang), eating

will only need to be paid upon signing of

Bantayan Sales Gallery in Inanam.

competition, lion dance performance and

SPA,” said Mr Cheo.

serving of various Chinese traditional food “To us at Gamuda Land, building

and delicacies.

communities where people can come

The 10:90 payment method allows buyers to pay their 10% in a 30-month instalment

together, get to know one another, live and

Bukit Bantayan Residences has received an

plan. The remaining 90% will be billed

play together and look out for each other is

overwhelming response since its launch in

upon receiving the Certificate of Practical

important,” said Mr Cheo Yuan Ping, General

2016. All the non-bumi units in Ebena tower

Completion (CPC). No interest and draw

Manager of Bukit Bantayan Residences.

are fully sold while 75% of the non-bumi units

down will be made prior to that.

in Cemara tower have been sold. The Ebena He also added that the community in

tower is expected to receive its OC in 2019.

Bukit Bantayan Residences will enjoy the

On top of that, Gamuda Land is offering a cashback/rebate upon buyers receiving their

conveniences of the Gamuda Land Residence

Dilenia tower comprises of 320 units of

Management App. It is the first-of-its-kind in

serviced apartments, with five types of

Kota Kinabalu to be introduced with a variety

layouts ranging from 904sqft to 1,100sqft. The

For more information about the project

of functions such as pre-registrations of

units will range from RM493,800 onwards.

and attractive packages, please visit the

visitors, common facilities defect reporting, a

In conjunction with the launch of its final

Bukit Bantayan Residences Sales Gallery

panic button and more.

block, attractive packages will be given out to

or call 088-254 436.

prospective buyers.

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vacant possession.

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69

FEATURED EVENT

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter PHOTOS  by Aznan Johary

S P Setia Opens New Setia Welcome Centre at KK Serving freshly-served welcomes.

The new Setia Welcome Centre was unveiled

activities including a traditional lion dance

“S P Setia has established a strong brand

in style in conjunction with the Chinese New

performance, carnival games stalls, the

presence in Malaysia with excellent quality

Year celebrations this year. Many customers

appearance of the God of Fortune mascot,

and value creation. Leveraging on the strong

and guests thronged the new centre which

Chinese calligraphy by Master Huang Po Loh

demand for commercial and investment

is now located in the Aeropod Commercial

and other activities.

grade properties here particularly in the

Square.

Tanjung Aru area, we have a myriad of Developed as the largest integrated linear

products for customers to choose from,” said

“The new Setia Welcome Centre features

city in Kota Kinabalu, Aeropod is poised to be

Chan.

a collection of all our projects here in

an exceptional new-age urban destination.

East Malaysia under one roof. In line with

Spanning over 60 acres, Aeropod has

“We are especially proud of our boutique

S P Setia’s <i>LiveLearnWorkPlay</i>

strategically located just a stone’s throw away

retail offices which offers three dedicated

development philosophy, the new Setia

from the Kota Kinabalu International Airport

entrances maximizing consumer catchment

Welcome Centre is certainly a breath of

(KKIA) and is S P Setia’s maiden project in

with its high visibility”.

fresh air in Kota Kinabalu with its modern

East Malaysia.

contemporary setting as well as its cosy ambience,” said Mr Chan Tah Seong, S P

This transit-oriented mixed-use development

Setia’s General Manager for Property East.

is designed around 24/7 lifestyle, offering luxury residences, boutique retail offices,

The grand opening was officiated with

business-class hotels, exciting retail,

a ribbon cutting ceremony by Mr Chan

entertainment and leisure facilities, as wel as

Tah Seong and other senior officers. The

the Tanjung Aru railway station.

celebration also saw many entertaining

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The new Setia Welcome Centre is located at Block I, Level 1 at Aeropod Commercial Square, Jalan Aeropod off Jalan Kepayan.

For more enquiries, please contact their sales team on 088-218 255 or email aeropod-sales@spsetia.com or visit their website at www.aeropod.com.my

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter PHOTOS  by Aznan Johary

Eventful Chinese New Year Celebration with Hap Seng Properties Huat did you say?

Hap Seng Properties Sdn Bhd held an

not only because of its strategic location

furnish with podium carpark, seismic design,

eventful Chinese New Year celebration at its

and high-class amenities, but the selling

gated community and basic furnishing.

Kingfisher Inanam and Kingfisher Putatan

price is almost similar to a unit of a regular

developments on 24 and 25 February,

apartment in the market today.

With one’s income remaining at its current level while commodity prices increasing

respectively. Visitors were greeted with a special lion dance performance, lucky draw,

Kingfisher Putatan Condominium will be

by 3-folds, the banks will continue to be

Chinese calligraphy and singing and dance

a turning point in the transformation of

stringent with loans. But behind every

performances.

Putatan into a more trendy and diverse

cloud is a silver lining. Hap Seng Properties

residential neighbourhood in line with its

Development Sdn Bhd is pulling out

Nestled in the established neighbourhood

expanding role as a modern transportation

everything from their hats to help first-time

of Inanam, Kingfisher Inanam marks the

and commercial hub.

home buyers and low-income earners to

emergence of a new residential address in

own a home with their Easy Homeownership

Inanam. The 9.3-acre architecturally distinct

Hap Seng is committed in its effort to elevate

Package. Moreover, Hap Seng Credit is

development comprises of 739 condominium

Putatan to the next level and make it into a

offering a 100% financing to its buyers.

unit over three towers amidst a generous

more matured investment destination.

85,000sq.ft. Sky Recreation Facilities- a

Hap Seng is offering a low-down payment Kingfisher Putatan Phase 2 is now open for

sales package with FREE SPA Legal Fees,

bookings. The development will be built

FREE Loan Legal Fees and FREE Loan

like retreat.

in 3 blocks; a 15-storey and x2 18-storeys

Disbursement Fees. With a RM1,000 booking

condominium with a beautiful sea view and

deposit, purchasers will be able to secure

Kingfisher Inanam is attractive enough

will comprise of 408 condominium units and

their preferred unit.

landscape of natural greenery laid out on Level 5 providing its residents with a resort-

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71

FEATURED EVENT

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter

RM1 Million to Spur Sabah’s Digital Economy Go Spurs!

The State Government through the Industrial

Development and Development Vision,” he

university and school drop-outs as well as

Development Ministry hosted a seminar

added.

retired civil servants. In other words, this

entitled ‘Championing Sabah’s Digital

online business is a business for all and is not

Economy’ on March 7 at Shangri-La’s Tanjung

“I am pleased to approve the additional

dominated by large corporations,” said Datuk

Aru Resort and Spa and saw Chief Minister,

allocation to the Ministry of Industrial

Raymond Tan Shu Kiah, Minister of Industrial

Tan Sri Musa Aman, gracing the seminar.

Development of RM1 million, for the

Development.

development of the State’s digital It is organised in collaboration with the

economy,” said Tan Sri Musa, encouraging

“What I mean here is not just about

Resources and Information Technology

the communities and youths who are in

marketing SME products online but across

Development Ministry, Malaysia Digital

the digital economy realm to seize this

the board where all business sectors have

Economic Corporation (MDEC), Department

opportunity.

started doing business online such as public

of Industrial Development and Research

transport such as Uber and Grab, financing

(DIDR), State Computer Services Department

Tan Sri Musa added that there is also RM105

systems, tourism, education , logistics, real

(JPKN), KKIP Sdn Bhd, Sabah Net Sdn Bhd,

million reserved for ministries that need

estate, payment and various types of services

Sabah Computer Association (SCS) and the

funding for special programmes that will

such as car repair, aircon service, car wash,

Sabah E-Commerce Association (SEA).

benefit the Sabah community.

home repair and many more business types,”

In his welcoming speech, Tan Sri Musa

An e-commerce platform ‘Borneo Kaki’ was

shared that through Budget 2018, the State

also launched. Borneo Kaki is an integral

The seminar saw a turn up of 1,150

Government has allocated RM134 million

part of Shared Services & Outsourcing (SSO).

participants. Also present at the seminar

to drive and intensify efforts to promote

The programme assists SME entrepreneurs

were Sabah Cabinet Members, Datuk Bolkiah

investment and business opportunities in the

in packaging, logistics, storage, promotion

Haji Ismail, Assistant Minister of Industrial

state.

and delivery to retail shops. SSO aims to

Development, Tan Sri Haji Sukarti Wakiman,

increase sales and income of entrepreneurs

Secretary of the Sabah State Government,

consistently and help them to be self-reliant.

Datuk Bruno Vun, Permanent Secretary of

“The State Government continues to be committed to driving the state’s economic growth, including in the industry, which is

“This online business is well suited to every

one of the cornerstones of Sabah’s State

level of society including youth, women,

72

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

he added.

the Ministry of Resource Development and Information Technology.

FEATURED EVENT  by Property Hunter PHOTOS  by Aznan Johary

Asia Plantation Capital Opens Office in Kota Kinabalu Spreading the seeds.

Asia Plantation Capital Berhad held a warm

the management of plantation, to the

on the systems needed to achieve the best

soft opening of their office in Sutera Avenue

inoculation, harvesting, distilling and

commercial and environmental results from

on Monday evening, 12 February.

processing of agarwood inputs into a

agarwood plantations.

multitude of agarwood end products, Asia Plantation Capital (APC) is the world’s

including the highly prized Oud oil. Oud oil,

“We believe that with our systems and our

fastest-growing plantation management

another key by-product of agarwood, is an

policy of supporting and working with local

company, leading the way in sustainable

extremely valuable commodity that has been

growers, we can help advance Malaysia in

forestry growth and pioneering inoculation

prized throughout history. It is extracted

the future growth of the global agarwood

methods, harvesting techniques, distillation

from the resinous heartwood or agarwood

industry,” he added.

methods and product processing.

of tropical Aquilaria trees, and used to create

Known for its plantation of agarwood, APC

the luxury fragrance brand, Fragrance Du

In 2016, APC was the first company in

Bois.

Malaysia (and the Asian market) to receive

entered Malaysia in 2015. Currently, the

Fragrance Du Bois is a niche luxury perfume

plantation investment program. This allows

company has 160 plantations, 19 offices,

house that uses its own signature pure and

them to market their agarwood plantation

7,000 clients across 4 continents. Malaysia is

natural Oud in all its formulation.

investment program both in the Malaysian

has plantations located in Johor since it

also home to APC’s state of the art, purpose-

its regulatory approval for its agarwood

and international markets.

built agarwood factory and research centre,

APC’s CEO, Steve Watts shares about the

located in Johor. The factory has been

company’s strategy expansion in Malaysia

In many areas, agarwood in the wild has

equipped with the latest heat exchange

saying that, “As part of our US$50 million

been logged almost to the point of extinction,

steam distillation units using purified water,

investment in the country, we wish to

due to its high value and the attendant

and a clean energy solar power system

position Malaysia at the forefront of the

illegal logging. Asia Plantation Capital is one

is being installed to ensure maximum

global development in agarwood”.

of the few companies in this sector actively developing a legal, sustainable, and ‘clean’

economic efficiency.

APC’s business model ranges from

Part of the company’s strategy is to share

agarwood industry, and hopes to develop

information and help educate local growers

further into other new markets and countries.

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

73

PROPERTY NEWS 75. KKIA Reaching Its Max Capacity. Time to Expand or Relocate?

76. MOU on Stones for Pan Borneo Highway 78. Five Winners for Sabah at Malaysia Tourism Awards 80. Seri Mengasih Centre Expected to Relocate to Make Way for TAED 82. Affordable Homes for Civil Servants 83. Imago First Mall in Sabah to Achieve ISO9001: 2015 Quality Manage Systems Status 84. Refer Flyover Objection to Firm, Says Minister 85. Penang Bungalow Most Expensive Home Sold in Malaysia 86. CIMB Introduces 1-Minute Home Financing InstaApproval 87. KK City to launch Greenback 2.0 Project

74

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

PROPERTY NEWS  by New Sabah Times

KKIA Reaching Its Max Capacity.

Time to Expand or Relocate?

Build another one, I say!

Datu Mohd Fadzli

Sabah must build a new international

million potential visitors within a three- to

Sabah government to find suitable land and

airport before congestion becomes

six-hour flight radius. On top of this, another

another three years to build the airport, so it

a serious problem at Kota Kinabalu

34.5 million international visitors pass through

would be on time for operation by 2025,” he

International Airport (KKIA).

major aviation hubs like Kuala Lumpur, Hong

said, adding that there was not much room

Kong, Singapore and Bangkok.

for KKIA to expand, given its proximity to the

State Tourism, Culture and Environment

coastline.

Minister Datuk Masidi Manjun said the state

The airport now services 180 international

government was also facing another critical

direct flights a week, with AirAsia currently

Meanwhile, any attempted land reclamation

situation as KKIA is reaching its maximum

holding 49pc market share, followed by

at the KKIA site may jeopardise another

capacity of 9 million passengers.

Malaysia Airlines with 36pc, other airlines

adjacent mega-project: the Tanjung Aru Eco

(11pc) and Malindo Air (4pc).

Development (TAED). The sites share the same

“Last year, we recorded a 7.9 million arrival

beach front.

and looking at the trend now, we will be

According to Chartered Institute of Logistics

getting more and more tourists so we need to

and Transport Sabah chairman Ramli

Among the suggestions include the expansion

find a solution fast on how to handle the surge

Amir, the plan is to focus on building a new

of the airport until the seafront, to build a

in visitors if it reaches the maximum capacity,”

international airport and commence working

new airport in Kimanis, to divert airlines and

he said during a gathering with ministry staff.

on it with the remaining time available.

tourists to the east coast such as Sandakan

KKIA is positioned to tap into a market of 139.4

“It will take at least two to three years for the

and Tawau, as well as reopening the shutdown KKIA Terminal II. www.PropertyHunter.com.my

75

PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS  by Daily Express

MOU on Stones for Pan Borneo Highway IOU Some pebbles!

Wong said the signing of the MoU symbolised SQOA’s commitment and encouraged all existing and future quarry operators to participate in the project, be it in a form of expansion or setting up of new quarries, especially in areas that have the PBH Sabah project.

Shahelmey said out of 35 work packages throughout the State, seven packages are in the face of construction and five packages would start requiring stone aggregates soon.

“BHP anticipates the peak requirement for Borneo Highway PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP)

partner for the PBH Sabah project, which

the aggregates to begin in the second half

has taken a step to ensure an adequate

consists of 35 packages covering 706

2019 until up to the first quarter of 2021,” he

supply of stones for its mega project – the

kilometres from Sindumin, Sipitang all the

added.

Pan Borneo Highway (PBH) Sabah – by

way to Tawau.

Shahelmey also said BHP recently received

signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Sabah Quarry Owners

“We estimated that we need 25 million

a principal approval from the Ministry

Association (SQOA).

metric tonnes of stone aggregates for the

of Finance (MOF) to appoint 10 more

construction of Phase 1 of the project over

packages that would concentrate on the

BHP Chief Executive Officer Shahelmy

three years,” he said after signing the MoU

West Coast of Sabah from South West in

Yahya said the MoU is to ensure Phase 1 of

representing BHP with SQOA, which was

Sipitang all the way to Kudat.

the mega project, which ends in 2021, will

represented by its President Datuk Wong

get sufficient supply of stones from SQOA

Chen Kiong, here, Friday.

tender on the remaining 18 packages for

members.

Meanwhile, Wong said all the 25 SQOA

the East Coast and central part of Sabah

“The signing of the MoU is part of our

members would ensure they are able to

(Mile 32, Sandakan up to Ranau).

strategy to ensure availability of quality

supply 25 million metric tonnes of stone

construction material at a reasonable price.

aggregates for the project, adding that they

“It is hoped that by June this year, we

It also symbolises the commitment of both

are currently producing 18 million metric

would able to complete all the tendering

parties in ensuring timely delivery of this

tonnes per year.

exercises and get all the packages awarded and from there on, the construction of the

project within the stipulated time without compromising on the quality.

With the projected demand for the highway project, he said the quarry

76

At the same time, he said BHP is now doing

“As we have mentioned from the very first

sector is projected to create 15,000 job

day, we were appointed as the delivery

opportunities.

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

mega project can go on a full cycle,” he said.

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

77

PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS  by New Sabah Times

Five Winners for Sabah at Malaysia Tourism Awards Take a break lads!

Sabah winning five awards at the biennial

Sticky Rice’s Orou Sapulot 3D2N won Most

“For Sabah to win these awards is a boost

Malaysia Tourism Awards last Feb 28 is an

Innovative Tour Package (Off-the-Beaten

in this time where resources are limited. Our

indication of consistency of the industry’s

Track category); and two articles about

industry must continue to be innovative and

performance.

Sabah won Best Tourism Article in both the

strive to excel in all aspects, including digital

international and local categories of the

marketing as their new way of promotion.

Sabah Minister of Tourism, Culture and

Online Publication written by Tripzilla, and

Congratulations to the winners and do keep

Environment Datuk Seri Masidi Manjun

Ramble and Wander respectively.

it up,” said Masidi.

witnessed the event.

Under Best Foreign Tour Operators, strong

Also present at the event were Sabah

Out of the 600 over nominations in 16

supporters of Sabah namely Lion Travel

Tourism Board General Manager, Suzaini

categories, North Borneo Railway won

Service Co Ltd (Taiwan), H.I.S Co Ltd (Japan)

Datuk Sabdin Ghani and her deputy,

Best Tourist Attraction (for man-made

and Hana Tour Service Inc (Korea) won for

Noredah Othman.

attractions); Borneo Rainforest Lodge

East Asia and North Asia Markets category.

won Best Hotel Services (3-star Resort),

78

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www.PropertyHunter.com.my

79

PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS  by Daily Express

Seri Mengasih Centre Expected to Relocate to Make Way for TAED Moving on to greener postures.

“I hope the centre stays as what it is today and with the government’s help through the new centre, it will be much better for our children,” he said.

Meanwhile, Seri Mengasih Centre executive director Monica Chua stated that they are prepared to move into the new centre anytime.

“We would bring all of our equipment here so they would not be of waste,” she said, adding that the new centre would also comprise quarters for staff due to the more distant Seri Mengasih Centre in Tanjung Aru

According to him, the ‘mega’ TAED project

is expected to be relocated to a three-

marks a big improvement for the State which

acre land at One Sulaman Kingfisher by

may only take place with the cooperation

To date, Seri Mengasih Centre is manned

December this year.

from various parties.

by 42 staff, who train some 104 students

The move, which was meant to make way for

“In order to commence the development

disabilities daily to enable these individuals

the Tanjung Aru Eco-Development (TAED),

works, we need to first acquire back the

to gain employment, social inclusion and

proved the government’s concern over

lands from relevant parties in Tanjung Aru.

independent adult living.

Assistant Minister to the Chief Minister, Datuk

“This (project) is for the betterment of

During the celebration, students, volunteers

Edward Yong Oui Fah.

people in the State not only in Kota Kinabalu

and teachers who were treated to a lion

because this is a large or may I say mega-

dance performance, also received angpows

“The State government, under the leadership

development for Sabah,” said Edward who is

and goodies from Edward and his wife Datin

of our Chief Minister Tan Sri Musa Hj Aman, is

also Tanjung Aru Assemblyman.

Mary Wong.

He stressed that construction works to the

Apart from a special angpow from

new centre have started.

Edward, the centre also received RM10,000

location.

with developmental and intellectual

the people particularly those in need, said

a very caring government.

“We will not leave anybody behind especially people who need help by the government, and that is why the new centre will be

He further commended the centre for

set up in One Sulaman,” he said during

organising multiple fundraising programmes

Seri Mengasih Centre Chinese New Year

and encouraged the team to seek for more

celebration on Thursday, 22 February.

fund from companies and such.

80

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

sponsorship from Penulaju Sdn Bhd for the centre’s fundraising programme, Heroes Run 2018.

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

81

PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS  by The Star Online

Affordable Homes for Civil Servants I’m set for life!

multipurpose hall, children’s playground, nursery, jogging path, prayer room and green area for community and leisure activities.

PPA1M Mercu Jalil is expected to be completed in four years.

Located on a 2.2ha piece of land within the heart of Bukit Jalil, PPA1M Mercu Jalil is accessible via the Damansara Puchong Highway (LDP), Bukit Jalil Highway, Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), Maju Expressway and the Kuala Lumpur-Seremban Highway.

Catering to the needs of young families, Government employees are on their way

“As an experienced developer in the

to becoming homeowners, thanks to the

affordable and medium-range segments,

ongoing implementation of the 1Malaysia

we are very happy to see more civil service

Civil Servants Housing Project (PPA1M).

employees having a place to call home at

from the upcoming completion of the Tzu Chi International School in 2020 and other existing higher education institutions such

PPA1M Mercu Jalil.

as the International Medical University

for the PPA1M Mercu Jalil apartments in

“We are still accepting applications, so we

located 7km from the development.

Bukit Jalil, a project developed by LBS Bina

urge civil service employees to grab this

Group Bhd.

opportunity as a first step towards owning

Applications are currently being accepted

a home,” said LBS Group managing director Response to PPA1M Mercu Jalil has been

Tan Sri Lim Hock San.

very positive. Following a balloting process, the first group of eligible homeowners

PPA1M Mercu Jalil comprises two blocks

were hosted at the LBS Retail Gallery in M3

of 47-storey apartments with 1,360 units,

Mall, Gombak, for the signing of the sale

inclusive of a nine-storey carpark facility.

and purchase agreements and assigning

Priced from RM245,000, its built-up areas

of units.

range from 1,000sq ft to 1,200sq ft, with a cosy layout of three bedrooms and two

“We understand that owning a home is a

bathrooms.

big challenge for some. This is why LBS

82

PPA1M Mercu Jalil residents will benefit

continues to be a strong supporter of

With a gross development value (GDV) of

government initiatives that help make

RM354mil, PPA1M Mercu Jalil includes

homes more attainable and within reach.

valued-added amenities such as a

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

(IMU) and Asia Pacific University (APU)

LBS is an active contributor to federal and state government initiatives that promote the development of affordable homes including PPA1M and Rumah SelangorKu. PPA1M is an affordable housing scheme aimed at helping civil service employees, especially those in the younger and middleincome bracket, own quality homes in strategic locations at affordable prices.

The programme was launched in early 2013 following the decision by the Cabinet that year.

PROPERTY NEWS  by Sabah News

Imago First Mall in Sabah to Achieve ISO9001: 2015 Quality Manage Systems Status A different mall game.

Aznan Johary

Imago Shopping mall held its 3rd-

partners all coming together to make it

Imago has also made what was previously a

anniversary celebration with a unique

work. Our success in becoming the best mall

one-off cultural performance for Kaamatan

twist; honouring the best of the best

requires their full support and dedication.

into a permanent tourist attraction feature,

tenants, partners and collaborators in

We recognise them and our 3rd-anniversary

where tourists get to see the traditional

various categories from Best Store Award

event, Exultation, is a testament to that belief

cultural dances and performances at certain

to Popular Brand Awards. A Special

as we celebrate our success together,” said

hours during the mall operation.

Recognition Award was also given to their

Dr. Raymond Yu Tat Loong, Executive Director

trusted partners and collaborators.

of Asian Pac Holdings Berhad, the ultimate

“We are here to make a difference and to

holding company of Imago.

become a part of the community that we

Imago has continued to improve and

serve. It is not just our customers that we

strengthen their services, becoming arguably

Imago has created a difference in serving

care about, we also care about our tenants’

the best shopping mall in East Malaysia and

its community, such as initiating a charity

staff, where we have recently created a

gaining two 5-Star International Property

programme in the form of a kids train ride,

dedicated rest area for them,” added Yu.

Award recognitions; Gold Award for Best

known as the “Hope Express”, where a total

Experiential Marketing from the Malaysia

amount of RM167,744 collected fares have

Imago is the first mall in Sabah to achieve the

Shopping Malls Association and Best

been donated to charitable organizations.

ISO 9001:2015 Quality Management Systems

Shopping Mall in the Sabah Tourism Awards

They have also created a baby nursing

status after going through 2 years of rigorous

2017.

room, family toilets, mobile-device charging

planning and execution and they will be

stations and modernised disabled facilities

formally be accredited in April 2018.

“A mall is an ecosystem, with tenants and

that are all free to the public. www.PropertyHunter.com.my

83

PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS  by Daily Express

Refer Flyover Objection to Firm, Says Minister The chief has spoken!

Beaufort route as it is not viable at the moment.

Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) Sec-Gen Datuk Johnny Mositun, who made the call, said constructing the flyover would affect business growth at the BCC and business activities in the township.

He was reported as saying that the business community especially new owners at BCC are worried that the regular and new travellers from Lawas, Brunei Darussalam, Labuan and even Tawau may overlook to Any comment or proposal involving the

only to implement and supervise progress

stop by at the BCC and the township as

construction of an upcoming flyover

of the Pan Borneo Highway project but also

they would just continue to drive passing

passing through Benoni roundabout here

to address related issues.

through the flyover heading to their

needs to be referred to Borneo Highway

destinations.

PDP Sdn Bhd (BHP), the appointed

“Both are open to hearing any suggestions

delivery partner for the Pan Borneo

or proposals before any decision is made

On whether the plan to build the flyover is

Highway (PBH) Sabah project, and Public

as the Government’s priorities here are the

viable or not, Rosnah said she leaves it to

Works Department (PWD) Sabah for

convenience and safety of the road users

the technical agency, PWD Sabah to look

amicable discussion.

in coming years while the Works Ministry is

into such proposed move.

only acting to monitor the implementation Works Deputy Minister Datuk Rosnah Abdul

of the mega project,” she said.

Rashid Shirlin said BHP and PWD Sabah

quarters like the business community

have been appointed by the Government to

Rosnah was commenting on a plea by

here to get technical advice from the PWD

implement and supervise the infrastructure

the business community at the Benoni

Sabah and BHP to evaluate whether their

development of the PBH Sabah project.

Commercial Centre (BCC) as well as those

request, comment and suggestions can be

in the township here who worry that the

considered.

She said she was made to understand that

upcoming flyover may affect their business

the proposal to build the flyover is part of

growth.

the mega project PBH implementation in Sabah.

“BHP and PWD Sabah are entrusted not

84

“I would advise that the concerned

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

“Hence, we leave it to the wisdom of BHP and PWD Sabah to address this via a two-

On Feb. 19, the paper reported that the

way communication with the concerned

Government should reconsider its plan to

quarters (business community and

build a flyover along the Papar-Benoni-

leaders),” Rosnah said.

PROPERTY NEWS  by New Sabah Times

Penang Bungalow Most Expensive Home Sold in Malaysia Money, Money, Money! Money!

A bungalow, located in Jalan Utama, an

“Pulau Tikus is a gastronomical paradise and

Tanjung Tokong, Penang sold at RM13.6

upper-middle class suburb of Pulau Tikus,

home to consulates of China, Indonesia and

million, bungalow in Bukit Tunku, Kuala

Penang transacted at a cost of RM14.5

Thailand.

Lumpur (RM12.6 mil), Serai Bukit Bandaraya

million was the most expensive property sold in Malaysia last year.

condominium, Bangsar, KL (RM12.1 mil) and “The Church of the Immaculate Conception

bungalow in Bukit Damansara (RM12 mil).

and Pulau Tikus Wet Market are other The listing on the 10 most expensive homes

notable landmarks in the area. The median

Also in the list are a bungalow at The

transacted in Malaysia last year compiled

per square foot price for bungalows in Pulau

Enclave, Bangsar (RM12 mil), town house

by iPropertyIQ.com, iProperty.com’s big

Tikus is RM570,” said iProperty.com in a

at One Menerung, Bangsar (RM10 mil),

data solutions service and a division of the

statement.

condominium at The Binjai On The Park,

property portal, was based on sales data

KLCC (RM9.9 mil), bungalow at Masera Bukit

obtained from the Valuation and Property

The nine other properties in the top ten list

Segar, Cheras (RM9.8 mil) and bungalow at

Services Department.

include a bungalow in Jalan Bunga Hinai,

Casa Permai, Tanjung Tokong, (RM9 mil).

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

85

PROPERTY NEWS

PROPERTY NEWS  by Daily Express

CIMB Introduces 1-Minute Home Financing InstaApproval Got to be a world record or something.

SabahKini

CIMB Bank Berhad and CIMB Islamic

principle” approval.

Bank Berhad (“CIMB”) have launched

Eco World Development Group Berhad,

the 1-Minute Home Financing as part of

Samir Gupta, CEO, Group Consumer

IJM Land Berhad, IOI Properties Group

CIMB’s InstaApproval platform. The CIMB

Banking, CIMB Group said, “In our aim

Berhad, Mah Sing Group Berhad, Sime

1-Minute Home Financing facilitates

to become a leading ASEAN universal

Darby Property Berhad, SP Setia Berhad,

complete approval within a single minute

bank, CIMB has been leveraging on digital

Tropicana Corporation Berhad and UEM

upon full submission of information

in a big way since the start of our T18

Sunrise Berhad. More developers and

and documents, enabling a faster,

mid-term growth strategy in 2015. CIMB’s

projects will be added to this platform over

secure, paperless and hassle-free home

InstaApproval proposition reflects our

time.

ownership journey for customers.

promise to provide customers with not only great financial products and services,

The CIMB InstaApproval platform also

Most home financing typically require

but also speediness of their delivery.

facilitates applications for personal

several days for approval, which is

The InstaApproval series also represents

financing, Amanah Saham Bumiputera

inconvenient for buyers. A home is probably

a fulfilment of CIMB’s commitment to

financing and credit cards. The CIMB

the biggest investment in any person’s

continuously enhance our customer

InstaApproval enables a secure, paperless

lifetime, but the journey is often fraught

experience.”

process involving, among others, biometric

with anxiety due to the cumbersome

86

60 property projects. The developers are

fingerprint identification and other

process, and the waiting time. With

This facility will be available for properties

verification steps completely online. For

the CIMB 1-Minute Home Financing

bought from developers directly at

the CIMB 1-Minute Home Financing, the

InstaApproval, the homeownership journey

developers’ property launches and sales

approval is considered a full approval

is made more pleasant through the instant

galleries. Currently, eight developers are

and the Letter of Offer can be printed

approval process, with an official Letter of

participating in the CIMB 1-Minute Home

immediately for the customer’s signature

Offer, as opposed to a conditional or “in-

Financing InstaApproval, through a total of

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

PROPERTY NEWS  by Borneo Post

KK Second City to Launch Greenback 2.0 Project I’m bringing green back, yeah!

need to register our foreign employees’ needs to be emphasized upon and adhered to. Greenback will provide the mechanism for us to do so,” she said, when launching the initiative at Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) grounds on Sunday, 4 March.

She said registration was not only beneficial to the State and employers but also to the employees as it would serve as the protection of having their salary paid and the benefit of using various financial products offered by financial institutions in Sabah.

In terms of technology application, Jainab believed that the Greenback initiative would be the game changer to create a conducive environment for technology development to encourage the use of Kota Kinabalu is selected as the second

the remittance of money from the state

digitized remittance products and services

champion city in Malaysia and third in

was introduced in Sabah, which relied

in Sabah.

Asia to launch the Greenback 2.0 project,

mostly on foreign workers in many of our

with the aim to enable more people living

workforce requirements.

“Greenback Kota Kinabalu 2.0 will

She said the handing over of Greenback

up a community of local and foreign

project from Johor Bahru, the first

technopreneurs, allowing seamless

Project Greenback 2.0, a collaboration

champion city in Asia, to Kota Kinabalu at

exchange of knowledge and experience.

between Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) and

the end of November last year marked an

This is timely as Sabah is aiming at closing

the World Bank, aims to increase efficiency

important chapter for Sabah as Greenback

the digital gap through building high-skilled

and transparency in the remittance market

would be a catalyst in bringing forward

human capital in the field of technology,”

and, ultimately, reduce the cost of sending

the importance of the city in the financial

she said.

remittances.

landscape of Malaysia.

and working in Sabah to remit money safely and at lower costs.

also provide an avenue for us to set

She urged all relevant sectors to support

Community Development and Consumer

“The Greenback approach must be

the Greenback 2.0 initiative and to

Affairs Minister Datuk Jainab Ahmad

lauded as it will eventually shift the illegal

participate in the possible business

Ayid said, it was high time a more formal

channel of transferring money by means of

activities that come about as the result of

and stringent regulatory control over

education and awareness campaign. The

the project.

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

87

APARTMENT FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are ac curate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

88

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

APARTMENT FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

89

APARTMENT FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are ac curate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

90

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

BUNGALOW FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

91

CONDO FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

92

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

APARTMENT CONDO FOR SALE FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

93

CONDO FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

94

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

APARTMENT CONDO FOR SALE FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

95

CONDO FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

96

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

APARTMENT CONDO FOR SALE FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

97

SEMI - D FOR SALE

Extracted from PropertyHunter.com.my

*Listing are accurate at the time of print. Kindly contact the respective agents for updates.

For more real estate listings, please visit www.propertyhunter.com.my

98

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

99

100

www.PropertyHunter.com.my