The Iskandarian E-Paper April 2020

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ISKANDARIAN

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First Order of Business from State Office – Contingencies for COVID-19 RM150million for Inisiatif Ihsan Johor Economic Stimulus Package - divided to 32 incentives to mitigate the crisis in the state

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s a follow up to the first 6 initiatives that were made on 20th March 2020 with RM12.5million budget, Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Ir. Hasni Mohammad has announced a total amount of RM150million for the stimulus package with 15 more incentives that costs RM17.5million.

The remaining RM120million would be used on another 11 incentives to be announced from time to time.

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The 15 incentives announced on 25th March 2020 are as follows: 1. RM500,000 for Johor’s health department to purchase additional medical equipment and other essentials that would be coordinated by Johor Health Department.

2. RM200,000 from Johor State Disaster Fund goes to food aid for the police and armed forces during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period and will be coordinated by the District Offices.

3. Rent exemption for both houses and business premises in People Housing Project (PPR) and Government Rent House (RSK) starting April to June 2020 for any registrations up until February 2020 that costs RM4.8Million.

4. The state government will assist the B40 group who has purchased Affordable Housing Johor (Rumah Mampu Biaya Johor), Type A under the Johor Care Housing Scheme (SPPJ) through the Johor 2020 Budget.

The state government has agreed to postpone the repayment of the Property Rental Scheme for six (6) months, eligible for sign-ups up until February 2020.

5. RM1.2Million to expand the Food Bank programme throughout Johor for the B40 group, e-Kasih recipients, charity alms and Social Welfare Department (JKM).

6. 2,000 students under Johor

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Education Foundation (YPJ) higher learning loan repayment would be exempted from April to June 2020, costing around RM2.4million.

RM370K would be disseminated to all Public Higher Education Institutions (IPTA) in Johor with each to get in between RM30K to RM50K on “One off” basis for food supply and basic needs of students during the MCO period.

The Johor Students Association at IPTAs throughout Malaysia would get an aid of RM5,000 and RM10,000 costing around RM300K in total during the MCO period for the students necessities and the distribution of this provision will be made “one off” through“Outright Grant.”

Loan repayment for students in Egypt and Jordan through Islamic Religious Council Johor (MAIJ) would be deferred from April to June 2020.

Food assistance will also be given at RM200 per person on a “one-off” basis for Johor students in Egypt and Jordan with 800 students in Egypt and 200 students in Jordan at a cost of RM200,000 provided

by MAIJ. A total of RM300,000 will be provided to help the students living in MAIJ religious school dormitory during the MCO period.

In addition to the rental exemption for premises under Local Authorities and public markets involving 10,692 businesses, 151 Small Medium Enterprises (SME) in Johor under state government’s premises and managed by the State Entrepreneurship Corporation (PUNJ) would be exempted from rent starting April to December 2020.

RM2.3million will cover the traders that have paid their

Johor Menteri Besar, Datuk Ir. Hasni Mohammad at Menteri Besar Office

business license payments by 2020 that will be in line with business license payments for 2021.

14. Farmers’ Market, Night Markets and Morning Markets business sites throughout Johor would be rental free from April to October 2020 involving 1,660 Farmers Market and 34,821 Night Market and Night Market traders with an estimated cost of RM2.8 Million.

15. Land tax payment exemption extended to 30th September, 2020. Late payment of land tax penalty for the year 2020 will only be effective from 1st October 2020.

Johor Local Authorities are directed to fund the purchase of face masks for essential service departments during MCO. All local authorities are also directed to increase expenditure in line with the effort to implement the disinfection and sterilization works around the COVID-19 high risk area. It will be implemented at every senior care center and other areas that are yet to be identified.

Payment exempted for transmission registration involving deceased COVID-19’s victims.

This initiative will benefit heirs of the deceased with Johor land administration.

Exemption for all late fines for any Presentation that went expired during the MCO enforcement.

An addition of 1 month extension for any submission of Deed of Transfer, Mortgage or Lease that are expiring when MCO is in force.

Extending Johor Land Administration Initiative for ‘Fast Track Nill’ application (uncategorised lands) until 30th June 2020.

The Johor Economic Taskforce (JET) is formed to coordinate all information and plan integration actions to address the effects of global economic uncertainty due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Chaired by the Secretary to the Government of Johor, it is made up of related departments and agencies and the Johor State Economic Planning Division is the secretariat for this Committee.

The state government will continue to identify additional incentives and will be announced from time to time in order to relieve the burden of the people caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Private sectors are encouraged to help the government financially through the Johor State Disaster Fund and necessities handover to the Johor State Disaster Management Committee. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

No Gatherings or any Forms Similar to it Until June 2020

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he Registrar of Societies (RoS) in their press statement dated 16th March 2020 has prohibited all organisations to organise or host any programmes, activities, conference, gathering and annual general meeting (AGM) until 30th June 2020. The prohibition is applicable to all levels of organisations including its branches nationwide. The instruction is

released in accordance with Section 3a of the Societies Act 1966 [Act 335].

The statement is made after the World Health Organisation (WHO) has characterised COVID-19 as a pandemic on 11th March 2020 as the case continues to escalate in a large scale world-wide. The initiative is also a part of the government’s effort to prevent the outbreak which has shown increasing positive COVID-19 cases

in the country.

As a government department regulating registered organisations in Malaysia, RoS would abide by this instruction and the organisation will carry out various programmes including meetings at various levels. These meetings should be held as stipulated in the constitution of their respective bodies.

In the press statement, it

also addressed that should the COVID-19 pandemic be still in crisis till 30th June 2020, organisations may send in an appeal for extension from the original date. The application is intended to prevent any possible abuse of Act 335 by registered bodies. RoS wishes that the efforts and measures taken by the government could help curb the COVID-19 and protect the citizens. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Published by True Soul Media PLT [No.51-B, Jalan Impian Emas 5/1, Taman Impian Emas, 81300 Johor Bahru] Printed by Percetakan Osacar Sdn Bhd [No. 16, Jalan IDA 1a, Industrial Desa Aman, Taman Desa Aman, Kepong, 52200 Kuala Lumpur] Copyright of articles, contributions and photos which are published by The Iskandarian is the property of True Soul Media PLT. The Iskandarian does its best to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of its contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibilities for errors, mistakes and inaccuracies. The publisher reserves the rights of this product and no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher.

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Growing Concerns on Smoking, Vape and Drugs A call for shared responsibility with parents, teachers and school administration

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aji Azman Adnan, Director of Johor Education Department emphasised that, “The rise of technology and social media

Azman Adnan receiving token of appreciation from IWGP’s Woo Sow Pheng

has made it easier for students to retrieve items that are prohibited for underage students”. He shared this in speech at an anti-drugs seminar held at SJK Foon Yew 1, Johor Bahru.

The seminar was attended by principals, assistant principals, s t u d e nt a f f a i r s’ te a c h e r s, counselors, coordinator of drug prevention education programme (PPPDa) and representatives of Parents and Teachers Associations (PTA) from schools in 3 districts namely Johor Bahru, Kulai and Pasir Gudang.

Jointly organised with International Women’s Peace Group Malaysia (IWPG), National AntiDrugs Agency (AADK) Johor, Johor

Education Department and SJK(C) Foon Yew 1, the seminar created awareness and provided updates on the latest anti-narcotics issue among children and teenagers for the schools in the said 3 districts.

Haji Azman shared that Johor contributed the biggest statistic for the number of school students in Malaysia with 580,000 school students from Standard 1 to Form 5. In 2019, 1,277 secondary school students in Malaysia were tested positive for nicotine and it is a worrying growing number of smoking behaviour among teenagers.

Parents’ roles are vital and everything starts at home.

Charging for Plastic Bags for a Good Cause

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n line with Ponderosa Golf & Country Resort’s (Ponderosa) ‘A Green Leap Forward’ environmental initiative, request for plastic bags from members will be chargeable but at any amount, which in turn shall be dropped into a box for the benefit of Johor’s Kechara Soup Kitchen Society.

A “Say No to Plastic” campaign is cur rently running at the resort and it has been a long-running practice to provide members with plastic bags for keeping soiled personal belongings after activities.

“Recently, we have started to distribute rec yclable water-proof bags to all members. They are required to bring it along ever y time they partake in activities here.

We understand that there will be those who forget to bring them along and thus require plastic bags.

We will give it to them but will request for payment which is at their own free

Azman said that if there is a smoking example at home, then it is most likely for the child to smoke too. While at school where Anti-drugs seminar attended by 400 participants c h i l d r e n from Johor Bahru, Kulai and Pasir Gudang spend most of their time at, it is important for Sow Pheng, President of IWPGM school authorities to intervene and Dato’ Dr Abd Halim, Former to curb the very early interest of Director at AADK who also shared the children on using any sort of his wisdom as the first speaker for drugs, smoke and vape through the seminar followed by another dialogue and disciplinary.The half talk and a forum with professionals day seminar were attended by Woo and specialists. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

SUKMA 2020 is Officially Postponed Following the footsteps of Tokyo Olympic 2020 postponement due to COVID-19 outbreak

A Innovative – Upcycling buggy tyres as chairs

will; that in turn will be donated to the Kechara Soup Kitchen,” said Tan Kai Yang, General Manager of Ponderosa Golf & Country Resort.

P o n d e r o s a ’s “A G re e n Le a p Fo r w a rd ” is an environmental sustainability programme for 2020 which are rolled out in stages and encumbering several sections of its operations.

The initiative involves working with NGOs, some of them who are winners of the Iskandar M a l a y s i a S o c i a l H e ro Awards (IMSHA) according

to principles of re -use, reduce, recycle and to upcycle.

M onies will be donated to Kechara Soup Kitchen’s Empowerment Project which is an initiative that strives to provide sewing lessons and be a sustainable source of income for single mothers and at-risk women.

Products made for sale such as bags, aprons, bathrobes, pencil boxes, hand towels and etc., uses upcycled materials donated by individuals, hotels and local fabric factories. - by Priya Manikam TI

fter taking into consideration the safety and health of every individual that would be involved in the national games; SUKMA 2020, the Malaysia Games Supreme Committee has come to a unanimous decision addressing concerns surrounding the COVID-19 crisis in the nation.

In his press release dated 25th March 2020, the Minister of Youth and Sports (KBS), Datuk Sri Reezal Merican Naina Merican has announced that SUKMA 2020 is officially postponed to another date that is to be announced later.

The committee suggested two different dates – to either hold it in December 2020 or push it further to the year 2021. Aspects to take into account include the COVID-19 outbreak ongoing progress, no overlapping of important dates such as major national school exams, major sports events, and taking stakeholders and the host of SUKMA Johor 2020 into consideration. The new date for SUKMA 2020 would be hopefully announced as soon as possible.

Datuk Sri Reezal Merican has appealed to the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and as the Chairman of the Supreme Committee of the Para SUKMA Johor 2020 to also postpone the game that was supposed to

take place in August after SUKMA Johor 2020.

Citing the postponement of Tokyo Olympic Games 2020, he assured that KBS and Olympic Council of Malaysia (MOM) will be working closely together to look into the implications of these decisions on athletes in the near future.

Meanwhile, Johor Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had officially handed over 20 Giant bicycles worth RM150k in total to sports centres at all 10 districts of Johor.

SUKMA 2020 was originally scheduled to commence on 11th July 2020 in Johor, and would be held mainly in three districts namely Johor Bahru, Kota Tinggi and Muar. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Johor Tourism, Youth and Sports Committee chairman Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, explaining about the ‘Darul Takzim Volunteer’

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Columbia Asia - Iskandar Puteri Highlights the Importance of Hand & Dental Hygiene 500 primary school students joined in the fun and learned with the hospital

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olumbia Asia Hospital - Iskandar Puteri (CAHIP) together with Klinik Pergigian Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru organised a Hand & Dental Hygiene Awareness Campaign 2020 in conjunction with World Hand Hygiene Day initiated by the World Health Organisation (WHO) at Sekolah Kebangsaan Medini in Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

“With the country facing the COVID-19 outbreak, it is the responsibility of CAH-IP as a hospital to set a prime example of personal hygiene and educate the community on health-related

matters. This approach is effective in creating awareness among the young generation regarding personal hygiene. The students were also given brochures on hand hygiene for them to share with their families,” said Dr Ding Eng Li, CAH-IP General Manager.

The campaign educated and created awareness on the importance of hand washing the right way. Children are prone to infections that come from lack of hygiene care, and not washing hands properly is one of the examples while learning proper oral hygiene could help the children to prevent tooth decay, cavities and gum diseases for

the long run.

Good hygiene habits from an early age will be carried through right into adulthood.

Columbia Kids Club mascot, ‘Zoey the Parrot’made an appearance to dance with the students while they learned seven steps of hand washing technique and it continued with demonstration of the correct method to brush teeth by Klinik Pergigian Taman Ungku Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru.

“Columbia Asia Hospital – Iskandar Puteri is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. We must continue to work hard in delivering the best clinical outcomes

Pitch Yourself in Your Resume

in the most effective, efficient and caring environm ent as well as to provide communities with effective healthcare at excellent value, and

continue to be the preferred choice for families and businesses, aligned with our corporate mission,” added Dr Ding. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Your Safety is our Priority

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ccording to the Department of Statistics Malaysia, women make up 55.8% of the labour force participation rate. However, it is also important to note that there are women who have taken a career break at some point in their lives due to some unavoidable factors including childcare commitment, maternity leave, taking care of ageing parents and study breaks.

Going back to work might sound as daunting as it is ever imagined but with proper guideline and assistance, they can overcome those challenges and market themselves to be at par or even better than the existing talent pool be it from young graduates or experienced candidates. With that in mind and in conjunction with the International Women’s Day widely celebrated on the 8th of March 2020, a coalition of women associations namely HALUAN and JEWEL organised a Resume Writing Workshop for women returning to work after a career break.

Held at JEIWA Power House in Paradigm Mall Johor Bahru, the workshop had successfully assisted high numbers of determined women getting back on their feet and re-joining the work force.

Columbia Kids Club’s mascot, ‘Zoey the Parrot’ made an appearance to delight the students of SK Medini

We are ready to rock the world!

“Women should invest in themselves in order to help them grow,” said Sheila Solomon, the resume writing coach.

“Keep it short and sweet. Employers won’t spend a long time on resumes. It’s all about elevator pitch,” she added.

The workshop had not only exposed participants on the tips and tricks of having a professional eye-catching resume, legal advices on employee rights was also the major highlight. A talk given by Danny Loo Kheng Soon from Loo Associates had also opened up some insights on issues related to the Employment Act among others.

A success and confident booster, the programme was fully supported by the Women Development Department. - by Nurfarahin Zahiridin TI

n most people’s minds especially women, safety and security is vital. There is always a nagging worry when we have to park at a spot further than we had anticipated, and we can’t help but feel a little extra cautious of the surroundings to avoid something untoward to happen.

Women shoppers and women with young children can now shop in comfort and convenience at Paradigm Mall, Johor Bahru (PMJB). The mall has recently launched its security escort services for women so that they can enjoy a safe shopping experience.

Selena Chua, CEO, Retail of WCT Malls said, “We at WCT malls are constantly upgrading our security measures as the safety of our shoppers,

tenants and employees is our highest priority. We urge our women shoppers to use the services of our security personnel if they desire so after their post dinner, movie or shopping in the mall, especially at night as they are professionally trained to handle tough situations.”

The availability of the security escorts for women is one of the many initiatives under taken by the mall to ensure a safer environment for

women to shop. PMJB has put in place several precautionary measures such as top of round-theclock CCTV surveillance, help buttons and security p e r s o n n e l p at ro l l i n g the mall to prevent any incidents.

All shoppers are requested to contact the security escorts for any help or concerns while visiting the mall at +6072313999. So stay worry free but vigilant. - by Priya Manikam TI

A security guard is seen escorting a shopper to her vehicle

Beware of Fake News: Tips to Detect Them

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ollowing the Coronavirus or COVID-19 outbreak that first started end of December 2019, a lot of “news” carrying lesser weight than a paper about the newfound virus and remedies

spread faster than the virus itself!

Information is so easily accessible that producing false information has also become just as easy. Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act stipulates that, any sort of cyber-crime if convicted may get fined up to fifty thousand ringgit (RM50,000) or one year jail time. Here are some tips to verify any news you receive via online, WhatsApp or the social media.

Check the source

Information booth coordinated and set up by the Johor Information Department

More often than not, we tend to read the headlines first without even going through the content, and if we did, we do not check the source or authenticity of such a report. An

extensive report must be created by someone and shared through a legit platform because they have a responsibility in spreading the said information. If there are none or it seems sketchy, dismiss it immediately as you do not want to be caught circulating fake news from unverified sources.

Check if it’s on other sites A quick check at your preferred search engine on the news you’re reading takes less than a minute. If it’s actual news, even if it’s a breaking news or exclusive news, it would be carried in other different mainstream and legit news sites too. If you can’t find the news anywhere else, chances are it

is fake. If the news are local, try doing a cross check via https://sebenarnya. my/ a one-stop website launched by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission in 2017 that verify news and viral updates.

Check for any fake images A lot of fake news re-uses a lot of images that sometimes might be backdated to decades ago!

Doctored images are fairly easy to create nowadays through a lot of software. So if an image is a little too bizarre; high chances are it is fake. If you want to be extra careful, reverse image search could help you find the source to any images you have on hand. Search results would show

we b s i te s that hosted the images and you can make your judgment from there.

The onus is on the public to check the validity and the facts of a news report, or now trending, social media and WhatsApp messages that people post and forward around like gospel truth.

This is to ensure that the number of fake news can be reduced or totally stopped. - by Norfy Shafeq & Harish Mustak TI

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Don’t Contribute to the Tragedy of the Commons

More than enough bread to go around

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he tragedy of the commons is a situation in a shared-resource system where individual users, acting independently according to their own self-interest, behave

contrary to the common good of all users by depleting or spoiling the shared resource through their collective action.

Garrett Hardin (1968) coined the term “The Tragedy of the Commons” (Science 162 (3859), p1243-1248. Garrett Hardin, Dec 13, 1968) in his discussion on population control.

He provided the example of farmers allowing their cattle to graze on a common pasture. As each farmer, to their own benefit, increases the number of cattle, the land exceeds its carrying capacity and leads to the “ruin” of all, resulting in the “tragedy of the commons”.

The Coronavirus

(COVID-19) panic buying of toilet paper, sanitizers, disposable masks, food, water and even cleaning supplies vividly illustrates the ‘tragedy of the commons’ in current context.

It’s sensible to have a two-week supply of medication, sanitary items and food, but to buy loads and loads of things, nonperishables and some perishable over a short span is truly a tragedy. It is understood that every individual has a degree of risk that they cannot bypass but buying up everything on the shelf is not risk hedging, it’s hoarding.

You can stock up without panicking. You can prepare without panic buying.

English College Wins Maiden Title Overcomes SSTMI in an all Johor affair

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wo quick fire tries in the first five minutes put English College (EC) in the driving seat towards their maiden Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) Premier 7s after a pulsating 15-12 win over local rivals, Sekolah Sukan Tunku Mahkota Ismail (SSTMI) at the MCKK rugby field recently.

In an exciting finale to the tenth edition, Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar or more fondly known as English College had been placed as favourites and rightly so as

they won their first title since the championship’s inception in 2011.

EC drew first blood in the 3rd minute in the all Johor affair, when a searing run by Mohd Ridzuan Haikal Mohd Rais, who was later named the tournament’s most valuable player, saw him touch down in the corner for a 5-0 lead.

EC failed to convert their try and they continued to pile the pressure with Muhammad Zakwan Mohd Yusof’s try extending their lead, two minutes later.

“We were prepared

Elated over the win – EC 15 SSTMI 12

Mohd Ridzuan Haikal Mohd Rais wins the ZAHARUDIN ALIAS Award for Best Player

for this tournament as early as January. In fact, we had met SSTMI at the Arau 7s in January, but we lost to them 22-17 after sudden death,” said coach, Abdul Hanis Mokhtar after the prize presentation ceremony.

The prizes were presented by the Raja Muda Perak, Raja Jaafar ibni Almarhum Raja Muda Musa.

Also, in attendance was the Malaysia Rugby Union (MRU) President, Datuk Shahrul Zaman Yahya. - by The Iskandarian TI

As empty shelves and sprawled shopping carts spread across our social media pages, one must wonder what has inflated people’s sense of threat to this extent. Honestly, it’s not necessary. Just be rational. Stay calm and remember other people need supplies, too. Don’t hoard, stores are being restocked. There will be spot shortages caused by panic buying so stop doing it. Use more common sense!

Each time there is a scheduled press conference of a Minister or the Prime Minister, people dash to the grocery nearby to panic buy. Stop doing it and remain rational. We won’t die of hunger as yet and possibly

the worst that we’ll encounter is that we can’t get a certain brand of items that we are accustomed to buying.

Remember that only one person – the head of the family – would be allowed to go out to get basic necessities or medication.

Practice social distancing at the grocery store, buy what you need and don’t touch anything that you don’t intend to buy. Remove your mask, place it into a separate bag, and throw it into the garbage bin after use. Take a shower once you’re home and put your clothing to wash. Follow the given guides to keep your family safe and to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus. - by Edey Suresh TI

Marrybrown Restaurant Fascinates Swedish Tastebuds

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ohor-born restaurant chain Marr ybrown launched its furthest branch thousands of kilometres away from home to Stockholm, Sweden in Kista Galleria, one of Swedish largest shopping mall on 2nd February 2020.

“We are the only fastfood restaurant that is serving 100% halal meals in the whole country. Every products are certified by JAKIM Malaysia, and it took us more than 7 months to ensure everything is under the procedure of halal, which is what we’re always committed in,” said CEO of Marrybrown, Dato’ Joshua Liew after a prizegiving ceremony held at Marrybrown Headquarters on 4th March 2020.

The reception among the locals for Swedish Marrybrown is immense with 150 metre-long queues every day since day 1. Open 15 hours every day, the only halal-certified restaurant has attracted the halal consumers in Sweden, and their best-selling menu is

2019 ‘Makan & Menang’ Grand Prize winner of Proton X70, Muhammad Muzamil Bin Jailani shakes hands with Marrybrown founder, Dato Lawrence Liew

Nasi Marrybrown - a twist of the traditional Malaysian Nasi Lemak with a branding.

Marrybrown has received an offer to open another outlet at two to three other places seeing the huge response within a short time during the winter and is expected to double by the summer season. In the meantime, Marrybrown just confirmed their opening of the second European branch in Amsterdam, Netherlands for Q2 2020 either by May or June which would also be the first halal-certified fast food restaurant in the said country.

Founded in 1981, Marrybrown

has now expanded overseas and could be found in 16 countries worldwide.

Marrybrown has also recently concluded its 2019 ‘Makan & Menang’ nationwide contest, organised annually since 2017 with the grand prize of a spanking brand new Proton X70. The winner was a lucky 29 years old, Senior Public Accountant, Muhammad Muzamil Bin Jailani, coming all the way from Kuala Lumpur with his family. His winning ticket was obtained from his meal at Genting Highlands, KL back in December 2019. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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The Private & International School Fair in JB Attracted Over 2000 People Its 10th fair running, health measures were also in place

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ohor has about 19 international schools offering various curriculums – American, British, Cambridge, International Baccalaureate and Singapore syllabus which are mostly located in the capital city of Johor Bahru and the Iskandar Malaysia region. Parents’ seeking diversity and options for their children’s education knows that research and financial planning are crucial to make the best school choice. It is in these choices that carve the pathway towards their children’s future.

Organiser, M int Communications Sdn Bhd, held its 10th Private and International School Fair at Mid Valley Exhibition Centre, Southkey Johor Bahru, on 7th & 8th March 2020. According to co-founder and director of Mint Communications, Nickie Yew, “This is the first time the fair was held in an exhibition centre and I am happy to report that it was a success.”

Exhibitors include Crescendo-HELP International School, Repton Malaysia, Fairview International School, MindChamps Preschool,

Paragon Educare Paragon Private and International School, R.E.A.L Education Group, Raffles American School, Reddot Education, Shattuck-St. Mary’s Forest City International School, Sunway I nter national School, Sunway Iskandar and Tenby Schools Setia Eco Gardens. International schools in nearby states such as Idrissi International School, International Islamic School Malaysia (IISM) and Kolej Tuanku Ja’afar were also present at the fair.

The 2019/2020 edition of Education Destination Malaysia, published annually

by Mint Communications, was also sold at a discounted price of RM10. The book contains comprehensive guide on international schools, including

useful articles, infographics, and comparative charts, along with updated maps and directories of the schools.

At t r a c t i n g ove r 2000 crowd at the twoday weekend event, Mint Communications also took an extra precaution measure to scan the temperature of each visitors that walked into the exhibition, playing their part in taking the necessary steps in the COVID-19 disease. Hand sanitisers were made available as well.

The next fair in Johor will be held on 3rd October 2020 at Hotel Jen Puteri Harbour, Iskandar Puteri from 11am to 4pm. For information on exhibitors, please visit www.pisf.asia. by Salamahafifi TI

Over 2000 visitors dropped by the exhibition to find invaluable information for their children

In Search for Bold, Strong, and Brave Women

The diverse nine finalists of Loft Babes Search, all from different backgrounds

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confident woman is able to take any challenge given to her, especially if she was guided. A Loft Affair, a platform, event and service provider, recently organised Loft Babes Search at Mutiara hotel to search for a “Loft Babe”. The event was graced by YM Gusti Puteri Retro Astrini and NGO JEWEL President, Liza Alip.

Supporting women from all backgrounds, the event encouraged contestants to learn public speaking, build confidence, and explore their creativity.

Contestants also ultimately

created a sisterhood bonding that would be a useful navigator through life’s ups and downs.

Loft Babe Search had 9 categories, and was given a sash and a prize for: EQ, Creative, Entrepreneur, Photogenic, Stunning, Audience, Social Media, Runway, Flawless, and the ultimate winner; the Loft Babe.

The winner from each category will have a chance to work with strategic partners from all business backgrounds, present at the event: Quarters CoWorking Space, Daddy & Co,

Activ One Printing Service, Reyna Movement, and Wan Rahman Collections.

Contestants were judged by Aifaa Dato’ Azhar, an image consultant also A Loft Affair co-partner, Farid Ibrahim, an event organiser, and Syakiroh Abd Hamid, Leading Stewardess at Malaysian Airlines, whom with their expertise carefully chose the role model for the next generation: a woman who is bold, confident, and wholesome.

Malveen Kaur A/P Grewachan Singh was crowned the ultimate winner of the Loft Babes S earch. A model by profession but a designer by passion and education, she has dreams of owning her own bridal boutique in the future. Joining a competition as such will definitely open the doors of opportunities and network that will eventually lead to the realisation of her dreams. - by Salamahafifi TI

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 92 | APR 2020 Advertisement

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From cover

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OVID-19 has affected ever ybody globally, forcing non-essential businesses to shut down and for citizens to stay at home. For the employed, an opportunity to work from home (WFH) is available as communication can still be continued using video conferences and digital platforms. However, not everybody has been earning their living through employment. Some do odd jobs, freelance, and work that requires day-to-day hustling to bring food to the table. These people are the most affected by the Movement Control Order (MCO), but thankfully, we can rely on our Social Heroes to look out for them.

making around 100km runs per day to different houses to send them food with no questions asked. He has been delivering food despite the rain and roadblocks.

His main concern is that with the lack of jobs, money, and food, people might resort to crime of stealing to feed their families.

Befrienders Johor Bahru, an anonymous ‘befriending’ hotline, understands this and hence, their lines are kept operational throughout the MCO. According to them, this time of uncertainty has caused fear and worry. Opening their hotline gives a listening therapy at a time of isolation.

Desmond Leong, an individual winner, takes care of

Fish caught by fishermen at Mukim Tanjung Kupang donated to Baitus Solehah

Ihsan Johor has started a DIY Face Shield campaign to donate to the frontliners. With a how-to video provided, they hope the public would play their part by making their own face shields for the frontliners. According to Farrah Baptist from Ihsan Johor, the Hospital Sultan Ismail – ICU unit uses 40 pieces of face shields a day. The face shield helps protect the whole face, unlike a face mask which covers only the mouth.

Ihsan Johor aims to collect 10000 pieces of face shields. They have also been providing aid to families as well as preparing food packs for policemen on duty.

Food aid making its way to Homes

Freemarket Johor focuses on urban poor families, collaborating with the representative from each flats’ housing who holds the data for its residents. Each family receives about RM30-50 worth of food, and they have helped out 300 families so far. Meanwhile, Gangayyah and team, another individual winner, has been busily sending essentials to needy families in the Kulai, Johor area.

Jamilah binti Zainal, individual winner, also a member of Johor Trucks 4x4, uses her great 4x4 vehicle to provide transportation to NGOs and individual families alike. Along with other members of the group, they assist NGOs in ferrying their goods to various places. Jamilah also helps families

or individuals without vehicles with their grocery runs in this MCO period.

The list of our social heroes doing their part as frontliners in this crisis continues. Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards (IMSHA), under the Social Hero Foundation, has 60 winners from the individual category (NGI) and 60 winners from the NGO category.

Their relentless spirit and effort in making the world better lives on, despite having to risk themselves in situations. They are indeed our heroes, being the missing links that connect needs together.

The whole world might be practicing social distancing, but it is not social disconnection. - by Salamahafifi TI

James Ho and Kelvin Koh from Yayasan Kebajikan Suria delivering cartons of mineral water to police stations around Johor Bahru (picture at Nusa Bestari Police Station)

James Ho from Yayasan Kebajikan Suria has bags of rice, instant noodles, and other nonperishable food items in his car.

He gets referrals from other NGOs and friends, and even strangers contacting him to ask for food.

With a car; a friend had donated inclusive of full petrol and topped up toll card, James has been

70 families at PPR Sri Stulang providing them lunch and dinner packs. Dr. Serina Rahman, from Kelab Alami Tanjung Kupang, ensures the livelihood of the fishermen at Mukim Tanjung Kupang by helping them sell their catch online, along with delivery.

She also facilitates the donation of seafood to the needy.

Ihsan Johor aims to collect 10000 DIY Face Shields through their campaign.

The face shields are made of laminated plastics

A 4X4 vehicle helping out NGOs transport their supplies

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PEGGY LOH

MY JOHOR STORIES Our resident writer, Peggy Loh, actively writes in her blog www.peggyloh.com about matters that are close to her heart.

She can be reached at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

Johor Collective Media Turns One

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the Malaysian Association of Hotels, we were encouraged by their receptive response because the hotel representatives recognised that JOCOM was a new and refreshing concept that provided mutual benefit to their industry.

Meanwhile, a Membership Kit was developed to provide JOCOM members with relevant information for their easy reference that included membership guidelines and benefits like legal support.

This was the first step in guiding members to collectively adopt a professional attitude for JOCOM as we aim to establish an ethical and professional media club.

As the membership gradually increased, members’ meetings were held regularly to share the club’s aims and objectives while relevant feedback was invited to help fine tune the procedures and practices that were being put in place.

JOCOM members celebrating our first-year anniversary with a cake presented with kind compliments from Renaissance Johor Bahru

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ore than a year ago, three friends met for coffee to chat about what can be done to improve and promote the professional and ethical standards, and best practices in the media industry.

I was with Edey Suresh, Editor in Chief of The Iskandarian, the official newspaper of Iskandar Malaysia and K K Lew, co-founder of MAGistrate, a bilingual print and online magazine platform.

We observed that readers were changing their habits in seeking convenient digital updates for news and information through their electronic devices rather than from conventional newspapers and print media.

As the community is moving away from mainstream media, we felt that the time was ripe for the alternative media to consolidate and meet this rising demand by providing quality content, complete with accurate information and visuals, presented professionally and updated regularly.

Among other issues, we also shared a deep concern about bloggers who were flooding the social media with content that was way below industry standards.

This coffee chat was the first of many such discussions where we met to exchange ideas and thrash out a host of issues while we identified many social media owners who formed a diverse but important collection of alternative media practitioners here.

As individual media owners, armed with our own experience and expertise, we felt strongly that together, we could work in unity to promote the highest professional and ethical standards in a club of alternative media practitioners.

We could then provide a forum for education and awareness, protect against plagiarism and unwarranted sensationalism, understand and meet consumer trends

and consolidate communications between stakeholders and the club.

Through these meaningful discussions, the seeds were thus planted for the formation of an alternative media club that aims to be a collective voice for media owners here.

As a club, we would also have the benefit of sharing knowledge, weed out unscrupulous behaviour and establish a professional image and reputation for the alternative media.

I remember proofreading the draft document for the constitution and then sitting down together to amend the wordings to meet with our club’s requirements before the final draft was submitted for legal review.

It was a significant day in March 2019 when Johor Collective Media or JOCOM, the first and only professional body that represents alternative media owners in Johor, was registered under the Registrar of Societies Malaysia.

With the club officially registered, JOCOM went on a recruitment drive to invite media owners to register as Members and gain the advantage of a collective voice.

Besides media owners who are involved in broadcast, print or online media, advertising and promotions, JOCOM also welcomes Associate Members from associates involved as agents, creative agencies, education institutions, supporting media or related trade associations with a minimum of two years in business.

As more members joined JOCOM, a pro tem committee was formed and over the next few months, we worked hard to introduce JOCOM to stakeholders and potential members to share with them, the benefits of working with this club.

When JOCOM introduced the club and its benefits to the Johor chapter of

A typical gathering of JOCOM members – seated in a circle – held in early 2020

While the pro tem committee took the lead in this newly minted alternative media club, the seating arrangement in members’ meetings was always a circle to indicate our unity, continuity and sustainability.

In the following months, hotels started to communicate with club members through JOCOM and discovered the convenience and advantage of a single touchpoint.

Because JOCOM comprises media owners who are familiar with media engagements, our collective experience was put to good use when JOCOM boldly stepped up to pitch for media engagement jobs in the hotel and property development industries.

It was truly a feather in JOCOM’s proverbial cap when Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast (HRHDC) appointed JOCOM as their media relations agency to look after media invited from the region to their Grand Opening Party in October 2019.

With huge responsibilities to stage a

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JOCOM worked with the team at Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast for its Grand Opening Party in 2019 that featured Malaysian rock legend, Amy Search

successful Grand Opening Party, the hotel’s small team was stretched in taking care of their VVIPs and the star-studded live music entertainment that featured Malaysian rock legend, Amy, lead vocalist of his band Search, fondly known as Amy Search.

HRHDC then decided to outsource the task of professionally managing the visiting media to JOCOM, who played the role as hosts through a Peer-to-Peer approach, on behalf of HRHDC. This was pure genius. Based on HRHDC’s requirements, JOCOM participated in this project in partnership with their Marketing & Communications team to manage three media groups from Indonesia, Singapore and Malaysia namely Penang, Kuala Lumpur and Johor.

They included print and digital media, newspapers, magazines and blogs in English, Chinese, Malay and Bahasa Indonesia, with two for Japanese and Indian online magazines.

It was an unforgettable weekend for JOCOM in a mission well accomplished because the commendation, “You make us look good!” made it all worth the effort.

As we continued to introduce JOCOM to stakeholders, we were delighted to discover that we had in fact, made history because JOCOM is the only alternative media club in the nation!

For a pioneer club that has achieved so much since it was established just 12 months ago, JOCOM celebrated its first anniversary, complete with a cake-cutting ceremony, with much pride in March 2020.

To connect with JOCOM, send email to: secretariat@jocom.media and for more info, visit webpage: https://jocom.media TI

JOCOM members were guests at the celebration for Customer Appreciation Week 2019 at the Renaissance Johor Bahru

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Scarlett Johansson back as Black Widow!

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Music Updates

editor’s note

APR 2020 | Page 2

BILLIE EILISH RELEASES NO TIME TO DIE The official theme song to new James Bond film releasing on 12th November 2020

By Universal Music Singapore

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

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s I gathered my thoughts on what to say to my readers amidst the chaos COVID-19 has caused, our nation made a decision to invoke the movement control order till mid-April.

This also affected those commuting to work to Singapore as well as to some of us for not being able to visit our families across the Causeway or anywhere else in the world.

The positives from this pandemic is that a special thanks to Singapore for coming to the Malaysians’ aid and the other is it has taught us to be more hygienic and cautious with our health – so continue to stay safe and healthy, and let’s overcome this soon.

Since many movie distributors have postponed their releases, Black Widow comes to the rescue come end April. This actionpacked movie will be the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

This month, the Muslims will be beginning their month-long fast, and although we cannot predict the situation far ahead, we have nevertheless compiled a selection of breaking fast options at various hotels in the state.

Our next local venture is at Frasers Place Puteri Harbour. Flip over the page to learn more about this place that may be your next staycation hub.

As always, for those wishing to share their fashion collection, travel tales, or like us to review your restaurant/hotel for a staycation, drop me an e-mail at waves.lifestyle@gmail. com and be featured. For more news, do access www.theiskandarian.com The Iskandarian says thank you to all those concerned for aiding the society to overcome COVID-19 and wishes all celebrants a very Happy Easter and Selamat Berpuasa!

Priya SEND LETTERS OR INQUIRIES TO

www.facebook.com/waveslifestyle www.waves-lifestyle.com Waves.lifestyle@gmail.com Waves Lifestyle

F

ive -time GRAMMY Award winning artist Billie Eilish has released her latest song, ‘No Time To Die’, the official theme song to the upcoming James Bond film.

The song was produced by her brother; fellow multi GRAMMY Award winning FINNEAS alongside Stephen Lipson, with orchestral arrangements by Hans Zimmer and Matt Dunkley, and guitar from Johnny Marr.

No Time To Die comes ahead of the film’s global release, which hits theatres from 12th November 2020 in Singapore through Universal Pictures International. 18-year-old Eilish is officially the youngest artist in history to both write and record a James Bond theme song.

“Billie and FINNEAS have written an incredibly power ful and moving song for No Time To Die, which has been impeccably craf ted to wor k within the emotional story of the film,” said Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli, the producers of No Time To Die. “ There are a chosen few who record a Bond theme. I am a huge fan of Billie and FINNEAS.

Their creative integrity and talent are second to none and I cannot wait for audiences to hear what they’ve brought – a fresh new perspective whose vocals will echo for generations to come,” said director Cary Joji Fukunaga.

Eilish said, “It feels crazy to be a part of this in every way. To be able to score the theme song to a film that is part of such a legendary series is a huge honour.

James Bond is the coolest film franchise ever to exist. I’m still in shock”. FINNEAS adds, “Writing the theme song for a Bond film is something we’ve been dreaming about doing our entire lives.

There is no more iconic pairing of music and cinema than the likes of Goldfinger and Live and Let Die. We feel extremely lucky to play a small role in such a legendary franchise, long live 007!”

In February, Billie Eilish made GRAMMY histor y as the youngest artist to win in all four major categories, taking away five wins in total for Best New Artist, Album of the Year, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Vocal Album. She had also performed live during the In Memoriam segment at the 92nd Oscars.

Listen to No Time To Die via https://smarturl.it/NoTimeToDie More news on Billie is her ‘bad guy’ track was named as the biggest Global Single of 2019. IFPI, the organisation that represents the recorded music industry worldwide, has named bad guy by Billie Eilish as the biggest global single of 2019.

Bad guy (the fifth single from Billie Eilish’s first album ‘When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?’ was an instant hit, topping the charts in more than 15 countries around the

world. It became Spotify’s second most streamed song globally last year too. The track notched up 19.5million ‘global converted track equivalents’ last year – a metric that includes audio and video streams as well as download sales (weighted based on the relative value of each method of consumption).

“Billie Eilish has taken the

world by storm with her incredible voice and genre-defying sound.

She is also an artist who addresses important issues like mental health in her lyrics that clearly resonate with her fans all over the world,” said IFPI boss, Frances Moore (pictured presenting Billie Eilish with her latest award).

Here are the Top 10 Global Digital Singles for 2019:

1. Bad guy (19.5M) – Billie Eilish (Universal Music) 2. Old Town Road (18.4M) - Lil Nas X 3. Senorita (16.1M) – Shawn Mendes , Camila Cabello (Universal Music) 4. Sunflower (13.4M) – Post Malone, Swae Lee (Universal Music) 5. 7 Rings (13.3M) – Ariana Grande (Universal Music) 6. Dance Monkey (11.4M) – Tones & I 7. I Don’t Care (10.3M) – Ed Sheeran, Justin Bieber 8. Shallow (10.2M) – Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper (Universal Music) 9. Someone You Loved (9.1M) – Lewis Capaldi (Universal Music 10. Without Me (9.1M) – Halsey (Universal Music) TI

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Music Not Falling on Deaf Ears

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ouths who have talent in music can rejoice! The 8th of March marked the launch of “Senilenium”, a partnership programme with Zai Music World (ZMW) and Johor Bahru MP Haji Akmal Nasrullah (Akmal Nasir), as part of the “Young Entrepreneurs Programme 2020” which seeks to equip students and youths with the necessary skills and experience to achieve an entrepreneurial mindset in hopes to fill the gap of unemployment and uplift these youths.

Zai Music World is a 100% Bumiputera company based in Melaka with a music school at MARA Kota Tun Fatimah with the vision to be one of Asia’s leading music centres by adding value to the education system and a strong partner in nation building. The school, run by CEO Zaini Abbas who is an Ethnomusicologist graduate in from the Trinity College of Music, London Cum Laude, started as a home-based music business and specialises in Modern and Traditional Music Courses, Education Technology, Edu-Tourism, the Young Entrepreneurship Programme, Fun Learning and Corporate Music.

The programme’s

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#ArtAtAmari for the Artist in You Creating platform for local creators to inspire and aspire

F Cheering and excitement for the Senilenium programme

strategy is to pick 15-25 participants per school/ area/programme after an audition and provide 144 hours of music classes and entrepreneurial guidance over six months which include the passive income skill of uploading music videos on YouTube and active income skill of securing at least one show in schools, events or hotels. Progress reports and certifications will be presented during graduation which also doubles as a fundraiser with a target of RM100k in hopes to further fund their progress and future generations of the programme.

Senilenium was officially launched at IskandarSpace Medini with an opening speech

by Komuniti Muda Supporter, Akmal Nasir, who shared his vision and enthusiasm with the ZMW and the selected students.

The coaches were also briefly

introduced to the students who gave an outline of the skills they will be taught. Several of the students also performed for the crowd with various instruments such as the saxophone, the violin, and guitars and sang covers of popular songs and originals composed by themselves.

Tokens of appreciation were also handed out to contributing partners of the programme such as YAMAHA Musikita and Grand Paragon Hotel.

The participants were so filled with enthusiasm that it felt like it had turned into a mini concert with hands swaying in the air along to the music.

Needless to say, after seeing the talent displayed by the selected participants, everyone is looking forward to seeing the fruits of their progress for the next five months at their graduation ceremony in August 2020. - by Evan Lim TI

rom the start of this new decade, Amari Johor Bahru (Amari) is giving their Corporate Social Responsibility projects (CSR) a new approach through art to impact and contribute to the local arts and culture scene.

Involving partnerships with Johorean ar tists and creative entrepreneurs, it will complement the local community ’s growing interest in the creative arts. Offering space, marketing communications support, and a platform to grow, Amari is working on raising funds for the Onyx Hospitality Group Foundation (OHGF).

Partnering local artists in Amari’s new CSR endeavour includes Hanzhen Yap, S avant Sketch Ar tist, Alifph Rajmaslan, Creative Director from Muar and Lavannia Kumar, an ar tist and entrepreneur – all true, blue, Johoreans.

Hanzhen’s artwork is exhibited in the centre of the hotel lobby, telling a story of local elements of nature, architecture and the world through his eyes. Percentage from the proceeds of his work sales will then benefit the OHGF. Alifph designs and develops the lobby decorations for Amari with fusion of cultures in Johor concept. He will be refreshing his works every quarter with different themes.

Lavannia or best goes by Lava, is an out-of-the box artist who found the

way to have fun with art through her art activities in the hotel space like Kids Craft Session and Art & Sip. Part of the proceeds from her sessions would be channeled to OHGF as well.

At the same time, Amari gave a small preview of what their patrons could expect in the fasting season at the Amaya Food Gallery. Amaya will start dishing out tempting dishes from 27th April to 25th May 2020. Rate for adults are priced at RM118nett and RM59nett for children of age 6-12 years old and senior citizens of 60 years old and above.

Bookings can be made through www.bit. do/amarijb or email Amari Johor Bahru at amaya.johorbahru@amari.com - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Lavannia Kumar would be in Amari to help you find the artistic inspiration in you

“Selera Kampung” Offerings at Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort

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anjong Puter i G olf Resort in Pasir Gudang is embracing the upcoming fasting month with nostalgic and rustic kampung flavours from 27th April to 22nd May 2020.

Themed “Selera Kampung”, take a tour around the buffet spread to relive your childhood memories of delicious homecooked meals with over 100 dishes featuring a variety of dishes.

Not to be missed are the plenty of choices of traditional appetisers that will wake up your tastebuds after a long day of fasting, as well as nostalgic favourites such as Sotong Belada, Daging Kerutub, Ikan Masak Cili Api, Lemak Labu Pucuk Manis

and much more with 8 rotating menus throughout the fasting month. Also, be sure to visit the live stations featuring Kambing Golek, Shawarma as well as Roti Canai that are all prepared hot and fresh.

Priced at RM98 nett per adult and RM49 nett per child (below 11 years old), enjoy a promotion where 1 person will dine for free for every 10 vouchers (adult) purchased from 1st April onwards. Special price of RM78 nett per adult and RM39 nett per child will be available from 27th to 29th April 2020.

For enquiries, please contact Tanjong Puteri Golf Resort at +607 2711888 or email to enquiry@tpgr.com. - by Harish Mustak TI

Father’s Legacy for Buka Puasa at Ponderosa

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onderosa Golf & Country Resort’s ‘Warisan Ayahanda’ breaking fast buffet will start from 28th April till 22nd May 2020 featuring ‘Istimewa Kambing Golek‘ (Grilled Leg of Lamb) as Chef’s specialty this year together with Ikan Assam Pedas. “ The reason why it’s themed Warisan Ayahanda is because we believe that the inspiration for mother’s cooking is always for the father especially after a hard day at work, and it is cooked out of love,” said Tan Kai Yang, the resort’s General Manager.

Like before, the spread at the resort will be served warung style with stalls serving every day humble yet favourite street food such as Nasi Lemak, Nasi Ambang, Keropok Lekor, Goreng Pisang,

Roti John, Kebabs, Chapati, Tosei, Puri and Roti Canai, assortment of ice-cream including ‘ice-cream goyang’, and 10 varieties of Malay Kuih. Other than the staple barbeque items, there will be a stall to prepare a’la minute smoked Beef, Chicken, Duck, Fish and also Stewed Gearbox. For Chinese street food options there will be live cooking of Fried Carrot Cake and Fried Kway Teow.

The Buffet will be priced at RM78 nett per adult and RM35 nett per child aged 6-12 years; all inclusive of entertainment and games to win vouchers by popular emcee, Embun.

For reservations, please call 019 7908851 (Hani) or email to enquiry@ponderosagolf.com. - by The Iskandarian TI

Grand Paragon Brings an Array of Breaking Fast Choices

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ith the holy month being around the corner, it always brings a time of sharing and caring. Gather and bond over a vibrant spread of Citarasa Para-Para, Sajian Kampung and International Cuisines at Grand Paragon hotel.

The hotel is offering an extensive breaking-fast buffet featuring over 100 types of mouth-watering dishes that range from the various states of Malaysia. This includes hot and cold starters, scrumptious mains, delectable desserts and beverages available daily.

This year’s specialty is their new Salted Egg delight stall that consists of crunchy chicken skin, fried mushrooms, fried chicken,

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wedges, and many more.

The whole dining experience will be enlivened with special Angklung performance

by Max Angklung from 26th April – 21st May 2020. They will also have lucky draws for diners who spend over RM 500.00 and above in a single receipt for the buffet.

So don’t wait and make your reservations now!

The Citarasa ParaPara buffet dinner is priced at RM118.00 nett per adult and RM50.00 nett per child from 6.30pm to 10.30pm at café ParaPara, level G. Early bird vouchers priced at RM 98.00 nett for adult are available for purchase before 23rd April 2020. - by Moazan Emran TI

Bazar Makan-Makan at Renaissance

unning from 24th April to 23rd May 2020, the Cafe BLD at Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel will be featuring a Bazar Makan-Makan Buka Puasa spread which offers a delightful blend of traditional d i s h e s s e r ve d d u r i n g t h e holy fasting month as well as Malaysian and international favourites from the world over.

Not to be missed are the fixed dishes served such as the Lamb Quzi, Bubur Lambuk Kampung Baru, Nasi Biryani, Ayam Golek Percik, Kerabu, Itik Salai, Serunding Ayam or Daging, Rendang Ayam or Kambing, Lemang, Sup Tulang

Merah, Wow Pizza and more.

The rest of the menu is rotated on a daily basis so diners can sample different treats on each visit.

Bazar Makan-Makan dinner buffet is priced at RM168 nett per adult and RM78 nett for children aged 5 to 12 years. Children below 5 years get to dine for free.

Please call 073813322 or email at par theeban.sundaramur thy@ renaissancehotels.com or WhatsApp Business at 0177 7 1 3 3 2 7 fo r re s e r v a t i o n s or enquiries on early bird p ro m o t i o n s. - by H a r i s h Mustak TI

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28 Days Bazar at Pulai Springs Resort

tarting from 25th April to 22nd May 2020, guests can relish in the spacious ‘bazaar ’ ambience of Gleneagles Terrace Restaurant at Pulai Springs Resort as they browse through over 19 food stalls with live cooking and both indoor and outdoor buffet displays to select and savour their favourite delights.

The b u f fe t s p re a d features six rotational menus with highlights on the menu that includes the signature Gulai Kari Kambing 28 Hari which is served with special rice, raita, papadom, vegetable dhal and mint sauce, Gulai Kawah Rusuk Lembu Bersama Rebung, Gulai Kawah Kambing, Gulai Patin Tempoyak, Gulai Tempoyak Ayam, Daging Salai Masak Lemak Cili Api,

Steamed Fish with Assam Sauce, Salted Egg Crab, Nestum Prawn, Bubur Lambuk and the traditional Sup Power Berempah served with French loaf and sambal kicap.

Priced at RM75 nett per adult and RM37.50 nett per child, there will also be one free buffet with every 10 full paying adults.

Guests can also purchase vouchers before 22nd April and save up to RM10.00 nett per person.

For more information or reservations, please call 07-521 2121 or WhatsApp +6016-733 2918 or e-mail at enquiry@pulaisprings. com. For group or corporate bookings, call 07-555 4845 or email: jbso@pulaisprings.com .All prices are exempted from 6% SST from 1st March to 31st August 2020. - by The Iskandarian TI

Chup! Makan Dulu at Makan Kitchen, Double Tree by Hilton Johor Bahru

“

Chup!” a casual Malaysian slang for “hold a minute” and DoubleTree is telling you, to take a break and enjoy their exquisite buffet this fasting season. The hotel is featuring the Middle East cuisine with a variety of “Mezze” including Baba Ganoush, Fattoush Salad and Batata Harra. Check out the grand mains like the Lamb Moussaka, Shakhshuka, Moroccan Vegetable Tagine and Lamb Kabsah to name a few.

Satisfy your local food cravings too by taking up some of the Lemang, Ketupat Palas, Penang Assam Laksa, Steamed Tilapia with Superior Sauce, Chicken Makhani, Squid Pakora, Salmon Tikka and Lamb Tandoori.

Enjoy Authentic Nusantara Dishes by the Coast at Berjaya Waterfront Hotel

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erjaya Waterfront Hotel Johor Bahru is all armed and ready with their Selera Kampung Nusantara Buffet Dinner for the buka puasa season at Salt n’ Pepper Restaurant. This year, Berjaya invites you to have a taste of authentic Indonesian dishes made of indigenous ingredients such as ‘Asinan Jakarta’, ‘Ketoprak Cirebon’ and ‘Pecel Madium’; all prepared by its Indonesian chefs.

Fans of lamb and mutton are in for a treat, as feast Indonesian style ‘Kambing Tunggek’ and ‘Kambing Tongseng’, where the latter is braised in spices that are earthier and grown all over Southeast Asia. ‘Rendang sapi’ is cooked rich of Indonesian-only

found spice, the perfect match with a plate of fragrant white rice or choices of rice like Nasi Liwet rich with spices or Nasi Kuning – if you’re feeling celebratory. End your meal with a dessert specially made to quench your fasting thirst – the Es Sultan Banten.

Running from 24th April until 23rd May 2020, the buffet is priced at RM78nett per adult and RM38nett per child aged 4 to 11 years old and senior citizen aged 60 and above. For reservation, WhatsApp at +6 0101 4934 101 or call the hotel’s direct line at 07 221 9999 ext 5106/5017 or email to bwh.rsvn@berjayahotel.com or book online via www.berjayahotel. com.my. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

If you’re feeling something Western, look out for Herb Crusted Wagyu Bolar Blade and Baked Whole Fish of the Day. The buffet starts from 6.30pm – 10.00pm and runs from 24th April – 25th May 2020. It is priced at RM168 nett per adult and RM84 nett per child (6 – 12 years old). Special early bird price of RM138 nett per person is ongoing till 23rd April 2020.

Special 10% discount for selected credit cardholders and HDAPC also applies. Whereas inhouse guests get to enjoy 15% off on weekday dinner.

For enquiries or reservations, please call + 07 268 6868 or visit eatdrinkhilton.com by Norfy Shafeq TI

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APR 2020 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Is Your Mind a Servant or a Master?

(Part 2)

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veryone is capable to share inspiration, answers, and mental concepts with great opinions, insights and ideas with others. Every mind has the potential to be a wonderful servant and these are a few ways to make our mind an effective tool of inspiration for others:

Genre: Action Release date: 30th April 2020 Director: Cate Shortland Produced by: Kevin Feige Screenplay by: Eric Pearson Story by: Jac Schaeffer, Ned Benson Based on: Black Widow by Stan Lee, Don Rico, Don Heck Cast: Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh, David Harbour, O-T Fagbenle William Hurt, Ray Winstone, Rachel Weisz

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carlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow in Marvel Studios’ action-packed spy thriller “Black Widow”— the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Following the events of Captain America: Civil War (2016), Natasha Romanoff finds herself alone and forced to confront a dangerous conspiracy Source:

with ties to her past. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Romanoff must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Florence Pugh stars as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei aka The Red Guardian and Rachel Weisz as Melina. TI

The Walt Disney Company Malaysia

ANNOUNCEMENT

Stop Using the Mind to Make Decisions for Ourselves There are 7 ways to make decisions for ourselves without involving our mind. Each one of us has a unique innate intelligence within our body that could assist us in the decision-making process. That innate intelligence is Emotional Intelligence, Instinctive and Survival Intelligence, Gut Response, Wilful Determination, two forms of Sounding Board and reflection through a Lunar Cycle. These innate intelligence or we call Inner Authority has the power to make singular decision that is correct for us. You could explore your own Authority through a system called Human Design – a science of differentiation.

Use Mind as Education for Others Human evolves through information and we share perspectives through communication and action so life could be better. As a matter of fact, that’s the only purpose of our mind; to educate others with inspiration and concepts.

We can do that by sharing our experiences, logical thinking and mental awareness, and it can be done through formal or informal education. Try to share your inspiration when others seek your opinion, ideas or insight. Remember that our mind can expand through sharing and receiving knowledge.

Anyone can inspire and share knowledge, especially when the timing is right.

Nurture the Brain The mind doesn’t work without the brain.

There is a relationship between the gut and the brain. A well-fed brain gives the mind an incredible thought process. Food like fish (oily fish such as sardines, salmons) and berries are good for the brain. You can explore your own unique diet with a professional nutritionist or through a healthy diet programme such as WildFit. TI

Disney Postpones ‘Mulan,’ ‘New Mutants’ and ‘Antlers’ Over COVID-19 Pandemic

Walt Disney Studios has postponed the 27th March 2020 release of “Mulan”, making the action epic the latest Hollywood studio blockbuster release to be disrupted in light of escalating concerns over the coronavirus pandemic.

The China-set film directed by Niki Caro is now on hold indefinitely. No new date has been set.

Disney also postponed planned releases of the already much-delayed X-Men franchise entry “The New Mutants,” to be released through Fox, and the Guillermo del Toro-produced horror movie “Antlers,” a Searchlight title. The studio reportedly is eyeing new potential release dates later this year. TI

Rose Osman is a Certified Human Design Professional.

She’s a guide for Living Your Design Workshop and coaches others on self healing for anxiety via E-courses and group workshops

yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses www.roselifecoach.com Discover your True Self, Inner Power, Potentials and Purpose with Human Design. Visit Facebook Page : Human Design Malaysia for more info.

APR 2020 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

travel

APRIL 2020 4th April

Different Kind of Business and Leisure at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour Dive in to the exclusive nautical ambience with top notch amenities and great view from top of the world

By Norfy Shafeq waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

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a washing machine, mini bar and induction cooktop – all the essentials needed for a long stay are available. What took my breath away is the fluffy, King-sized bed overlooking the Sea View where I could see the Marina Walk Puteri Harbour and Teega Walk with plenty of convenience stores, cafes and restaurants just a walking

Amenities available in Studio Deluxe - could also be found in all other units lunch set that comes with thirst-quenching Air cincau or a choice of either coffee or tea.

Upon checking-in, I was mesmerised at the spacious lobby with bright, white light that could host a large number of people comfortably like conference participants, travel groups and so on. Tia told me the hotel received a lot of longterm visitors and my room, the Studio Deluxe at Level 12 will tell me why.

As I entered the room,

distance away.

Whilst logging in to their high speed Wi-Fi, I noticed the bathtub – simply perfect for relaxing after a hard work’s day!

Heading back to the lobby, I was informed there are 296 units available for accommodation to suit any business travellers or families be it short or long stay in their 25-storey building.

All units are equipped with a washing machine, coffee machine and the bathtub including bathroom amenities.

4th - 5th April Karnival Pasir Gudang @ Laman Extreme PG

10th April – Good Friday •

Any events with a large number of people could easily find their venue in Fraser Place’s Meeting Room with the largest Kingfisher I and II combined that could fit up to 800 pax.

Moreover, the coordinators are always ready to help you with the size of event you are hosting.

My evening was simple – soaking in the tub drinking complimentary tea, then lying cosily on the huge bed as I ordered room service which was a huge, juicy burger!

Oriental and Vegetarian breakfast sets. Coffee, tea and cold fruit juices are available bottomless.

The filling and hearty breakfast fueled me for the day, and it was time for me to check out and hit the busy hours. My overnight stay at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour had rejuvenated me with a good feeling, mindset, wellrested body and renewed soul.

All I have to do now is take their free shuttle bus to head out to either Senai Airport or

Beautiful Marina Sea view from the Studio Deluxe room, and how cute are those elephant towels!

t was afternoon when I arrived at Fraser Place Puteri Harbour in Iskandar Puteri. Before I checked in, I was met by Tia, the Marcom Executive who invited me to have lunch at their sleek and modern Swatches Café. I was spoilt for choices between Nasi Kerabu, Nasi Ambeng and Nasi Kukus from their Nasi Iskandar

Kids’ Colouring Contest @ Komtar JBCC

•

Anti-Drugs Run 2020 @ Stadium Azman Hashim UTM 2020 Masquerade Night Run @ Iskandar Puteri

10th – 12th April 1st Homefair 2020 @ Persada Johor

11th April Laksamana MTB Ride 2020 @ SIREH Park

12th April

Chef Muhammad Shaiful recommends Nasi Iskandar trio set for lunch Needless to say, my night was a smooth sailing with quiet and calm surroundings, far from the bustling city.

Waking up to the dawn’s sunlight hitting my face is like a fairy tale, yet that was what I have experienced. I looked forward to my American Breakfast consisting of croissant, toast, fluffy omelette, sausage and baked beans; all freshly prepared at Swatches Café. Guests are able to make choices from American, Asian,

to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort or any popular shopping malls nearby!

As rates may fluctuate or differ due to the current COVID-19 crisis, do get in touch with Fraser Place directly via s a l e s. p u te r i h a r b o u r j o h o r @ frasershospitalit y.com or online bookings via https://puteriharbourjohor. frasershospitalit y.com.

Alternatively, you may speak to them by making a phone call at +(6)07 - 530 8888. TI

17th – 19th April Ironman @ Desaru Coast

20th – 26th April World Gourmet Summit @ Singapore

*24th April Awal Ramadan (TBC)

24th – 26th April 1st Mega Homefair 2020 @ Persada Johor

Block your dates for this month!

Delicious American Breakfast to start my day interestingly served on a dulang!

If you need more information on the above mentioned events, drop us an email at: waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

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T H E

Taste the e f i L f o r u o v a l F

oday, the importance of women in our society is beyond imagination. As a gynaecologist, I believe in women’s strength and needs; always wanting to enhance and maintain their functionality.

Women’s aesthetic appearance and anatomy will change especially their body and pelvic floor as a result of childbirth, abdominal delivery, instrumental delivery, ageing, and other factors. It is a gynaecologist’s duty to address these concerns and assist them in reaching a higher level of physical and mental satisfaction.

Cosmetic Gynaecology has become one of the fastest

growing subspecialties for women and it is also the pooling of interest from specialists in gynaecology, urogynecology, urology, and plastic surgery world widely.

This includes non-surgical and surgical cosmetic procedures to enhance the aesthetic appearance of the vulvo/vaginal region and a functional vaginal repair to enhance or help restore sexual function. A variety of new methods like hormones, platelet rich plasma (PRP), hyaluronic acid (HA), adipose tissue, laser, radio-frequency devices have been explored. These aim to solve women’s problems including vulva/vagina deformity, scars, tenderness, atrophy, prolapses,

incontinence as well as enhance sexual pleasure. Furthermore, to maintain functionality and aesthetic appearance of a woman is far more complex than using a simple idea of hormone replacement for all.

Multiple hormones are involved which needs to be weighed between the different types, forms, benefits and potential risks. Therefore, case selection, customisation, discussion and counselling are very important steps to achieve a fair result.

Numerous scientific studies supporting vaginal rejuvenation are surfacing and being presented at scientific meetings throughout the world.

However, it is vital for more highlevel scientific studies to be completed in order to validate these procedures for women.

To mention some examples; Madam M is a 60-year old woman presented with mild stress incontinence for the past 10 years.

She felt shy and uncomfortable with the symptoms and odour. It affected her daily social life and did not improve even with pelvic floor exercises. She looked for a solution that did not involve surgical intervention. A clinical examination

I S K A N D A R I A N

live

Dr. Quek Yek Song

Consultant Obstetrics and Gynaecology Special interest in Cosmetic Gynaecology Columbia Asia Hospital - Iskandar Puteri Founder and President of Malaysia Gynaecological Cosmetic Society (MAGIC) showed that she had stage 1 cystocele (prolapsed bladder) due to anterior vaginal wall compartment defect. Discussion and options were given to her and she decided to try laser therapy. A usual three cycles of stress incontinence and prolapse protocol was planned for her. Her symptoms were treated after the first cycle of laser therapy. In the 4th month of follow-up, she remained asymptomatic and was discharged from further follow-ups. In fact, her remaining second cycle was cancelled due to failure to insert the probe caused by significant vagina wall constriction. She went home and agreed to avoid lifting heavy items and continue her pelvic floor exercises.

Another example is Madam K, a 54-year old lady who had undergone menopause. She complained of difficulty to urinate when prolapse occurred. She had a tape insertion many years ago for her stress incontinence. This was a tape placed under the urethra to stop urine leakages. A clinical examination showed that she had stage 2 cystocele with a mild left hydronephrosis (kidney swollen with urine that does not drain properly), and elevation of creatinine

level which implied an inefficient kidney. Discussion and options were given to her including a ring pessary insertion, laser therapy and surgical intervention. In the absence of insurance support and her reluctance to undergo surgery, she decided on laser therapy.

Three cycles of stress incontinence, prolapse and rejuvenate protocols were arranged for her. There was a 50% symptomatic relief after the first cycle. She was able to urinate comfortably and claimed that her cystocele protruded less. In the fourth month of follow-up after the completed treatment, she was still able to urinate comfortably.

Clinically, her cystocele reduced to stage 1, her creatinine level became normal and her left side hydronephrosis was absent. With this significant improvement, she was discharged and advised to avoid heavy lifting and prolonged squatting while continuing her pelvic floor exercises.

In conclusion, women’s perception and perspective towards quality of life has advanced to a higher level. Instead of living a life, as a gynaecologist, we shall work together with women to savour the flavour of life. TI

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Surviving Covid19 - Employment and Sustainability: What can companies do?

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ne of the most common questions we get from employers due to COVID-19: It is hard for the Company to sustain at the moment and without any cost cutting measures; can the Company impose forced leave, pay cuts, reduction in benefits or working days on employees?

Unfor tunately, the short answer to this is no, unless you have an internal policy or a clause in your current terms and conditions allowing you to do so. All instances listed above amount to a variation of contract.

To successfully vary a contract (of employment), both parties must consent to a change.

Nonetheless, for companies to sustain and remain competitive in this current situation, cost cutting measurements are inevitable. Fret not, as we have recommendations on strategies to obtain consent from employees for the Company

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ometimes you see them carpeting the entire shorelines of rock and rubble which looks like thousands of little jelly-like flowers. Zoanthids are Cnidarians and belong to the same group as jellyfish and corals. They are more closely related to anemones, except that they live in colonies or big groups (like corals do).

Sometimes zoanthids look like coral polyps in the way

to impose certain measures.

Logically it ’s hard to obtain such consent as employees will not be willing to have their salaries affected, and this is why communication is key. At this point, it is crucial for companies to be transparent in relaying the message to the employees when the company has tried exploring other options but has no choice than to proceed with these exercises.

Companies are advised to have a townhall session with all employees to share that if the business continues to suffer, the Company may have to shut d o w n i t s operations which means

employees may lose their jobs.

Therefore, the Company is proposing a reduced work week of 16% fewer working days in a month in return of a 15% pay cut, for example. During this crucial period, employees’ understanding is needed to keep the Company going, and management will promise to gradually increase the working days as the situation improves.

Companies should also address that although getting a pay cut doesn’t look or sound good, employees should know that it is better to be in employment during this critical time w h e r e companies a r e freezing

their hiring exercise, looking at the current economic climate.

If a Company has to shut down temporarily and reduce the pay scale of employees, it is again advisable for the Company to obtain consent through a townhall. To smooth the process of getting consent, employees should be ensured a certain percentage of their salary even when there is no work for a period of time. During that time, they are free to perform work anywhere else as long as it is not in direct competition with the business of the Company.

Simultaneously, Companies s h o u l d consider rolling out a VSS package f o r

Shao Min Ng Legal Adviser MECA South Sdn. Bhd. shaomin@meca.com.my

employees who do not want to continue their employment with the Company under these circumstances.

We hope that this article can provide you with some general insights on the workaround in obtaining consent from employees for the implementation of cost cutting measures. Although there is no one prescriptive solution for every employer, the solution for every Company should be individualised according to its circumstances. TI

Zooming in on Zoanthids can also be dangerous to the human squisher! Some species contain powerful toxins, such as palytoxin which can have severe consequences on human health, especially if handled with an open wound.

they pack live so closely with each other, but the difference between them is that corals have a hard skeleton – zoanthids don’t. At the most they seem to be connected to each other through a soft rubbery mat of

Serina Rahman

tissue. Zoanthids also often have 2 rings of tentacles, which differentiates them from other similar-looking animals.

At the low tide, zoanthids retract their tentacles and close their polyps tight to retain

moisture. When the water returns, they open up and begin feeding again, and their tentacles can be seen waving in the waves to catch their planktonic prey.

Similar to corals, some zoanthids have zooxanthellae (symbiotic algae) that live within them.

These ‘zoox’ photosynthesise also provide nutrients to the zoanthid.

Squishing zoanthids during inter-tidal walks not only hurts or kills the animals but

Serina Rahman is the cofounder of Kelab Alami and a Visiting Fellow at the ISEASYusof Ishak Institute, Singapore

Kelab Alami conducts guided habitat tours that will allow you to safely observe zoanthids in their natural habitat. Log on to kelabalami.weebly.com for more information. TI

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Accumulating Wealth Tips & Tricks

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The Worst is yet to come?

his is probably the most dramatic year I have ever seen!

While we just finished discussing two black swans in the last two months, a few breaking news happened in merely a month. First, the sudden change of Malaysia’s ruling coalition went the former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir had shocked all Malaysians with his resignation.

While fellow Malaysians have started adapting to the reality, the second wave of COVID-19 just hit too drastically. At the time of writing, there is over 700,000 COVID-19 cases recorded and over 33,000 people have died from this pandemic globally. However, what was more unexpected - Malaysia has surpassed 2000 COVID-19 cases and recorded hundreds of new cases to date. To make things worse, the 25% collapse of oil price has seen most global stock market indexes plummeting to more than 10% in a single day.

By mid-March, the global stock markets have plunged into a bear territory.

To salvage the situation, many central banks over the world have lowered their interest rates. The US did a series of actions within a few days too. First, the Fed had an emergency rate cut of 50 basis points, followed by Trump’s payroll tax cut and a vow to pump in $1.5 trillion into the financial system. On 14th March 2020, President Trump declared a national emergency to free up $50 billion in federal resources to combat Coronavirus.

In fact, if there are so many black swans happening within such a short period, it is not a coincidence. For this reason, we have done major adjustments for our portfolio.

Due to the drastic change of the macro condition, we sold most of the companies except JHM. The reason we’re holding it is because we bought it at a very low price. In addition, JHM has transformed from an automotive LED manufacturer to an aerospace player. Both businesses have very high entry barriers. The portfolio above used to show a gain of

308% but only 201% now. This is because we sold some of the counters at near the cost level to preserve capital. In February, we were entitled for a 1 cent dividend from VS Industries before selling, which is RM300. After the major selling, our new cash level is now at RM389,861.

The reason we increased our cash level substantially is that I felt we have many more unknowns than before. Below are my concerns: 1) We are now at the bear market.

A bear market is defined as more than 20% correction from the peak.

Based on this, DJIA, S&P 500 and NASDAQ are in the bear territory.

However, with 1-2% upside (rebound), it can go back to the bull region again. My take is that DJIA needs to stand above 24000 to stabilise.

2) Do take note that the DJIA rebound of 1985 points on 13th March 2020, has much to do with the Fed’s $1.5 trillion pump-in into the financial system. The

rebound wil l not last long if the fundamentals do not support.

With COVID-19 prevailing, we will be seeing lower consumption and disrupted supply chain (China) around the globe. That is overwhelming!

3) Many central banks around the world have also lowered their interest rates in the last few weeks, indicating the global economy is in a bad shape.

4) The highest gold price in the last eight years and the collapse of the oil price are signs of recession.

5) The growing number of COVID-19 cases around the globe besides China (especially US and Malaysia), is worrying. It would seriously hinder economic activities and likely to reduce the global and national GDP for the quarters to come. Same goes to company earnings.

Based on the above, I believe the worst is yet to come.

If you plan to hold companies

Tey Bin Yuen Binyuen is the founder of BY Enrich Resources and the author of ‘Life beyond the Comfort Zone’ and ‘Profit from Share Investment’. His books are available in major bookstores in Malaysia, Singapore or online http://www.teybinyuen.com/ profitfromshareinvestment

throughout this season, make sure the company’s fundamentals are sound and its prospects remain bright in the long run. If not, you may consider selling on a rebound.

Conclusion No matter how bad the situation might turn out to be, it will be over and eventually the stock market will go up higher than before because of population growth and inflation. For companies that can survive, they will emerge stronger.

Same goes to investors.

In this crucial period, let us take good care of ourselves. Be relaxed and do regular exercise.

May great health and sober mind be with you. TI

The companies or strategies mentioned in this article are meant for study purpose only. It doesn’t constitute any ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ recommendation. Please consult your financial professional if you want to make any decision.

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G #CoronaVirus #Covid19 #StaySafe #StayAtHome

Don’t Throw Rubbish Here.

Someone’s Watching You! every month The Iskandarian shares what you should and should not be doing in your communities !

! k o Klo Klook!

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play

Thrift Shopping: Conscious Consumerism in the World of Fashion

DOODLE

Scan QR Code for the solution

I S K A N D A R I A N

lorified by the American hiphop duo through their renowned “Thrift Shop” track, artists or influencers on Instagram donning vintage pieces that were copped by rummaging through a mountainous pile of second-hand clothing and last but not least, by the lady whom sparks joy in every household (except for compulsive hoarders’), Marie Kondo. The world of fashion is experiencing an upward trend with thrift shopping and according to a 2019 Resale Report finalised

by ThredUp, the resale or second-hand market will continue to grow up to US$51 billion by 2023.

Thrift shopping or colloquially known as ‘bundle shopping’ has had its roots in Malaysia since decades ago but only recently, Malaysian consumers, especially the younger generation (primarily the Millennials and Gen Z) are taking an interest in the scene — refuting the preconceived stigma of thrift shopping by

the older generation. This has resulted in numerous brickand-mortar bundle stores sprouting across Malaysia at a considerable rate and some of these new stores such as Bandoru Malaysia have even taken the liberty to turn the scene up a notch by exploring e-commerce.

With the current craze of fast-fashion and logomania, where logos are surrogates for value and status, it is not our pay checks that have taken the bigger toll but the environment. The fashion industry produces 10% of humanity’s carbon emissions as delineated by the UN Environment. Thrift shopping is not the only solution to the environmental dilemma, but it will surely bring the numbers down as it encourages reuse and repurpose – Ultimately, reducing manufacturing needs as well as byproduct and unnecessary contributions to the landfills.

Amidst the racks of raunchy band t-shirts, plussized clothing and early 20th century miner worker-esque

ensembles, are gems and treasures to be found, at a nominal cost. Thrift shopping is definitely more practical on the wallets and creative for the wardrobe as opposed to shopping with fashion giants’ stores where most styles are practically carbon copies of the other with unjustified price tags.

On a less serious note, the thrill of the hunt, the satisfaction of discovering vintage pieces and repurposing them are why fashion mavens advocate the experience. Even if repurposing is not an option, the slight imperfections should be viewed as the characters and backstory of the apparel instead of being frowned upon.

Thrift shopping will not spell the end of fastfashion and it will most likely remain a niche. However, it may become a driving factor for the fashion giants to embrace originality, adopting more sustainable production methods and putting an end to the take-make-waste model. - by Izzbil TI

! k o o l K Klook!

A big foodie at heart? Explore your next F&B spot with great deals on Klook!

common question asked

by Malaysians - “Eh, what to eat?” especially when it comes to deciding where to get lunch with colleagues, or finding the next trendy bubble milk tea outlet with friends or which restaurant to treat your parents a hearty meal at.

Solve Your #EhWhatToEat Dilemma with Klook

Klook understands that food plays an important element to bring Malaysians together.

Once the whole nation recovers from the unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic and you want to explore locally looking for something to eat, Klook has got you covered!

Truly Malaysian Food As a cultural melting pot with people from various cultural backgrounds, Malaysians are blessed with different flavours and specialty dishes of each culture.

To bring it up a notch, Klook allows Malaysians to enjoy local cuisines with great deals at restaurants such as Devi’s Corner at Jalan Telawi Bangsar, Baba Nyonya restaurant and Cendol Kampung Hulu at Makan Avenue Melaka!

Quench your Thirst!

Are you a big fan of Chatto, Gong Cha and Fire Tiger and the likes? You know what we’re

talking about since most Malaysians are in love with bubble tea, so why not grab a friend with you and cheers over a milk tea!

Not a fan of bubble milk tea? Klook has cafe options, such as Pulp by PPP Coffee in Bangsar, KL for you to get caffeinated.

to watch the beautiful sunset on a boat and marvel at the natural light show as hundreds of fireflies put on a glowing performance.

Looking for another way to experience the vibrant culture of Sarawak? Join a Bumbu Kuching Cooking Class and you will get to experience a hands-on culinary class by handpicking local unique

Unique food experiences If you have not visited Sabah before, it’s time to take a look at its natural beauty and culture by taking on a Borneo Cultural Village Halfday Tour. Aside from learning how to cook Indian style pancake using bamboo, you will also get

ingredients at the local market.

Sweet Tooth It is always a pleasure to make plans for things you can look forward to. Make a dessert plan with your sweet tooth friends to the Mansion at The Majestic in Melaka or surprise

your loved ones with a piece of brownie at Brownies Bar by The Accidental Bakers in Kuala Lumpur.

So start planning and stay tuned at Klook’s #EhWhatToEat campaign page as they bring more awesome F&B deals for Malaysians to enjoy.

Founded in 2014, Klook is a world-leading travel activities and services booking platform. Klook empowers travellers around the world to discover, book and experience the most iconic things to do anywhere, anytime.

Every day, Klook’s travellers indulge in their passion for cultural exploration by choosing from 100,000+ offerings in more than 350 destinations. - by The Iskandarian TI

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Nutrition Technologies Sdn Bhd collaborates with IDB-UTM offering sustainable insect-based solutions to support the global food supply pg 24 chain PROPERTY

PROPERTY INSIGHT

@ home

RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS

APARTMENTS

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CONDOMINIUMS

Marriott International Inc signs agreement with SKS Group Malaysia

OFFICE/RETAILSPACE

pg 26

Introducing the Four Points by Sheraton Brand to Desaru, Johor by 2021

Read this article on our website

Sunway Property Made a Mark in Malaysia Book of Records

Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Hands Over Stadiums to PSJ

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KPRJ’s Stadium Handover to PSJ

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overnmentLinked Company, K u m p u l a n Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) has recently held a handover ceremony of the Athletics and Rugby Stadiums to Perbadanan Stadium Johor (PSJ).

The event was officiated by Dato’ Haji Ramlee A Rahman, Johor

Image courtesy of KPRJ - From left, Dato’ Haji Ramlee A Rahman, Johor Deputy State Secretary and KPRJ CEO, Dato’ Haji Mohd Noorazam holding the framed image of the stadium as a symbolic handover

The new and premium Masai development is now up for registration

Joint Laboratory for Biotechnology Research and Industrial Application between IBD-UTM and Nutrition Technologies

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IBD UTM - Nutrition Technologies joint venture lab

world. In this framework, the company joined forces with the Institute of Bioproduct Development (IBD) from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM), through a joint-venture lab, to develop advanced research in biotechnology in Johor Bahru. For several years the Institute of Bioproduct Development of UTM, led by its Director Prof. Dr. Hesham A. ElEnshasy, has run many research programmes and successful collaboration with biotech companies.

The “J o i n t Laboratory for Biotechnology Research and Industrial Application” between UTM-IBD and Nutrition Technologies was launched in the presence of Nutrition Technologies and IBD-

part of the first ever athletics stadium in Malaysia. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Secrets Out! – A Private Walk at MahSing Meridin East’s Jasmine

Developing Biotechnology in Johor Bahru: Sustainable Insect-Based Solutions u t r i t i o n Te c h n o l o g i e s Sdn Bhd is a biotech company that offers sustainable insect-based solutions to support the global food supply chain. The company manufactures and supply sustainable insect proteins and oils to help feed the growing aquaculture, pet food and animal feed industries around the world.

Nutrition Technologies also offer insect-based organic fertilisers to the agricultural sector.

Founded in 2014 in Vietnam, by Nick Piggott and Tom Berry, the company have set-up a facility in Johor Bahru since 2017. Due to its favourable environment for biotech innovation, Nutrition Technologies wishes to extend its operation in Malaysia before growing in SEA. N u t r i t i o n Technologies’ unique solutions use high-tech combination of bacteria and insects to upcycle nutrients from vegetable and grain by-products, and provide sustainable ingredients to feed the

Deputy State Secretar y (Development Unit).

M e a nw h i l e, K P R J w a s represented by its CEO, Dato’ Haji Mohd Noorazam Dato’ Haji Osman and PSJ was represented by Mohd Gaddafie Abd Aziz, the Director of PSJ. KPRJ in its statement mentions that it is proud to be making history for being a

UTM representatives. The agreement was signed by UTM Vice Chancellor Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid Omar. Over three years, with a total budget of USD$90,000, this joint laborator y will aim to establish a microbial research platform for biotechnology and develop solutions for food and feed industries using different Microbial Cell Biofactories.

Employing more than 50 people in Malaysia, and working closely with respected institutions like UTM, Nutrition Technologies is proud of this longterm partnership that brings another stepping stone in developing biotechnology in Johor Bahru. - by The Iskandarian TI

isualise a premium lifestyle within a quiet community, while walking kilometres long through a pedestrian walk around the town that oversees a lakeside. This vision is a reality at Meridin East by Mah Sing Group in Pasir Gudang, Johor as they provide the sort of luxury and tranquility spanning over 1313 acres.

What’s also amazing is it’s just a 30 minutes-drive away from the hustle and bustle of Johor Bahru city.

In an effort to ensure such extraordinaire lifestyle for their residents within its development, Mah Sing launches Jasmine, a twostorey house as large as 20”x70” made available at 222 units. It is now open for

Jasmine show house facade

Lakeside in Meridin East - a tranquil view just besides Jasmine house

registration with 111 units to be built for the first phase and expected to be ready by the second half of 2020.

A private viewing on how Jasmine would look like was held, and to the spectators delight; it is located next to the beautiful 9-acre lakeside and park. The design of the house is spacious with high regards to natural light and tastefully carved ceilings that you would want

to leave it as it is with no further renovation needed.

The materials for Jasmine are following the industrial’s requirement, thus, making it of a sturdier built with a premium-looking facade.

The entire Meridin East is an integrated town with 24-hours security camera with a 16 kilometres long stretch running track making the whole town accessible and promoting healthy lifestyle while keeping it greener with lesser carbon footprint. Each community has their own private parks and all units are freehold.

Interested to join in this tranquil community?

Visit Meridin East Sales Gallery today at Jalan Kong Kong, 81700 Pasir Gudang, Johor or book an appointment by calling them at 07 291 3232. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Paragon Market Place: On its Way to Establish in Tampoi A market place where you have it all is having its soft launch soon

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three-storey shopping mall; the Paragon Market Place, visible along Jalan Tampoi main road is all set for its soft launch soon. A joint venture project between Joland Group and Kuopacific Group is conceptualised with urban style retail stores with more than 850 parking bays available within the premises, enabling this project to have more potential to further develop.

KTM (Keretapi Tanah Melayu) trains pass through Paragon Market Place from Johor Bahru city centre to

Kempas Baru and it has become the inspiration to the facade of the mall, resembling a real railway station making it the latest landmark in Johor Bahru.

Major retail store that is set to open in the mall is TF Value Mart but do look out for the upcoming food court with a variety of delicacies placed on the LG floor to provide convenience for patrons and nearby residents.

Shoppers can expect strolling area by the stalls at the roadside and enjoy an evening breeze or shopping indoor.

The mall is located at a popular commercial area with seamless connection to the major highways, and is also surrounded by various housing areas in the vicinity. It takes about 15 minutes drive from Johor Bahru city centre and a close proximity from Singapore and is easily accessible via Jalan Tampoi and Lebuhraya Tebrau.

For more information, visit www. pmpjb.com.my. Paragon Market Place can be found in map with this address: PTB 20126, Jalan Tampoi, Taman Mulia, 81200, Johor Bahru, Johor. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Artist Illustration for Paragon Market Place

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INSKEN Business Outreach Tour Made Their Stop in Johor 450 local participants fulfilled the target of 3,500 entrepreneurs at training

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he Ministry of Entrepreneur Development and Cooperatives (MEDAC) through its agency, National Entrepreneurship Institute Public Limited (INSKEN) has organised a series of tours namely INSKEN Business Outreach (IBO) and made its fourth stop at Persada Johor International Convention Centre.

Tuan Haji Ashari Bin Kasnan, CEO of Johor Entrepreneur Corporation (PUJB) were present to officiate the one-day seminar that convened 450 participants from all ten districts of Johor with some of them coming from different states as well.

Primary topic for the one day seminar was on awareness and guidance on the Industry Revolution 4.0 (IR 4.0) that aligns with the

nation’s objective to make Malaysia an IR 4.0 hub in Southeast Asia.

The topic incorporated the subject of “Increasing Sales through Database Management” to help entrepreneurs use it as a tool to learn on methods to seek, manage and grow their sales through customers’ database.

The stop in Johor was a collaboration between Johor State Economic Planning Division (BPEN) and Amanah Ikhtiar Malaysia (AIM).

Other programmes

Tuan Haji Ashari Bin Kasnan, CEO of Johor Entrepreneur Corporation (PUJB) during the officiating ceremony for IBO 2020 in Johor

included in the seminar was Psychometric Test (MyNept), Mind Setting

by Fahdi Ghazali, Ask the Expert, and tax calculating lesson with addition of Biz Clinic for participants to have some business consultation from INSKEN’s very own team known as Biscounselor.

The team also held an interview session to look for more people to join as Biscounselors.

IBO 2020 is looking to train 3,500 entrepreneurs from its roadshow that will extend to another 4 locations in Kedah, Sabah, Terengganu and Kelantan. The first 3 states that they have toured have accumulated around 1,286 entrepreneurs and the addition of 450 from Johor Bahru will make it reach closer to its target.

For more information on the IBO programme and registration, logon to INSKEN at www.insken.gov. my. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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Malaysian Blockchain Developers are the Minds behind BCVote The Blockchain Voting System is adopted by the American Conservative Union

O Participants of IBO 2020 Johor

I S K A N D A R I A N

K Blockchain Centre Sdn Bhd. (OBC) CEO and O K WAV E I n c ’s President, Gen Matsuda, appeared on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference 2020 (CPAC2020) alongside American Conservative Union (ACU) Executive Director, Dan Schneider to announce the adoption of OBC’s blockchain voting system, BCVote, for the ACU’s online public opinion poll, the “year-round polling programme”.

The ACU is the largest conservative union in the United States and they are adopting a blockchain voting system made almost entirely

by Malaysian blockchain developers here in Medini, Iskandar Puteri, Johor. OBC was established in 2018 and has been at the forefront of blockchain research and development. According to Matsuda, “There are two key features in blockchain

technology that are ideal in voting systems, transparency and traceability.” He added that voter fraud is preventable with blockchain technology and cited it as one of the reasons BCVote was adopted by the ACU. BCVote is built on Ethereum, an open-source, public, blockchain-based distributed computing platform and operating system, its smart contract (scripting) feature allows voting systems built upon its architecture to simultaneously ver ify voters’ eligibility and prevent fraudulent activity whilst the voting process is underway. OBC developed the electronic voting system in March 2019 under the project “Thor’s Hammer”.

Matsuda said BCVote’s prospects for the future are bright, he hopes its appeal through ACU’s adoption would extend beyond Washington D.C.

and throughout the whole of the United States. “We would like the platform to be used as a means to gather data for television ratings, stockholder meetings and other forms of polling,” he added.

OK BLOCKCHAIN CENTER SDN. BHD. is responsible for the strategic advancement of blockchain technology for the OKWAVE group of companies. OBC aims to make Iskandar Puteri a special blockchain development zone by collaborating with the Malaysian government on research and development of blockchain technology with societal implementation and through collaborative research on Shariahcompliant digital coins with the local university, Universiti Tek nologi Malaysia (UTM). For more information, visit https:// okwave.global/ - by Priya Manikam TI

Gen Matsuda, the CEO of OBC and President of OKWAVE Inc. (left), Dan Schneider, the Executive Director of ACU (right)

Marriott International Signs Agreement with SKS Group

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arriott International Inc (NASDAQ:MAR) recently announced the signing of a landmark agreement with Continental Management Sdn. Bhd., a member of the SKS Group Malaysia, to introduce the Four Points by Sheraton brand to Desaru, Johor, Malaysia. Under the agreement, SKS Group will refurbish and convert its existing 311-room Amansari Residence Desaru property to Four Points by Sheraton hotel. The new hotel is slated to open in 2021.

“We are thrilled to collaborate with SKS Group Malaysia. This signing marks another milestone in Marriott International’s continued growth and underscores the brand’s continued demand in Southeast Asia,” said Paul Foskey, Chief Development Officer, Asia-

Pacific, Marriott International.

“Sharing the same vision to develop stylish and affordable hotel options, SKS Group Malaysia and Marriott International will make a great team to bring Four Points by Sheraton brand to Desaru, one of the most soughtout holiday destinations for visitors and locals alike,” said Cindi Sim, Managing Director of SKS Group

Malaysia, adding “With its casual yet comfortable setting, the hotel will be an ideal lodging destination for those who come to explore Desaru.”

Reflecting the brand’s promise to cater to today’s everyday travelers’ needs, Four Points by Sheraton Desaru, when opens, is expected to allow guests to kick back and relax with its approachable design and timeless

Exterior Rendering of Four Points by Sheraton, Desaru

style, coupled with genuine service and modern essentials. The hotel is expected to feature the signature Best Brew programme, which promises to offer guests craft beers with authentic flavours and distinctive culture.

Four Points by Sheraton Desaru is planned to be located close to Desaru’s attractions, including SKS City Mall, the first shopping mall in Desaru as well as Desaru City Commercial Hub within walking distance; and Desaru Coast, an amalgamation of an adventure waterpark and 45-hole championship golf course just ten minutes away. The hotel will be well connected to major roads and highways, and easily accessible from Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal, a ferry hub with a Singapore-Malaysia connection via the Changi Ferry Terminal. For more

information, please visit https://fourpoints.marriott.com/ Founded in 1983, SKS Group is a multi-disciplinary organisation with core business spanning across property development, hospitality, investment holding and credit finance in Johor, Malaysia and Perth, Western Australia. SKS Group currently owns and manages three Amansari brand hotels in Johor Bahru and Desaru, Malaysia. Besides that, the Group’s hotel portfolio includes one Capri

by Fraser hotel residences in Johor Bahru City Centre and one DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Northbridge, Western Australia in operation, one upcoming Holiday Inn hotel in Johor Bahru City Centre and another two upcoming DoubleTree by Hilton hotels in Perth, Western Australia. - by The Iskandarian TI

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I S K A N D A R I A N

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Sunway Property’s Innovation Made a Mark in Malaysia Book of Records A first of its kind, Sunway Property trailblazing a trend in Malaysia’s property purchase

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unway GRID has recently received an honourable recognition from the Malaysia Book of Records on 3rd March 2020 for its “First Property Customisation & Online Pu r c h a s e S y s t e m” i n Malaysia. Sunway GRID Residence, built by Sunway Property and located at Sunway Iskandar in Johor eases the purchasing process of Sunway GRID Residence where buyers are able to customise, book

and buy homes on the GRID website at their fingertips.

“We have always believed that everyone is qualified and can set or break a record. The main criteria that we look for are originality and creativity and at the same time being innovative, reasonably safe and have the potential to attract others eager to surpass your feat. We believe Sunway GRID has achieved this with its first e-commerce website to purchase proper ty

Gerard Soosay, CEO of Sunway Iskandar receiving the Malaysia Book of Records from Christopher Wong, CEO of the Malaysia Book of Records

online in Malaysia,” said Christopher Wong, CEO of the Malaysia Book of Records.

“We felt honoured to be certified by the Malaysia Book of Records for bein g th e fir st developer in Malaysia to launch the digitallycustomisable homes and keeping up with the latest trends in the property industry. We had the best interest of our customers in mind when we developed the customisation and purchasing a home online concept for Sunway GRID, and had envisioned to provide flexibility for our customers in the buying process and in their choice of layouts for their units. The personalisation factor, combined with the most affordable price in the vicinity of Medini, is expected to attract the influx of youthful demographic that is in Johor,” said Gerard Soosay, CEO of Sunway Iskandar.

“We believe that in the long run, a concept

such as this would deliver cost efficiency, service quality and ultimately d e l i ve r i m p rove m e n t in competitiveness in the long-haul since any business’ future now depends on technology,” added Gerard.

A fully yout hcentric and innovative development, Sunway GRID, will bring in a community of youths to commune, exchange ideas and flourish their personal and business ambitions.

Users are allowed to select their favourite type, floor, view, unit, number of rooms and even furnishing options on the property’s e-commerce website. All of these can be easily done with a few simple clicks and confirmation of reservation is done by paying as low as RM500 only via payment gateway.

Buyers of Sunway GRID Residence will be able to enjoy other amenities and facilities such as the newly opened Sunway Big Box Retail Park, X Park

Sunway GRID receives the recognition for being the First Property Customisation & Online Purchase System in Malaysia

and Sunway International School which are just a short walking distance away.

In addition, the other establishments such as Sunway Big Box Hotel and SJK C Cheah Fah are expected to be launched by the end of the year.

Sunway GRID is just 5km away to Singapore through Coastal Highway Southern Link (CHSL).

Sunway Iskandar has also partnered with Causeway Link to provide public buses for residents who

are working and traveling to Singapore once they move in.

In conjunction with the recognition, Crazy GRID Deals promotion made a comeback for buyers to explore their convertible dream home from 5th March to 30th A p r i l 2 0 2 0 o nw a rd s via https://sunwaygrid. com/. More Information on Sunway Isk andar can be found in www. sunwayiskandar.com or follow Sunway Iskandar on Facebook and Instagram. TI

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