The Iskandarian March 2015 Issue by The Iskandarian-WAVES Lifestyle

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 31 | MAR 2015

Official Newspaper

KDN : PP17797/06/2012(032765) | Singapore MICA : MCI (P) 144/11/2014

The Iskandarian, Iskandar Malaysia’s Premier Community Newspaper, is a publicprivate collaborative product by IRDA’s Social Development Division

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The Iskandarian Monthly Drill

We get in touch with CEOs & Chairmen to drill them with questions

Pulai Group’s core business has and will continue to be in the hospitality industry. We will continue to focus on improving our resort facilities

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- Nick Mah Executive Director Pulai Springs Berhad

pg 9

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INSIDE International Women’s Day (IWD) March 8th is IWD and this year’s theme is MAKE IT HAPPEN.

Silent No More: ‘MAKE IT HAPPEN’ Highlight: Each year, International

Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8th. IWD represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality pg 4

Zainah Anwar is speaking at JEWEL’s International Women’s Day high tea at Double Tree by Hilton on March 29th

pg 4

10th Monsoon Cup was held at Danga Bay with great flare and was graced by Royals pg 13

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The Iskandarian

Our Friends

streets Johor Bahru launches Car-Free Day Highlight

Part of Johor Bahru Downtown to be free of cars every 2nd Saturday of the month

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ohor Bahru City Council (MBJB) recently closed part of Johor Bahru Downtown which included Jalan Dhoby, Jalan Duke, the area in front of MBJB and a few other roads to traffic from 7am to 10 am. This will be a monthly regularity for every second Saturday of the month. MBJB recently launched a campaign called ‘JB Think Green – Making JB Alive’. ‘JB Car Free Day’ is part of this campaign and will be promoted as a healthy lifestyle event. “This is not only a fun activity for family and friends, but

for everyone to join in the healthy lifestyle,” said Dato’ Hj. Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Dewam, Mayor of Johor Bahru City. Many came as early as dawn to warm up and get geared up for the event. Cyclists and Zumba enthusiasts were among the people who attended the ‘JB Car Free Day’. There were also many other families and friends who brought along their definition of fun like roller blades, scooter, tricycles and skateboards. Vendors also took this opportunity to make some business by selling some snacks and drinks. The cyclers were then joined by the Mayor around town. The Mayor showed his sporting side as

Healthy activities are held to keep the patrons engaged he also joined the Zumba line. ‘JB Car Free Day’ ended at 10am but will be back next month

and months to come. People are encouraged to bring their family and friends to this healthy lifestyle event.

Enhanced 4G LTE mobile coverage for EduCity Benchmark

Two new telecommunication towers in EduCity to enhance the 4G Long-Term Evolution (“LTE”) mobile coverage

skandar Investment Berhad (“IIB”) has entered into an agreement with edotco Malaysia Sdn Bhd (“edotco”) to deliver multitenant infrastructure solution for mobile network operators (“MNO”) in EduCity, Nusajaya. Through this agreement, edotco will build two new telecommunication towers in EduCity to enhance the 4G Long-Term Evolution (“LTE”) mobile coverage. Students, teachers, universities, schools, business owners and other mobile communication end users will benefit immensely from this development. President and CEO of IIB, Datuk Syed Mohamed Bin Syed Ibrahim, said “This partnership

between IIB and edotco signals a strong desire for IIB to create the best possible environment for everyone living, studying and working in EduCity. We are pleased to collaborate with edotco in improving the overall communication experience in Nusajaya, Iskandar Malaysia, making it a truly liveable city.” edotco’s ability to provide aesthetic structures that blend into the environment plays a major role in this partnership. Added features such as lamp poles to serve students at night that indirectly enhances safety and security is an example of its value proposition. IIB and edotco have identified sites at EduCity’s Student

Village and Marlborough College Malaysia based on radio network and joint site surveys. As these cost-effective telecommunication infrastructures are built around growing competitiveness and connectivity for business, there is a plan to erect a third structure at EduCity Sports Complex soon. The new towers will also consolidate and avoid duplicating mobile network infrastructure in Nusajaya. Suresh Sidhu, edotco’s Group CEO added, “ This collaboration affirms edotco’s drive to encourage network sharing and to reduce the overall environmental impact of tower infrastructures. We are extremely pleased to support IIB’s requirements of aesthetic lamp

IIB’s President and CEO, Datuk Syed Mohamed Bin Syed Ibrahim poles which serves the community and at the same time, enhances safety & security. With partners like IIB, we are committed to focus on initiatives such as energy management technologies and innovative engineering to improve operational efficiencies and better serve our customers.”

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Published by True Soul Media PLT [No.51-B, Jalan Impian Emas 5/1, Taman Impian Emas, 81300 Johor Bahru] Printed by Twinstar Synergy Sdn. Bhd. [Lot2A, Jln 13/2, Seksyen 13, 46200, Petaling Jaya, Selangor] Copyright of articles, contributions and photos which are published by The Iskandarian is the property of True Soul Entertainment. 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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Inside

Insight

streets

Peter Lim

injects RM400 million into Thompson Iskandar, an upcoming private pg 7 hospital

Multikraft looks at Johor Collaboration

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ukas Hader, Chief Executive Officer of Multikraft Biotech Austria, recently gave a short introductory presentation of the new research and technology that his biotech company has come up with at the MSC Cyberport building in Johor Bahru. The presentation was part of a small conference between Multikraft Biotech and local farmers represented by their chairmen. Hader explained that this new and improved innovation of biotechnology that Multikraft is promoting is going to be a new wave that will hit major

Austrian biotech company, Multikraft Biotech interested to work with the farmers in Johor for a more organic and green future biological industries which include farming, fisheries, agriculture and even households. “ The success of Multikraft in not only in the agriculture, farming and fisheries’ industries, but also in water treatment and land revitalisation which will clearly show that what they are promoting will be something good not only for the region but for the whole country,” said Multikraft Biotech Malaysia Sdn Bhd Director, M. Salikon Sarpin. The interest of both Multikraft and the local farmers were witnessed by committee members and also the members of the media in a Letter of Intention (LoI) signing that took place later after the presentation and Q&A session.

Chairmen who p e n n e d d ow n t h e i r interests with Luk as Hader’s Multikraft were Hj. Omar Salleh, Chairman of East Johor Bahru Farmers Organisation, Hj. Selamat Othman, Chairman of Pekan Nenas Farmers Organisation, Hj. Md Judyar Malik, Chairman of Simpang Renggam Farmers Organisation and Dato’ Dr. Chai Chen Hung, President of Malaysia Agriculture Protection Association. It was definitely an eye opener for the Chairmen to see that their industries do not have to rely on chemicals anymore and can slowly wean off the chemicals and switch to a natural booster that can be easily manufactured with significantly less cost.

The Iskandarian

Do’s & Don’ts The good, the bad and the ugly of fellow Iskandarians.

It’s now a common sight to see cars driving on the road shoulder. -Posted by Sheila Grewal Expose inconsiderate motorists at our facebook rant group: Against Inconsiderate Motorists (AIM)

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streets

A spirit to serve Responsible

Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel ambassadors give back to the community

arriott’s Spirit to Ser ve core value was emulated by Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel when the hotel continued to engage in the community by reaching out to the under privileged. This time, homeless people were the targeted group and they would be given aid on a quarterly basis. The philanthropic activity or Ambassadors’ Give Back was aimed to call out to all the soup kitchens to work together to serve the needy. Soup kitchens do not have any eligibility requirements, with

General Manager, Marc Cosyns. The hotel believes the ability to empathise with another will further push its ambassadors to improve the hotel services to their guests and the society as a whole to the best of their abilities. Marc said, “By investing in the communities where we do business makes our culture more vibrant and our business and societies stronger.” The community engagement effort took place at the KTM Loading Bay in between Jalan Tun Abdul Razak and Jalan

Food items being packed and prepared before distribution Jim Quee. Many happy faces can be seen during the charity event. Content with a hearty meal,

meals being offered to all without questions asked. This removes the stigma from the poor and gives them dignity. “ To d ay our p ro u d ambassadors together with Kechara Soup Kitchen will be hitting the streets and feeding the homeless. This volunteer spirit is nurtured by one of Marriott’s core value, Serve Our World and I couldn’t be happier when they volunteered themselves to be part of this philanthropic work. One of the best ways to show our gratitude to our guest is by showing them the best customer services provided by our ambassadors,” said

Renaissance Hotel Johor Bahru’s General Manager, Marc Cosyns

Renaissance staff working hand in hand with Kechara

the homeless and the needy appreciated the effort from the Renaissance Ambassadors and Kechara Soup Kitchen. Besides food distribution, Renaissance also gave out Chinese New Year goodies and toiletries to the targeted homeless.

Johor Police HQ 07-221 2999 / 07-225 4499

Nusajaya Police IPD 07-511 4222

Tourism Malaysia Hotline 1300 88 5050

Johor Tourism 07-223 4935 / 224 9960

Senai International Airport 07-599 4500

JB South Police IPD 07-2218 999

Ministry of Tourism (Johor) 07-223 3171

Tourism Malaysia Johor 07-222 3590 / 91

Immigration 07-224 4233

Iskandar Regional

Hotlines

Development Authority (IRDA) 07-233 3000

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Silent No More: ‘MAKE IT HAPPEN’ Highlight

Each year, International Women’s Day (IWD) is celebrated on March 8th. IWD represents an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of women while calling for greater equality

By Maisarah newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

arious organisations celebrate International Women’s Day with their own themes specific to their local context and interests but regardless of the differences, the objective remains the same. IWD is a day for all to reflect on progress made, to call for change and to celebrate acts of valour and fortitude by ordinary women who have played an extraordinary role in their countries and communities. Envision a world where each woman and girl is given the freedom to exercise her choices, participate in politics, acquiring equal education, the freedom to earn an income and living in societies free from violence and discrimination. We are lucky that in Malaysia, we do not have the obstacles faced by our sisters elsewhere. The Malaysian Book of Records shows that Malaysia has her own list of woman achievers. Datuk Ooi Chean See was the first woman to receive the Federal Cross of Merits, conferred by the Federal Republic of Germany in April 2003 for her achievements. Tan Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar

Aziz is the first woman Governor of Bank Negara Malaysia, Aishah Ahmad was first woman President of the Asean Automotive Federation and the list goes on. Johor is not short of its women achievers as we have boasted the first woman State Secretary, Datin Paduka Norsiah Haron, who was appointed in 2006. 1970’s Asia Games and Commonwealth Games badminton gold medallist, Silvia Ng is also from Johor. We’ve also had the first woman District Officer, first female National Army Major, first dedicated EXCO for women affairs and many more. Just reading about some of the achievements by women in Malaysia gives goose bumps to the rest of us to do better. However, as much as we would love to trumpet the success stories alone, Malaysia has also made headlines for the wrong reasons. In December 2014, we read about marriage between a 17-year-old girl and her 15-year-old boyfriend in Johor. We also read about a 12-yearold girl who was divorced by her 19-year-old husband after being married less than a year. According to a 2010 consensus data by the Department

of Statistics (DoS), 155,810 out of a total 12,222,694 married citizens were aged between 15 and 19. The syariah courts recorded a total of 3,870 underage marriages from 2010 to May 2013 and statistics from the National Registration Department (JPN) revealed that there were 1,533 marriages registered in the same period. It was sad to hear the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Rohani Abdul Karim revealed that domestic violence cases had increased 43.6 per cent from January to September 2014 to the 3,673 cases reported in 2013. According to 2014 police statistics (up to September), the frequent causes of domestic violence were due to misunderstanding (2,407), financial problems (489), children problems (262), drunk spouse (134) and adultery (117). Meanwhile, the highest number of domestic violence cases occurred in Selangor (498), Kelantan (473), Johor (397), Negeri Sembilan (347) and Kedah (319). The highest number of domestic abuses involved Malays (2,202), followed by Indian (685), other ethnicities (417) and Chinese (369).

According to All Women’s Action Society (AWAM), the number of reported rape cases in Malaysia currently averages at around 3,000 cases every year (Source: Malaysia Parliament, Ref: 6988, 16/6/2014). This means that, on average, eight women are raped per day in Malaysia. In 2013, the number of reported rape cases in which the rapist was below the age of 18, was 591 of the 2,767 cases, i.e. about 20% of the cases (Source: PDRM Statistik Kesalahan Rogol 2013). In comparison, 47 of the 1,833 cases reported in 1997, involved suspects younger than 16, i.e. about 3% of the cases (Source: The Rape Report: An Overview of Rape In Malaysia, 2002). While most rape cases involve an adult with a young girl or a woman, younger men are not exempted from blame, as they are also capable in committing rape. Last year, we were shocked to read about a 15-year-old youth allegedly raped his mother who was under the influence of alcohol. We also cringed to hear about an 18-year old youth who had raped his aunt in Kinabatangan, Kota Kinabalu. As women, we strive to reach the higher echelons of our careers and personal life but we

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must also be aware of the dangers and threats that we face. We must be responsible enough to know our rights and must do our utmost to protect ourselves. The Law states that under Section 376 of the Penal Code, “whoever commits rape shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to twenty years, and shall be liable to whipping.” Although marital rape is not punishable under the Malaysian law, Section 375A states clearly that any husband causing fear of death to or hurt his wife in order to have sexual intercourse shall be liable to 5 years jail punishment (maximum). More needs to be done in terms of awareness hence every woman must make the effort towards raising the level of consciousness of all women in our country. Proper education must be construed to young boys to change their mindsets on stereotypical gendered roles which they will then carry forward into their lives as men. I strongly believe that change can happen if people are aware of the problem. Let’s celebrate this year’s IWD by ending the silence and Making it Happen. TI

JEWEL: Women’s Day high-tea Highlight

Zainah Anwar to speak at Jewel IWD High Tea

eading feminist activist Zainah Anwar will take centre stage as a guest speaker at the Jewel International Women’s Day High Tea on March 29. Zainah, who last year earned the accolade of being among the 10 Most Influential Muslim Women in the World, will speak on the subject of “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity”. The Jewel IWD High Tea is a blueribbon event held annually in Johor Bahru in March to mark International Women’s Day (IWD). It is organised by the Johor Women’s League (Jewel). Previous guest speakers at the event have included Suri Kempe, programme director of Sisters in Islam; and human rights advocate Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir. Jewel President Thanam VisvanathanSuresh said her society was thrilled to be hosting Zainah, who is a passionate and eloquent advocate for the rights of Muslim women and girls. “She has an extremely tight schedule as she travels the world delivering lectures and engaging with agencies such as the United Nations, to further the cause of women’s rights in the Muslim world. We are therefore quite humbled and really excited to have her grace our event, as I’m sure she will

have a very interesting perspective to offer,” said Thanam. Johor Bahru-born Zainah was the co-founder and former Executive Director of Sisters in Islam (SIS Forum), which she headed for two decades. She later cofounded Musawah, a global movement for equality and justice in the Muslim family. She is currently Musawah’s director. She also writes a monthly column on politics, religion and women’s rights for the Sunday Star. Under her stewardship, SIS gained worldwide acclaim for being at the forefront of NGOs influencing amendments to Islamic Family Law, raising issues such as equality and justice for women, the right to guardianship, women as judges, and fundamental liberties. SIS was also part of a coalition of NGOs that fought for the passage of the Domestic Violence Act in 1994, making Malaysia the first Muslim-majority nation in the world to pass legislation to protect family members against domestic violence. The Jewel International Women’s Day High Tea is on Sunday, 29th March 2015, 2.30pm sharp at the DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru. For ticketing more information, contact Priya at 019 – 337 7956.

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‘Future City’ in Iskandar Malaysia Benchmark

Iskandar Malaysia hosted the International Forum on ‘Future City’ Initiative that brought together 250 influential local and international subject matter experts from both public and private sectors

IRDA’s Chief Executive Datuk Ismail (fourth from left) exchanging the LoU with Toyama City’s Mashiro Moshi

IRDA’s Environment Senior Vice President, Boyd Dionysius Joeman shared Iskandar Malaysia’s vision with the delegates

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

he relationship between Japan and Malaysia has been strengthened by the recent International Forum on ‘Future City’ Initiative that was hosted by Iskandar Malaysia at Thistle Johor Bahru. The forum brought together 250 influential local and international subject matter experts from both public and private sectors. This forum had been held numerous times in Japan but this time was the inaugural event for Iskandar Malaysia as for the first time it is held outside Japan and within the Iskandar Malaysia region itself. Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) said that it was an honour to host the International Forum on ‘Future City’ Initiative. It speaks volume for their commitment and efforts towards the inclusive and sustainable development that has and will benefit the communities in Iskandar Malaysia today and in the future. “We are also very honoured that Japan has chosen Iskandar Malaysia to tell the world about ‘Future City” Initiative. It

is an endorsement of our continuing work with Japan on the LCS Project, which started in July 2012 and to be completed in 2016,” added Datuk Ismail. The International Forum was organised by the Cabinet Secretariat, Cabinet Office, Government of Japan, in collaboration with the Ministry of Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government of Malaysia (KPKT), Federal Department of town and Country Planning Peninsular Malaysia (JPBD), IRDA, Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB), and Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM). This forum is a stepping stone for Iskandar Malaysia to develop towards becoming a ‘Future City’ and ‘International City’. It is a platform to share and exchange views on ‘Future City’ efforts and initiatives. Delegates were presented with insights into several selected success stories from Japan and two from Malaysia, namely Iskandar Malaysia and Putrajaya. The forum also provided a platform to explore a range of business-related opportunities. “This initiative is very much in line with our efforts towards developing Iskandar Malaysia into a strong and sustainable metropolis as set out in our enhanced Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP)

The participants of the International Forum for ‘Future City’ initiative

which is anchored on several aspects related to the environment, economy and social development strategies for Iskandar Malaysia,” said Datuk Ismail with emphasis. The one day forum presented distinguished and well-known speakers from Japan and Malaysia, among them are Prof. Dr. Hiroko Akiyama (Japan), Dr. Junichi Fujino (NIES Japan), Dr. Tadashi Matsumoto (OECD), Toyama City Mayor Masashi Mori, Dr. Akira Nakamura (Japan), Prof. Dr. Ho Chin Siong (UTM Low Carbon Asia Research Centre, Malaysia), Prof. Ir. Datuk Dr. Wahid Omar (Vice Chancellor, UTM) and Dato’ Omairi Hashim (Putrajaya Green City, Malaysia). “By having all the experts today, I hope we can gain much experience on how Japan has planned their cities in the future that can be adapted on how Japan has planned their

cities in the future that can be adapted in Iskandar Malaysia,” said Datuk Ismail. Two sets of papers were inked to mark an understanding between Iskandar Malaysia and Japan in the joint efforts of developing and sustaining a ‘Future City’ in their respective regions as well as the sharing of knowledge and expertise in doing so. Kiko Network Japan and IMKIKO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) whereas IRDA, represented by Datuk Ismail Ibrahim sealed a Letter of Understanding (LoU) with Toyama City Mayor, Mashashi Mori. “We can learn so much from a very advanced and well-developed country like Japan; and how their world class city Tokyo is addressing and handling climate change,” added Datuk Ismail. TI

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streets Affordable Housing: Open for applications

n conjunction with the opening of applications for the PR1MA projects at Bandar Layangkasa and Tebrau, PR1MA Malaysia Corporation (PR1MA) conducted a formal visit to the sites which are among the seven projects that have been opened for applications on January 15th 2015. The PR1MA projec t development has an estimated price which is 20 percent lower than the market value of conventional home, offers 1,284 high-rise units at PR1MA Tebrau and 475 units of double-storey terrace houses at PR1MA Layangkasa. Prices start at RM180,000 for PR1MA Tebrau and RM185,000 for

Highlight

PR1MA Malaysia Corporation (PR1MA) opens applications for two projects located in Johor terrace units at PR1MA Layangkasa. Middle income Johorians ranging from RM2,500 to RM10,000 a month are encouraged to register and apply for PR1MA homes. Besides these two projects, the Members of Corporation (MOC) have already approved nine PR1MA projects in Johor that will offer another 13,951 units. “We are very proud with the

positive expansion of the PR1MA projects in Johor. The opening of applications for these two PR1MA projects are a step forward in realising the dreams of the middle income Johor rakyat which is to be able to own a home of their own,” said Chief Executive Officer of PR1MA, Dato’ Abdul Mutalib bin Alias. PR1MA has received 23,842

The members of the PR1MA development project accompany State Officials to the PR1MA work site registrations from the people of Johor, 5,741 for PR1MA Bandar Layangkasa and 16,782 for PR1MA

Tebrau. Johor has the third highest demand for PR1MA homes after Kuala Lumpur and Selangor.

Saints from Malborough visit JARO Grade 11 and 12 students from Malborough College visited the Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO) to help with housekeeping and learnt a thing or two about handicrafts

Cause

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

nternational Baccalaureate School, Malborough College started 2015 with good deeds when 11 students volunteered to contribute their time and energy to the Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO). JARO is an organisation that trains and rehabilitates the less fortunate disabled people and prepares them for employment in the workforce as their primary objective. JARO also provides the special people with in-house employment through a conducive environment. The saints from Malborough headed by Ms. Penny Court spent the afternoon cleaning and performing various housekeeping chores at the JARO Centre. The volunteers were also looking for activities to fulfil the needs of their IB Diploma curriculum. Hence, the highschool students who are from Grade 11 and

12 performed a community service to JARO. Honorary General Secretary of JARO, Mrs. Sumedha Seghal, Administration Executive, Ms. Lee Lai Ying and JARO Committee Member, Dr. Adam Liew were present to welcome the students. “We hope to form a long-term cooperation with JARO as a centre for our students’ community service activities,” said a representative from Malborough College. Besides helping around with the housekeeping at the centre, the students also had an opportunity to learn a thing or two about handicrafts. Working side by side with the JARO residents and employees, they came up with beautifully intricate basketry, book binding and tailoring designs. The products were later sold in JARO’s showroom at the centre. The students can now see that learning does not only happen in the classroom and taught by teachers but can also be experienced anywhere and at any time.

RM400 million for medical hub by tycoon Interest

Singaporean tycoon Peter Lim has stepped up plans to transform part of the land he owns in Iskandar into a medical hub

M C L i fe S c i e n c e s, a Malaysian listed company which Peter Lim controls is buying a health complex in the area for RM400 million. Thomson Iskandar, as the hub is called, will be ready in 2018 reported Singapore’s The Straits Times.

The buyout deal announced last Friday will bring Thomson Iskandar into TMC, giving its investors a stake in the area’s fastgrowing medical sector. “Johor Bahru is under served in terms of the number of private hospitals and there is scope for growth in the private hospital scene,”

said TMC Chief Executive Wong Chiang Yin to the The Straits Times. It was reported that Thompson Iskandar will be located “in the heart of Johor Bahru and close to Singapore.” Also mentioned was that it will be about 1km from the Causeway and will be home to a tertiary care hospital and an

outpatient centre with 400 clinics by the time it is completed in 2018. Thomson International, a subsidiary of Thomson Medical, will manage the complex. Thomson Iskandar will add to Iskandar Malaysia’s budding healthcare sector, which includes the 300bed Gleneagles Medini Hospital -

due to open in the second half of this year - and the 80-bed Columbia Asia Hospital in Nusajaya, which opened in 2010. As at end October last year, health care accounted for RM2.59 billion or 1.7 per cent of cumulative committed investments in Iskandar Malaysia since 2006.

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DRILL

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EXCLUSIVE The Iskandarian aspires to be the voice of the rakyat and with that in mind, our Editor touches base with CEOs and Chairmen of organisations to Drill them with questions to hear their opinions and perspectives.

Nick Mah

Executive Director

Monthly Drill

Pulai Springs Berhad

Nick Mah Siew Chean, was appointed as an Executive Director of Pulai Springs Berhad on 12 January 2007. Born in Penang, Nick spent his primary school years in Sri Inai School. He then moved to Sydney, Australia where he earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from University of Sydney. After completing his education, he started his hospitality traineeship at the Hydro Majestic Hotel Blue Mountains in 1999. After completing his traineeship in hospitality, he joined Commonwealth Securities, Australia’s largest online Stock Broker as a Stock Broker where he assisted clients in buying and selling of company shares traded on the Australian Stock market. In 2001, he ventured back to the hospitality industry by accepting the role of Hotel Manager at the Airport Sydney International Inn. In 2004, he relocated to Kunming China to accept the role as a General Manager of the Hydro Majestic Hotel Kunming and in 2006, he moved back to Malaysia where he became the Executive Director of Pulai Springs Berhad, which owns the Pulai Springs Resort and the Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa. Apart from the daily operations of the Resort business, he was directly involved in the acquisition, completion and disposal of the Novotel KLCC as well as the completion of Cinta Ayu Resort Apartments. He also completed the development of the cluster and terrace homes at Maharani Ayu, a boutique housing development in Muar, Johor.

Pulai Springs Resort is known for its golf course

and your four-star Pulai Desaru Beach Resort. What else should we know about Pulai Springs Berhad? Pulai Springs Resort is known for its mature landscape, award winning architec ture and restaurant called Qing Palace. The Pulai Group (formerly known as Pulai Springs Berhad) also owns the four-star Pulai Desaru Beach Resort & Spa, located on the Desaru beach.

Quote

“2015 will be a challenging year for the entire Johor hotel market as more and more new hotels are being introduced”

Pulai Springs Berhad, the parent company of Pulai Springs Resort was a company listed in the KLSE until 2011 when my brother and I made a voluntary general offer. After a positive response from the shareholders, the company was eventually privatised and delisted from the stock exchange. Subsequently, the company was renamed to Pulai Group Sdn Bhd.

Since taking up the Executive Director role in 2007, how have you shaped and defined the Pulai Group?

Pulai Group started off as the owner and operator of Pulai Springs Resort, Johor Bahru. Over the years, we have grown the resort business to include other marketing segments such as leisure, MICE and banqueting business. We have also ventured into some boutique property developments and property investments.

Tell us more about the idea of selling private suites in the resort and how has the take up rate been so far? The project has been completed and we have sold off all our units for sale for Cinta Ayu Resort Apartments.

2015 is said to be a challenging year, how do you feel about it and if there are challenges, how will you strategise to stay resilient? 2015 will be a challenging year for the entire Johor hotel market as more and more new hotels are being introduced. Obviously we need to rise to the challenge and we are focusing on our Unique Selling Point (USP) as a resort by improving our services and upgrading our facilities. Our focus will be to develop our MICE, seminars and banqueting business as we see a potential for growth in this segment. We are fortunate to have ample space and multiple function halls together with mature landscape greenery which is critical for success in this business segment.

What else can we look forward to from Pulai Group in the near future? Pulai Group’s core business has

Quote

“Residents get to also enjoy the security and comfort of a guarded enclave and a clubhouse that has a large swimming pool, a gymnasium, a children’s playground and yoga hall”

and will continue to be in the hospitality industry. We will continue to focus on improving our resort facilities and services with the aim to be the premier leisure and MICE resort in Johor. We are also preparing to launch a boutique property development project called The Enclave @ Pulai Springs Resort. This exclusive low- density development comprises of only 30 exquisitely designed semi detached homes and villas surrounded by greenery and exclusive views of the resort’s golf course. Its tropical architectural style homes and carefully appointed interior finishes blend seamlessly into the location’s natural surroundings, creating a picturesque sanctuary with a modern contemporary edge. Residents get to also enjoy the security and comfort of a guarded enclave and a clubhouse that has a large swimming pool, a gymnasium, a children’s playground and yoga hall.

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peggy loh

My johor stories Peggy is a regular contributor to NST and actively writes in her blog www.peggyloh.com about matters that are close to her heart. She can be reached at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

Auspicious food for good fortune

s the Chinese community celebrate the Lunar New Year, their desire for wealth and prosperity is heightened because they believe how you start the year will impact your life for the rest of the year. So you will often hear the phrase, “Huat ah!” which means, “prosper,” in Teochew and Hokkien dialects. They also believe that saying auspicious phrases will usher in a year of greater prosperity so every effort is made to say good words with positive meanings! In the Malaysian “open house” tradition, the Chinese visit and present each other with a pair of mandarin oranges or kum, a word that sounds like ‘gold’ in Chinese language. Feasting is a universal way to celebrate festivals but the Chinese have taken it to unique heights of taboos and traditions. During this season, festive dishes are given auspicious names or prepared with ingredients that sound auspicious. Ordinary ingredients are given auspicious names with significant symbolic meanings that augur well for abundant blessings of happiness, prosperity, longevity and even fertility. Over the years, Chinese chefs and restaurant owners have come up with witty words and phrases for dishes and food ingredients with good meanings to enhance and stimulate positive energy flow to ensure a prosperous New Year. Besides seasonal fresh ingredients like leeks and arrow roots, popular ingredients for dishes include dried seafood. So when you dine out this Lunar New Year, look out for ingredients that are chosen for their symbolism, luxury status, its role in historical events or simply because they taste great.

Kueh bakul, a lunar new year specialty, is traditionally wrapped in fragrant banana leaves A typical menu in New Year banquets will include seafood, poultry, meat and vegetables. A fish dish is often honoured by an auspicious name like Fu Kwai Yau Yee that bodes well for a year of abundant good fortune. A chicken item may be given a fancy name like, Kum Kai Po Hei which means, ‘golden chicken shouts good news.’

A popular prosperity dish made with braised black moss, dried oysters and mushrooms is, Ho See Fatt Choy. Prawns are a must as they symbolise ‘happiness’ and because the Chinese word for prawn, har sounds like cheerful laughter: Ha! Ha! We are also familiar with Yee Sang or raw fish, a popular New Year tradition in Malaysia and Singapore. In Chinese, Yee, the word for fish, also means ‘abundance’ or ‘surplus’ so eating this dish symbolises abundance, prosperity and vitality. This however, is a tradition created in this part of the world to meet the desires of the business community to toss Yee Sang for greater prosperity!

Poon Choy, which literally means a banquet in a basin, has a humble beginning in China during the late Song Dynasty (960 – 1279)

collected and cooked a variety of their best ingredients. They did not have a bowl large enough to serve all the food but the only large receptacle was a big wooden basin, traditionally used to wash clothes. This was how the big basin banquet or Poon Choi was invented.

Since businessmen created the lunar new year tradition of eating Yee Sang, everyone joins in to toss the salad higher for prosperity!

Yee Sang is usually served as a starter on a platter piled with fresh carrot and radish julienne, pickled leeks, ginger strips, beads of pomelo, crushed roasted peanuts, toasted sesame seeds and crunchy crisps, designed in bright colours. Slivers of raw fish are added before being drizzled with a special vegetable and plum sauce. Part of the fun in eating Yee Sang is to Lo Hei, the act of saying auspicious wishes like “Huat ah!” while tossing the salad together and lifting the chopsticks higher and higher to achieve greater success in the New Year! Another elaborate dish, Poon Choi, is said to have originated in Hong Kong during the late Song Dynasty (960 – 1279) when Mongol troops invaded China and the young Emperors, brothers Zhao Shi and Zhao Bing, fled to the area around Guangdong and Hong Kong. Local people welcomed the brothers and their imperial entourage and to feed them, they

Poon Choi soon became associated with events that involved the whole community, usually held in a courtyard or open space in the village. In traditional village celebrations like religious festivals, rituals and weddings, Poon Choi was served in metal wash basins simmering over stoves, large enough to feed 10 to 12 persons. Eating from a common bowl is a symbol of village cohesion that removed class and status differences as everyone was considered equal. A basin banquet may comprise between 9 to 18 courses of various ingredients that are separately cooked by stir-frying, deep-frying, boiling, braising or stewing. Each layer may include high-value and exotic ingredients like prawns, fish, roast meat, mushrooms, dried oysters, goose feet and vegetables. These ingredients are then assembled layer-by-layer in the basin and further stewed for laborious hours to

bring out exquisite flavours that are fit for Emperors. The art of eating Poon Choi is to savour layer-by-layer and it is good manners to help yourself to what is within easy reach instead of stirring or digging to the bottom of the basin. The aim is to savour each ingredient in separate courses and allow all the natural flavours and nutritious goodness to steep into ingredients on the bottom layer. Since the 1990’s the humble basin banquet became a dish popular in Cantonese restaurants for weddings and the Lunar New Year. And for greater prosperity and success, the Chinese eat neen gow or kueh bakul, a sweet and sticky steamed glutinous rice pudding. This is very auspicious as eating it means you will, neen, neen gow, or ‘advance in your career with each year!’ This sweet was traditionally served to the kitchen god six days before the dawn of the New Year when he leaves to give his annual report to the god of heaven. It is believed that the sticky cake would seal his lips and stop him from giving a bad report about the family!

Auspicious pineapple tarts in a variety of designs As you celebrate the Lunar New Year of the Goat, be sure to have some pineapple tarts as its sweetness symbolises a comfortable life. To the Chinese the pineapple is a symbol of prosperity as its name ong lai literally says, ‘welcome good fortune.’ So usher in good fortune as you savour some auspicious food!

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Iskandar Malaysia joins hands with MiGHT Highlight

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cross border cooperation was signed between Kiko Network, Japan and IMKIKO PLT, Malaysia on ‘Eco- Community Partnership’ Programme

o l l ow i n g t h e re ce n t International Forum on ‘Future City’ Initiative hosted by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) at Thistle Johor Bahru, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cross border cooperation was signed between Kiko Network, Japan and IMKIKO PLT, Malaysia on ‘EcoCommunity Partnership’ Programme. The Future City project is in line with the Science to Action Agenda introduced by the President and Chief Executive Officer of MiGHT, Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman during the afternoon session of the forum. It is part of IRDA’s strategy in developing Iskandar Malaysia into a strong and sustainable metropolis in the future. “Science to Action (S2A) promotes the development and sustainability of the industry, wellbeing and governance which are also the essence of S2A. Based on the Economic Transformation Programme, we are also creating new business opportunities as well as supporting activities. We also focus on the industries that lack the knowledge and use of science and

“With proper focus and planning on industry, wellbeing and governance, we can work systematically”

Representative from Kiko Network, Japan and Fu Yee Woei from IMKIKO PLT, Malaysia with the inked MoU

Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusoff CEO of MiGHT

technology,” said Datuk Dr. Mohd Yusoff Sulaiman. Both par ties would cooperate on specific activities, projects and programmes to be implemented in the spirit of cooperation and commitment to address climate change. Immediate programme implementation from this MoU will be the ‘Iskandar Malaysia Eco-Life Challenge Project’ that focuses on energy household accounting. It targets 98 schools to be tracked for energy consumption,

waste generation and management, travelling choices, frugal consumption and utilizing renewable energy resources. The aim is to raise children’s awareness on low carbon aspects. “With proper focus and planning on industry, wellbeing and governance, we can work systematically and have structured elements of sustainability while

developing a good economy for the society,” said Datuk Dr. Yusoff. “In November 2012, IRDA launched the Iskandar Malaysia Low Carbon Society Blueprint (LCSBPIM) 2025 at the United Nations’ Conference on Climate Change (COP18) in Doha, Qatar which aims to reduce carbon dioxide emission intensity by 50% by 2025,” said Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of

IRDA. With the introduction of Science to Action’s agenda, Iskandar Malaysia’s vision for a low carbon society and along with the implementation of the Iskandar Malaysia Eco-Life Challenge Project, surely Iskandar Malaysia has the ultimate blueprint to create a better more sustainable future generations to come.

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Thousands of Malaysian’s crossing the Causeway to Singapore for a better pay day

Johor’s inevitable foreign exchange trap Opinion

Over the past few months, we’ve heard numerous times that the Ringgit is ailing and crumbling to new lows. What should be our level of concern or should we not bother ourselves with all the speculations?

By Edey Suresh newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

he Ringgit suffered losses in January 2015, enough to be labelled as the worstperforming Asian currency as further drops in crude weigh in on our oil-exporting nation. Those hailing from non-financial backgrounds have vague views about the ailing Ringgit and its implications to our everyday life. Since October 2014, the Ringgit has declined around 7% to date.

we even saw long queues of people buying the Malaysian currency at money changers to an extent that some ran short of the currency for several days. While a weak Ringgit has its benefits for Malaysia’s export-driven economy, the currency has not traded this low since the financial crisis days of April 2009. Back in the 70’s, our Ringgit stood in neutral ground against the Singapore Dollar (MYR 0 = SGD 0) and in the 80’s, we saw the Ringgit lose ground slowly as the Dollar

Statistics of commuters crossing the bridge to Singapore in 2013 206,136 Malaysians and 91,309 non Malaysians (total 297,445) in 2013

Being Johorians, we are naturally comparative to our (Dollar) superior Singaporean neighbour and this is where further concerns are flagged as we drive past money changers and notice the fluctuating Forex. In December,

gained strength. For the past three decades, the Ringgit has been very weak against the Singapore Dollar. There was a time when we JB folks would drive over to Singapore for shopping on weekends but with the faltering Ringgit, shopping

Johor state authorities must address the ailing Ringgit in a different manner due to the Singapore Effect

in Singapore is now a luxury with a thousand Ringgit only being exchanged for SG$377 today. The only good news to the tumbling currency is that Singaporeans who were earlier deterred by the recently hiked vehicle entry levy are now coming back in droves. I know many Johorians are not a big fan of that statement but let’s face the

facts and admit that without our Singaporean neighbours, our retail, F&B, property and tourism sectors incur heavy losses. A few hundred thousand or our workforce personnel currently employed in Singapore are also benefitting from the currency dip as their spending power has increased by folds. Earning SGD1500 now converts as RM3971 as they return from the heavily clogged Causeway and Second Link bridges. It won’t be surprising if more Johorians are looking for job prospects in Singapore. That will mean that our local job market might face another round of human capital exodus. Not to paint a gloomy picture, but if any average Johorian heads over to Singapore today, the weakness of our Ringgit is evident

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as we mentally calculate our every purchase based on the exchange rate and literally think twice before spending. Bank Negara has announced that our nation’s reserves position was sufficient to finance 7.9 months of retained imports and was 1.1 times the short-term external debt. As at Jan 30 2015, Bank Negara’s total assets stood at RM406.2bil. To the economic illiterates like me, we can only hope that the authorities share our concerns and address it with prompt counter measures. TI

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The Arts Fest @ LFR Highlight

The Arts Fest @ LFR is a community event to be held at the Bale Equestrian Club House in Leisure Farm Resort, Johor, from 6th to 8th March 2015

he Arts Fest is aimed towards creating awareness amongst the community about the works of Malaysian artists. The art on display are varied – from watercolour, oil, acrylic, mixed

media to traditional batik paintings and woven art pieces. “In its inaugural year, there are 29 established and emerging Malaysian artists who will be involved in this event,” said Rajan who initiated The Arts Fest.

The event will provide an opportunity for hands-on experience, through workshops and demonstrations. The workshops help participants gain deeper knowledge and insight into the processes and techniques used in

the creation of art forms, such as batik and stone painting. From a cultural perspective there will be live performances of keroncong music and songs which date their origins to 16th century Portuguese Indonesia. This

exposure will enable participants to develop a greater appreciation and understanding of Malaysian art and culture. To know more, connect with The Arts Fest via their blog: https:// theartsfests.wordpress.com/

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Monsoon Cup at Danga Bay Interest

10th Monsoon Cup held in the developing coastal waters of the Tebrau Strait near Country Garden Danga Bay after the qualifying rounds in Pulau Duyung, Terengganu

The Monsoon Cup

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

he Monsoon Cup Malaysia matchracing tournament kicked off on February 9th 2015 officiated by the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. The opening

One of the sail boats catching the wind

Datuk Jamil Salleh, the Johor State Exco for Youth, Sports, Culture and Heritage YB Dato’ Zulkurnain Hj Kamisan and Exco for Tourism, Trade and Consumerism YB Datuk Tee Siew Kiong. Earlier in the afternoon, the Sultan had graced the inaugural Johor Corporate Luncheon, and unveiled the tournament

Tunku Laksamana YAM Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibrahim Ismail and his father the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar unveiling the Tunku Laksamana Trophy

ceremony was also attended by DYMM Raja Zarith Sofiah Binti Almarhum Sultan Idris; the Tunku Mahkota Johor, YAM Tunku Ismail Ibni Sultan Ibrahim and his consort; YAM Tunku Tun Aminah Maimunah Iskandariah; the Tunku Laksamana YAM Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibrahim Ismail and the Tunku Panglima Johor, YAM Tunku Abdul Rahman Hassanal Jeffri.

trophy – the Tunku Laksamana Johor Trophy. The unveiling was also witnessed by YAM Tunku Abdul Jalil, who is the Chairman of Innovatige Sdn Bhd, rights holder of the Monsoon Cup Malaysia. Speaking at a press conference before the networking lunch, YB Khairy said that KBS supports the organisation of the Monsoon Cup Malaysia in Johor and

YB Khairy Jamaluddin at the Monsoon Cup Press Conference Other dignitaries present include former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Minister of Youth & Sports (KBS) YB Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar, the ministry’s Secretary General

that the move will create more awareness about the sport as well as a catalyst for the development of sailing in the country. “I want Malaysia to be a serious contender in

the sport of sailing. We are a maritime country,” said YB Khairy Jamaluddin in a statement during the press conference of the Monsoon Cup. The Ministry of Youth and Sports, through the National Sports Council (NSC), spearheaded the organisation of this event, which is part of a bigger

with Alpari FX skipper Keith Swinton and was presented with a trophy by Datuk Jamil of KBS, who also took part in the race with Ian Williams of GAC Pindar. The Tunku Laksamana Johor trophy pays tribute to Tunku Laksamana of Johor, Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim and his dedication to yacht racing

HRH the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar greeting the skippers plan to take the sailing sports in Malaysia to greater heights. Innovatige Sdn Bhd which is chaired by Tunku Laksamana YAM Tunku Abdul Jalil Iskandar Ibrahim Ismail himself and also holds the rights of the Monsoon Cup is the event manager. After the opening ceremony, a professionalamateur (Pro-Am) race was held where invited guests could experience sailing on

and the World Match Racing Tour (WMRT). It will be awarded to the winner of the monsoon Cup Malaysia in Danga Bay, Johor. Designed by Garrard, the Official Jeweller and silversmith to the WMRT, the trophy is crafted from gilded sterling silver with blue enamel standing upon a blue lacquered wood plinth. The choice of Johor as the venue for the

HRH the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar officiated the Monsoon Cup Malaysia the Foundation 36 boats used in Monsoon Cup Malaysia together with the teams taking part in the tournament. The race was won by the media team who sailed

Monsoon Cup Malaysia is in line with the NSC’s announcement last year when it unveiled a more comprehensive sailing development programme last year with the re-launch

The 6 sail boats that were used by the skippers in the competition each weighing about 3.5 tonnes

of the Liga Layar Malaysia (LLM) and Belia Belayar. By moving the venue to Johor, it is hoped that the sport of sailing have a better reach and accessibility to not only many more Malaysians, especially young locals, but also to sailing enthusiasts around the region. For the sailors, Johor’s Danga Bay provided

Bahru. “To go 19-1 for the regatta, I couldn’t be happier with that performance. The guys did just a great job, with the starts and picking the wind shifts,” said Williams, reflecting on an incredible Tour season. I think Johor Bahru has been a great venue for the Monsoon Cup. The racing has been challenging,

One of the sail boats cruising

a new Monsoon Cup experience and challenge in terms of the waves and winds of the bay, which was much different from Pulau Duyung. Having the 10th Monsoon Cup in Malaysia not only bear testimony to Malaysia’s continuous ability to host this world class competition but it had also provided a new background to commemorate this milestone.

tricky, and you could never be comfortable even when you were leading. It makes for really interesting racing. A fantastic sailing venue.” At the prize giving ceremony on the gardens of the brand new Country Garden Danga Bay resort, His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim Ismail Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar presented the G ar rard- designed World Match Racing Tour

HRH the Sultan of Johor joined the event officials and winners on stage Ian Williams (GBR) battled his way into the history books by winning the Monsoon Cup Malaysia and taking a record 5th ISAF Match Racing World Championship in Johor

Championship Trophy to Williams and his crew. Also in attendance was His Highness Tunku Abdul Jalil Ibni Sultan Ibrahim Ismail and Minister of Youth & Sports, YB Khairy Jamaluddin. TI

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Happenings

streets recap

Sharing with you the happenings from last month

Interest

Lunar New Year whole day celebration with the students, teachers and parents at Tenby International School

Eager

Play

The Little Big Club presented Bob The Builderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s new show which premiered for Chinese New Year

Art

Students from Year 1 right up to Year 9 had performances to show on the stage at Tenby

Galeri Hanzhen had a full house when Y.Architects hosted their third Sketch Design Talk

Winners

Caring

The winners of Thistle Johor Bahru - The Iskandarian Valentines day contest. Follow our facebook as we have more giveaways

Dynasty View Sdn Bhdâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire staffing headed over to ShanDe Orphanage to share CNY goodies with the kids

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March 15’

NieEPreWviews

Mov

015

LA 2 L E R E D CIN & ANNIE

REBEL HEART MADONNA IS BACK TO TAKEOVER

ARE YOU READY TO FORGIVE? BY ROSE OSMAN

MAR 2015 | Page 2

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

editor’s note

MADONNA’S ‘REBEL HEART’

MU S IC U P DAT E S

Having dominated the airwaves for over 30 years, Madonna is back with her 13th studio album aptly titled ‘Rebel Heart’

Source & Cover Image: Universal Music Singapore

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

aughter, Wife, Mother, Best Friend, Career Women; are the many hats a woman dons, and 8th March is an important date to be remembered not because it’s a lazy Sunday but because it’s a day to celebrate WOMEN. This year’s theme is “Make it Happen” and in that stride we applaud all the women around the world who have made a difference in other’s lives and we call out for greater equality. In Cher’s words - Women are the real architects of society. Superstar Madonna graces our Cover and we bring you her Rebel Heart album and a feature on Years & Years in our Music page. Scoop is; following the news of their latest single ‘King’, Years & Years have been crowned as the winners of this year’s BBC Sound of 2015. The year also saw them performing at festivals across Europe, so kudos to the band! Two classic movies hit our big screens this month – “Annie” with a new, funny and contemporary feel and another from Disney’s 1950 masterpiece - “Cinderella”, as fully-realised characters in a visually dazzling spectacle for a whole new generation. Rose brings us a new topic this month, and this time in our Travel column – we touch base with the Southern Bikers Johor who would be embarking on a journey to Myanmar. As for you foodies, we continue with the second part of best eats in BP with Tony. As always, for those wishing to share their fashion collection, travel tales, or like us to review your restaurant/property, drop me an e-mail at waves.lifestyle@gmail.com and be featured. For more reads, do access www. theiskandarian.com Wishing all you incredible Women out there a very Happy International Women’s Day!

Priya

Madonna

The Material Girl still shows her selling strength by debuting at No.1 on iTunes in 49 countries

adonna’s 13th studio album ‘Rebel Heart’ will be released on 9th March via Interscope Records. Six of the album’s songs were released over the holiday following a leak of unfinished cuts from the Material Girl’s highly anticipated collection of new songs. Upon their release, several of those songs debuted at No. 1 on iTunes

in 49 countries. Two additional songs will be available with a pre-order of the album on iTunes. Fans that pre-ordered ‘Rebel Heart’ in December’14 will have the two additional songs automatically delivered to them. “Rebel Heart explores two very distinct sides of my personality, the rebellious renegade side of me and

the romantic side of me” commented Madonna recently in ‘Billboard’. The new album features collaborations with Nicki Minaj, Kanye West, Nas, Chance the Rapper and Mike Tyson and was recorded in NY, LA and London. Producers include Madonna, Diplo, Kanye West, Billboard, Avicii, DJ Dahi and Blood Diamonds, Ryan Tedder, Toby Gad, and Ariel Rechtshald.

YEARS & YEARS - ‘King’

ears & Years - 2015’s hottest new act - are pleased to announce details of their new single ‘King’ which is due for release on March 1st on Polydor Records. 2014 was nothing short of career changing for Olly, Emre and Mikey – who came out of the blocks with their single ‘Real’ in spring. Having initially grabbed the attention of key tastemakers with their debut, they quickly cemented their status as a sure– fired act to watch across the board with follow up singles ‘Take Shelter’ and more recently the chart bothering ‘Desire’.

The videos across these singles are have received a staggering 8.8 million views combined. The tail end of 2014 has seen the stars align even more for Years & Years. Off the back of support slots for Clean Bandit and Sam Smith, a performance on ‘Later With Jools’ and their Radio 1 A Listed latest single – they were shortlisted for the much coveted Brits Critics Choice Award and named on the BBC Sound Poll for 2015.

But for now – to the music in hand and the year ahead – new single ‘King’ has been a stand out live for the band since its creation nearly a year ago and was always a clear contender to be the track that would enable Years & Years to stamp their futurespective pop mark all over 2015. Having spent much of last year making their mark internationally, Years & Years have already been booked for various European festivals throughout the year.

MAR 2015 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle Motivation

Are You Ready to Forgive? (pt I)

A Energy Coach, A Reiki Master and A Personal Motivator. Rose Osman uses her knowledge in energy and Reiki to help people achieve their goals in personal growth, life, love, career & relationships.

any people think Forgiveness is an unglamorous character that serves those who are weak. But in contrary, it possesses true power. Knowing forgiveness is easy, but to practise forgiveness is quite challenging for most people and as a result, we see many people choosing to jump from one situation to another including relationships without forgiveness. However, along the new journey, we accumulate the pain we carried from the past and then we have to try harder to forget about it. Why forgiveness exist? Whom should we forgive? Why forgiveness doesn’t look powerful on the surface?

Forgiveness doesn’t shout. Unlike anger or hate, which dresses as strong suits for conflicts and shouts blatantly, forgiveness does its work in silence. Our ego mind will usually label forgiveness as a weak choice one would make, but to feel the power of forgiveness, one must first become “the forgiveness”. Whom should we forgive? Let’s drop the common notion that forgiveness is for the weak, especially where it comes to forgiving the people whom we cannot forgive. Instead, breathe through this idea that forgiveness is about giving love - Whoever is giving love, will be set free from the chain of pain.

Who deserve forgiveness the most? It is YOU. It is our-self. All this while, we are doing it backwards. For this reason, we try harder and we fail. We accumulate the pain because we do not understand why, and to whom forgiveness should be given. We constantly seek forgiveness by creating new situations and relationships, hoping that these will make us forget and forgive. Our unawareness in realising that forgiveness derives from within and that it flows outward causes us a lot of pain. Try to live by this one simple rule; we cannot forgive others before we forgive ourselves.

By Rose Osman

Personal Motivator & Energy Coach yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses

MOVIE pREVIEWs Synopsis

CINDERELLA (2015)

he story of “Cinderella” follows the fortunes of young Ella (Lily James) whose merchant father remarries following the death of her mother. Eager to support her loving father, Ella welcomes her new stepmother (Cate Blanchett) and her daughters Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) and Drisella (Sophie McShera) into the family home. But, when Ella’s father unexpectedly passes away, she finds herself at the mercy of a jealous and cruel new family. Finally relegated to nothing more than a servant girl covered in ashes, and spitefully renamed Cinderella, Ella could easily begin to lose hope. Yet, despite the cruelty inflicted upon her, Ella is determined to honour her mother’s dying words and to “have courage and be kind.” She will not give in to despair nor despise those who mistreat her.

Genre: Live Action Malaysia release date: March 12, 2015 Rating: na Cast: Cate Blanchett, Lily James, Richard Madden, Stellan Skarsgard, Holliday Grainger, Sophie McShera, Derek Jacobi and Helena Bonham-Carter, Director: Kenneth Branagh Producer: Simon Kinberg, Allison Shearmur, David Barron

when the Palace sends out an open invitation for all maidens to attend a ball, raising Ella’s hopes of once again encountering the charming Kit (Richard Madden). Alas, her stepmother forbids her to attend and callously rips apart her dress. But, as in all good fairy tales, help is at hand, and a kindly beggar woman (Helena Bonham-Carter) steps forward and – armed with a pumpkin and a few mice – changes Cinderella’s life forever.

Then there is the dashing stranger she meets in the woods. Unaware that he is really a prince, not merely an apprentice at the Palace, Ella finally feels she has met a kindred soul. It appears her fortunes may be about to change

Executive Producer: Tim Lewis Screenplay by: Chris Weitz

Source: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Malaysia

ANNIE Genre: Comedy Malaysia release date: 19th March 2015 Rating: na Cast: Jamie Foxx, Quvenzhané Wallis, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, David Zayas and Cameron Diaz Director: Will Gluck Producer: James Lassiter, Will Gluck, Jada Pinkett Smith & Will Smith, Caleeb Pinkett,Shawn “JAY Z” Carter, Laurence “Jay” Brown & Tyran “Ty Ty” Smith Executive Producer: Celia Costas & Alicia Emmrich Screenplay by: Will Gluck and Aline Brosh

Synopsis

c a d e my Aw a rd n o m i n e e Quvenzhané Wallis (Beasts of the Southern Wild) stars as Annie, a young, happy foster kid who’s also tough enough to make her way on the streets of New York in 2014. Originally left by her parents as a baby with the promise that they’d be back for her someday, it’s been a hard knock in life ever since with her mean

foster mom Miss Hannigan (Cameron Diaz). But everything’s about to change when the hard-nosed tycoon and New York mayoral candidate Will Stacks (Jamie Foxx) – advised by his brilliant VP, Grace (Rose Byrne) and his shrewd and scheming campaign advisor, Guy (Bobby Cannavale) – makes a thinlyveiled campaign move and takes her in. Stacks believe he’s her guardian

angel, but Annie’s self-assured nature and bright, sun-will- come - outtomorrow outlook on life just might mean it’s the other way around.

Source: Sony Pictures Malaysia

MAR 2015 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Calendar of Events

March 2015

go local eat local stay local

Interest

Southern Bikers Johor educate us on chopper bikes and their upcoming ride to Myanmar

JB, 1st Mac JB Jazz Fest @ DoubleTree by Hilton

JB, 6th - 8th Mac Mom & Baby Expo @ Danga City Mall Expo

JB, 6th - 8th Mac The Arts Fest @ Leisure Farm Resort Johor

8th March 2015 International Women’s Day

JB, 11th Mac Chingay Parade @ Jln Ulu Ayer Molek

Spore, 12th Mac Career & Education Fair 2015 @ Suntec Singapore

Spore, 13th Mac Future Music Festival Asia @ Changi Exhibition Centre

Spore, 13th Mac Kids Fiesta @ Suntec Singapore

Spore, 20th Mac Brooke Fraser Live in Singapore @Kallang Theatre

Johor, 21st Mac KULIM MTB Challenge 2015 @ Ldg Mungkah, Segamat

Johor, 23rd Mac HRH Sultan of Johor’s Coronation

Committed

Southern Bikers Johor aspire to have more youths joining them

By Edey Suresh newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ot doing our usual travel stories, we’re touching base with Southern Bikers Johor who are planning on making a twowheel ride to Myanmar. Mention motorbikes and the first thought that comes is ‘mat rempits’ weaving through traffic and causing a menace. Mention Harley Davidson or choppers and I’ll personally think of Sons of Anarchy (the TV series) or the notorious Hells Angels Motorcycle Club but that’s just the usual perception that we have of our handle bar buddies. Not all motorcycle clubs (MC) are associated to crime or notoriety is what I learned when I met up with Southern Bikers Johor. Being a registered MC, the Southern Bikers Johor has a growing number of bike enthusiast joining arms and patches to raise funds for charitable organisations and to ensure that their biking hobby is pursued in safe manner. The MC enforces discipline amongst its members and aspires to have more

youngsters joining them to have fun and to do good for the community. The MC’s main man, Visu, shared his vision with like minded individuals and that’s how the club was formed. To keep things interesting, Visu who has done solo trips to Krabi, Thailand before has now influenced 6 of his MC-mates to join him on a ride to Myanmar. On April 26, the 6 bikers will commence on their eleven-day ride to the north. Upon reaching Myanmar, they will be greeted by local bikers there and will take some time to visit tourist sites before heading back to Johor Bahru. The Southern Bikers Johor have also pledged to have charity rides every year and sincerely wish to see the image of bikers being changed for the better via their efforts. TI

Southern Bikers Johor is a registered organisation which is open to all races to join

JB, 27th - 29th Mac 4th Johor Travel Fair @ JB City Square

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

The bikers show off their machines with pride

The club has strict rules to follow to ensure the safety and security of all members is not jeopardised

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Aftermath of disaster: Diary from Dabong... Responsible

Hasnina Hafiz Hasnina is the Senior Vice President of Marketing & Communications at Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB)

en years on after the Tsunami calamity, the nation quietly mourned the lives lost, but the nation is once again struck by devastation. It was as if nature needed to remind us of that grim tragedy exactly a decade ago where over 200,000 lives were lost. Kelantan was one of the worst flood hit states. Dabong – a quaint railway town south of Kuala Krai in the state of Kelantan was our destination. The destruction moved the nation to tears. They could be our family. They could be our friends. Each employee agreed that something must be done to help. It just had to be done. When the message was announced by the management of Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB), decision was made to not just provide the most crucial necessities for these victims to start over such as stoves, blankets and even shoes, but also to have some able bodied volunteers to physically distribute the provisions. Employees were quick to chip in to the fund and volunteered their time to be at Dabong. Off we went, fifteen of us eager Iskandarians and hence began our #missiontodabong. Thursday, 15 January, 2100hrs A fleet of us readily gathered at the Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya

Dabong: A Journey To Find Home Again

compound for Pak Hamid, the team leader for our #missiontodabong convoy. Pak Hamid and his team have been frequenting flood stricken areas in Malaysia the calamities began. Some of these areas have been made inaccessible by the flood. Equipped with twelve fourwheel-drive vehicles, a 3-tonne and 1-tonne lorry laden with provisions, necessities; we set off into the days ahead that slowly unfolded a humbling experience. In his briefing, Pak Hamid said the areas are isolated and living conditions will be very basic. We said a prayer together for a smooth and safe mission and off we went at approximately 2230hrs. Friday, 16 January The convoy moved slowly but steadily and after several stops, we arrived on a cool misty morning at the junction to Kg Mahligai. Along the way we saw homes destroyed, livestock roaming aimlessly and there was muck and mud everywhere. Just the mere sight of ruins sent shivers down our spine. We set up base camp at a small madrasah (religious school) across Kemubu Police Beat. The madrasah where we took refuge during our mission was not spared from the flood as well. We saw the inside of its walls still marked with dried mud. Though we felt tired from the long journey, none of us wanted to rest. A single tear silently escaped my eye upon seeing the dedication of my fellow colleagues and comrade-in-arms. No time to rest as there was work to be done. Some of us immediately unloaded the items while the others set up camp. We divided the items into four equal parts for four different villages – Kemubu, Kampung Mahligai, Kampung Serasa and Bertam Lama. Among the items

No rest was needed as we were on a mission to help the victims were: portable water filter, double gas stoves, school uniforms, pots & pans, sandals, infant diapers, adult diapers, mats, comforter sets, bath towels and prayer sets. After the Friday prayers, the 4WDs were loaded with the provisions heading to Kg Mahligai and Kemubu. We began to distribute in Kg Mahligai. It was truly humbling to witness that in the face of adversity, there was still humility. We were welcomed to what was left of their homes. These were honest folks who lived mostly by working the fields and forests. Some refused the items they can either live without or already have received from other donors. We gave a gas stove to an elderly couple, but they thanked us profusely and politely declined and pointed us to their neighbour a few doors down who needed it more

A floating home which landed on another house

as their whole kitchen was wiped out. Our eyes were filled with tears - the first of many heart wrenching moments. We underestimated the amount of time it took to distribute the provisions. By the time we left for Kemubu it was already late in the evening. All agreed we should locate the distribution centre and place it under their care for distribution. Passing through Kemubu was a solemn moment. The destruction was awfully visible. The elevated railway track which passed the small village was broken in half by the force of current carrying. Makeshift tents were set up everywhere in places where homes used to be. At the distribution centre, we started unloading the items. It was not until we walked into the centre to place the items that we were shocked to see that it was packed with a lot of things which were not distributed. Some foods were near to expiry. Meanwhile children outside were asking us for food. Upon inquiry, we learned that due to some unfortunate reason, the goods were left undistributed. It was quite appalling and we were all saddened. Saturday, 17 January Our day began very early. After the morning prayers and breakfast, we began loading onto the 4WDs. During the morning briefing, we were informed that the two villages today – Kg Serasa and Bertam Lama were one of the worst hit areas. The village was located next to the river. Chatting with a makcik over sweet tea, she recounted the

fateful day when the river water started rising. She said it went up a foot every hour which gave them time to bring what they could carry and make way for the hills. During the trip there, the village head insisted we eat with them. What little they had, they wanted to share with our convoy. We were deeply humbled. We still saw remnants of mud high up on roofs of the houses. We made our way to the last stop; Bertam Lama where when the water raised so high, it carried a house and placed it on the railway tracks when the water subsided. There was just mud everywhere. Sea of mud where there was once a football field. Tar roads were now mud road. This was also the location of the ‘house on a house’. We were given a personal tour by the owner of the house. The makcik said as the water rose, she had to be relocated four times. Now as her home is underneath the floating home, she is now taking shelter at the nearby balai raya. As we unloaded the last of the items from our fleet of 4WDs and handed it over to the village head, we all read a prayer together headed by a member of our convoy. Not a dry eye among all of us as we cupped our hands in prayer asking to protect and bless the victims of this tragedy. The village head then distributed all the items with nothing kept in storage. It was a good feeling when we left. We will be back for #missiontodabong2. Until then, I hope they will persevere in their journey to find home again.

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What’s RTC?

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An Introduction to RTC Johor

ohor Rural Transformation Ce n t re ( R TC ) i s a n initiative introduced by the Malaysian government under the National Blue Ocean Strategy 4 (NBOS4). Located in the heart of Kulaijaya town, RTC Johor‘s prime mission is to effectively transform and upgrade the quality of life of the citizens of Johor. Its operational radius covers within 100 – 150 kilometre radiuses and, together with the concept of collaboration between all Transformation Centres in Johor, RTC Johor interconnects with 24 other Mini RTC Johor scattered throughout the 10 districts in Johor. Watch this space as we will bring you more about RTC and their innitiatives

Health for Malaysia Interest

An initiative by Johor’s Rural Transformation Centre (RTC)

ealth for Malaysia Carnival is one of the major programmes listed under Johor Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) 6‘s Initiative Programme with collaboration from universities lead by the Ministry of Education. Under this initiative, relationships with the rural and urban can be achieved with the primary objective of socioeconomic by uplifting the rural communities towards a high-income nation. Volunteerism Student Programmes and Knowledge Transfer Programmes involving university students is the focus of this initiative. These programmes are expected to create awareness among the students to give back to the community, especially rural communities through knowledge and skills as well as through existing technologies in universities. Volunteerism programmes as this has to be implemented with the collaboration from various Ministries, Departments and Agencies of government, and nongovernment organisations as well as the involvement from the private sector. Examples of volunteering activities will include University Ambassadors Programme, Health for Malaysia Programme, Malaysia Education Programme, and Community ESTE (Economic, Social, Technology and Environment) Programme. Until now, RTC Johor in collaboration with the local universities are designing and implementing

various programmes to enhance local skills. In the spirit of health, Health for Malaysia RTC Johor in 2014 was jointly organised by RTC JOHOR in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Rural and Regional Development, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia Medical Centre, Faculties of Health Cluster Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysian Armed Forces, Johor State Health Department, University Ambassadors of the South Zone, RTC Johor Community, Kulai Municipal Council as well as NGOs and voluntary organisations such as the Malaysian Princes Brigade - First Company Kulai, Kulai City Mosque Committee, St Andrew’s Presbyterian English Church Kulai, UMNO Johor Division, MCA and Gerakan Kulai Division. This inaugural event lasted two days witnessing the unity in which various parties of the federal and state agencies and organisations, NGO’s, and political parties teaming up to conduct health screenings for free of charge to the community of the RTC Johor region. Among the activities that were conducted include nutritional care advice, health fairs, free dental treatment and blood donation drives. The carnival also had traders from Uptown @ RTC Johor selling goods and snacks. This programme was attended by more than 3,000 people.

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The Importance of Mega Trends for Long-Term Sustained Growth Mega Trends 6:

Manoj Menon Manoj is a Partner & Asia Pacific Managing Director at Frost & Sullivan

n the last fifty to sixty years, the focus of many large corporations was on globalisation and mass production. If the volumes went up, then the unit price would go down thereby making the product more affordable for the consumer. Companies focused their entire efforts on capturing high growth as penetration levels were extremely low. In recent years, most markets have started to mature and penetration levels have reached as high as 100 percent in several industries. Growth rates

New Business Models (part I)

are now in single digits and with intensifying competition there is considerable pressure on the EBITDA margins. This market dynamic combined with the impact of the other mega trends such as 80 billion connected devices by 2020 will bring about a sea change in the business models for companies moving forward. The following are four key areas which will see a dramatic change in the next decade. â&#x20AC;˘ The Era of Personalisation: Future value creation will reside on how companies allow customers to personalise the products and services for their consumption. In the rush to achieve cost benefits from mass production, companies have compartmentalised every customer into six or seven distinct customer segments. The reality is that every customer is inherently unique and given a

choice has distinct preferences. The challenge for businesses is to create the sense of personalisation and meet the objectives of keeping costs down to keep the products affordable. Amazon.com is one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s best examples of a personalised experience where they learn about customer interests and adapts to their needs. Internet businesses have helped us understand this phenomenon and the opportunity that exists. The personalisation will not just be limited to the buying experience but will move on to encompass the overall development and consumption of the product or service. Makeyourownjeans. com is an example of leveraging the internet to help consumers personalise their jeans. We are at the early stages of seeing the traditional brick and mortar companies capitalise on this trend. Companies like M&M, Nike, and

Mercedes-Benz have all initiated several projects in this area. By the end of this decade it will be safe to assume that, by leveraging the internet as a medium, every brick and mortar company will be offering a very personalised experience of purchase and consumption to consumers. â&#x20AC;˘ Co-Creation: The internet has also helped unravel the power of open innovation. The concept of open innovation used by P&G (Connect and Develop strategy) is widely discussed as a great strategy thesis over the last several years. It helped the company leverage the innovation happening around in its entire ecosystem. The internet companies took this open innovation a step further. Customers co-create value for themselves along with the company. Online gaming and Facebook are examples of

companies leveraging on this power of co-creation. Companies essentially provide a platform for its consumers to collaborate, communicate and develop value for themselves and for the consumer. This makes every other competition that focuses on developing all its capability within the corporation irrelevant. Even the biggest of corporations in the world will find it difficult to compete with the innovation happening around the world. Te l e c o m companies understand this better than anyone else; innovation has happened all around their network and the value creation has been captured by the likes of Apple, Google and Facebook. This is a great learning tool for companies in other industries. They need to create platforms and networks to enable their customers, partners and suppliers to collaborate.

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Accumulating Wealth Strategies

Achieving Consistent Profit through Three winning strategies Tey Bin Yuen

o, did you make some happy ‘Ang Pao’ money from the stock market lately? I know many who did. If you’re an investor, you not only want to make money during certain festive seasons but make consistent profits of 20-30% yearly under normal market conditions. In this issue, I’ll be sharing three strategies that have helped me make consistent profits throughout the years, so that you too can benefit by applying them. 1) Buy on valuation If you want to make above 20% return in a year, value investing is the way to go. But how do we define value? In layman’s term, value is what you’d get when you pay for a service. For example, if you pay RM10000 to a consultant who helps you make RM50000 after taking his advice, the service he rendered is of great value. In the stock market, there are a few ways investors use to gauge a value of a company such as PE ratio, PE growth (PEG), Net tangible asset (NTA), and Price to book Value (P/BV) to name a few. Even though they sound technical, they’re either the measurement of the company’s earning power, or its net worth. 2) Buy in Uptrend To gain profit faster, you want to buy a counter that’s in the uptrend, or buy on a dip along the uptrend. How do we see if a stock is in the uptrend? Look at a chart, if you see the candles or the Moving Averages (MAs) are trending up (refer chart below), it’s obvious that this counter is in the uptrend. Moving Average is a line that’s plotted based on the average share price in certain number of days. 3) Limit your losses, and let the profit run a) Limit your Losses Things are not so straight forward sometimes. What if you’ve bought an undervalue company in the uptrend but the trend changes? For example, if you bought ABC Company at RM1.20

Binyuen is the founder of BY Enrich Resources and the author of ‘Life beyond the Comfort Zone’. He’ll be conducting a workshop ‘Profit from Share Investment’ on 8 Mar 15. Collect this article and present upon registration to receive an exclusive rebate. Reach his team at contact@teybinyuen.com

(worth RM2), and the share price starts to go down day by day, what will you do? The answer is to preserve your capital at your allowable risk tolerance, because you’d not know how much more it’ll go down. In other words, you want to limit your losses to 5% or 8% of your capital. For instance, if you’ve invested RM10000, but because the share price went down, your capital becomes RM9500; you decided to sell it so that you can still preserve RM9500. Alternatively, a more effective way to limit losses would be by using signals from Technical Analysis, such as Moving Averages, Support & Resistance, and so forth. b) Let the profit run On the contrary, if the uptrend continues, you wouldn’t want to sell and make RM500. Since the company is worth RM2 per share as you’ve studied earlier, you can sell the company at close to RM2, say RM1.80 (or more). In this case, you’d have made RM0.60, which is a 50% gain. Now you can see that if the share price doesn’t go your way, you’ve only lost 5%; and if it goes your way (moving up), you can make 50%. The risk-reward ratio is 1:10 (50 divided by 5); an exceptionally good deal. Generally, if the risk to reward ratio is 1:3, it’s a fairly good deal, because it means if you lost, you lost RM1, but if you win, you’ll win RM3. In a nutshell, consistent profit comes from consistent behavior. If you can always apply the three mentioned strategies, you’re expected to replicate your success and achieve consistent profits.

A Technical Chart shows uptrend (Source: Yahoo! Finance)

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Johor kaki Batu Pahat, Johor Food Trail (Part 2) Tony is a very passionate Johor food blogger. He is fascinated by Johor’s unique culinary heritage created by its melting pot of diverse cultures. He hopes that his writings about the delightful experiences with Johor food and the people behind it, visitors from around the world will appreciate the potpourri of Johor culinary art.

Location Restaurant name: Ah Soon Address: No.5, Jalan Temenggong, Batu Pahat Map: http://goo.gl/maps/fkTUA GPS: 1.855185,102.929033 Hours: 11:00am to 2:30pm | 5:00pm to 10:00pm (Closed on Thurs) Non-Halal

Location Restaurant name: Ta Bei Shui kopitiam Address: Junction of Jalan Penjaja 3 and Jalan Penjaja, Batu Pahat Map: http://goo.gl/maps/MW79J GPS: 1.858455,102.928998 Hours: 12:30pm until sold out

Location

rmed with suggestions from Johor Kaki readers, four of us buddies went on a free and easy Batu Pahat (BP) food trail. We had no detailed or specific plan and went with some general idea about where to find well-known eateries through readers’ suggestions. Ah Soon After the meal at Swee Kee restaurant, we stumbled upon Ah Soon’s “fish head bee hoon and pork organ soup”. The shop was packed with people and I was drawn in like a moth to a candle flame! It was a very generous RM4 bowl of mixed fresh pork slices, minced meat, liver, and fish slices in a savoury, medium bodied, cloudy, and steaming hot broth. The broth was savoury, sweet and had distinct tangy notes from plums in the soup. It was also slightly oily. We also ordered a bowl of noodles to try. The slurpy noodles were slightly springy and quite enjoyable. Overall, an excellent, delicious lunch but I was a little too full by now and felt bloated with all the greasy broth and ingredients.

Sumptuous Soup at Ah Soon Ta Bei Shui kopitiam We then took a walk to the end of Jalan Temenggong where another local favourite - Ta Bei Shui kopitiam is. Here, we stumbled upon Mr Chai’s “ban chang kueh” (or Appam Balik) stall. Mr Chai recently moved his mobile tricycle stall here and settled at Ta Bei Shui kopitiam. All of us were wowed by Mr Chai’s ban chang kueh and agreed that this was among the very best that we have ever tasted. Actually, there is none remotely like this in Johor Bahru or Singapore! The crust was crispy yet it still had a slight gummy, doughy chew inside. The crushed peanuts, sugar and margarine were fused into a caramel, candy like filling between the crispy doughy crusts. It was deliciously savoury and sweet. Definitely a must try in Batu Pahat.

compliments (normal price RM48.) The chunks of chicken were cooked in fiery flaming white rice wine. After the fire extinguished, the chicken chunks were allowed to simmer in boiling herbal broth for another 15 minutes. The chicken was fresh and had a nice alcohol and herbal flavour. The meat was quite stiff from the boiling but the herbal broth was delicious and highly drinkable with pleasant mild alcoholic notes.

Must Try Ban Chang Kueh Yong’s Steamboat Our last food stop in Batu Pahat was Yong’s Steamboat located beside a public swimming pool. We all loved this steamboat joint as the broth was round bodied yet clean tasting and the ingredients were all fresh (we didn’t pick any generic factory stuff). At the end of our sumptuous and scrumptious steamboat feast, none of us felt any MSG thirst at all. The broth was topped up regularly at no additional charge. The total bill for the steamboat and side dishes came to RM81 nett, which we all thought was very reasonable for the quality and amount of food that we ate. Not long after starting our steamboat, a staff informed us that the boss is offering us their signature “White Wine Cooked Chicken” with his

Restaurant name: Yong’s Steamboat Address: No. 2 M/S, Jalan Minyak Beku, Batu Pahat Map: : http://goo.gl/maps/WQeQg GPS: 1.836086,102.926128 Hours: 6:00pm to midnight Tel: (+60) 07-432 3320

Yong’s Wholesome Steamboat We enjoyed our short outing so much that we were already plotting our next food trail while we were driving back to JB/Singapore. Batu Pahat has so much more to offer foodies and we shall definitely be back.

Go lunch at Ponderosa! Promotion

Free Shuttle Service in and around Taman Molek

onderosa Golf & Country Club has introduced its own free shuttle service between the strategicallylocated banks in Taman Molek and the resort, with immediate effect. “The reason is that we wish to be more accessible to our immediate community and we are willing to ferry them to and from our resort at a certain time every day. If the shuttle service becomes a popular feature, then we will look at expanding the frequency of the shuttle service. Currently, our strategy is to get closer to our community,” said Ivan Teo, the club’s General Manager.

The pickup points are from Public Bank, HSBC Bank, RHB, Maybank, Allianz Bank, Bangkok Bank and from The Molek Pines condominiums, all located at Taman Molek. The pick-up time is from 11.45 am till 1.45 pm daily. Ponderosa Golf & Country Club hopes to promote its lunch promotions to people working around the area particularly the special healthy semi-set lunch buffet at RM20.00++ per person at the Cantina Café & Lounge.

Herbal Chicken Free shuttle service provided

For those who prefer to lunch Chinese-style, our Hop Sing Restaurant

Hop Sing Promo offers a wonderful opportunity to sample oft-beyond budget delicacies promoted at highly-affordable prices and for a limited period only: • Herbal Chicken (Single Portions) at RM15.00++ per person • Buddha Jump Over the Wall (Single Portions) at RM28.00++ per person • Crispy Peking Duck at RM58.00++ for whole duck and RM38.00++ for half duck • Bird’s Nest with American Ginseng and Goji Berries in Rock Sugar (Single Portions) at RM48.00++ per person At the Golfer’s Terrace, lunch will be

served with a liberal dose of panoramic views of the sweeping greens. Here, patrons may choose from extremely localised selections such as Mee Mamak, Wantan Mee, Nasi Lemak with Teh Tarik, Kopi-O Tarik, our signature Teh-O Lychee and more; or choose hearty Western-style grills and pastas, or even club staples such as sandwiches. For enquiries and more information on the shuttle service, patrons may call 019779 9841 or email: enquiry@ponderosagolf. com

Dessert spread

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PROPERT Y INSIGHT

PROPERTY

RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS

APARTMENTS

VILLAS

CONDOMINIUMS

OFFICE/ RETAILSPACE

Cover: GST and house prices What goes into residential house prices after the implementation of GST in April 2015?

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pg 27

Dr. Daniele Gambero talks about the 2015 Budget & Devadason continues his real life case studies

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Quick Reads

No More Cooling Measures for KL The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Ministry will not impose any more cooling measures for the property sector for the rest of the year. “This is due to the current economy and challenges faced by the country. We have cooling measures at the moment, such as 70 per cent loan-to-value ratio and foreigners not being allowed to buy houses,” said Minister Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan. He encouraged Malaysian youths to consider renting rather than rush to buy a house.

Johor likely to retain top spot Johor is likely to retain its leading position as the most preferred investment destination in the country in the manufacturing sector for 2014, according to Malaysian Investment Development Authority Executive Director, manufacturing development (resource) N. Sangaran reported The Star. From January until September 2014, Johor received 142 projects with investments worth around RM20.1bil. January to September 2014, Mida had approved 619 projects in the manufacturing sector nationwide with a total investment of RM63.5bil, compared with 787 projects for 2013 worth RM52.1bil. In 2013, Johor received the highest investment in the country in the manufacturing sector totalling RM14.4bil with 197 projects. The food manufacturing activities including beverages received 51 projects worth RM2bil during the period against RM4.7bil with 77 projects in 2013. “It is safe to say that Johor is still the top investment destination in the country with most of the investments for the oil and gas sector in Pengerang,’’ said Sangaran.

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GST and housing price Interest

eal Estate and Housing Developers’ Association Malaysia (Rehda) speculate that home prices will rise by about 2.6% once the goods and services tax (GST) kicks in while Customs Department Director of GST Datuk Subromaniam Tholasy “presumes house prices may even fall.” Residential houses and land are exempt from the GST but construction material such as steel, cement, sand, tiles, etc, are not and would be subject to the 6% GST. Currently, these construction materials fall under a “First Schedule Goods” and do not incur any Sales and Services Tax (SST). Rehda however believes that developers would not absorb the extra cost and would pass this on to buyers. Rehda has also urged the Government to zero-rate residential

There are mixed views on whether the price of houses will go up, come down or remain the same with GST What goes into residential house price Cost Before GST Land 0% Input (5% & 10% CJ) 5% and 10% Material (0% CJ) 0% Foreign labour by developer 0% Architect Legal, consultants & other professional services 6% Bank Interest 0% Approval agencies fee 0% Marketing Cost 0% Staff salary 0% Construction services by contractor 0% Source: Kastam

houses instead of exempt rate. ( The customer does not pay a GST for zero-rate or GST-exempt products. But the difference is that with zero-rated, the developer gets to claim back

the input tax paid to the supplier but with the exempt rate he cannot which results in a higher cost for him). RM50 billion over the next three-to-five years, which

After GST 0% 6% 6% 0% 6% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% or 6%

is a boon for Johor’s sustained growth despite the present global economic uncertainties. The implementation of GST in April will determine the final result. TI

Property Corner Real life case studies

A.Devadason

CA(M), FCCA, MDRT Deva is a partner in the firm of Dason & Dason, Chartered Accountants who specialises in tax advisory and consultancy. He can be reached at deva@dason.com.my

new year often brings resolutions to be a better person, and just like most of us, Jake wanted 2015 to be a year where his financial position changes for the better. He contacted me in early December 2014 to go through his financial standing. Together, we examined his Net Worth and Cash Flow and I gave him a spread-sheet which he dutifully completed before our next meeting a week later. The exercise revealed that he had around RM85,000 lying in a non-interest bearing Current Account. He also had shares in a NASDAQ listed company where he was working with many years ago. These shares pay paltry annual dividends and are not a sustainable source of income. Debts were confined to a car loan which he was servicing promptly. There were no property loans as he was living with his siblings. Net Cash Flow was a positive RM2,000 per month after all obligations (EPF, SOCSO & Income Tax) and discretionary expenses.

The Procrastinator

His grouse revolved around the following points:a. T he inability to move from his RM8,500 monthly salary to an amount exceeding RM10,000 despite meeting all practical and academic requirements. b. Failure to purchase a house despite having the means to do so. c. Dreams which have remained as dreams while others seem to be living life to the fullest – i.e. his yearning to visit Manchester United’s training ground at Old Trafford has yet to be realised. d. U nable to start any business venture despite the many opportunities to do so. I suggested protecting his source of income from the following threats:a. Retrenchment b. Accident and Illnesses • The way to avoid retrenchment is to ensure that his employer views Jake as a valuable asset rather than another employee on the payroll. This would involve investing his time and money on self improvement seminars, industr y specific workshops and trade exhibitions. • To mitigate the perils of accident and medical costs, a Life policy with the necessary riders was sufficient. • I also suggested transferring RM35,000 into a Savings Account as Emergency Funds while the remaining

RM50,000 be deposited into 5 separate deposit certificates of RM10,000 each. This would ensure that in the event the Fixed Deposit need to be touched, it could be liquidated on a piece-meal basis. • As for the shares, it was trading in USD60-65 band. If it was sold at USD65/share, it would yield around RM90,000 due to favourable currency exchange rate. This amount is more than sufficient to finance the property down payment and the trip to Old Trafford. • On the business front, without fail, he gets cold feet whenever it’s time to commit the start-up capital. Many of these foregone chances were taken by others and have flourished financially. It’s been almost 2 months now and he has yet to implement any of the action plans despite wanting to turn his life. The rationale for his hesitation is:a. I’m an employee. It’s the company who should pay for the fees to attend these workshops. Furthermore, it’s a tax deductible expense for the company. b. If no peril occurs, the insurance policy only refunds 80% of the premiums paid. I can’t bring myself to do that as I’m losing out the 20% over the next 25 years. c. I’m too busy with my work commitments to go to the bank and do the necessary reorganisation of funds. The banks are usually closed whenever I am free.

d. What if the share price goes higher after I have disposed it? e. T hose who took their chances in business either have solid financial backing or had a partner who they can work with in full trust. The partner I worked with is unreliable and I do not come from a wealthy family. I confronted him that he is a serial procrastinator because when it came to getting his hands dirty, he found ways to back off from commitments that he made in the heat of the moment. This is not the first time he vented his lack of achievements. As a friend, I have been a listening ear during the many chats over the last decade. This time however, he approached me for action plans, as in his own words, he has seen me progress financially and wanted to emulate the results. So, re-examine your life. Are you happy where you are? If yes, then you are doing the right thing. If there is a lack of satisfaction, then emulate the steps taken by those who have made it. Should you choose the latter, be ready to put each element of the plan into action. Brace for the long journey needed to effect the change. There is no elevator to success. There’s only the staircase! You can’t win all the time. Someone else needs to win too. Just be prepared to lose coins along the way in order to win many thousands at the finish line.

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Property Investment Speeding ahead Bold

Opinion

Gong Xi Fa Cai to Iskandarians Ed Cheong Ed is the Singapore founder of the Iskandar Malaysia Investors Forum and Rafflesland Group of Companies which provides platform for property investors to gain insights and world-class investment strategies. He is contactable at iskandar@rafflesland.com

ishing all the readers of The Iskandarian a very Happy Lunar New Year and a Prosperous Goat Year. May this year be of great blessings and prosperity to all Iskandar Malaysia residents and stakeholders. Last year was really a bad one with multiple tragic air accidents, collapse of oil prices and subsequent decline of the Ringgit in Malaysia. It was the Year of the Horse. None of the zodiac predictions that I ever read in early 2014 predicted those obstacles. I always believe that if you can predict something, the market will not make it happen. It is simpler to make guesses based on sound economic knowledge and market experience. So I will not indulge you in fortune telling what will be coming for Iskandar

Malaysia market. Neither would it be useful to add to the huge uncertainties hanging over pundits and developers alike that have seen times change from best to worst in just over a year. That said, I have looked into every Chinese zodiac prediction possible from horoscope to plain fortune peddling in the news and social media. The majority predicts a year less tumultuous. These sages say that we will not experience the same crises that so demoralised investors across the countries. Indeed, the Goat Year will be one of peace, general progress and contentment. On a more serious note, the global economy is turning up with cheaper oil and continued loosening of monetary stance in Europe, Australia and Japan. Even the political crises in Greece and Ukraine are getting big help from the European Union with France and Germany leading to find proper long term solutions for the better. I am actually very optimistic for the world economy. I am also positive for the Malaysian economic outlook for many reasons. First, Standards and Poors and Moody’s have independently

reaffirmed the fiscal strengths of the country. Secondly, I believe the general domestic consumption drive economy will help bolster declining oil revenues. Thirdly, with the move of Malaysia to contain the property bubble early in 2014, we are safe from a decline in resale market with less new launches now. Moreover, more foreign direct investments in manufacturing usually flow in times of lower oil prices and healthy world consumer demands buffered by loose monetary policies of major economies. These are great reasons to be positive. Lastly, Malaysia is also playing the very important leading role of Asean this year. I have every confidence that major economic and market policies are already in place with a steadying Ringgit leading the way to good growth. So, in summary, I agree with the Chinese zodiac masters that this year will be better. Not by Goat power, but by the sheer hard-nosed and smart policies that the government already have in place. May your Goat Year be peaceful, contented and of course, prosperous!

China’s Greenland Group strikes a deal for RM2.4bil

ndeterred by negative publicity surrounding some Chinese projects in Iskandar Malysia, China’s Greenland Group has gone on to purchase a 128-acre waterfront land in Johor from Iskandar Waterfront City Bhd for RM2.4 billion. According to Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, Johor’s growth has been reinvigorated by the launch of several mega foreign proper ty development projec ts which have boosted the local economy. The recently acquired prime site will be jointly developed by Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd (IWH) and Shanghaibased Greenland. IWH, a Public Private Partnership involving the Federal, State and Private interests, is the master developer of the waterfront land in Johor Bahru (JB).

Datuk Khaled expressed his interest of welcoming this development which would contribute to the transformation of JB into an international waterfront city. Under the agreement, Greenland will invest RM2.4 billion to acquire 128-acres from IWH for joint-venture development. This marks its second major land investment in Iskandar Malaysia as last April, Greenland Group paid RM600 million for a 13.6acre site in Danga Bay from IWH that will be used for residential and commercial projects. These companies had committed investments exceeding RM50 billion over the next three-to-five years, which is a boon for Johor’s sustained growth despite the present global economic uncertainties.

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Exclusive Property Outlook 2015 at Seri Austin Interest

UMLand Hosted its inaugural exclusive property outlook talk at the Seri Austin Sales Gallery providing valuable information on the property market and investments to property watchers and investors

Speakers

Dr. Daniele Gambero, Feng Shui Master Paw, KK Wong, iProperty’s Lorainne Ng and Steven from Dynasty View

ward-winning property developers UMLand recently gave back to the society by hosting an exclusive property outlook talk at the Seri Austin Sales Gallery. The Seri Austin Exclusive Property Outlook 2015 talk is the inaugural event that Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dynasty View Sdn Bhd, K.K. Wong wants to continue for years to come. The talk was about sharing valuable information on the property market and smart investments to property watchers and investors that even the layman would understand. “I think that the most important thing for an investor to do now is to act smart. Now is the time to invest and buy property. We should not waste time and wait. The impending GST implementations

Feng shui

Market

Sharing the market sentiments from iProperty’s perspective

will surely raise the prices of property,” said K.K. Wong. Dr. Danielle Gambero, CEO of REI Group International shared his thoughts and perspectives on the smart investment plans that everyone must have especially in the booming economy and property developments that are happening in the Iskandar Malaysia region. The property market was dissected and explained by Lorainne Ng, Head of Southern iProperty.com Malaysia. She stated that the property market in Malaysia is leaning to smart living and sustainability and the best choice to invest in is surely in the Iskandar Malaysia region. Making the property talk more interesting was Master Paw, Director of Master Paw Feng Shui Academy who had

Feng Shui expert Master Paw explained to the attendees about the effects of the Goat Year

Technical

K.K. Wong, Chief Executive Officer of Dynasty View Sdn. Bhd, kicked of the sessions by briefing the public about Iskandar Malaysia

Touching the technical side of the property outlook was Dr. Daniele from REI Group

Feng Shui enthusiasts stuck on their seats taking notes for the coming year of the Goat. “The year of the Goat looks bright for most of the other horoscopes and it will be a prosperous year for most property businesses,” said Master Paw. “I don’t think that the property market is saturated or there is too much supply. Without supply, you cannot have the demand and vice versa. Most projects are put on hold but because of other reasons and not because of oversupply. Even Dr. Gambero has shown us in his presentation that at the rate that Iskandar Malaysia is growing, there won’t be enough for the growing population in the years to come,” explained Wong. TI

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Propernomy by Dr Daniele Budget 2015

The strategic planning and the micro-propenomy effects of a macroeconomic budget (pt II)

Dr. Daniele Gambero REI Group

Daniele is the CEO and co-founder of REI Group of Companies, gives presentations on the property market and welcomes feedback at: Daniele.g@reigroup.com.my

ontinued Promotion of Investment in less Developed Areas It is extremely important to have a balanced growth of the Country that will bring forward a fair and proportionate distribution of the nation’s wealth. Every Malaysian state has unique characteristics which, if properly developed, will leverage the economic growth and the pro capita income. This will allow families to up-grade their lives, generating further demand for affordable housing, retail areas and office space. Incentives for Industrial Areas Management As a developing country; Malaysia has to enhance the quality of the industrial park and facilities to be able to compete with world leading economies. The geographic positioning its already offering is a big plus point for international investors to look at Malaysia as a prime location. At the moment, when the qualitative offer matches the current demand, there will definitely be an important growth contributing to the finalisation of ‘Wawasan 2020’. Property wise, industrial parks and related residential townships’ demand will possibly boost in the next five to ten years.

Public-Private Partnership creates a resilient economy

properties is huge and will positively affect many areas of the country as we are looking at roads, highways, railways, bus ways, social services and education. IT, Innovation and Creativity Malaysia is now stepping into the status of an innovation driven growth and for this reason boosting research and development centres, creativity and new technologies is going to contribute in a strategic way to enhance the market’s position of the national industries. The construction industry will be positively impacted and possibly generate more liveable and comfortable housing and industrial premises to respond to a raising demand of new type of products with high standard characteristics and fittings.

E M S

SMEs are the backbone of the industry and spur economic development and growth

Boosting Tourism Industry Contribution from the Tourism Industry to the country’s GDP is undeniable and for the last two years the Government has spurred it in terms of funds and overseas promotions and road shows. 2014 had surely been a sad year for Malaysia in terms of safety and airplane crashes but, if we want to pay additional respect to all the victims of these accidents, we should look into what happened by saying that today everyone in the world knows where Malaysia is and due to the firm and straight forward position and statements from the Prime Minister in the proceedings of MH17 crash site investigations; the world has been paying respect to Malaysia. We just need to leverage on this in a positive way and the Budget allocation to the Tourism Industry will have a much higher impact in terms of tourist arrivals and spending.

A good use of people, process and technology will result in a more efficient industry The tourism industry is undeniably one of the highest contributor to our nation’s GDP

Purpose built industrial parks are crucial to the growth factor contributing to the final vision of Wawasan 2020

Promotion of Automation, High-quality and Focused Investment This paragraph of the first strategy can be read as the previous one. It is indispensable and will generate automatic and positive consequences on property market. Public Private Partnership PPPs are the way forward to complete proper infrastructure and public services which are deemed necessary as a complement to a growing nation. The impact generated by this part of Budget 2015 on the Malaysian

SMEs promotion Everywhere in the world, SMEs are the spine bone of an economic development and growth. The government is ensuring that the Malaysian SMEs should also be able to enjoy a more conducive environment and receive special supportive packages to contribute to their healthy growth. SMEs besides being the crucial factor of a proper Economic growth are also employing a large portion of Malaysia’s 12 million labour forces. Enhancing SMEs means, in other words, enhancing and contributing to the social and economic growth of their employees with direct impact on retail and residential market in terms of property.

When the Tourism Industry receives a good boost, the positive spill over effects can be seen in the Residential industry – i.e. SoHo and SoVo becomes the perfect solutions for modern travellers in terms of short stay, Retail - tourists are spending, and the more attractive a destination is in terms of “shopping paradise” the higher will be the amount spent, and finally the Hospitality industry where hotels, resorts, and F&B will enjoy a rise in tourists’ arrival. Sources: Department of Statistics, Minister of Home Affairs, REI Group archives

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Quick Reads

Affordable apartments in Johor Bahru Kimlun Corp Bhd has recently received a letter of award from UEM Sunrise Bhd.’s subsidiary, Nusajaya Heights Sdn. Bhd., for the construction of affordable apartments in Johor Bahru for a contract value of RM230.7mil. The project is expected to contribute positively to the earnings and net assets of the Kimlun Group for the financial years during the contract period. The construction work is expected to be completed by August 2017.

Niche markets for Welton Welton Development Sdn Bhd will focus on niche markets in its new real estate projects in the country. Prompted by stiff competition in property development, Welton Development is said to adding value to its projects, especially in its quest to develop real estate projects outside Johor Bahru.

Tropicana’s Tropez ahead of schedule Tropicana Corporation Berhad has announced the completion of the first phase of its highly anticipated Tropicana Danga Bay development, proving that despite a challenging climate in the property sector, the company’s objectives still remain vigilant. Tropez Residences, a freehold integrated development situated in Flagship A of Iskandar Malaysia features a host of premium facilities and is the first completed phase of Tropicana Danga Bay. The serviced residences comprises of 3 blocks, offering different types of units, ranging from studio to 3+1 bedroom and duplex units. Sizes range from 463 sq ft to 1,798 sq ft, with each unit equipped with kitchen cabinets, wardrobes in master bedrooms and air-conditioners for all bedroom and living rooms. Tropez Residences is a jointventure project between Tropicana Corporation Berhad and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings.

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