The Iskandarian May 2015 Issue by The Iskandarian-WAVES Lifestyle

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 33 | MAY 2015

Official Newspaper

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

The Iskandarian,

Iskandar Malaysia’s Community Newspaper, is a public-private collaborative product by IRDA’s Social Development Division www.facebook.com/theiskandarian

The Iskandarian Monthly Drill

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

As a neigbourhood store, we are always sensitive to our customers’ needs and wants

email: admin@theiskandarian.com

- Lee Chuan Aik Managing Director & Co-Founder pg 9 Maslee Express

website/e-paper : www.theiskandarian.com

NO MORE Delays Highlight

By Edey Suresh newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

Pasir Gudang MP YB Hajah Normala Abdul Samad affirmed that there will be no more extensions given for the Phase 1 completion of the Pasir Gudang Highway

ederal Route 17 or commonly known as Pasir Gudang Highway has been undergoing extensive improvement for some time now and motorists are fed up with the traffic congestion that is created by the roadworks and deplorable condition of some parts of the highway. In March 2012, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak announced that the Pasir Gudang Highway would be upgraded from four-lane to six-lane carriageway. MP for Pasir Gudang, YB Hajah Normala Abdul Samad has voiced that she is uncompromising when it comes to seeing the roadworks being completed on schedule. “Phase 1 of the highway which stretches

from Taman Perling to the Plentong interchange must be completed by September this year. The delays are caused by the numerous bridges along the route but regardless, I am opposed to any time extensions and I expect the completion of Phase 1 as promised,” said YB Normala unyieldingly. “I am given regular updates by the contractor and I am confident that there won’t be delays,” she added. The MP also quipped that she gets many text messages of complaints from the motorists and she implores that they be patient till the given completion deadline. “Roadworks are being done while avoiding complete disruption of the traffic so it is quite a challenge” added the MP. TI

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Datuk Tee reminds the public to use correct channels to voice concerns and not to stir up the society with unnecessary rumours and false pg 3 information Hundreds flock to Seri Alam to snap up the 293 units of completed affordable pg 29 housing

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NO Favours No Discrimination Clear

As Iskandar Malaysia clocks RM158.13 Billion in investments Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of IRDA, makes his stand clear

By Edey Suresh newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

he fourth quarter of 2014 saw Iskandar Malaysia securing RM1.8 billion in new investments, bringing the total cumulative committed investment secured to RM158.13 billion from 2006 until 31 December 2014. Of the total cumulative committed investments, RM77.07 billion or 49% represents investments that have been realised as projects on the ground. Datuk Ismail stressed clearly during the recent launching of Gerbang Nusajaya by UEM Sunrise that Iskandar Malaysia was for all and neither favours nor discrimination will be permitted under his watch. He also put an end to speculation that Iskandar Malaysia was foreign driven by laying bare the statistics that of the RM158 billion in investments, more than 65% is from domestic investors. Singapore has an accumulated interest of less than 10% in Iskandar Malaysia while other key foreign investors were China, Japan, Spain

and United States of America to name a few. “If the investment supports the economic sector, then we are ready to offer reasonable incentives. No recommendations are necessary if the project will benefit the region,” emphasised Datuk Ismail. In 2014, a total of 651,536 jobs have been created in Johor and most of these came from the various sectors in Iskandar Malaysia including manufacturing, hospitality, food & beverage and education. “With the launch of the enhanced Iskandar Malaysia Comprehensive Development Plan (CDPii) by the second quarter of this year, investors and stakeholders may also get an insight into the outlook and opportunities in Iskandar Malaysia as it moves into its third phase towards maturity in 2025,” he added. When asked about if Iskandar Malaysia will have MRT services in which Datuk Ismail replied that Iskandar Malaysia was yet to have the critical mass that calls for the need of a MRT line. Instead, what is being proposed is to have a well planned BRT (Bus

Rapid Transit) instead. “To construct MRT lines will require a huge budget and I don’t think tax payers money should be wasted if there was no immediate need for it,” quipped Datuk Ismail. In terms of social inclusiveness, in 2014, 14 high performing Bumiputera

companies in Iskandar Malaysia have successfully been accredited as High Performing Bumiputera Company ( TERAS) and 13 companies received approval for the facilitation fund under Unit Peneraju Agenda Bumiputera (TERAJU). A total of RM71 million facilitation funds and grants have also been approved under various sectors namely green technology, logistics and tourism. Datuk Ismail also added that 845 students have graduated under the specialised Iskandar Malaysia Creative Industry Talent Development Programme (IMCITDP) and 70% of them have been successfully employed to support activities in the creative sector. TI

EPF withdrawal age remains at 55 RM 80k raised by Frost the Trail Highlight

Concern

Contributors of the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) will be able to withdraw their savings at the age of 55, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

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Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak (filepic)

mployees Provident Fund (EPF) members will retain their right to make full withdrawals at 55, but all contributions after that will be locked in until they turn 60. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said that EPF contributors will keep their right to

withdraw their savings at the age of 55. “I want to assure the rakyat that EPF members will retain their right to withdraw at the age of 55,” said Datuk Seri Najib. “This strikes a fair balance between the rakyat’s expectations to their hard-earned money at the age of 55 while protecting them if they retire at the age of 60,” he added. Datuk Seri Najib said that while understanding the importance of retirement savings at the age of 60, the government also always listened to the views of the people and that the vast majority of EPF members wanted the right to use their retirement funds at the age of 55.

Frost & Sullivan’s ‘Frost the Trail Iskandar Malaysia’ raises awareness

The winners with Tan Sri Shahrir bin Abdul Samad

he second installation of Frost & Sullivan’s ‘Frost the Trail Iskandar Malaysia’ corporate run for social responsibility was a roaring success with over RM 80,000 collected in event sponsorship and donations going directly to this year’s beneficiary Mercy Malaysia. Teams of corporate runners breezed through the 5km trail that ended at Little Red Cube. Guest of honour, Tan Sri Shahrir bin Abdul Samad, MP for

Johor Bahru, awarded the top 3 teams that crossed the finish line. Iskandar Investment Berhad retained their championship from the previous year clocking in at 01:42:57 on the official clock. i2M Ventures came in second while Medini Iskandar Malaysia came third. Also competing were UMLand, Mah Sing, Columbia Asia Hospital, Senai Airport Terminal Services and IUVO Solutions to name a few.

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 Media PLT. The Iskandarian does its best to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of its contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibilities for errors, mistakes and inaccuracies. The publisher reserves the rights of this product and no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher.

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GST: 268 Complains Received Concern

Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism (KPDNKK) sets up Anti-Profiteering Mobilisation Centre (PGAP) Customs enforcer, Har Khairul Rosdin Bin Baharudin showing a sample of the correctly formatted receipt with GST to Datuk Tee Siew Kiong

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ollowing the implementation of GST on April 1st 2015, KPDNKK has launched the Anti-Profiteering Mobilisation Centre (PGAP) which will be stationed at KPDNKK’s office in Menara Ansar. PGAP will be operational till 10pm every day to handle queries and complaints from the consumers. Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, Chairman of the Tourism, Commerce and Consumerism Committee of Johor launched PGAP and got hands-on by trying out the demo session himself. According to the KPDNKK, as of midApril, half a month after the implementation of GST, over 600 cases have been reported calling in. Among the cases, over 268 were complaints, and the rest were queries. Besides contact via hotline, there were over 500 cases coming from the online application e-aduan. OPS CATUT I has been conducted since 1st January 2015 to 31st March 2015. This

operation performs inspections and checks profiteering activities or unnecessary service charges implementation on 48,859 premises under integrated operations. The operation detected 486 cases with a confiscated value of RM21,048.50 and total compound collection of RM78,850.00. A total of 30 notices were issued under the AKHAP Section 21. “We are still in talks with other ministries about the implementation of service charges by certain premises. This will take some time as many parties will be affected by the outcome. Therefore, we must perform thorough investigation and scrutinize every possible solution so that all parties are happy,” said a representative from the KPDNKK. The Hotline for PGAP: Johor Bahru (072200308), Pontian (07-6871432), Kota Tinggi (07-8826800), Batu Pahat (07-4355478), Muar (06-9521094), Kluang (07-7713571), Segamat (07-9433810), Mersing (07-7981012). KPDNKK (HQ) Hotline: 1800-886-800

The Iskandarian

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

Obviously this mother has her brain in the drain for throwing her kid’s pampers and tissue in the toilet bowl!

-Sent by PMT

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Prize money for Coronation decoration Highlight

Musical Water Colours at Taman Merdeka Highlight

The winners for the colourful floats during the Coronation celebration were announced and awarded

The colour floats decorated the Tebrau Straits during the Coronation

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By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

n conjunction with the Coronation of His Royal Highness Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Tebrau Straits was filled with beautifully decorated boats and floats. The parade was held along the Danga Bay area and the boats were on display all day. A total number of 26 participants from the public and private sector joined the procession and competed to see who had the best design which showcased the spirit of Johor. They were judged by members from MOTAC, the Tourism Malaysia, Landscape Department and Politeknik Sultan Ibrahim. “I would like to thank all the 26 participants from various government and corporate agencies for their participation,” said Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, Chairman of the Tourism, Commerce and Consumerism Committee of Johor.

The winners were awarded in an appreciation event which was officiated by Datuk Tee at JOTIC. “The decorated boats parade has a potential to be developed as a tourist attraction for families and photographers,” said Datuk Tee. Johor Bahru, Batu Pahat and Segamat districts were the winners for the first, second and third places respectively for the public sector. The prizes included certificates, a trophy and prize money amounting to RM10,000, RM7,500 and RM5,000. As for the private sector, Berjaya Waterfront Sdn Bhd came in behind UDA Holdings Berhad and R&F Princess Cove respectively. The prizes were the same as those awarded to the public sector. “I hope that the media and photographers who have covered this event would post and upload their pictures and stories online via social media and other mediums to promote this programme,” he added Datuk Tee.

Taman Merdeka becoming a new attraction for tourists and locals

The colours of the Musical Fountain By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ver since the Royal Botanical Gardens or better known as the Istana Gardens was closed to the public for restoration and the recent coronation of His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Sultan of Johor, the rakyat had to migrate and transfer outdoor activities like jogging, exercising, picnics and others to Taman Merdeka. Taman Merdeka is a recreational area allocated by the Sultan and managed by the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) located along Jalan Datin Halimah, just behind the Istana Bukit Serene. Besides the Hutan Bandar MBJB and Hutan Bandar MBJBT recreational parks, many

outgoing enthusiasts visit this place to enjoy the fresh air and open grounds with family and friends. R ecently, MBJB refurbished part of Taman Merdeka to include a Musical Fountain that hopes to attract more visitors to Taman Merdeka. HRH Sultan Ibrahim graced the opening ceremony with his presence with his consort and royal family. He also officiated the opening ceremony by signing the plaque and initiating the first ever Musical Fountain show which was accompanied by fireworks. “The uniqueness and beauty of the new Musical Fountain which instills the colours of Johor Bahru is hoped to attract more local and international visitors to

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

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Taman Merdeka,” said Dato’ Haji Abdul Rahman bin Mohamed Dewam, Mayor of MBJB. He added, “The facilities provided at Taman Merdeka are free to use. The historic values integrated at Taman Merdeka as well as this new addition (the Musical Fountain) would be a great and suitable reason for visitors to come with their families and friends.” Besides the new Musical Fountain, Taman Merdeka has a track for jogging, a mini water park for kids, a playground, watch towers, obstacle courses, exercise machines and cafes for the hungry folks. Taman Merdeka is truly a beautiful recreational destination for the rakyat and tourists to enjoy.

Development Authority (IRDA) 07-233 3000

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SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES @ MY IMAGINATIVE SKOOL School Holidays have always been the most awaited time by the children. Be it a short one week or a long one month holiday. At My Imaginative Skool, children get to fill their School Holiday time with new friends and the environment. Their programmes are designed for children aged 4 to 10 years old. They feature an exciting new theme for every school break. It includes music & movement, fitness time, cooking time and play time in their two-storey pretend play setup preschool. This June 2015 school holidays, they will be featuring a ‘WIPEOUT HOLIDAY TIME!‘ theme which will include ‘Fun Defend Skills Practice’ classes conducted by Sensei Azlimmi Himzal from Seiken Karatenomichi Academy. Also, the first ever ‘Zumba Kid Class’ by Ms Yati (certified Zumba Fitness Instructor) will be made available. The June School Holiday programme runs from Monday to Thursday from 9.00am – 6.00pm. For more infomation, visit www.preschooljb.com or call 07-2342439 or 07-3642074.

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Eat Well, Live Healthy Highlight

Regency Specialist Hospital celebrated ‘World Health Day 2015’ with an event full of funfilled activities

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

egency Specialist Hospital held their annual World Health Day 2015 for the third ensuing year to create awareness among the public on the importance of healthy lifestyle through eating well with consistent exercise and regular medical checkups. “We believe in healthy living and in order to promote healthy living, we, at Regency, must be the first to eat healthy and exercise regularly,” said Ms Chin Wei Jia, Chief Executive Officer of Regency Specialist Hospital. The Regency World Health Day 2015 event was officiated by Pasir Gudang MP, YB

Hajah Normala Abdul Samad. “As we know now, health is wealth and we have to be aware and inculcate the importance of healthy lifestyles in homes and schools. We must strive to be a society that is health conscious to ensure that we are free from health risks and illness,” said YB Normala. The event saw fun-filled activities with highlights such as “Eating Well - Healthy Cooking” with renowned Chef Florence Tan, Health Screening Open House for the public and colouring contest and games for kids. The hospital also launched a “Make A Wish” tree where the public can write down messages and hang it on the tree to promote the importance of healthy living. TI

Renowned Chef Florence Tan, YB Normala and Regency CEO Chin Wei Jia showing off their skills and reminded the public that cooking healthy starts from home

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IRDA collaborates with Ronser Highlight

Ronser Bio-Tech Bhd, an integrated wastewater treatment specialist, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) earlier this year

ollowing the MoU, Ronser will carry out 3 pilot projects in Iskandar Malaysia in the areas of treatment and recycling of waste in a wet market, at a polluted river or lake and to treat and produce green energy from food waste of a restaurant or canteen. During the signing ceremony, IRDA Chief Executive Datuk Ismail mentioned that the signing with Ronser was timely as Iskandar Malaysia was developing rapidly by global standards since its inception 8 years ago. The signing also shows the commitment of Iskandar towards building a greener environment which will benefit the society. Ronser has just been awarded the prestigious 2015 Frost & Sullivan Wastewater Treatment Entrepreneurial Company of the year. This award seeks to recognise the company that has pushed the boundaries of excellence, has risen above the competition and has demonstrated outstanding per formance in Malaysia’s wastewater treatment industry. The award received by Ronser recognises its competitive differentiation and

(from left) Maimunah Jaffar (IRDA, Head of Planning & Compliance) witnessed the MoU signing between IRDA’s Chief Executive Datuk Ismail and Ronser’s Chairman Woo Min Fong alongside Ronser’s Deputy Executive Chairman Ir. Dr. Azhar Arif performance value excellence in the Malaysia wastewater treatment market. Ronser is fully supported technically by the Environmental Design & Engineering Research Centre of Shanghai Jiao Tong University led by Prof. Zhang Zhenjia, who is also the biggest shareholder of Ronser. In year 2009, Ronser signed a collaboration

agreement with Shanghai Jiao Tong University for ten years of research and development of advanced environmental technologies. This agreement also provides the company unlimited utilisation of the university’s R&D facilities. Through the continuous research and development activities of the university, cost effective and cutting edge technologies can be offered

to solve the wastewater woes of various industries. Ronser will also set up a 12,000 sq ft manufacturing plant in the Iskandar Region of Frontier Industrial Park at Maju Cemerlang to produce Mass Biosystem (MBS), their patented ammonia reducing system. This system can reduce the level of ammonia in wastewater and water to up to 1ppm, a world

standard and is now being used in a sewerage treatment plant in Subang Mewah. Ronser and its subsidiary Shanghai Kangchern Environmental Science & Technology Co. Ltd. has an impressive track record of completing projects for multibillion corporations like Wilmar, SABMiller, TAL Group, China Petrol, Coca-Cola and Kang Si Fu.

Industrial Accidents

ndustrial accidents are on the decline in Malaysia but commuting accidents have increased almost 40 percent in the past six years from 17,704 cases in 2006 to 24,809 in 2011. Commuting accidents involving our workforce has been on the increase every year since 2006. “The manufacturing sector has the highest number of accidents at work and also commuting accidents with 22,760 cases or 38 percent share of the total accidents,” said National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye . Accidents in the workplace occur for a number of reasons. It may result in a minimal or tragic, causing minor injury, damage to equipment or even in some cases, major injury or death. Employees need to stay alert and aware at all times to avoid accidents, while managers need to know the most common causes for workplace accidents and be able to identify the risk factors early to prevent it. A conducive and competitive working environment may help the organisation to run their daily operation smoothly, thus achieve their goals successfully.

Considering on how much important safety is at workplace, the Malaysian government has made efforts on executing safety and health policies through the enforcement of guidelines as well as conducting site safety seminars and certifications. Excel Safety Sdn Bhd is driven to protect the hard working employees. The company does not merely sell safety products but act as partners to provide its clients with cost effective solutions to safety problems. This can only be achieved through a fundamental knowledge of products, industry trends and changing industry standards combined with a clear understanding of the business.

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Debating Women’s Rights

he Johor Women’s League or JEWEL recently held its hightea at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru in conjunction with International Women’s Day. This is the third of JEWEL’s IWD High-Tea and ‘Guest Speaker’ series. Keynote speaker, Zainah Anwar, who was the head of Sisters in Islam for over two decades before stepping down spoke in premise to “Empowering Women, Empowering Humanity”, in accordance to the UN International Women’s Day theme for 2015. Zainah Anwar who is an acclaimed women’s right advocate and the current Director of Musawah, gave a talk which focusedeon the

Highlight

Zainah Anwar and Datuk Nur Jazlan turn up the heat at JEWEL’s annual International Women’s Day high-tea event issues of women in the working world and the low number of women in leadership positions. Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir and Suri Kempe have graced JEWEL’s speaker series in the past. Chairman of Public Accounts Committee and Member of Parliament for Pulai, Datuk Nur Jazlan officiated the occasion with

an impromptu speech emphasising about the importance of legislature in appointing women in pivotal positions in the public sector. His off the cuffs delivery suggested introducing a quota system to employ women in influential positions. Also in attendance was special guest YDH DCP Dato’ Mohd Mokhtar bin Haji Mohd Shariff,

Zainah Anwar giving her keynote speech Chief Police Officer of Johor and his wife, Datin Bibi Zakariah Meraslam. JEWEL paid tribute to the outgoing

Johor Police Chief for his invaluable support to JEWEL and to the NGO community in general. TI

Career Carnival at UTM Interest

Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) sets career paths for graduates and signs MoU with UMLand and IEM, Malaysia

Senator Wahid and UTM Chancellor Prof Datuk Ir Dr Wahid alongside UMLand’s top brass

Sabah, Land below the Wind

earing up for MyFest 2015 and the upcoming Sabah Fest 2015 that will happen throughout the month of May, Sabah Tourism Board, Tourism Malaysia and MATTA Sabah Chapter have jointly organised Sabah Destination Presentation and Travel Mart which was held at Mutiara Hotel, Johor Bahru. This intergrated effort between government agencies and tourism industry players is to promote Sabah as a desired travel destination to not only foreign tourists but also the locals.

Sabah, being part of the Borneo virgin rainforest, has beautiful coral and is a haven for wildfire and species not found anywhere else around the world. While preserving tourism products and having natural attractions that are impeccably beautiful, tourists will definitely get their value for money. The main objective of the event was to update Johor tourism industry players, government agencies and associations on the tourism developments in Sabah and to provide a platform for the

two states, to build a network, and mutually benefit from the relationships built during the travel mart session. “I am happy and with open arms invite tourists and especially the people of Johor to visit Sabah and witness its beauty both natural and cultural. There are many tourism products to choose from and many places to visit, and Sabah being the second largest state in Malaysia will prove that it has much to offer,” said Datuk Kamarlin Ombi, Assistant to the Minister of Tourism, Culture and Environment, Sabah.

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ove Your Career was the theme for this year’s Career Carnival that was organised by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia’s Career Centre with UTM’s students. The carnival was officiated by Senator Dato’ Sri Abdul Wahid bin Omar, Minister in the Prime Minister Department. Getting a job or setting a career path has always been a challenge for graduates. In regards to that, UTM Career Carnival 2015 aims to help graduates in finding their very own career path. The theme “Love Your Career” was chosen to motivate the students to choose jobs based on their course or their interests. The carnival saw participation of over 45 organisations of local and internationally acclaimed names such as Maybank, UMLand and Schlumberger which provided interviews, talks and recruitment sessions. Graduates were also exposed to real world career demands which can significantly increase employability and marketability of their rate; for example, having good

interpersonal skills like communication and management. UTM was also proud to announce their collaboration with UMLand Berhad and the Institution of Engineers Malaysia (IEM) by signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) which marks the union between the university and industries. Prof. Datuk Ir. Dr. Wahid bin Omar, UTM Vice Chancellor mentioned in his speech, “As stated in UTM’s vision which is to make UTM a world-class centre of academic and technological excellence through quality management system and quality educational programmes, the University also aims to be the leader in human development and innovative technology which will contribute greatly in transforming Malaysia.” The carnival hopes to create possibilities for future graduates to build their own platforms in enhancing their interview skills besides showing off their potentials and talents to industries around Malaysia. This stepping stone laid by UTM Career Carnival 2015 will certainly aid students in keeping up with the fast growing developments that the region is going through right now. TI

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DRILL

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.

Lee Chuan Aik

MD & Co - Founder

Monthly Drill

Maslee Express

Lee Chuan Aik is the Co-Founder cum Managing Director of Maslee Group of companies. He owns and operates 12 high volume supermarkets in Johor. Lee began his career as a distributor before venturing into the wholesale and supermarket business. Graduating with an M.C.E. Degree, Lee and his partner Lee Boon Lye formed Maslee in 1985. With extensive experience in retailing experience in the retailing industry, he works with all his store managers to continuously introduce new concepts and innovating marketing ideas. Under his guidance, the supermarket cum local convenience chain store is now a neighbourhood name to residents in Johor. Maslee Distribution Centre is also being set up in sourcing and supplying for internal stores, successfully negotiating ranging and promotional programmes with suppliers both large and small. Mr. Lee’s absolute focus now is to ensure Maslee Group becomes a recognised and respected retailer known for providing the best services and products to the customers. Lee is also the founder of Maha Global, a company which is involved in property investments in 2002.

How many years did it take from going to being a van vendor to setting up the first Maslee store?

About 10 years! My nephew and I drove around Taman Aman Senai with our van at that time carrying the name EMANIAGA selling crackers and spices. We have grown close with the community around that area and they saw us as neighbours who moved around selling simple products. We then decided to venture into the retailing business starting

off with a small mini market business occupying two shop lots. This was roughly around 1995 in the area of Tampoi where the community was growing. We started selling basic needs and fresh produce. When the business went well, we branched out to Pasir Gudang with a bigger outlet spanning 10 shop lots providing more variety in our products. Now after almost 20 years since opening our first mini market, we have a chain of 12 outlets throughout Johor.

Was your family supportive of your decision?

From the beginning my family has always supported me wholeheartedly. When we started to venture into the retailing business, I invited many of my family members to help me with the business and share a piece of its profits. Once our company Maslee Group obtained the Private Limited (Sdn Bhd) status, all of them got a position in the Board of Directors because they deserved it. They have been with me ever since the beginning through thick and thin.

Maslee Express is commonly referred to “Is My Neighbour”. R Who came up with this concept and how is it being promoted? The Board of Directors came up with this as a tagline because in the early days when we started off in Taman Aman Senai, the people used to say “Jiran Kita” which was the original word-play. We used that for quite some time and even in most of our promotional audio advertisements. However, the Board discussed that we had to translate it and registered both lines as our intellectual property. Now with the Malay and English versions of our slogan, we can expand our promotion to a bigger market size. Other promotional strategies

that we have done are to disseminate our Monthly Mailers which is like a catalogue of the products and prices that we offer. We also advertise in special media like The Iskandarian Newspaper and get involved with community activities.

GST is now a fact of life in our country. How is Maslee coping with GST and are there any plans on absorbing the GST surcharge for your customers?

Our supermarket system is in full compliance with the Customs Department’s requirements on the GST implementation. We are working very closely with our supportive vendors to lessen the impact of the selling cost using bargains, discounts, member prices, everyday low prices and many more value for money activities. Any valuable feedback from customers will be considered seriously. We use banners and shelf labels to highlight items which are zero rated GST for easy access and understanding of customers.

Coming from a very competitive genre of business, how do you remain resilient through challenging times?

First of all, our business is not competing with the big guns like Giant, Tesco and Econsave for prices and product offerings. We rather compete to strive for excellent customer services, high standards of cleanliness, attractive ambience, and constantly upgrading and reorganising the store. As a neigbourhood store, we are always sensitive to our customers’ needs and wants. For example, in locations which have more demand for fresh produce, we have a bigger section for it and even in Setia Indah; we have a section for organic foods. Maslee acknowledges talent

Quote

“As a neigbourhood store, we are always sensitive to our customers’ needs and wants”

and value the staff very well. We also maintain a good relationship with our vendors and suppliers as it relates back to how we can cater to our customers. We also have plans to venture into the supply chain by opening a distribution centre.

How many stores are there currently and any plans to expand? If yes, please state the locations if you can.

We have 12 stores around Johor. Yes, of course we have plans to expand. We were invited to open up shop even as far as Tangkak, but we would like to focus on maintaining the stores that we have now so that the quality of service does not go down. We are planning to open more stores in Johor around Seri Austin, Nusa Idaman and Bayu Puteri, just to name a few locations. This is to cater to the upper class community in Johor Bahru. In addition, as I have mentioned earlier, our expansion will include the opening of our distribution centre which will hopefully be within this year. TI

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peggy loh

My johor stories

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

Business partners with traditional coffee-shops

n a recent food trail to Muar – Bandar Maharani, the royal town of Johor – I noticed that many businesses here are run by Chinese and Malay partnerships. This interesting phenomenon is more obvious in a developing town where most traders still operate in shops rather than in malls or markets. As I discover how common it is for Malay traders to partner successfully with the Chinese, especially to serve food and drinks to a loyal clientele in coffee-shops, my curiosity is piqued. This strong relationship between the Chinese and Malay communities in Johor can be traced back to the 1800s when Johor’s ruler, Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim, the father of Sultan Abu Bakar, invited the Chinese from Singapore and Riau, Indonesia, to open up land in Johor for pepper and gambier cultivation. As large plantations were cultivated with pepper and gambier (as the state’s economic crops), Johor became the world’s largest producer of gambier. The cultivation of these crops contributed significantly to Johor’s economic progress and the legacy of this relationship continues in a tradition of Chinese-Malay business partnerships here. I’m familiar with Adam Soroso, a trader from Surabaya, Indonesia, who forged a partnership with the Tian family and their coffee-shop at Jalan Trus in Johor Bahru. In the last 25 years, Adam has established a reputation for his Nasi Padang set up within the coffee-shop to serve breakfast and lunch. From 7am, his stall will start serving a breakfast menu with local favourites like nasi lemak, mee rebus, mee siam, yong tahu and lontong while Qin Garden Kopitiam, run by Tian Wai Ing and her husband, Lim Choon Thang, will offer hot and cold beverages and traditional kaya toast and half-boiled eggs.

gained such a reputation that connoisseurs don’t mind traveling all the way to Muar just to savour its unique flavour! Besides Abu Bakar’s mee bandung, Johor cuisine like soto ayam or spicy chicken soup and satay are popular choices in the menu. I learnt that in Muar, satay is even served for breakfast and am delighted that each skewer is packed with juicy meat and not mixed with chunks of fat or skin. The

At Jalan Sisi in Muar, Ori Popia Recipe is open in front of Tin Chip Mui coffee shop At Qin Garden, I’ve seen how the affable Adam will welcome customers, show them to tables and even help to take their drink orders. It is not unusual to see Adam shouting the drinks order to the beverage maker at the rear of the shop, in the tradition of old coffee-shops! In Muar a similar scenario is being played out at Wah San kopitiam (the latter word is replaced by “Café” on the signboard) where Abu Bakar Hanipah serves his famous mee bandung Muar. While he has another outlet in Tanjung Emas, this coffee-shop along Jalan Abdullah is the original shop where his father served his special noodles recipe since 1930. This noodle specialty has

fragrance of freshly grilled satay from the grill set up on the pavement blows into the shop but nobody is complaining because it’s all part of the dining experience here. Sitting next to the cashier’s counter, I watch the Chinese man behind the counter who also doubles up as an order-taker and drinks-server. Occasionally, he yells out orders to the beverage maker who is a Chinese lady. The waiters here are a team of Malay and Chinese and it’s interesting to observe them moving seamlessly around, doing their duties to clear tables and attend to customers’ requests. The loudest person in the shop is probably Abu Bakar himself as he extols the

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merits of his mee bandung to customers (like me) who asks him a few questions. When he sees my camera, he is ready to pose for a photo but not without his product. He quickly whisks out an A4-size laminated poster of mee bandung with its brand name and makes me hold it up while he displays a frozen packet of his noodle gravy (sold as takeaways!) and happily shows a thumbs-up sign! Still amused by Abu Bakar’s enthusiasm, I continue my walking tour and inevitably spot more coffee-shops that are operated in Chinese-Malay partnerships. When I pass Sin Juan Heng coffee shop at Jalan Maharani, I can’t help pausing for a closer look. Even though the stall is closed for the day, it’s clear that this is yet another Chinese coffee-shop working in partnership with a Malay satay vendor. At Jalan Sisi, my attention is riveted to a sign above a stall, “Ori Popia Recipe” and I pause to read a bunting that lists a variety of popiah or spring rolls and snacks. A steady stream of customers is stopping to buy takeaways from the stall set up in front of Tin Chip Mui coffee-shop. I pick a table near the stall for my tea break and in between serving customers I have a chat with the trader, Lokman Mahat and his son, Muhd Shafiq. While Lokman and his son provide freshly fried snacks to eat-in and take-out customers, a Chinese waiter takes my beverage order and serves it up. As I sip my drink and chew into a tasty fried popiah coated with a spicy sauce and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds, I learn that Lokman created this special recipe popiah fifteen years ago.

The satay is sold out by afternoon at this stall in Sin Juan Heng coffee shop at Jalan Maharani in Muar

In Johor Bahru, Qin Garden Kopitiam along Jalan Trus is home to Adam’s popular Nasi Padang

At Jalan Sisi in Muar, Ori Popia Recipe is open in front of Tin Chip Mui coffee shop

Lokman, who speaks English, says his wife, three daughters and son are his biggest supporters who inspired him to venture into the snack food business. His popiah was such a popular item in catering menus and annual Ramadan bazaars that it encouraged him to start a stall for spring rolls and snacks. It’s been four years since Lokman went into a business partnership with this coffee-shop, and with the popularity of these snacks, the future of Ori Popia certainly looks promising!

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skandar Investment Berhad’s ‘Ultimate Loser Challenge’ – a healthy lifestyle programme group recently shared their experience with the students at SK Sungai Danga. The IIB ULC group shared knowledge and passion for a fit and healthy lifestyle with help from its trainer, Nizam Yusof from Galaxy Fitness who also conducted FIT Malaysia programmes in Johor.

streets

Healthy Vibes from IIB Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) shares their knowledge from their ‘Ultimate Loser Challenge’ experience during a boot camp at SK Sungai Danga while promoting fit and healthy lifestyle

Highlight

Pupils of SK Sungai Danga warming up with some Jumping-Jacks led by Nizam the trainer The boot camp and healthy lifestyle talk was led by Nizam the trainer. Over 100 pupils of SK Sungai Danga were suited up in sportswear and ready to have fun working out in the early morning sun.

In 2014, IIB had taken an initiative to promote health and fitness in its workforce to reduce the number of health complications caused by unhealthy lifestyle and lack of exercise. The initiative

Headmaster, Zamri joining his students for a bit of exercise

IIB’s ULC participants sharing their knowledge on some workout exercises was named The Ultimate Loser Challenge. 25 participants took part in the three months initiative that include three boot camps a week, gym access, monthly fitness as well as dietary counselling. Last year’s winner, Alia Quraisah Mohd Esa, lost 18.7kg in this programme. Now, in its second year, ULC scopes have widened to incorporate external parties and at the same time, being in line with IIB’s Corporate Social Responsibilities activities. SK Sungai Danga is the first of IIB’s eight adopted schools to benefit from this healthy lifestyle promotion especially tailored for primary school students. Zamri bin Abd Wahab,

Headmaster of SK Sungai Danga mentioned that the students are excited to attend this short course and he hopes that more corporate companies will look at schools when they are exercising their CSR.

“Schools have limited funds to carry out activities and we welcome any initiative to educate the students, especially learning something outside of class,” he added. “It is important that we inculcate a healthy lifestyle early on in life. Understanding its benefit will encourage them to choose a healthy lifestyle and keep them in that habit as they grow into adulthood,” said President and Chief Executive Officer of IIB, Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim. Even the Ketua Kampung of Kampung Sungai Danga, Surip bin Abdullah was present at the boot camp. TI

The children having a fun time

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No jurisdiction over Hudud says former IGP Interest

Safety and security of the country and the region was discussed during an ‘Expert Talk’ session with Tan Sri Musa bin Tan Sri Haji Hassan

he Iskandar Malaysia Information Centre (IMIC) was once again a venue for an enlightening experience when the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) with support from Greenland and Thistle Johor Bahru organised “Expert Talk”; a knowledge sharing session with the honourable former Inspector-General of the Royal Malaysian Police force, Tan Sri Musa bin Tan Sri Haji Hassan. Among the audience who were privileged to be a part of this Expert Talk were members from government agencies and enforcement such as the Royal Malaysian Police, Maritime Enforcement Agency, Malaysian Armed Forces, Religious Department of Johor,

Tanjung Balau beach gets cleaned Responsible

Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels initiated staff volunteering programme with local community

corporate organisations, NGO’s and many more. Tan Sri Musa maintained his charisma and stamina throughout the 3-hour talk with more than generous information and knowledge about the whole spectrum of safety and security of the country. Topics that he covered were controversial but relevant to the current issues which include security threats, media exploitation, national security, police brutality, due process of law, racial tangents, emerging trends, climate change and even the blue ocean strategy. “I think I have indeed made a mark during my time in the service for my country. I have come up with various methods and strategies in combating security threats whether it be foreign or domestic,” said Tan Sri Musa. A question and answer session after the talk kept the audience at the edge of their seat as the former top cop maneuvered his way around the tough questions.

About matters concerning the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Prevention of Terrorism Act (PoTA), Tan Sri Musa mentioned that they were two very different regulations that deal with very different situations. “Hudud is a Muslim Syaria’ law and we, the Malaysian police have no jurisdiction in the enforcement of it. Our duties is to abide by the constitution and to be a good policeman. A good policeman is one who gathers intelligence and not to only drive around in patrol cars,” said Tan Sri Musa when asked about Hudud. Tan Sri Musa was also the Chief Police of Johor during the rule of the late Sultan of Johor Almarhum Sultan Iskandar Ibni Almarhum Sultan Ismail. Now retired, Tan Sri Musa runs his own NGO called the Malaysia Community Care Foundation (MCCF) and shares his experiences in form of talks and lectures at universities, government agencies and corporate organisations.

Attendees from the public and private sector were left wanting more after the 3-hour session

hemed Attractions Resorts & Hotels Sdn. Bhd. (“TAR&H”) kick started its environmental conservation programme in cooperation with Lembaga Kemajuan Johor Tenggara (KEJORA) and Bayu Balau Beach Resort – aptly named Tanjung Balau Beach Cleanup Programme, which gathered over 200 volunteers including e m p l oye e s a n d l o c a l community to clean up debris along the one kilometre shoreline of Tanjung Balau Beach. The programme served to initiate TAR&H Group’s staff volunteering programme as part of the company’s sustainability focus in collaboration with local authorities and the community in Desaru. The Group Managing Director and Group Chief Executive Officer of TAR & DRH, Yang Mulia Tunku Dato’ Ahmad Burhanuddin did not miss the chance to support the programme, aimed at encouraging cleaner beach to

200 volunteers collected over one tonne of trash along the beach line support the conservation of the marine environment. The collaboration by the 200 volunteers amassed around one tonne of trash along the one kilometre beach line. The collection of rubbish were categorised into recycle, non-recycle, tar ball and hazardous items. “We strongly believe that the sustainability of our business is a long term commitment and we can only achieve this through strong partnership with our employees and the community where we serve. As a socio-economic contributor, we look at environmental sustainability as fundamental to the wider development of tourism. As such, we are committed to providing wholesome educational and entertaining content, nurturing our employees, enriching the communities we operate in and caring for the environment around us for the benefit of our future generations,” said Tunku Ahmad Burhanuddin. Through this

programme, TAR&H aims to educate the community on conservation of the beach which forms a part of the wider marine environment, as well as to promote solidarity in bridging positive impact to the beach and its surroundings. Educational talks and interactive activities were held to raise awareness of the impact of pollution on the beach. While some of the waste contaminating the sea originates from cargo ships, cruise liners, and military vessels disposing of waste overboard, many would agree that beach garbage originates from land. Cigarette butts, plastic bags, fishing line, polystyrene boxes, bottles, cans, and tires were some of the items collected that commonly found polluting beaches and waterways. Tanjung Balau Beach Cleanup Programme is one of several environmental conservation initiatives by TAR&H to promote responsible citizenship to reduce, prevent, and clean up marine debris.

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Happenings Convoy

Highlight

recap

Classic Cars Convoy at JBCC

CSR lunch by Nusa & Khao at Little Red Cube, Puteri Harbour

streets Sharing with you the happenings from last month

Convoy

Interest

Classic Cars Convoy at JBCC

Rotary Club and MICCI’s World Understanding and Peace Day

MATTA

Education

MATTA Fair 2015 at Danga City Mall

Tenby School at Popular Book Fair at Sutera Mall, sharing information about their school

Tourism

Promo

Johor Travel Fair launched by Dato’ Tel Dr. Badrul and Helmy Abd Hashim

Ponderosa’s GM Ivan Teo launches the Cantina Ladies Card. Ladies can now enjoy discounts up to 50%

Tasek Maju Charity Carnival Children’s Party 2015 By Maisarah newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

Mdm Tjang Giok Moy, Director of Tasek Maju alongside students from SK Seri Melati

asek Maju have been upholding the spirit of “Receiving from the community, giving back to the community”, as propagated by their respected founder, the late Ang Tiong Loi, throughout the years. The Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities in

Quick Ninth Inter-Club Hash 2015 Reads Run In Iskandar Malaysia The 9th Inter-Club Hash Run will be held in Johor Bahru with attendees from 15 affiliated clubs. This year, the event will be hosted by the Johor Cultural and Sports Club (JCSC) on June 20 in Johor Bahru. This annual run was started by the Selangor Club eight years ago, and the event has been variously hosted by affiliated clubs all over the peninsula, with the last host being the PJ Club. The number of attendees from 15 affiliated clubs this year is expected to be about 200-strong, and it will offer a good

opportunity for Hashers to see the progress of Iskandar Malaysia and its various exciting tourism offerings. The Hash movement which has burgeoned to more than 5,000 chapters worldwide is indeed of Malaysian origin; it is universally accepted that the Kuala Lumpur HHH (or simply called the Mother Hash) formed in 1938 by A. Gispert and other British expatriates, is the progenitor of this great event. For further information, please contact JCSC at 07-2323 555 / e-mail: jcscjb@ gmail.com

Johor Travel Fair 2015 The fourth edition of the Johor Travel Fair (JTF) was recently organised by Tuah Saujana Venture at Johor Bahru City Square. Over 20 local travel organisations showcased and promoted their products and services to the locals and also our neighbours from Singapore. The highlight of the JTF 2015 is to promote domestic tourism. This focus is to create awareness for locals and inward bound tourists on the many holiday destinations and packages available in the beautiful country of Malaysia. Due to the weakening Ringgit value, it will cost more for Malaysians to travel abroad, thus, it only makes sense for

average Malaysians to travel domestically. JTF 2015 attracted over 30,000 visitors throughout the three day weekend (Friday- Sunday). Travel organisations offered various types of services such as tourist guides, vacation planning, membership programmes and many more. Some also brought merchandise and brochures to be exhibited and given out to visitors to create excitement and attraction. Destinations that were available included resorts, hotel, beaches, waterfalls, islands and many more throughout the Malaysian Peninsula and East Malaysia.

the past have been encompassing school funding, helping the underprivileged from several orphanages in Johor Bahru as well as overseas relief fund raising as per their theme; “Sharing is Caring”. This year, the group invited sixteen primary schools from needy families around Johor Bahru and One Children Home for a high tea session with ice cream, cakes and

cotton candy at Grand BlueWave Hotel Johor Bahru. A total of 170 students and also their teachers and care takers were present. Overall, it was a day of fun, with lots of prizes and various activities lined up. Madam Tjiang Giok Moy, Director of Tasek Maju Groups of Companies distributed school bags, shopping vouchers and stationery sets to all the children.

The Iskandarian ISSUE 33 | MAY 2015 Advertisement

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APRIL 15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

NMEusW ic

Kendrik Lamar is back!

Mall Cop 2

Paul Blart serves another comedy hit

4 Powerful Things to Do in a Relationship BY ROSE OSMAN

MAY 2015 | Page 2

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

editor’s note

Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly”

MU S IC U P DAT E S Source: Universal Music Singapore

Kendrick Lamar’s “To Pimp A Butterfly” gets rave reviews!

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

s we Johorians are still getting over the historical moment of our HRH Sultan Ibrahim’s coronation on 23rd March, another hot topic on everyone’s lips is the three letter word – GST! Ever since its implementation a month ago, there has been a lot of confusion pertaining to what to pay and not and in some cases businesses which have increased their prices beyond control. The good news is, the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism has come up with a guideline and is handling queries and complaints from the consumers and taking necessary action against errant owners. On a lighter note, watch funny man Kevin James take on criminals in the sequel of Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 and on the music front Kendrick Lamar pimps away to Number One! Our beautiful Rose tackles a really interesting issue pertaining to relationships this month. Love Italian food and want to have it “privately”? Flip over the pages to know where in our “Go local, Eat local and Stay local” travel column. As for our must eat; Tony raves about “Just Want Coffee” and its waffles! 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

Kendrik Lamar

Kendrik’s new album has received a 9.1 user score on metacritic.com and a perfect 5 score on HipHopDX’s editors’ pick

ritically acclaimed rapper Kendrick Lamar surprise-released his new album “To Pimp a Butterfly” and it has already shot straight to #1 of the Album Charts in the US, UK and Australia. Kendrick Lamar has also made the biggest vault to No. 1 on the Billboard Artist 100 since the list launched, rocketing 82-1 for his first week on top, powered by sales of his new album. The album has also broken streaming records on Spotify. Tracks from the follow up album to Good Kid, M.A.A.D. City notched up 9.6 million streams on the album’s first full day of release, more than any other LP has recorded in the streaming service’s seven-year existence. HipHop DX said, “Kendrick lyrically invites weighty comparisons to all-time

greats and does so on an album lathered in undeniable rhythms and universal themes: Equality, classism, spirituality, justice for all. Timing, perspective and execution separate borrower and biter, the general and the genius.”

“As angry as Kanye, as funky as D’Angelo, more self-flagellating than Drake and as righteously cosmic as Erykah Badu, Kendrick Lamar’s latest album does not disappoint. His breakthrough album of 2012 cast this native of Compton, California as a “good kid” from a “maad city”, a poet promoted out of the war zone to tell his tale. Months in the anticipating, its follow-up, To Pimp a Butterfly (the title improves after one play), finds Lamar eyeing up America, turning his back on the lure of easy stardom,” said The Guardian’s review. “To Pimp a Butterfly requires an extra commitment. Even the most casual attention to the lyrics can unveil the complexity of Lamar’s critique of institutional racism, consumer capitalism, hip-hop culture, justice, and his own choices as an artist, as a black man, and as a human being,” quoted tinymixtapes.com

New Album release by Best Coast: California Nights

Priya

est Coast - singer/ songwriter/guitarist Bethany Cosentino and guitarist Bobb Bruno will release their third full-length album, entitled ‘California Nights’, on Harvest Records on May 5th. To celebrate the release of California Nights, Best Coast has

also announced a North American spring tour with dates to be announced soon. California Nights - produced by Wally Gagel (Miley Cyrus, New Order, Muse), and recorded at WAX LTD in Hollywood, California is a brighter, more sparkly, more sophisticated, and more psychedelic embodying the rich lightness and stinging darkness of a California state of mind. The love stories Bethany spins on California Nights details the highs and the lows of relationships, similar to the juxtaposition of the band’s native Los Angeles - a place tinted by candy-coloured palm trees and pale blue skies while existing within the loneliness and desperation of waterless place. More than that, there is a literal meaning to the record’s title - Cosentino is a well-

documented insomniac whose creativity spirals out in the early hours of the morning, allowing her to write, undisturbed, and the finest album Best Coast has made to date. Tracklisting: 1. Feeling Ok 2. Fine Without You 3. Heaven Sent 4. In My Eyes 5. So Unaware 6. When Will I Change 7. Jealousy 8. California Nights 9. Get Outta My Head 10. Run Through My Head 11. Sleep Won’t Ever Come 12. Wasted Time

MAY 2015 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle Motivation

Four Powerful Things to Do in a Relationship (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.

f you look around, most relationships these days fail easily. This is because the foundation we build the relationship (including marriage) upon is based on our ego’s need. Although we feel love in the beginning of the relationship, this kind of love is a chemistry process, and wouldn’t last. Think about this: Ever wonder why the love we felt before seems fading away after few years in the relationship? However, there are powerful methods that can help us build stronger foundation for the relationship. The only challenge is

tackling our ego’s need to be the superior one in a relationship. If we are willing to shift and allow love from higher level to take charge, our relationship and marriage can be saved. These are the things you can practise with your loved ones: Knowing the energy design of ourselves and the other person. Every one of us are unique in terms of energy flow. It is time to look beyond the physical features and pay attention to the energetic uniqueness. Knowing each other’s uniqueness can help us be our true self and allow the energy to flow in harmony.

Acceptance means to allow the person or things to be as it is and without the urge to change them. The truth is we cannot change people and things around us. What we can change is our perception towards the person, the situations and so forth. Since mind is the centre of perception, therefore it is the only part we can change. Try practising this; whenever your loved one is doing something against you, step back and tell yourself ‘I accept this totally’. This might be difficult for you in the beginning but your acceptance will help the other person find his/her own steps in the relationship.

By Rose Osman

Personal Motivator & Energy Coach yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses

MOVIE pREVIEW PAUL BLART: MALL COP 2 Genre: Comedy Malaysia release date: 7th May 2015 Rating: na Cast: Kevin James, Raini Rodriguez, Neal McDonough and Shirley Knight Director: Andy Fickman Producer: Todd Garner, Kevin James, Adam Sandler, Jack Giarraputo Executive Producer: Marty P. Ewing, Jeff Sussman, Ben Waisbren Written by: Kevin James & Nick Bakay

Synopsis In this sequel, in which Kevin James reprises the role of Paul Blart, the security guard is headed to Las Vegas to attend a Security Guard Expo with his teenage daughter Maya (Raini Rodriguez) before she departs for college. While at the convention, he inadvertently discovers a heist – and it’s up to Blart to apprehend the criminals.

Source : Sony Pictures Malaysia

MAY 2015 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Calendar of Events

May 2015

go local eat local stay local

Go Italian at Tosca at DoubleTree by Hilton Savoir-faire

The Tosca, Trattaoria Italiana at DoubleTree by Hilton offers private dining experience for social and corporate groups with great authentic Italian food and hospitality

xperience the rustic feel of authentic Italian food and hospitality offered by Chef Massimo Zampar at the Tosca Restaurant located on the 13th floor of the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Johor Bahru (JB).

1st May 2015 •

Labour Day

• Beach Sports Festival @ Air Papan, Mersing • Tanjung Balau Festival @ Tg. Balau, KT

JB, 1st - 10th May 2015 Swiss Dream Circus @ Plaza Angsana Open Ground

JB, 1st - 3rd May 2015 Classical Music Festival @ Berjaya Waterfront Hotel

JB, 1st - 3rd May 2015 Property Investment fair @ Komtar JBCC

3rd May 2015

Chef Massimo Zampar serving the homemade Italian pizza

Ever since the establishments’ opening in July 2014, Tosca has been the go-to restaurant for residents and visitors alike who are looking for a cosy and private dining experience. Aside from its stunning panoramic view of the straits of Johor, the Trattoria Italiana presents guests with a range of dining options, from alfresco dining by the poolside, to a more intimate and warm dining experience in either one of three private rooms.

Happy Vesak Day

JB, 8th May 2015 Study in Melbourne Fair @ Grand Paragon Hotel

10th May 2015 Happy Mother’s Day

JB, 15th May 2015 IDP Johor Exbition @ KSL Resort Hotel

JB, 22nd – 24th May 2015 Iskandar on Wheel Fest 2015

Spore, 30th May - June 2015 Great Singapore Sale

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

A delicious spread prepared by the chefs

The open kitchen concept features an antipasto table and a wood-fire style of making pizza. Each private room has a view to offer to guests. One room in particular not only lets diner view the outside but also the inside which is the kitchen works. Chefs and cooks would be on their best behavior or maybe just to show off some flair while preparing the dishes for the eagerly hungry guests. “I do not use any MSG whatsoever. All the food prepared are fresh and homemade by our hands. I feel that Tosca provides a rustic Tuscan environment and brings authentic Italian flavour to the dishes with a wide range of olive oils and Italian wine,” said Chef Massimo Zampar. Chef Massimo offers three different course menus for the three private rooms. However, the menu can be altered and catered upon request from the guest. Special appetisers such as Caesar Salad, Pasta, Buffalo Mozzarella and Sorbet to

Finesse

Tosca is an Italian Trattoria, offering both indoor and outdoor seating, overlooking the poolside

cleanse the palette are served before the main course rolls out. Tosca also offers a Tuscany Family Style Dinner for families who would like to share and take a bite out of all the appetisers. Main course served are Ovenbaked Zesti Sea Bass Fillet, Grilled Rib Eye Tagliata, Oven-Baked Cod Fish, Braised Lamb Shank, or Grilled Veil served with roasted potatoes, slow cooked Roma tomatoes, green asparagus and choice sauce of Béarnaise, mushroom, mustard, black pepper or fish sauce. End the perfect private lunch or dinner session with a bite of choice deserts such as Vanilla Panna Cotta, Tiramisu, Chocolate Mousse, Strawberry Layered Cake and wash it all down with coffee or tea. Simon McGrath, General Manager of DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru said, “The F&B scene is constantly evolving as guests become more astute and discerning. What worked previously may not be the case now, which is why DoubleTree by Hilton came up with the

Grilled veil and lamb with some ravioli

concept of Tosca – to ultimately provide an unparalleled experience for our guests. This come part and parcel of our motto of putting the human touch back into guests’ travel and dining experience.” Level 13, DoubleTree By Hilton 12 Jalan Ngee Heng, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor

Kitchen Works view

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live

What is Smart Healthy City and Communities?

healthy city and communities is one that continually creates and improves its physical and social environment, and expands the community resources that enable people to mutually support each other in performing all the functions of life and developing to their maximum potential. Healthy Cities and Communities in Iskandar Malaysia focus on reducing Non Communicable Disease including Health Facilities and Services, ICT enablers and Infrastructure and Town Development. The Government, Private Sectors and the Communities, could collaborate by increasing the Medical and Health care facilities in urban areas, and provide adequate affordable housing which would enhance the quality of life for the people. Generally, healthy cities project will focus on 4 major dimensions i.e. aesthetic and cultural, social and economic, physical and environmental and health and safety. Approaches used for Smart Healthy City & Communities: • Intersectoral partnerships: One of the fundamental principles of healthy cities approach is that the major determinants of health are found in environmental, social, economic, political, and cultural conditions and the behaviours they shape rather than in the provision of health care. The creation of healthy community coalitions remains a fundamental objective of the healthy city and community approach. •

Sustainable, safe, liveable, green, whole communities: Health is a very broad concept, and it covers everything

from DNA to global climate change. Thus, a healthy city or community can readily incorporate concepts of safety, environmental sustainability, liveability, and other aspects of a city and community life. However, it would be a mistake for those concerned with making cities healthier to claim to cover all of these other approaches. For some people and communities, the concept of safety, liveability or sustainability may be more appropriate and useful by mobilising people’s energy and commitment. But if any of these issues is pursued in depth and holistically, we are likely to find an overlap, and similarities of these different approaches. Therefore, it is important to use an approach that works best which results in improving the overall health, well-being, and quality of life of the community and its members. Why do we need to implement this? A Healthy City and Communities initiative aims to: • To create a health-supportive environment, • To achieve a good quality of life, • To provide basic sanitation & hygiene needs, • To supply access to health care Who are the people involved in making this happen? List of Key Players in a Healthy Cities Project • community members • local, provincial/state and national politicians • government service providers from a

• • • • • • • • • • •

variety of sectors (e.g. health, welfare, transport, police, public housing authority) community service providers non-governmental organisations community-based organisations private enterprise interests consumer groups local government authorities state government authorities relevant national government authorities ethnic groups community media educational institutions

How will life change for the community? Give some examples of how a particular system is like now, and how it will change once this initiative is implemented. The Healthy Cities and Communities in Iskandar Malaysia approach recognises the determinants of health and the need to work in collaboration across public, private, voluntary and community sector organisations. This way of working and thinking includes involving local people in decision-making, organisational and community development, and recognises the process to be as important as the outcomes. • Provides the basic amenities for all its citizens; more walkways, proper food premises • Is one where real harmony exists between various ethnic groups and religious beliefs; creation of Healthy Youth Park • Is safe, secure and affordable; • Has responsible, dedicated, disciplined, caring and health-conscious citizens;

• Is a dynamic city, with a vibrant and resilient economy, and ample employment opportunities for all; creation of Mobile Health Services to cater for the needs of the community on accessibility to Health Services to their home or work place • Has state -of-the -art transports, communication and information systems; creation of Personal Health Diary via Mobile Apps where people are connected via the web • Is beautiful, clean, and pollution-free; more green lung, more smoke free zone Gazzetment, ensuring all developers confirm to the allocation of cycling lane and walking pavement • Has adequate and easily accessible recreation facilities, to meet the diverse needs of its citizens; • Is a city where the culture and arts are actively promoted and appreciated; and • Has a readily available and affordable opportunity for further education. How to sustain the Healthy City & Communities initiative? The most successful Healthy Cities programmes maintain momentum from: • The commitment of local community members; • A clear vision; • The ownership of policies; • A wide array of stakeholders; • A process for institutionalizing the programme (Source: With permission, this article is partly based on Hancock, T., “The Evolution, Impact, and Significance of the Healthy Cities/ Communities Movement,” Journal of Public Health Policy, Spring 1993, pp. 5-18)

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An Introduction to RTC Johor Empowerment

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A total of nine initiatives will be executed in RTC Johor’s operational radius

total of nine initiatives will be executed in RTC Johor’s operational radius. The initiatives are:-

A. Initiative 1 – Skills and Training and Initiative 2 – Information Kiosk MRRD helps the rural population by providing on-going training opportunities to rural communities in the RTC centres and surrounding areas aimed at enhancing the knowledge, skills and ability to raise revenue, job opportunities and living standards. Among the trainings offered includes Entrepreneurships, Products Developments, Services Development, Knowledge, Education, Marketing, Agricultural, Tourism and Technologies. 1Malaysia Information kiosks is onestop information centres that combine information and services offered by various ministries / agencies. There are five information kiosks located in the RTC and offers a variety of services for example:• KKLW Kiosk - Provides Info Desa information and agencies mailing system • Malaysia Kiosk - Jobs offering employment opportunities and workers’ recruitment, • Agri-Food Business Development Centre Kiosk - Allows people to get information on the community development of agrofood business • KPDNKKKiosk - Users can talk via an

interactive forum regarding consumerism issues. For example, the Price watch current price forum and users’ SMS application service • MyEGKiosk - Get a range of information of public agencies B. Initiative 3 – High-Value Agriculture, Initiative 4 – Agro-Food Products Processing, Initiative 5 – Agricultural Produce Supply Chain Management. MOA through Initiatives 3, 4 and 5 aims at establish more high value agriculture projects, developing food processing entrepreneurs in the field that emphasises on the development and improvement in product quality for domestic and global markets, and strengthen food product supply chain management. Attention is placed on value-added activities and towards the national agro-based industry development that is integrated into improving of income of the farming community. C. Initiative 6 – University Cooperation The Ministry of Higher Education is responsible for leading the university cooperation initiatives in strengthening Rural and Urban links. Student Volunteer Programme (Volunteerism) and Knowledge Transfer Programme (Knowledge Transfer Programme) are crucial to this initiative. This programme

hopes to create awareness among students and to produce the knowledgeable society to achieve the objective of enhancing the socio-economic status of rural communities. Volunteering activities that will be implemented in the programmes are Health for Malaysia, Educate Malaysia and Rural Ambassador. D. Initiative 7 – Health Services 1Malaysia Health Services offered by the Ministry of Health Malaysia (MOH) through a number of major activities including Technical Advisory Service for Food Safety Assurance and Technical Advisory for Security Assurance of Traditional Medicines and Cosmetics. Food Safety and Quality Division (BKKM) is responsible for protecting the public from health hazards and fraud in the preparation, sale and consumption of food. Food safety activities implemented through the provisions under the Food Act 1983, Food Regulations 1985 and Food Hygiene Regulations 2009. BKKM also offers some recognition to assist the food industry to produce safe food including the 1Malaysia Food Safety Scheme (SK1M) which was launched in November 2010 specifically to assist Small and Medium Industries (SMIs). National Pharmaceutical Control Bureau, Ministry of Health (KKM) is responsible for ensuring that registered traditional products and modified cosmetics produced by local or

imported advertisers for the local market are safe, effective and quality. Traditional product or cosmetics producers will be assisted in the registration or notification of their company’s products. E. Initiative 8 – Financial Services The Ministry of Finance in collaboration with financial institutions and government agencies has provided micro credit financing to borrowers at the RTC. The funding schemes offer low rate interest/profit aims to help the entrepreneurs conducting business activity in RTC. Financial Institutions and funding facilities available are the Rural Economy Financing Scheme (SPED), Bank Simpanan Nasional that provides micro-finances, TEKUN Nasional that provides Microfinance and Entrepreneurship Development Support and MARA Entrepreneur Guarantee Scheme (SJUM) that provides financing to entrepreneurs. Through this scheme, Mara works with commercial banks that offer financing facilities and MARA acts as a guarantor. F. Initiative 9 – Rural Tourism RTC Johor will focus on developing the homestay programme. Homestay industry gives tourists the opportunity to stay with a chosen family, interact and experience the daily life of their homestay family and learn the culture and lifestyle of the rural community especially in Johor.

PUTRA LEADS to Empowerment Highlight

recent visit to Kota Tinggi with RTC Johor proved that nothing is more powerful than the support and belief of the community. RTC Johor had been active with community projects throughout Johor and has been on an ongoing mission to gather and empower the readily available human capital that is available in the region. Putra Leadership Institute is an initiative that was hatched from the collaboration works between RTC Johor and its components to improve transformation programmes and government services for the society through working with collaborative initiatives based on the productivity, creativity and innovativeness of all who are involved. Also in line with RTC Johor’s NBOS (National Blue Ocean Strategy), the efforts to implement smart partnerships while creating and shaping a leadership and life-long learning institute for the

RTC Johor looks to transform and empower human capital through the implementation of the Putra Leadership Institute development of the Johor rakyat is translated in the Putra Leadership Institute. PLI or Putra Leadership Institute is responsible for the implementation, monitoring and management and initiating human capital transformation for Johor through • Development of First Class Mind Transformation for Johor citizens whether from the rural or urban areas. • Coordinate and provide courses, training programmes, tuition, seminars, and conferences. • Vocational training, create job opportunities and improve income. • Entrepreneurial and leadership development. • Improving collaborations between various parties from private and government sectors, community, individuals and even relevant volunteers. All training programmes and activities conducted by RTC Johor will be directed to PLI. These

programmes include all NBOS programmes that include various ministerial programmes. PLI is the first in Malaysia and its success will present opportunities for more expansive

and productive collaborative works in the future. RTC Johor is planning to launch Putra Leadership Institute later this year at a facility in Akademi Kemahiran dan Latihan Insan, Kota

Tinggi. However, the institute is already available for hire based on bookings. Bookings can be made by contacting RTC Johor on Facebook or visit the RTC Johor website at rtcjohor.com.

Dr Azlan (extreme right) and members of the RTC & Putra team

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The Importance of Mega Trends for Long-Term Sustained Growth Mega Trends 7:

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

n this coming decade, there will be some very dramatic shifts in the demographics of the global population and more specifically in the Asia Pacific region. The world population which was estimated at 6.83 billion at the end of 2010 is expected to grow to about 7.55 billion at the end of 2020. There are two very distinct trends within this population growth. The population of people above the age of 65 will grow dramatically and more than double in this period of time. It will grow from 530 million well into the excess of 1.2 billion. This poses an interesting challenge especially for the developed

Changing Demographics and Generation Y (part I)

markets globally, which account for a high percentage of the global aging population. It is important to note that healthcare spending by countries currently average between 5 to 10 percent of GDP. It will have to increase to between 15 to 20 percent of GDP to keep pace with growth in the aging population. An increased percentage of people above 65 will necessitate higher spending for healthcare. Per capita spending on healthcare is growing much faster than per capita GDP for most countries today and this is a worrying trend. Most nations will not be financially capable to make a commitment to this level of spending. The only way to address the healthcare spending issue is to dictate a shift in spending away from treatment to predicting, diagnosing and monitoring. The focus will shift towards keeping people healthy rather than treating them when they fall sick. The Information and Communication Technology industryor Healthcare IT, as it is popularly known, will have an important role to play in addressing this challenge and opportunity. The other trend in

demographics is specifically to do with the Asia Pacific region and the increasing importance of Generation Y (Gen Y). This segment of the population (aged between 15 and 34) will account for 33 percent of the global population by 2020. This is about 2.56 billion people. Interestingly 37 percent of the global Gen Y population will be from India and China alone. It will be closer to 42 percent if we account for the entire Asia Pacific region. Generation Y and its importance Gen Y is important because this generation has a completely different set of values, beliefs, interest and lifestyle as compared to the other demographic segments. Their consumption patterns and preferences will vary greatly from others and a deeper understanding is required to do well in addressing the needs of this segment. We discuss below four distinct attributes which are applicable to the Gen Y. • P e r s o n a l i s a t i o n and Individualisation: Gen Y is accustomed to products and

services which are highly personalised. They will expect a significant degree of personalisation and individualisation in all of their consumption and will even be willing to pay a premium for it. This is the segment that will drive the growth of companies such as makeyourownjeans.com (discussed in the previous Mega Trend) in the next 10 years. • Techno Savvy and Connected: Communication styles have changed dramatically in the last decade; the telephone was once the primary communication medium. This then changed to email. Today almost every one sends and receives more emails than making phone calls any given day. In the last 18 months, social networking usage globally has exceeded the usage of email. It is quite possible that email as a communication mechanism will account for a very small percent of total communication time by 2020. The success of Twitter and Facebook has led us to believe and confirm that Gen Y prefers to communicate in a broadcast mode as compared to a one-o-one communication

mode. There are many implications of this for businesses. Call centres will be rendered irrelevant. The shift in spending on advertising from print to these web 2.0 mediums will happen at a much faster rate moving forward. Every organisation will have dedicated teams to manage their communication through social media. • Civic and Environment Friendly: This generation is growing up with a great degree of awareness about the importance of taking care of Planet Earth. They will choose eco-friendly transportation modes, use paperbags instead of plastics and may never print any document. They will look out to ensure that the products they consume are manufactured by companies that are environmentally responsible. • Demanding, impatient and global: Gen Y is growing up on instant messaging. They expect immediate solutions and constantly multi-task; the overall pace of doing things will be quite fast. They are unlikely to have the patience to hold on a call, waiting for the call center agent to pick up after five or ten minutes.

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invest

Accumulating Wealth Tips & Tricks

Tey Bin Yuen 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 Module 1’ on 12 April 15. Collect this article and present upon registration to receive exclusive rebate. Reach his team at contact@teybinyuen.com

few days ago, I had an interesting session with my students during an investing workshop. Besides the usual sharing of investing skills, we discussed what winning investors have in common in terms of their personal qualities. Coincidentally, many expressed similar views such as discipline, confidence, taking full responsibility, humility and being reflective. Although these traits sound like from self-help book; but trust me, they are absolutely crucial when it comes to

Five Good Personal Qualities of a Winning Investor

investment. Let’s explore how they’d help you become a winning investor: 1. Discipline Nothing great in the world can be achieved without having good discipline. Being disciplined means you’re able to do the things that you normally don’t feel like doing but still need to do. And most importantly, do them consistently. For example, instead of thinking how much money you could make, always think about how much you can afford to lose first. This doesn’t sound like a comfortable thing to do, but if you handle it well, you can always preserve your capital and it can help you win in the long term. Being disciplined also means you can execute what you’ve planned. For instance, if you’ve planned to buy a counter where its share has dropped to RM2.70, you buy instead of procrastinating. Similarly for taking profits, you sell when it reaches

your target price. Here, your discipline overrides your greed. 2. Confidence Would you agree that confidence is the key ingredient to succeed in life? You bet. But where does your confidence come from? It comes from within. We build confidence either through setbacks (there is no failure) or success; we become more confident when we learn new things (or mistakes), practice and create consistent returns from the stock market. It’s you who gives you the confidence because you know you’re able! 3. T aking Full Responsibility It means taking full responsibility of our own investing results, be it good or bad. If you’re always getting good results consistently, congratulations! You know what you’re doing. But if you don’t get what you want, you’re the one who

created it. It’s important to take full responsibility and find out what happened, and move forward. Bear in mind that if someone always complain or attribute poor results to external factors such as the market, economy or even the government, he or she will lose the power to take charge. 4. Humility Humility is one of the greatest virtues amongst all. You may be surprised why humility can be important in investment. For those who always make consistent profits, it’s more likely they’d feel complacent and overconfident. When complacency sets in, they’d be less prudent and overlook and may receive a lesson from the market. Humble people are not humble for the sake of being humble. They know the world is much bigger and there are others who are better than them. Plus, they don’t solely attribute their

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success to their own gift, but from other people they learn from. 5. Being reflective Investment is a mind game. It requires our mind and brain to work together. Being reflective means we can always look at ourselves from within when seeing how other people behave. For instance, how would you feel when seeing other people panic sell during a market crash? You’d see if you’re like them or behave completely the opposite. The benefit of being reflective is that you can borrow other people’s mistakes and learn from them. It saves you much time and shortens your learning curve. So where do you see yourself right now? Do you smile from the heart because you possess some of the above qualities? Or, you’ve seen some opportunities to be a better investor? Regardless, you don’t have to be great to start; you can start to be great!

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George & Dragon Café marks its 13th anniversary Highlight

George & Dragon Café still running strong this past thirteen years to loyal customers and attributes its success to its team of staffs

Chef’s Henry, Kevin and Firdaus

eorge & Dragon Café opened its first restaurant in Taman Tasek in May 2002 and its second in Johor Premium Outlets in December 2011. The success of a restaurant is the sum of all its parts and those who are in the business know that there are very many parts! This year George & Dragon Café would like to acknowledge the part served by their staffs who have been working hard in the kitchen over the past 13 years! At the centre of George & Dragon Café’s success has been a core group of people some of whom have been with the restaurant for more than 12 years! A few weeks after the Café opened, Sharianah Panachok, a young and bright 22 year old came by looking for work, and without

hesitation they hired Nana (as she is affectionately known) as a cook. Thirteen years later, Nana is still with the Café and now runs the kitchen in their Taman Tasek branch together with Roszaidi Bin Rosli, who joined in 2012. A few months after Nana’s arrival, Chef Henry Tan joined the team and together Henry and Nana have created many dishes and menus enjoyed by customers over the years. Chef Henry now works hard coordinating the two branches developing the menus, dishes and the kitchen teams. Many of the staff who joined the Café at its opening of the branch in Johor Premium Outlets have stayed on making a huge contribution and are a great team, including Mohamad Firdaus Bin Johari, Kevin Wong and Mohd Hakim Bin Zainal. Over the past decade,

Patricia Chew flanked by Nana and Zaidi

although many patrons come for its signature sirloin and rib eye steaks, their fish dishes attracts customers too. The traditional Fish ‘n’ Chips is very popular as well as grilled fillets of Salmon with its signature sauces. Besides that, their famous cheesecake and homemade scones all baked in their kitchens also make a great English Afternoon Tea. The restaurants are open every day from lunch to 10pm in Johor Premium Outlets and to 11.30pm in Taman Tasek. You can check opening times in more detail by visiting their website www. georgeanddragoncafé.com. Both restaurants host private functions such as company dinners, birthday parties, family get-togethers and business meetings. The teams in the kitchen will customise a menu to suit your party’s needs. Just ask Chef Henry!

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Johor kaki Just Want Coffee JWC, The Factory 30

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.

JWC Signature Coffee

ust Want Coffee, The Factory 30 (JWC) created quite a stir in the JB coffee scene since it opened. I visited the outlet twice so far and enjoyed myself there. JWC is inside a refurbished factory in the industrial area of Mount Austin surrounded by large warehouses and greasy car workshops. When you arrive, you may be greeted by a pulled down shutter, do not panic as the entrance is at the glass doors on the left. The Food The menu here is simple and straightforward on a single sheet. Their waffles are good here as it’s made fresh when there is an order. I loved that sweet buttery aroma rising from the waffle machines and couldn’t resist ordering one to try. I enjoyed the butter caramel waffle (RM14.20+). The thick freshly baked fluffy waffle made of flour, eggs, milk and butter was slightly crisp outside, bouncy soft inside, and not overly sweet. It comes

Location Restaurant name: Just Want Coffee, The Factory 30 Address: No 30, Jln Mutiara Emas 5/3, Taman Mount Austin, Johor Bahru Map: http://goo.gl/maps/r3Qnc GPS: 1.547554,103.776383 Hours: 2:00pm to 12:00 midnight No pork, no lard, no Halal cert Butter Caramel Waffle with spreads of premium butter, caramel, whipped cream and ice cream. Another signature dish here is their tiramisu. Its classic tiramisu with spongy liquor and coffeesoaked ladyfingers between rich mascarpone custard and whipped cream is really delicious. But, there is a cool JB twist - Customers here like their tiramisu icy cold, so JWC keeps their tiramisu in a freezer

before serving! The Drink The coffee I had was a house blend of Mandheling, Brazilian, Colombian, and Indonesian. I tried the 8oz Original Latte (RM10.00+) and enjoyed the round bodied, smooth, rich yet mild flavours. Besides Café food, The Factory has a space reserved for art and cultural events and activities.

JWC’s Classic Tiramisu

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EGOLAND Malaysia Resort announced its amazing lineup of activities for the annual upcoming LEGO Star Wars Days celebrations happening during the month of May. The highlight this year features a special parade by fans of LEGO and Star Wars from Malaysia as well as Singapore. On the 3rd – 4th May, Star Wars fans from various groups will be leading the Imperial March from the LEGOLAND Hotel to the LEGO Star Wars Miniland model display located at the Theme Park. The march will start at 10.30am with over 50 dressed-up fans from Malaysia and Singapore. The first 500 fans to come dressed as their favourite Star Wars character on 4th May will receive a special goodie bag containing a LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort shopping voucher worth RM100, an exclusive LEGO Star Wars

Attraction

Annual LEGO Star Wars Days celebrations happening in the month of May with special parade by fans from Malaysia and Singapore Stormtrooper Sergeant Minifigure, LEGO Star Wars Microfighter set and special LEGO Star Wars keychains. Earlier in the months of January to March, LOM LUG, a leading LEGO fan group in Malaysia, held a competition for LEGO and Star Wars fans all over Asia, who were invited to submit their own Star Wars themed LEGO model creations. The three competition categories included Kidz Builder (9 years and below), Junior Builder (10 – 15 years) and Master Builder (16 years and above). During the May the

Fourth event at the Park, the winners of each category will be announced while their winning creations will displayed at the Park till August 2015. “LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort is a natural choice with its one of a kind LEGO Star Wars Miniland model display. This will be the first time the Resort will be celebrating the event in such a huge way. We honoured to be able to support and engage with LEGO fans for the activity,” said Mark Germyn, General Manager of LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort.

“Furthermore, 2015 is the Year of Festivals for Malaysia and this is a great event for visitors to include in their travel diary in May”, he added. Throughout the month of May, Park guests will be able to participate in activities that include photo opportunities with a LEGO Star Wars photo wall, and building stations for guests to try their hand at building LEGO Star Wars Microfighters and contribute to a

LEGO Star Wars Mosaic mural. Over at the LEGO Mindstorm Centre, a LEGO Star Wars themed workshop for children will be held as well. Additionally, visitors to the Resort can also purchase a limited time annual pass starting 1st - 4th May with a Buy 3 Free 1 deal for all standard and premium annual pass purchases. For daily scheduled activities and details of promotions, visit www. LEGOLAND.my

Budget & Elegance @ Austin Hotel Austin Paradise Hotel in Johor Bahru is one of the top budget hotels made available in Mount Austin and Pulai area. Established in March 2011, the hotel offers accommodation for short stays to businessmen who live out of the suitcase and even families coming over to Johor Bahru for the weekends. Ranging from simple single bed rooms to an exclusive

executive suite which has a Jacuzzi in it. Austin Hotel also provides a spacious conference room for events such as meetings and social events that can accommodate up to 50 pax. The conference room is equipped with facilities that can cater most small scale corporate events and private functions. Business travelers

can enjoy corporate rates with Austin Hotel’s membership subscription. MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conferences and Events) Tourism Industry can also contact Austin Paradise Hotel for accommodation and venue booking. For further information, contact 607 - 3618 222 or visit www. hotelautinparadise.com

@home 27

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PROPERT Y INSIGHT

PROPERTY

RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS

APARTMENTS

VILLAS

CONDOMINIUMS

OFFICE/ RETAILSPACE

Cover: UEM Sunrise promulgates Gerbang Nusajaya With a gross development value of RM42bil, UEM Sunrise Berhand’s Gerbang pg 30 & 31 Nusajaya creates alot of hype

plus

Final part to Dr. Daniele Gambero’s 2015 Budget Propernomy & Ed Cheong talks about oversupply concerns in Iskandar Malaysia

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Quick Reads

TM, NTPSB to develop tech park in Iskandar Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) and Nusajaya Tech Park Sdn Bhd (NTPSB) have signed three separate agreements towards developing a flagship technology park in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor. In a recent joint statement, the two companies said the collaboration would cover a broad scope, including connectivity, data centre and cloud services, as well as, smart services which would be readily available to all locators and business owners in the park. “The park would be built in phases over nine years, the first batch of its ready-built facilities is slated for completion by year-end,” the statement said.

Iskandar Waterfront buys Pulai land for RM156m Iskandar Waterfront City Bhd (IWC) is buying 67.5 acres of freehold land in Pulai, Johor for RM156mil which it plans to undertake mixed development. IWC (formerly Tebrau Teguh Bhd) said on Wednesday it was purchasing the land from Bahagia Wangsa Sdn Bhd for RM156mil or RM53 per sq foot. It said the proposed acquisition was in line with its growth strategy to accumulate new suitable land to be included in the company’s landbank in order to sustain its core business as a property developer as well as enhance future earnings and revenue. IWC added the proposed acquisition would complement nearby parcels of land being developed by IWCity’s sister company, Danga Bay Sdn Bhd, known as Danga Heights. “The group is proposing the development of a mixed development on the subject property comprising residential units, Rumah Mampu Milik Johor and shop houses with an indicative gross development cost of approximately RM480mil and a gross development value (GDV) of RM629mil.”

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Property slowdown?

Hundreds flock to Seri Alam Highlight

Caution

Maybank indicated that property slowdown in Malaysia is evident

pic by Ed Cheong

he existing excess of homes in Iskandar Malaysia will be aggravated by a huge incoming supply this year and the next, which would put property values under greater pressure over the medium term, says a research report by Maybank. Property transactions in Johor has dropped 33% quarter-onquarter in Q4 2014, underperforming the country (-7%) and other major cities/states such as Kuala Lumpur (-12%), Penang (+8%) and Selangor (+2%). Maybank IB Research attributed the slowdown in Iskandar Malaysia property market to the

293 units of affordable housing snapped up

By Maisarah newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

government’s cooling measures, such as the higher floor price for foreign buyers and two percent levy on foreign purchases, the banks’ tighter lending conditions as well as stiffer competition by newer developers. It also expressed concern on Chinese developers’ aggressive landbanking activities in Iskandar Malaysia. There are roughly 80,900 units of approved high-rise residences in Iskandar Malaysia. Latest statistics from Malaysia’s National Property Information Centre (NAPIC) showed that as at the fourth quarter of last year, there were 142,567 homes under construction in the state of Johor, with another 193,271 units planned — among the highest in all of Malaysia. Some developers scaled back their launches, shifting their product mix to avoid direct competition with the Chinese developers. Iskandar Malaysia’s oversupply situation may be worsened by the huge incoming supply in 2015/2016 where units under construction increased 18 percent year-on-year in 2012 and 2013 respectively If the oversupply situation is not managed well, the vibrancy of Iskandar Malaysia will be affected with a large number of homes or even entire townships left vacant, the analysts said.

93 units of completed properties were released for sale under Seri Alam Properties Sdn Bhd’s affordable housing programme. In consonance with the State Government’s aspiration to provide more affordable homes to the rakyat, Seri Alam Properties affordable housing programme was more focused to giving first time home buyers a chance of owning their very own residence. “Seri Alam Properties realises that the high prices of houses in Johor particularly in urban and suburban areas is unavoidable due to the price of the land which has skyrocketed. For newlywed or young families to own a home is no longer easy, said Executive Director Freddie Lee.

Under this programme, completed properties are made available at an attractive price from RM 150,000 for a freehold 3-room apartment. Buyers can move in to their respective homes immediately as the homes are already completed. In addition, townhouses of 1065 sq ft for ground floor and 1112 sq ft for the first floor are also available at an attractive price of RM 200,000. “The properties sold are below replacement costs and this scheme will not be repeated,” added Freddie. The properties are located within a gated and guarded community in Vista Seri Alam which has readily available facilities including a jogging track, BBQ pit, multi-purpose hall, swimming pool, wading pool and children’s playground. TI

(from left) Seri Alam Properties GM Frankie Tan Kiat How and Executive Director Freddie Lee witness the balloting by YB Normala

Investment 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

There are 2 kinds of people when it comes to savings: The 1st kind is where Income – Expense = Savings, but sadly, most people fall into this category and even sadder is that these people are usually short on money and are never able to save consistently. The 2nd kind is where Income – Savings = Expense. This group are the ones who always have money because they live within their means. When people place discipline and priority on savings, then money is never a problem.

Savings

However, most spend first and depending whether there is any money left, then they will decide to set aside some savings. The next question is how much one should save? Well, there’s 3 categories of saving, being Emergency Savings, Consumptive Savings and Retirement Savings. Emergency Savings is money set aside where you promise yourself that this amount will only be touched in the case of retrenchment/termination or due to medical expenses that are beyond the coverage of Medical policies. Some set aside between 3-6 months of their expenses as Emergency Savings. To me, set aside enough to make you feel confident to face foreseeable challenges. If that amount is

RM10,000, then that should be the amount. If RM12,000 makes you comfortable, then aim for that level. Do it according to your own means. Ideally, this money should be set aside in a separate bank account from the regular salary/ income account so that there is a clear demarcation between the funds. The money set aside should be liquid. The next type of Savings is known as Consumptive Savings. These are savings that we set aside for the Big Ticket items such as new car, house, major renovation, luxury vacation, etc. The savings horizon could be between 12-36 months to achieve the desired amount. Once this level is hit, then withdraw the money and consume/spend it for your own satisfaction/reward for being disciplined and focussed. The money set aside should be semi-liquid such as Fixed

Deposit or in low-risk Unit Trusts such as Money Market Fund or Bond Fund. Retirement Savings consist of illiquid funds that have a long term savings horizon. For most people, this would be in the form of EPF. H owe ve r, for m os t Malaysians, the amount is always insufficient. As a result, voluntary savings schemes such as Annuity and Private Retirement Schemes are vehicles of choice as part of the Retirement basket of funds. Conclusion Make a decision to save a certain amount on a consistent basis. I would suggest starting at either 5-10% of income and slowly moving up to about 25%. It is easier said than done but, the awareness would serve as a constant reminder to address the matter sooner or later.

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Property Investment Opinion

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

research report from a leading Malaysian bank has pointed to the 33 percent drop in value of transaction in the Iskandar Malaysia property market in the last quarter of 2014 (quarter on quarter). On this point, we have to remember that Iskandar Malaysia’s market dropped from a historic high base in 2013.

Oversupply concerns linger in Iskandar Malaysia property scene

This figure was cited unfavourably compared to the markets of Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Penang. One of the key points made justifiably was the greater population increase in Klang Valley. It added that a possible 40 per cent increase in KL’s population to 10 million by 2020 will offer sustainable demand for properties. The building of new MRT lines in KL will also help push value appreciation. Similarly, a growth story of population is forecasted in Penang as well. The report also cited unmanaged supply growth in the Iskandar Malaysia property market as a grave concern. According to the report, there is an overwhelming supply of 80,900 units of high-rise residences approved in Iskandar Malaysia augmented by the latest Malaysia’s National Property Information Centre (NAPIC) information that as at the last quarter of 2014, a total of 142,567 homes are under construction in the whole of Johor, with another 193,271 units planned.

This report has highlighted some salient points which I believe the local government authorities can use for analysis and coordination. The negative situation in Iskandar Malaysia is compounded with cooling measures’ loan limits, increased duties on foreign purchasers and also limiting them to buying one million ringgit and above value properties. Moreover, the macro concerns of foreign buyers are now centered on the declining ringgit relative to the Singapore dollar which hit a 15 year low! As an observer, I hope that the authorities’ supply pipeline data will be clearly and transparently articulated to all developers in Johor. Developers must take it upon themselves contingently to take appropriate measures to rein in overzealous projections or fear. It’s better to act than to let things happen. At the same time, buyers should also factor such data and make their own sale and purchase decisions. If panic ensues, the

market will not only be flooded with units from developers, but also from home owners. This will have a dire effect on the overall Iskandar Malaysia’s market. On the upside, we know that more Singaporean companies are moving their space intensive activities into Iskandar Malaysia compared to the previous favourites of Penang and Batam. This is borne out of my own experience. In the past, many Singapore conglomerates have moved some operations to Penang but the growth of new industrial estates in Nusajaya has limited that trend. Furthermore, the high speed rail is not terminating in Penang but in Kuala Lumpur. With new information, there is better clarity for investors and the authorities are to ensure orderly market stabilisation. As a property market observer, I believe that highlighting these various dimensions and dynamics will contribute to a more sustainable Iskandar Malaysia market.

UEM Sunrise promulgates

Gerbang Nusajaya

EM Sunrise Berhad (“UEM Sunrise” or the “Company”), the master developer of Nusajaya, which is one of the five flagship zones and key driver of Iskandar Malaysia, has unveiled comprehensive development plans for Gerbang Nusajaya. Gerbang Nusajaya is the gateway to Iskandar Malaysia and will serve as the commercial and business engine for Nusajaya. The 4,551-acre second phase development of Nusajaya is designed for growth via catalytic developments and strategic partnerships with established developers and multinational companies. It will draw leisure attractions, trades and industries together with a population attracted by UEM Sunrise’s residential and lifestyle offerings. Gerbang Nusajaya is master-planned for

connectivity and is easy to reach from Malaysia, Singapore, and regional cities. It is strategically located just five kilometres from the Tuas Checkpoint via the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link. It is also ready to capitalise on the potential high speed rail link between Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. It has access to Senai International Airport in Johor and Changi International Airport in Singapore, as well as access to four international seaports namely Tanjung Pelepas, Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang Port, and Port of Singapore. Gerbang Nusajaya features a number of catalytic developments including Nusajaya Tech Park, a 519-acre integrated eco-friendly tech park and FASTrack Iskandar, which is a 300-acre “motorsports city”. Nusajaya Tech Park is on target to complete its first batch of ready-built facilities by end of the year and

is already attracting flagship clients Telekom Malaysia and SANWA while FASTrack Iskandar is close to finalising the details for the commencement of physical construction works. Gerbang Nusajaya commands a gross development value (“GDV”) of RM42 billion and will be developed over a period of 25 years. Upon full completion, it is expected to create an estimated 76,000 direct job offerings, 137,000 indirect job offerings together with an estimated 220,000 population. A balance of 64% of Gerbang Nusajaya’s landbank is currently uncommitted for development. UEM Sunrise is planning to develop it holistically on a phase by phase basis to ensure that all developments are aligned with the performance of the local and external economy, and that the market is able to absorb its offerings.

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 33 | MAY 2015

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Propernomy by Dr Daniele Budget 2015

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

Developing National Youth Transformation Programme Youths are the future of Malaysia and it is wise to look into their needs and aspirations. Do whatever necessary to enhance the quality of their education, and offer them better job opportunities and lifestyle, and create openings for them to show how much they have learned and how to apply it. Malaysia is a country with very young population and in the years to come; the GenYers and GenZedders will be the ones shaping the Nation’s profile and growth, we need to nurture them with knowledge, push their dreams and ambitions if not we might be reversing the positive trend we are now experiencing. Education, national unity, leadership, social responsibility, entrepreneurial skills and innovation are all

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

different aspects that Budget 2015 is going to enhance and show a positive longsighted view over Wawasan 2020 and beyond. Unfortunately, our youths don’t appear to be as good savers as the past generations and this is a negative point once GenYers and GenZedders are approaching the idea to own a house. With the 1Malaysia Youth City pilot projects and the Youth Housing Scheme, there will be a chance for couples aged between 25 and 40 years and with income below RM10,000 to buy a house priced RM500,000 and below as the Budget 2015 provides a 10% additional guarantee for the possible approval of a 100% loan and a 2 years monthly subsidy of RM200 to the borrowers to help them in starting up the repayment of their loan. The introduction of these measures will help boost the affordable housing rates and further stimulate a Nationwide Homeownership policy. However, this positive housing stimulus will only be offered to the first 20,000 applicants. By looking at the chart above, expectation was for at least 100/150,000. Prioritising The Well-Being Of The Rakyat From education to agriculture and fishing industry, there will be different kind of subsidies designed as tools to enhance the

entrepreneurial skills in less developed areas. Offer of new means of transportation (electric train between Ipoh and Butterworth) and specially discounted bus routes (Rawang, Klang and Seremban to KL) will ease the connectivity between city centres throughout Malaysia and the rural areas in their proximities. This will surely impact the rate of more affordable houses in areas where land cost still allows developers to supply dwellings at very reasonable values (below RM200/250 psf). In budget 2014, the Federal Government already presented an impressive offer of “affordable houses” under different programmes and this year again the proposed numbers are allowing a positive outlook to the problem of social and affordable housing. Unfortunately, as it appeared in a research conducted by an established property firm, out of almost 140,000 units promised with last year’s budget, only 9,600 have been actually launched and are now under construction. This year the total number is up to 143,000 new units which added to the left over of the last budget; totalling an impressive 273,000 new houses to be supplied to the Rakyat. Considering that, NAPIC statistic findings presented earlier on this year are showing a total nationwide delivery by the

Malaysian developers of less than 150,000 dwellings. So my question is how the Federal Government will be able to outperform the negative performance under this important point? In general, the comments that I’ve heard from colleagues and friends are ranging from the negative point of having too many agencies which are responsible for the actual final result and application procedures which are all but easy and clear with the addition that the result as above numbers are showing, is not at all guaranteed. The best thing we can do is to wait and see which measures the Government will introduce to improve its performance and evaluate. Much more can be said about this year’s budget but I will leave it to each reader to go through it and decide if it is a good or bad one. Personally I’m looking at it as a very macro-economic budget with a wide spectrum of micro-economic effect and an index of good planning and positive growth. Performance is the key of a positive result and for this we can only wait and see if all the promises will be maintained by the end of 2015. Sources: Department of Statistics, Minister of Home Affairs, REI Group archives

Distinguishable features of Gerbang Nusajaya FASTrack Iskandar A JV between UEM Sunrise and Singaporebased FASTrack Autosports (Iskandar) Pte Ltd, the development spearheads the unique concept of an integrated automotive hub in Asia, complemented by commercial, retail and lifestyle amenities. The 300-acre “motorsports city” will feature world-class racing, driving, biking and karting circuits of FIA/FIM/CIK* standards, designed by renowned track designer, Hermann Tilke, a man predominantly commissioned to create

Nusajaya Tech Park A joint venture (“JV”) project between UEM Sunrise and Ascendas Group from Singapore, Nusajaya Tech Park is a 519-acre integrated eco-friendly tech park with an estimated GDV of RM3.7 billion. The park will provide the right operating environment to a host of different industries including electronics, pharmaceuticals, food processing, precision engineering, fast moving consumer goods, logistics and warehousing. The groundbreaking ceremony for Nusajaya Tech Park took place on 12 June 2014 and it has already attracted flagship clients such as Telekom Malaysia, who has signed a land purchase agreement to build a data centre

facility on 26 March 2015. Upon completion, Nusajaya Tech Park is expected to create 22,000 employment opportunities. Manohar Khiatani, President and Group CEO of Ascendas said, “Bringing together the expertise of Malaysia and Singapore in a win-win partnership, Nusajaya Tech Park cements our commitment to establish a landmark tech park development in Iskandar Malaysia. This is a future-ready tech park that offers quality infrastructure, high-speed connectivity and provides end-to-end business space solutions to customers. We will continue to strengthen the park’s position as the preferred location for leading companies setting up in Malaysia and the region.”

Formula One tracks around the world. At the heart of FASTrack Iskandar is a bonded facility where aficionados can keep their vehicles securely for curation or for racing on the circuits. On the fringe of the grounds, automotive-related partners may establish businesses such as retail showrooms or have 4S (sales, service, spare parts and systems) operations to capitalise on the untapped automotive and motorsports potential of the growing population in Iskandar Malaysia or even extend services to customers across the region.

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