The Iskandarian E-Paper February 2019 by The Iskandarian-WAVES Lifestyle

KDN : PP19356/08/2018(034949) | Singapore MICA : MCI (P) 109/12/2018

The Iskandarian Iskandar Malaysia’s Official Newspaper, is an effort by True Soul Media PLT & IRDA’s Social Development Division

NEWS COLUMNS

PROPERTY

CEO DRILL

E-Commerce Academy for Johor SMEs

UMLAND Seri Austin at SOBA 2019

Kejora Development Holding Sdn Bhd

NEWS/ PG2

NEWS/ PG25

NEWS/ PG9

the

ISKANDARIAN ISSUE 78 | FEB 2019 | FREE COPY

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CNY Feasts: The Best to Offer

MICCI Southern: Networking Night

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Read on pg 20 & 21

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Smoking Ban in Malaysia: A 3-Metre Walk for Pleasure Anyone? Read on pg4

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Improving Connectivity in Iskandar Malaysia IMBRT is poised to be the backbone of public transport in Iskandar Malaysia

skandar Malaysia Bus Rapid Transit (IMBRT) organised a Lead Consultant Industry Briefing for Consultant Engineers, Quantity Surveyors and Architects to provide an overview of the IMBRT project. The briefing also intended to ascertain interest from the relevant industry players, in anticipation of the impending Tender Process, in the first quarter of 2019. In addition, it provides an opportunity for networking as well as a dialogue on issues relevant to the project between IRDA and those attending. Some 200 people attended

the briefing, both local and foreign. The lead consultant will be selected via an Open Tender Process. Although the initial plans for IMBRT were mooted in 2010, a refreshed plan was necessary to meet the current scenario of Iskandar Malaysia. As such, the call for potential lead consultants to provide a variety of options and alternatives to the present plan was voiced during the briefing. IMBRT is poised to be the backbone of public transport in Iskandar Malaysia – with connectivity to the double tracking

No Fake Soy Sauce in the Market

n December 2018, a claim that Zara Foodstuff Industries Sdn Bhd’s ‘Cap Kipas Udang’ brands of soy sauces are imitation products has gone viral on social media. “This is an old ‘story’ which first appeared in 2009 and the case has already been settled with the party charged in court,” said Marketing Director Hasnah Binti Abd Rahman of ZFI Gleneagles Marketing Sdn Bhd, the company’s marketing MEDINI arm. “We are consistently and closely monitoring the market together with the relevant authorities and we can assure our consumers that there has been no imitation soy sauce Cap Kipas Udang or any of our other products in the marketplace currently,” she added. The recent re-awakening of the viral post from a particular blog site was detected on 27th December 2018 and a police report was lodged on 3rd January this year. Reports have also been lodged with other relevant authorities. “In order to thwart would-be counterfeit producers we have implemented production procedures that would make it easy to spot imitation products. “For example we periodically change the packaging and introduced security colouring for our labels,” said Plant Director, Nazri Bin Ismail. “The viral picture showed a bottle of the old cap, but we have changed those three years ago,” he added. Zara Foodstuff Industries Sdn Bhd, with an annual turnover of over RM70 million (2018), is celebrating its 32nd year in the industry and has accumulated several industry awards and is ISO 9001 certified. It is also 100% Bumiputra-Muslim owned. “Our products are 100% certified Halal by Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia (JAKIM) and Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri Johor (JAINJ),” Hasnah added. The company produces salty and sweet soy sauces, chilli and tomato sauces and Srikaya a popular coconut egg jam which is also exported facebook.com/theiskandarian to South Korea and Canada. Its main export markets are Singapore, editor@theiskandarian.com Brunei, Australia, the UK and Saudi Arabia. 20% www.theiskandarian.com of the annual turnover is earned from exports. by Shufiyan Shukur TI

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Project from Gemas to Johor Bharu, and the upcoming RTS. Supporting the Smart Mobility aspect of the Smart City Iskandar Malaysia Masterplan, the IMBRT project aims to increase public transport coverage from 39% to 90% by 2025. With 39 stations and 3 hubs on the Trunk routes, further supported by 26 Direct Services routes and 42 Feeder Services routes, the total coverage in km of the IMBRT project is 1214km. For more information on the project please visit www.ibrt. Presentation on IMBRT by Rudyanto Azhar, Head of IMBRT com.my. - by Harish Mustak TI

E-Commerce ‘Big Wheeling’ into Johor URCE E-Commerce (M) Sdn Bhd, an Alibaba Channel Partner has teamed up with Johor’s own SME Community Builder, Big Wheel, to deliver courses in E-Commerce for the Southern region

he launch of the E-Commerce Academy was marked by the signing of a MoU between Big Wheel and URCE, witnessed by Jimmy Puah Wee Tse, Chairman of the Johor International Trade, Investment and Utilities Committee of the Johor state government. The Academy will conduct the e-commerce courses at Big Wheel Seedbank, which is located at Sunway Iskandar in a picturesque hilltop facility overlooking the mouth of the Pendas River and the Straits of Johor. In addressing guests who attended the signing of the MoU, Puah said that the state government is pushing for SMEs to adopt e-commerce methodologies for better access to global markets. “We are hoping that the adoption of e-commerce and the new economy will be the cornerstone of Johor’s economy. Puah said he noted that URCE is a channel partner of Alibaba and the experience it brings with it is important for the development of e-commerce in Johor. “Businesses and individuals here are already using e-commerce as can be seen online such as e-Bay, Amazon or in social media and such like, and with the setting up of this academy, e-commerce use by local businesses and individuals will

E-Commerce Academy MoU is inked. Sitting L-R: Mr David Foo, CEO of URCE, Michael Chang, Big Wheel Founder. Standing: L-R: Dato Meng Bin URCE Managing Director, Jimmy Puah Wee Tse, Chairman of the Johor International Trade, Investment and Utilities Committee

be much improved,” he added. In congratulating Big Wheel and URCE in establishing the Academy, Puah said, “I hope that the collaboration will place Johor Bahru closer to being the next Silicon Valley of Malaysia.” Its founder Michael Chang represented Big Wheel while long-time Alibaba channel partner signed for URCE E-Commerce as its CEO. “It is always our mission and vision to create value added programmes to ‘BIG WHEELers’ and local SMEs. In the digital era, we know about E-Commerce, we know about the advantage and importance of using the digital platform to develop our business. But, the challenge is, how do we expand our business overseas through these platforms; how can we transform from the conventional business model to the digital? And this is where

the E-Commerce Academy comes in,” said Chang. David Foo, CEO of URCE with over 13 years of e-commerce experience in China said that their mission is to help Malaysia’s local businesses to grow and expand onto the global stage through the e-commerce platform. “We have brought with us a solid team of professionals who will help guide Malaysian businesses move into the world of e-commerce,” he said. In conjunction with the collaboration, the first e-commerce course will be held on 27th February 2019 and themed ‘E-Commerce Era – King of Performance’. Th e co u r s e will address issues on how to grab opportunities, formulate corporate strategies, and improve company performance. - by Shufiyan Shukur TI

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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One Year with Local Startup Community Launching of Johor Startup Ecosystem Report 2018

ne of Johor’s leading co-working spaces, IskandarSpace, celebrated its first anniversary recently. Developed and wholly owned by Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB), it has hosted more than 100 co-workers from 12 countries and held over 100 events, making it a vibrant and active co-working space tobe. The event was attended by President and Chief Executive Officer of IIB, Datuk Ir. Khairil Anwar Ahmad, Chief Executive of IRDA, Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, and Johor International Trade, Investment, and Utilities Committee Chairman Jimmy Phua. Co-working space is defined by the space of a single office shared by individuals or small groups of separate companies. These individuals or groups are usually self-employed, freelancers or start-ups where it is not financially practical to rent a whole office. A co-working space provides an exclusive mailing office address and the productive office environment at a fraction of the cost where one can choose to subscribe to rooms, permanent desks or just a space to use to work. At IskandarSpace, also known as i-Space, the rates are as low as RM20 per day or RM150 per

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270 Underprivileged Students Received School Aid

PTP assisted the students through its Back to School Programme 2019

P Traditional cake cutting to celebrate IskandarSpace’s first anniversary

month and co-workers can enjoy office facilities and the premium Medini address. In his keynote speech, Datuk Khairil hopes that investors would scout for the ‘next big thing’ at i-Space. “Our effort as Iskandar Investment is to support the state government’s mission of attracting 8 billion investments to Johor in 2019 and we hope more investors and private sectors would scout for the next big thing here at IskandarSpace too.” Meanwhile, at the press conference, Jimmy Phua assured that the government will be directly involved with start-up companies, and acknowledged that civil servants need to be trained on the terminologies used

by start-ups and understand new innovation to better assist new companies. He suggested the federal government to include “micro” in “SME” to help startups receive funding as well. “The definition of SME must be enlarged as MSME - Micro Small Medium Enterprise and no longer called just an SME. Startups, for example, are not technically SMEs, but they are one or two persons who also need assistance.” The event also witnessed the launch of the Johor Startup Ecosystem Report, a report and a short introduction to 35 techbased start-ups in Johor. To make the list, the start-up must develop or provide services through the use of their own products. - by Salamahafifi TI

ort of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) chose a total of 270 underprivileged primary and secondary students from schools within the Iskandar Puteri area as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) education initiative, Back to School Programme 2019. The programme was held at the Gelang Patah Community Hall. Also present were Sr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Johor State EXCO of Housing and Rural Development and Iskandar Puteri Assemblyman, Mazlan Bujang, Johor State EXCO in Public Works, Infrastructure and Transportation and Puteri Wangsa Assemblyman, Senator Ir Md Nasir Hashim, Senate Parliamentary Member, representative from Johor Bahru District Education Office, PTP Senior Management Team, school principals, teachers and parents of students involved in the programme. Marco Neelsen, Chief Executive Officer of PTP added, “The goal of our Back to School Programme is to provide families with the assistance needed to enable their

A total of 270 underprivileged students were chosen to receive the school aid

children to continue attending their lessons at school. It is also to alleviate the parents’ burden of providing essential school necessities.” 2019 marks the 12th year anniversary since PTP first organised the Back to School Programme. Apart from that, PTP also actively organises other CSR programmes such as English Tuition, English Boot Camp, English Communication Workshop and Motivational Talks for UPSR & SPM students as well as Career Insight Programme, involving selected local university students from various maritime studies such as the Maritime Management Studies, Nautical Science and Maritime Technology Applied Science. - by Yani Sukaimi TI IKEA stores: Damansara l Cheras l Tebrau • Tel: 03-7952 7575

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Smoking Ban in Malaysia: A 3-Metre Walk for Pleasure Anyone? From

Cover

Smokers in Malaysia are facing a new regulation that may change their lifestyle for the better

s of 1st January 2019, a nationwide smoking ban was implemented, prohibiting smokers from getting their fix in eateries. Smoking is only allowed 3 metres away from such premises and offenders can find themselves fined up to RM10,000 or jailed for not more than two years. Restaurateurs can find themselves penalised as well (fined up to RM5,000 or imprisonment up to one year) if found providing smoking facilities to customers or have failed in preventing customers from smoking. However, it is noteworthy that as the ban is in motion, there is a 6-month grace period aimed to spur awareness and educate smokers which entails only warnings to be given to first-time offenders instead of penalties.

This movement is believed to be the starting point to propel Malaysia into becoming a smoke-free country by 2045 — an objective that was set into writing in 2005 with the World Health Organisation Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Is it a far-fetched dream? Personally, I believe that it is possible if drastic measures with extensive planning are taken. If executions are made in a desultory manner, however, it may not only result in failure to address the conundrum, but to exacerbate it. For most smokers, if not all, post-mealtime cigarettes are ones that are indispensable, much alike the first cigarette of the day or the cigarettes that are meant to be consumed when these smokers are perched on the Porcelain Throne!

Details Behind University Johor

ducation Minister Dr Maszlee Malik led a delegation from the ministry to discuss with the state government over the development of new university in the state. The meeting between delegation from the ministry and state government led by Menteri Besar, Datuk Osman Sapian concluded with Dr Maszlee saying, “The state government has started its work and on behalf of the ministry, we will provide all the necessary support to enable the state government to carry out this project”. State Islamic Affairs and Education Committee Chairman Aminolhuda Hassan later explained that

Kolej Kumpulan Pendidikan Yayasan Pelajaran Johor (KPYPJ) and Kolej Pengajian Islam Johor (MARSAH) will be upgraded to become University Johor. He further explained that KPYPJ and MARSAH are state owned colleges and the upgrading to become University Johor will not begin from zero. Aminolhuda said the state government recently completed the establishment of a committee comprising educational exper ts, which is the first phase of the development of the university. University Johor should be in operation by 2021. - by Edey Suresh TI

Though smokers are not prohibited from practicing their old habits, but this could be considered as a form of discouragement due to the extra, yet meagre efforts required to attain that fix. On the flip side, this ban is favourable to the non-smokers as diners can finally have their meals without it being complemented by nicotine-added smoke as a side dish as well as reducing exposure of second-hand smoke towards children. Aside from that, this might impede the likeliness of children adopting smoking habits. Some may argue that this ban will adversely affect the profitability of certain eateries that have been long branded as smokers’ haven but with only 23% of Malaysians being smokers, I doubt that it will affect the turnover of these joints. As frustrating as it is for

smokers to admit, the truth is out there that smoking harms one’s health, so we can all agree that this regulation is instrumental for the welfare of Malaysians — the sacrifice of short-term pleasures for long-term longevity. However, there is an indistinct problem that is somewhat worrisome which is littering. Bins and ashtrays are not provided in most areas so what do you think smokers will do with their cigarette butts? Also, unlike Japan, not all smokers are equipped with the culture of carrying portable ashtrays which possibly mean that there may be more butts on the grounds of business compounds that operate near these eateries. Evidently before this, some smokers do not even use ashtrays despite it being provided and this current situation may be seen to enable

A No Smoking / Vaping sign seen in a shop

them to become irresponsible litter-bugs. On a side note for vapers, rejoice and gloat whilst you can as currently, there is no law against vape containing non-nicotine juices! - by Izzbil TI

Worms in the Brain by Neglect! Cat in darkness sees a ray of light

magine getting worked up over a scratch on a car yet ignore a scratch on a cat. We can have feelings for a diamond ring but do not see the four-legged “thing”. We put emotions into inanimate objects and choose to wear a deaf ear when we hear the quiet cries for help. Ellen, a Siamese-mix longhaired cat had been bitten by a monitor lizard. Monitor lizards have toxic saliva that is high in bacteria, causing one in contact to be infected. Though it was rumoured that her owner had brought her to the vet for a check-up, no follow-ups were made. As a result, the wound has grown bigger and poor Ellen had to endure sitting in a 2 by 1 feet fly-ridden cage all alone. She was left like that. But for how long? Nobody knows for sure. By whom? We don’t know either because attempts were successfully made to cover the identity of her owner. Haildani Daud, founder of cat NGO Phatcathaus, said they responded to a message from a fellow cat NGO who alerted him about Ellen’s condition that night in late November 2018. Despite not having transportation themselves – having just sold their vehicle to save costs - they travelled all the way to Kukup for the rescue mission. According to Haildani, Ellen was one of the worst cases he had ever seen. Skin on her head was nonexistent, skull could be seen; a result of maggots’ devouring, and of a man’s negligence! At the vet, after stabilising her

condition, they discovered maggots in her ears, eyes, cheeks, and brain. Perhaps, Ellen was once a cute longhaired kitten whom everybody wanted to cuddle. But unfortunately, now her eyesight could not be saved. She has an increasing appetite and has gained double her weight since they found her at 1-something-kilogrammes. She remains in kitty Intensive Care Unit, and to add to her list of problems, the kitty doctor found she had pyometra – an infection of the womb by the accumulation of pus within the uterus. Surgery for the removal of the uterus was a must as the infection was lifethreatening, but surgery for an already sickly cat was also high-risk. Ellen, however, showed her strength and resilience by insisting to live. She is recovering miraculously – an answer to people who question, “Why don’t you just put her to sleep?” Imagine going out to help your best, the outcome is second, but your best service is first. “Adopt, don’t shop”, is a slogan used by many animal rescues and NGOs, supporting the adoption of animals instead of the purchase of them. Due to busy schedules or overestimation of ease to care, many animals have been left abandoned at shelters or on streets. As a result, most animal shelters are overcrowded while the ones on the streets have become a nuisance and unattended, susceptible to diseases and injury. Adopting an animal not only saves a life, it also helps

Ellen sticking her tongue out after a skin graft surgery (picture courtesy of Phatcathaus)

you understand and see that gratitude exists even in animals. After all they had gone through; they just want to share their love with someone all over again and you can be that someone. Under the Animal Welfare Act, pet owners must take responsible steps to ensure the needs of an animal is fulfilled, which includes: i) its need for a suitable environment; ii) its need for a suitable diet, iii) the need for it to be able to exhibit its normal behaviour patterns; iv) the need for it to be housed with or apart from other animals; and v) the need for it to be protected from pain, suffering, injury, and disease. Report any animal abuse or neglect to DVS Johor Animal Welfare Officers at 07 266 7501. - by Salamahafifi TI

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MICCI SOUTHERN REGION MEMBERS NETWORKING NIGHT 2019

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Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian recognises MICCI Southern’s positive role in helping the business community

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian greeting the guests at MICCI’s Networking Night

he Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce and Industry (MICCI), since its formation in 1837, continues putting the interest and wellbeing of the business community as its core objective. MICCI traces its history from the formation of its ancestor, The Penang Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture 181 years ago. With that at heart, MICCI Southern Region organised the 2nd Members Networking Night or Fellowship Evening at Suasana Suites Johor Bahru with Menteri Besar Johor Datuk Osman Sapian attending as the Guest of Honour.

In his welcoming address, MICCI Southern Region Chairman; Freddie Lee shared with all VIPs and guests that the Networking Night event was held to gather its members, build relationships and exchange information while fostering a closer relationship with the new state government. “In the past 6 months, arising from our active engagements with the current government, many positive changes have been put in place. One of the direct responses is the formation of the National Financial Crime Centre (NFCC). With this, the government is expected to save RM8 billion of revenue losses due to cigarette and liquor smuggling,” said Freddie. “It is important to maintain a friendly and amicable business relationship with all of our business partners and neighbouring countries. For the social and economic wellbeing of the people of both countries, I urge the government to move on with the BRT project with Singapore. I also propose the construction of a travellator connecting the causeway to help ease the congestion,” he added. Amongst the 100 guests present were MICCI President Datuk CK Tan, Singapore Consulate General Rajpal Singh and Indonesian Consulate General Pak Haris Nugroho. “As one of the most established business chambers in the country, we

continue to lobby with the government country and contribute a large percentage for a competitive business environment of the country’s Gross Domestic Product with clear and fair policies. This is crucial (GDP). In the event’s closing remarks, especially in the challenging global economy at the current context,” said Datuk Christina Tee, Vice President of MICCI said, “All policies must be fair and clear. It is CK Tan, President of MICCI. Menteri Besar Johor Datuk Osman important to sustain a good public and Sapian lauded the efforts by MICCI while private sector partnership to improve noting that the Chamber has continued skills and productivity of our workforce. to grow and is now a member of the Hence, there is a lot to do in enhancing International Chamber of Commerce our education system by aligning with the with links to some 180 fellow Chambers demand and the industry needs of today.” Apart from the opportunity to worldwide. “Johor has some improvements mingle and strengthen their network, the to take care of mainly in terms of members and invited guests were kept growth strategies and delivery and I entertained by some performances and a welcome MICCI to contribute your ideas lucky draw session. - by Edey Suresh TI and feedback in our endeavour to bring prosperity to the state and Bangsa Johor,” said Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Osman Sapian. MICCI has about 1000 Corporate Members in Malaysia; representing the whole spectrum of Commerce and Industr y from Multinationals to Small and Medium Enterprises. MICCI members provide (from left) Singapore Consulate General Rajpal Singh, hundreds of thousands of Christina Tee, Datuk Osman Sapian, Datuk CK Tan and jobs to the citizens of this Freddie Lee

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news Johor’s Second Since 1992 - Hosting 20th SUKMA in 2020 Two-day workshop for the organising committee of the event

two-day workshop for the organising committee of SUKMA 2020 was held at Kota Iskandar, Iskandar Puteri. It would be Johor’s second time to host SUKMA, the first in 1992. All states have since played host to the event, and next year, in 2020, would be its 20th games. SUKMA 2020 will see 16 main sports events and 10 sports of ‘choice’. Twenty will be held in Johor Bahru while the rest will be split to Batu Pahat, Muar, and Kota Tinggi, Johor. The objective of the workshop was to ensure that all committees are clear about their roles and responsibilities, job scope, points

of coordination and the standard operating procedures in organising the bi-annual national multi-sports event. It will be held sometime in July 2020 and designs are in place, plus renovations are on the way. Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) will house more than 10000 athletes and technical officers. In order to ensure that the buildings and facilities are not abandoned after the event, the spaces have already been marketed and advertised to be utilised after SUKMA 2020. State Executive Committee for Youth

Johor Port Berhad Wins Global Performance Excellence Award 2018 – World Class

ohor Port Berhad (JPB), a Member of MMC Group, clinched the Global Performance Excellence Award 2018 – World Class from the Asia Pacific Quality Organisation (APQO). The award presentation ceremony was held at the Jumeirah Etihad Towers Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates in December 2018. The Global Performance Excellence Award (GPEA) is a formal international recognition of performance and business excellence. The GPEA is a strategic enabling tool for global performance excellence that helps to strengthen the strategies and performance of organisations to succeed in the fast-evolving global market place. The highest accolade, the World Class Award was awarded to Johor Port Berhad in recognition of the Port’s world class quality performance. Johor Port, as an integrated multipurpose port has demonstrated sound, systematic approaches and robust deployment of performance excellence values, principles and practices. There is a clear alignment between their strategy, innovation, performance measures and outcomes that are evident across JPB which distinguished JPB from the rest of other nominee companies. “We are pleased to announce that thirty role model organisations from ten Asia and Pacific Rim Countries are being recognised for achieving significant milestones on their business excellence journey of which only fourteen companies have demonstrated commendable World Class performance under the three categories of the APQO Global Performance Excellence Awards. The GPEA which is primarily Baldrige or EFQM based provides a holistic approach to managing organisational success through embracing of validated best practices,” said Harnek Singh, President, APQO and Chairman

and Sports, Mohd Khuzzan, said that the state government is committed and ready to welcome the arrival of more than 13000 athletes and officers from all over Malaysia. “We are the ones who will determine the glory and success of the future generation. I have high hopes that the organisation of this event will be the best in history.” He also ensured the workshop attendees that his office will always be open for them to raise issues and solve it immediately. “If you can’t make it (to office) at 5pm, come at 6 or 7. I will be waiting at my office!”. - by Salamahafifi TI

From An Ex-Convict to ASEAN Youth Leader

L Johor Port clinched the Global Performance Excellence Award 2018

of Global Performance Excellence Award Governing Council. The World Class Award of Global Performance Excellence Awards 2018 was presented to Shahrull Allam Shah Abdul Halim, Chief Executive Officer of Johor Port Berhad by His Excellency Saeed Abdul Jaleel al Fahim, Chairman of the Sheikh Khalifa Excellence Award during the award ceremony. “We are truly honoured to receive this award as it signifies Johor Port Berhad’s continuous improvement in delivering a high-quality service to our customers. Over the last couple of years, we have undertaken numerous initiatives to innovate and establish Johor Port Berhad as one of the most efficient multipurpose ports in the region. We are committed to creating more innovation and best solutions for our customers across the globe and this recognition is a testament to our ability to understand and adapt to tomorrow’s market and instill excellence into our business operations.” said Dato’ Sri Che Khalib bin Mohamad Noh, Chairman of Johor Port Berhad and Group Managing Director of MMC Corporation Berhad. - by The Iskandarian TI

A group picture with the committee members – X for XX; 20 in roman numerals

ate last year, Mohammad Rizan bin Hassan visited SMK Dato’ Jaafar as the guest of honour to present awards for the Extra-Curricular Award Ceremony 2018. Mohammad Rizan, an ex-Jaafarian, was an ex-convict who was involved in gangs and thefts which ended when he was caught and sent to the Henry Gurney School for 2 years. He then decided to turn over a new leaf by taking up odd jobs by the Segget River in Johor Bahru. He pushed stalls and was homeless until he got a job at the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co. Ltd where he worked 12 hours per day for 365 days without any rest. His hard work was paid off when his boss offered him a second chance by sending him abroad to Japan for 3 years for further training. After returning from Japan, he wanted to help teenagers that are down the same path as he was by giving them counselling and motivation. He had received many awards such as the ASEAN Youth Leader Award 2011 and the National Youth Flagship Award 2011.

In an interview session with the students, he told the students that he was grateful to his family, friends, teachers and his boss at Matsushita. When a student asked him whether he was judged about his past, he gave an analogy of a blank paper stained with black ink, and asked the students what they saw first. The students replied the black ink and he told them that no matter what he does he will always be judged for his past actions but that did not bother him and stop him from doing what he does. He also told the students to make good friends and make wise decisions. In the end, he left the students feeling motivated and encouraged them to never take things for granted and to live life with no regrets. In Steve Jobbs words, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition”. - by Keertana S. and Coe Tay TI

Mohammad Rizan Bin Hassan sharing his experience with the students and receiving a souvenir from Hanafi Samad, the Principal of SMK Dato Jaafar, Johor Bahru

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drill

MO N T H LY DR I L L w Intervie by the Editor

Hajjah Suhaila binti Haji Mohd Yassin Group C E O Ke j or a D e ve l opm ent Hol ding S dn. Bh d . (K DHSB )

Director

As a Chartered Accountant (M), Suhaila has 21 years of experience in various industries inclusive of Audit & Consultancy, Oil & Gas, Hospitality, Event Management & Training and Property Management. In her current role as the Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of KEJORA Development Holding Sdn. Bhd. (KDHSB), a company wholly owned by Lembaga Kemajuan Johor Tenggara (KEJORA), in Bandar Penawar, Desaru, Johor, Suhaila is responsible for the overall operations of KDHSB and its subsidiaries, namely KEJORA Agro Sdn. Bhd. which is focusing on agricultural business activities, KEJORA Hospitality & Services Sdn. Bhd. which is focusing on hospitality business activities and KEJORA Land Development Sdn. Bhd., a property development arm for KEJORA in this region. Suhaila is a person who believes in the power of knowledge and education. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from the International Islamic University Malaysia (IIUM) and Advanced Diploma in Logistics Management from the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport United Kingdom. She is also recognised as a Competent HRDF Trainer by the Human Resource Development Fund (HRDF) Malaysia.

KEJORA’s contribution to the society in Johor Tenggara Region by providing good quality living environment through KEJORA Land Sdn. Bhd., supplying fresh agricultural products through KEJORA Agro Sdn. Bhd. and providing an exclusive haven, away from the city at Bayu Balau Beach Resort which is managed by KEJORA Hospitality Sdn. Bhd. This is more practical and strategic approach by all subsidiaries to act as commercial arms for KEJORA.

Do share with us more about the property developments that you have undertaken What are the current developments undertaken by KEJORA Development Holding Group?

Currently, we are focusing on human capital development, property development and are also filling in the gap in food supply chain by working closely with FAMA in producing premium and niche agricultural products from our greenhouses and farms.

What are your plans for KEJORA Development Group for 2019?

In 2019, KEJORA Land Development Sdn. Bhd. (KLDSB) will continue to develop Phase 2 of Taman Permata Penawar, which is on schedule, and at the same time, build more Rumah Mampu Biaya as aspired by the Johor Menteri Besar. That is our responsibility as a government agency. For KEJORA Agro Sdn. Bhd. (KASB), we will maximise our land to produce agricultural products to meet locals’ needs. As for KEJORA Hospitality & Services Sdn. Bhd. (KHSSB), we will add more value to our services for guests’ satisfaction.

Tell us more about your subsidiaries

KEJORA Development Holding Group is the holding company of KLDSB, KASB and KHSSB. Each subsidiary is focusing on a specific target area in the market to maximise

Since our establishment six years ago, KLDSB have successfully developed housing projects for rural areas, such as Taman Permata Layang, Kampung Tersusun Tuan Seh and Phase 1 of Taman Permata Penawar at Bandar Penawar, Desaru, Johor. Phase 2 is ongoing. We are doing our best to add more success stories in our profile and so far we are doing great by delivering projects timely.

Your views on the property market as a whole?

Not all sectors in the property market are going down because it depends on location and the confidence level of end financiers. In Johor Tenggara Region, of which half of the population earn income from agricultural activities, demand for residential properties is high but the challenge is to convince financial institutions to become the end financier because most of the farmers do not have pay slips or audited financial statements. They are not business owners. As a developer, KLDSB has a social obligation to provide a comfortable and affordable home for the communities in Johor Tenggara Region but our effort will not reach the target group if no one is able to get financial assistance to buy a house. Therefore, we took a step ahead and became a solution enabler by negotiating with financial institutions to ensure that

everyone has an equal opportunity to own a house. Currently, we have approached a few banks in Kota Tinggi and some of the banks are considering this matter. It’s a win-win solution for everyone. We acknowledge the risk associated to this but we believe that all of us; developers, financial institutions and regulators, can work together and put on our thinking hats to get the best solution for the benefit of the society. On the other hand, industrial property segment is still seeing good growth in terms of transaction and value especially in Pengerang, which is much driven by the PIPC project. This is next in our business development plan.

With so many portfolios under you, how do you manage to stay on top of things?

I have been trained to be on top of things since my early days in Petronas. I am blessed to have a strong support system from KEJORA especially from our General Manager, two Vice General Managers, board of directors and all staffs from the group companies. It’s all about time management, assessing situations, prioritising tasks, leveraging with trust, providing clear requirements, proper guidance, following up closely, empowering staffs and most importantly, having a strong teamwork.

Tell us more about yourself as a trainer

I have been involved in training since 2009, mainly in leadership, motivational, selfdevelopment and business development programmes. I just love to share knowledge and experience with the public, especially the youth; our future leaders. I’m happy to see them succeed in their life. It’s about making a difference in the society in a positive manner. The training industry is similar to other industries in terms of delivering products (i.e. training programmes) according to market needs. As we are in the knowledge economy, demand for trainings and seminars have

increased. Knowledge has no boundaries. Sometimes we have to import international speakers and trainers to tap on their expertise and advanced technologies especially on specialised industry such as oil & gas, aerospace, nuclear physics and robotics. In accounting field, we need more trainers on oil & gas accounting and property development accounting. I am able to comment specifically on those industries because I am (was) involved in it. It is not easy to hire a welltrained general ledger accountant in those industries. And perhaps, in the near future we need to train more accountants in dealing with crypto currency because there are companies and individuals who use it as their business currency. In short, we have to keep ourselves abreast with the ever changing economic activities in order to succeed. Learning process will never end.

What do you do in your free time?

Whenever I got time for myself, I rest, reflect and rejuvenate by connecting myself with Allah, reading books, watching selective TV programmes, gardening and spending quality time with my loved ones. I will always embrace each and every moment of my life gracefully. TI

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PEGGY LOH

MY JOHOR STORIES Our resident writer, Peggy Loh, actively writes in her blog www.peggyloh.com about matters that are close to her heart. She can be reached at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

Proud heritage of Soo Peng Hang Press

I was honoured with the privilege to write a Foreword for this book and a friend asked me to autograph next to my name on this page

he book, Soo Peng Hang Press – Moveable Type Printing, which documents the Soo family’s heritage as the last moveable type printing press in Johor Bahru, was launched in a simple ceremony, recently. It was indeed a proud moment for the Soo family when this book, collaboration between the Earth Heart team led by Yap Leong, supported by Think City Johor Bahru and other sponsors, was completed as the first part of a major conservation project. With Yap as the team leader, the book concept and Chinese text was by Low Shi Jian, who doubled up as photographer and videographer. Wong Kha Mern and See Ca Dai worked together on the book layout and design while the main task for Chong Yii Ern was to translate the Chinese text into English. It was my privilege to work with this team to rewrite the raw English translation into proper English and prepared the text for a bi-lingual publication. When Yap invited me to participate and to write a Foreword, I was happy to do so as this ancient printing press was an integral part of JB’s culture and heritage. I’m familiar with this old printing company and it was back in 2015, just before the Johor Sultan’s coronation when Yap introduced me to Soo Kok Wah, the seventh son of Soo Peng Hang, to reminisce about his Coronation Memories. Since July 2016, Yap and his team worked closely with the Soo brothers and did their research in an effort to preserve the heritage of this ancient printing press.

Yap has ambitious plans for this project which begins with the documentation of the history of Soo Peng Hang Press in a bi-lingual book and this will be followed by the physical restoration of the printing press equipment and finally, the setting up the printing press for display as a heritage institution. When I looked at the draft document for the book, I felt a strange connection as my thoughts raced back to my dad. This was because my dad told me that his first job was as a typesetter with a printing press! My dad, who grew up in the Boys’ Home of Elim Gospel Hall in Ipoh, Perak, said the missionary, George Wilson, did not like older boys to be idle so right after he completed his studies, dad went and found himself a job with a printing press. I can vividly recall the way dad described how he had to manually pick up the types or alphabets to compose the words and sentences in reverse to prepare the plate for printing. It was uncanny that before Soo Peng Hang opened his business in JB, he also worked for a printer in Ipoh so I guess my dad probably worked for this same printer but in later years! On 31st December 2006, the Soo Peng Hang Press, a company that was named after its founder, ended its operations because it could no longer compete with the advancing technologies in printing. Born in Guangdong, China, in 1896, Soo acquired his printing skills from training with master printers in China.

The cover design of the book, Soo Peng Hang Press – Moveable Type Printing, features a collection of moveable types or characters

Soo Kok Wah and Soo Kok Thai [6th and 7th from the Right] with guests who were presented with a copy of the book at the recent book launch event

In 1924, at age 28, he left Hong Kong for Singapore. It was always a struggle for new arrivals or sin khek and it was difficult to find a job without a friend’s introduction or reference. Finally, with his savings almost depleted, Soo stayed alive only by drinking water. After a very challenging time, he finally found a job with the Nanyang Siang Pau newspapers. He then worked for Guangming Printing Press in Ipoh before returning to JB to work in a printing press which was located at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. Later, when the owner of this printing press wanted to give up his business, he discussed it with Soo and decided to sell the entire business to him at the cost of 1000 Yuan. In 1930, the Soo Peng Hang Press was one of the earliest printing presses here before World War II. The business was relocated three times, from No.9 Jalan Ibrahim (presentday OCBC Bank) to No. 4 Jalan Tangga Duke (present-day Foh Chong Building) and finally at No. 48 Jalan Wong Ah Fook. After the JB Tiong Hua Association published an interview with Soo Kok Wah about the family’s printing press, representatives from the Beijing Museum contacted him to express their interest to visit their premises here. As this project is progressing to its next stage, which is to restore their former business premises, he told the Beijing Museum representatives that a visit may be possible in a few years’ time. They are now seeking partnerships to set up the heritage gallery dubbed the Soo Peng Hang Moveable Type Printing Experience Hall, where locals and tourists, students and researchers, may have interesting and informative learning experiences. Among the precious artifacts they have preserved are rare items like the menu printed for the landmark Hwa Mui Restaurant, which was then a popular bar. I was amused to read this menu which offered a variety of Whiskey, Port and Gin! Soo Peng Hang Press also printed calendars and gave them as gifts annually.

In December 1951, they received a letter from then British Commissioner General in Southeast Asia, Malcolm MacDonald, who expressed his appreciation for their calendar. The original typewritten note showed his residential address at Bukit Serene Johore Bahru [Ancient spelling for Johor Bahru!] with the signature of the Commissioner General. This ancient printing press has much heritage value because it was established in multi-cultural Malaysia and had the unique capability to print materials not only in English and Chinese but also in Malay, Jawi and Tamil languages. Soo Peng Hang Press was then the most important printing press in JB which printed many documents as a legacy to many local establishments here and it also witnessed the development of Johor as a state and the advancement of modern printing techniques. To express partnership interest or to buy the book; Soo Peng Hang Press – Moveable Type Printing, send emails to: earthheartteam@gmail.com TI

The original Note of Appreciation sent to Soo Peng Hang Press that was signed by then British Commissioner General in Southeast Asia, Malcolm MacDonald

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F E B 2 0 19

INSIDE

ing m r a w rt A hea out for k o lo o t tale ary! u r b e F s i h t

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The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

editor’s H note

appy Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day! This month, I’d like to share about The Human Exhibit 2019 (THE), a theatrical journey commencing in April in Petaling Jaya. THE is brought to you by I’M Entertainment with Ian Nathaniel and Dhinesha as its Co-Producers/Curators. A heart-warming movie awaits us this February. In a Dog’s Way Home, a dog travels 400 miles to search for her owner! Chinese New Year is literally days away, and so is the Reunion Dinner which is an important pre-CNY tradition. If you

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

want to give your home-chefs a break from the kitchen during this festive season, check out our options at Amari Johor Bahru, DoubleTree By Hilton Johor Bahru, Ponderosa Golf & Country Resort, Pulai Springs Resort or Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel. Back at Sunway Citrine Hub, the Magistrate had the opportunity to review Void which serves brunch and Omakase dinner course. Perhaps, you may want to take a drive there for this Valentine’s Day. Moe continues with his travel tales at Pulai Springs Resort and can’t stop talking

about all the food he had plus his blissful Balinese Spa. Flip the page to know more and start making reservations soon. As always, for those wishing to share their fashion collection, travel tales, or like us to review your restaurant/hotel for a staycation, drop me an e-mail at waves. lifestyle@gmail.com and be featured. For more news, do access www.theiskandarian. com Till the next issue, Happy Celebrations everyone!

Feature

Priya

The Human Exhibit is Back for 2019 Season! By The Iskandarian

fter a successful run of ‘The Human Exhibit: Mentalhealth’ with over 40 shows, I’M Entertainment is proud to bring back a whole season of ‘The Human Exhibit’ for 2019! Kicking off the New Year with ‘Mentalhealth’ from 4th to 14th April 2019, following that, Sex&Gender, from 4th till the 14th of July 2019 and ending the year with Party! from 3rd till 13th October 2019, The Human Exhibit will be staged at AkuSembunyi, a private property in Petaling Jaya. What is The Human Exhibit (THE)? - Think fine art gallery but with people instead. It is a theatrical journey that the audiences take as they experience different representations of the themes. These can be artistic representations in the form of dance, spoken word, dialogue, scene, movement, flow art, mime etc. It is an immersive theatrical site-specific experience. ‘THE’ is a collaborative community project that I’M has ventured on early last year, and it received raving reviews. The completely sold out show was done in support of RELATE MALAYSIA and managed to do a Tour Version of the show two months after.

An open recce of the venue was done last December for everyone to get a good idea of the space. Following which, the individuals or companies which sent in their proposals and budget in January 2019 are then called for a pitching session and when selected, these individuals/companies can start rehearsing. A preview was also held for individuals and companies who were interested to pitch for ‘Mentalhealth’, ‘Sex&Gender’, & ‘Party!’ Ian Nathaniel and Dhinesha are the Co-Producers/Curators ‘The Human Exhibit’. Ian is 2017’s BOH Cameronian Arts Award winner for Best Innovation in Musical Theatre for a Mahsuri (And Other Peculiar Tales) that he co-created and cocomposed with Shafeeq Shajahan from Liver and Lung Productions. Ian has been doing events since a very young age. With a very strong background in music, events, and a blossoming background in theatre, Ian has produced shows, toured shows nationally, performed in shows internationally, organised music festivals, corporate events, etc. Some of the more popular events he has been involved in are Good Vibes Festival, MY Music Festival, Urbanscapes, NASOM Autism Walk, Tres Fest, TEDxKL, and more. On the other hand, Dhinesha is a multidisciplinary storyteller and coach. He is the first and current reigning Malaysian National Poetry Slam Champion. He is also the Causeway Exchange(CEX) 2017 Poetry Slam Champion and his work is featured in KL’s first spoken word anthology ‘When I Say Spoken, You Say Word’. His debut play ‘Silk & Strings: The Truth of Bullying’ opened in November 2017 and also toured to Johor Bahru as part of the Iskarnival 2017. His debut coproduction and co-curation venture was the completely sold out ‘The Human Exhibit: Mentalhealth’ in January 2018. The site-specific immersive theatre production was also restaged in Publika as part of Mapfest 2018. So keep a lookout for the whole season of ‘The Human Exhibit’ 2019.

Co-Producers/Curators Ian Nathaniel

Co-Producers/Curators Dhinesha

FEB 2019 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Emotional Communication: How We Do It? – Part 2

B Rose Osman is a Certified Human Design Professional. She’s a guide for Living Your Design Workshop and coaches others on self healing for anxiety via E-courses and group workshops

yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses www.roselifecoach.com

e mindful of our emotions (continued from part 1) Whenever we react to emotions and moodiness unconsciously, we stimulate pain. This is especially widely prevalent in social media. There are many people who project their emotional pain and uses issues to channel the emotions without responsibility. The pain is not just affecting them but the readers too. Every single emotion is a biochemical process in our body and each has a frequency. If we can grasp that emotions have its own intelligence, we would know that we have no control over what we feel. The only thing we can do is to be mindful about it. Without mindfulness, we may not be

able to resolve any emotional conflicts or have compassion for ourselves and others. The right way to communicate our emotions If you are feeling any emotional pain and need to express it, do pick the right people to discuss it. The receivers of the emotions may or may not be ready to experience the overwhelming strength of your emotional frequency. This is also the reason why some people walk away from confronting any emotional discomfort. Ask them if they have a mental space to listen to your emotional experiences. Remember that anything you speak from the emotional level does have an impact on the receiver. Imagine if

you are channelling your emotional outburst and the receivers are not prepared to experience the pain. This is where we create endless confrontation with others. In communicating any emotional pain, an open discussion is needed, so both the giver and the receiver are aware of any reaction towards guilt, shame and blame. It also takes mastery to deal with any emotional pain and drama. People such as psychologists, therapists and healers are trained to experience such frequency and hold the space for you to be in a harmonious flow. Nevertheless, to ask permission to share is a compassionate way to communicate our emotional experiences. TI

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

Release date: 21st February 2019

Produced by: Gavin Polone

Director by: Charles Martin Smith

Executive Producers: Yu Dong, Jeffrey Chan, Robert J. Dohrmann, T.D. Jakes, Derrick Williams

Screenplay by: W. Bruce Cameron & Cathryn Michon Based on the book by: W. Bruce Cameron Source:

Cast: Bryce Dallas Howard, Ashley Judd, Jonah Hauer-King, Alexandra Shipp with Wes Studi and Edward James Olmos Sony Pictures Malaysia

Dog’s Way Home chronicles is the heart-warming adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human, Lucas. Along the way, she meets a series of new friends and manages to bring a little bit of comfort and joy to their lives.

FEB 2019 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

travel 2019 FEB

dar Calen ts n of Eve 1st – 6th Feb

10th Indian Shopping Festival @ EXPO Danga City Mall

1st – 24th Feb i Light Singapore @ Marina Bay Waterfront Promenade

Enjoy Some Time Away From Home at Pulai Springs Resort – Part 2

2nd Feb • Zero Miles Run 2019 @ MPJB • Piala Sumbangsih 2019 JDT vs Perak @ Stadium Larkin

Candle Light Dinner table by the pool By Moazan Emran waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

3rd – 10th Feb River Hongbao @ Singapore Marina Bay

5th – 6th Feb Chinese New Year

9th Feb Adrenaline Run 2019 @ UTM

13th Feb Jon Hopkins Concert @ Capitol Theatre S’pore

14th Feb Valentine’s Day

15th Feb BlackPink Concert @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

15th – 16th Feb Chingay Parade, S’pore

22nd – 24th Feb NATAS Travel Fair @ S’pore Expo

22nd – 26th Feb Johor Chingay Parade @ Jalan Trus

28th Feb – 3rd Mac HSBC Women’s World Championship @ Sentosa Golf Club S’pore

Tea Time snack (Pisang Goreng and Ubi Keledek with Honey and Kicap Pedas Dips)

fter completing my tour around the resort and my little afternoon siesta, it was time for tea at the Cinta Terrace Restaurant which is located conveniently next to the pool. Our tea time snack consisted of a plate of Pisang Goreng and Ubi Keledek served the true Johorean favourite way with kicap pedas dip as well honey and Teh Tarik. Being Malaysian, I couldn’t think of a more perfect snack for tea. It was then time for my spa treatment - something I was looking forward to the whole day. I got an amazing Balinese massage for an hour that sent me straight to sleep during the blissful massage session. The next thing I knew, it was time for dinner at the Cinta Terrace Restaurant, and by this juncture, I was fully aware that I was still full from the entire day of eating!

We were served with a Dulang set of Ikan Asam Pedas and Ayam Gulai Masak Lemak. I leaned more towards the Ikan Asam Pedas to a point where I found myself just scooping the sauce as to not waste it! Just before leaving for my room, I noticed a beautifully set table next to the pool, and when inquiring further, I found out that it was a candle lit dinner setting that you can request if you wish to have a romantic dinner with your significant other to celebrate an anniversary or special occasion. Finally, after the entire day testing out the facilities and eating all the food it was finally time for some sleep. The bed in my room was amazingly comfortable, and you can bet that after all the food I had throughout the day, I was knocked out. In the morning, we headed down for breakfast, but I had to hold myself back a bit as our lunch was going to be at Qing Palace again, and that was something I was truly looking forward too. After getting some time to unwind, we then had lunch at Qing Palace, ordering some of our favourite dishes such as Salted Egg Yolk Prawns, Sautéed Chicken with Dried Chili and Cashew nuts and my personal favourite; the Beijing Duck with Black Pepper Sauce. Although, I’m not a fan of duck, but their duck was amazingly tender and it instantly became my favourite. It was finally time to depart, but you can be sure that I’ll be back here again for another stay, if only to dine at the Qing Palace! So want to plan an amazing weekend at Pulai Springs Resort? Make a reservation now! For further information, please visit Pulai Springs Resort’s official website at www.pulaisprings.com or call +607-5212121. TI

Pulai Springs Spa Centre

Ayam Gulai Masak Lemak for Dinner

Delicious Beijing Duck with Black Pepper

Block your dates for this month! If you need more information on the above mentioned events, drop us an email at: waves.lifestyle@gmail.com Day 2: Lunch at Qing Palace (Sambal Kangkong, Chicken with Dried Chilli and Cashew Nuts, and More)

A favourite: Salted Egg Yolk Prawns

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live

It’s Written in the Sea Stars… means that their body parts are arranged symmetrically around a centre point. Sea stars can regrow lost arms - some repopulate by dropping an arm then regrow other arms from that one limb. Sea stars walk on hundreds of little tube feet on its underside, similar to sand dollars and sea urchins, which they are related to. They do not have blood, but instead pump seawater through their bodies to help them move and function. Birds, fish and otters love to eat sea stars, but they in turn feast on mussels, clams, snails, barnacles

the Tebrau Straits between Malaysia and Singapore. Kelab Alami Mukim Tg Kupang (kelabalami.weebly.com) takes visitors on guided habitat walks during the low tide and sea star sightings are almost guaranteed. TI

Serina Rahman Serina Rahman is the co-founder of Kelab Alami and a Visiting Fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore

ommonly (but wrongly) referred to as starfish, sea stars are not actually fish. They do not have gills, scales or fins like fish do. But they do have a spine and eye spots located at the end of each arm. These are simple eyes that can tell the difference between light and dark. Not all sea stars have 5 arms, some have as many as 10 or even 40 – which also means that they have that many eyes! Sea stars are echinoderms, which

and small fish by sliding its stomach out of its mouth and digesting its prey externally. Then it slides its stomach back in. There are thousands of sea star species in the world and many live in

Soroptimist International: A Global Voice for Women & Children

oroptimist International (SI) is the oldest and largest women’s organisation to date. 96 years of service throughout the world through 90,000 members in 3100 clubs in 132 countries. Soroptimist International has been a global voice for women and children through Awareness, Advocacy and Action – a non party political and non sectarian serving the world irrelevant of race creed and religion. Members are encouraged to be aware of and involved in the issues of society. Therefore, a soroptimist is an active participant in decision making at all levels of society bringing about international

goodwill and understanding Soroptimist International of Johor Bahru (SIJB) was chartered in the year 2000, officiated by the Y a n g Mulia Tu n k u Besar, Tengku Zabedah bte Sultan Mahmud Iskandar. SIJB is par t of t h e S o r o p t i m i s t International Region of Malaysia – SIROM, and for nearly 19 years, they have been actively undertaking projects to raise awareness to the society. One of their projects was the ‘Project

ABCs - Literacy Programme for the Refugees’. As SIJB is an Implemented Partner with The U N H i g h Commission for Refugees, they had started a School for Refugees (basically the Rohingyas) back in 2007 with as little as RM1500. SIJB is the first Malaysian organisation to bring literacy to the refugees. In Johor, another active SIROM is the Soroptomist International Iskandar Puteri (SIIP), under the guidance of its President,

Nooraini bt Dato’ Mohd Yasin, who in her stride has organised many programmes in Johor including rendering their assistance and services to schools and shelter homes. Both SIJB and SIIP and its members have always worked steadily all these years and would like welcome more women and girls to come out and work together in friendship and sisterhood to better the communities for generations to come. To learn more about Soroptimist International/SIROM or if you want to be a part of it, logon to http://soroptimistmalaysia. org/ or contact Nora Lea at 012-7354406 or email norasflora@hotmail.com to join the Soroptomist International Iskandar Puteri. TI

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How to Check if the Job Offer is Real?

ave you ever received a job opportunity from your friends or family members or chance upon it on a Facebook group, and it simply sounds too good to be true? It probably is, and more often than not, such random job ads tend to reek of suspicious activity and are most likely part of an elaborate job scam. We all know online job scams exist, but sometimes it’s easy to overlook the warning signs with the excitement of a potential job offer. These scammers play on your desire to secure a better paying job or the opportunity to work in another country, and will go to great lengths to convince you to pay them for something that does not even exist. It is thus crucial for you to learn how to identify these warning signs and protect yourself, so you can continue to benefit from real online career opportunities. Now that you know how to differentiate a real job from a fake one and which red flags to look out for, here are some more important tips to help you verify if the job offer is real so that you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim of these job scams. 4 Ways to check if the job offer is real Call Randstad Singapore or Randstad Malaysia Directly to Check When you are being approached by an individual claiming they’re working for Randstad, you can always call us directly at +60 03-2036 6666 (Randstad Malaysia) or +65 6510 1350 (Randstad Singapore) to check if he or she works with us.

Our recruitment specialists are always happy to connect with you over the phone or via emails. Remember: We will never ask job seekers for payment or remunerations of any kind. Watch out for scammers who ask you for money before meetings or interviews and always call the company to check before taking any actions. Chat with our Live Chat Team on our Website Randstad’s live chat is a web service that allows you to chat with our customer service specialists in real time. Get in touch with our customer experience team when you are approached with job offers that came from suspicious sources or sounded dubious. Connect with us on Facebook Received a job offer via Facebook or WhatsApp messages but you are not sure if it is genuine or fake? A fake job ad often does not include the required job-related skills in its requirement but it will instead ask for financial payment before the interview. If you have received a similar WhatsApp message or came across a Facebook post that looks like the above, get in touch with us on our official Randstad Malaysia Facebook Page to check with us. The team manning our Facebook inbox will get back to you within 24 hours.

Check Official Websites (Applies to Singapore only) At Randstad, we take job scams very seriously as we place your safety as our priority. You may visit the Ministry of Manpower website to check the recruitment consultant’s CEI number to find out if he or she is officially registered under the Certificate of Employment Intermediaries as required by the Singapore law. Please note that you will need the consultant’s full name to check on the Ministry’s website. Alternatively, you can call the Ministry’s hotline during standard office hours at +65 6438 5122. If you suspect that you are a target of a job scam or have already been scammed, reach out to your local authorities immediately to report the crime. This way you will be raising awareness of job scams and protect your family and friends from becoming victims of scams. You can also submit an e-report to the following Malaysian authorities: Malaysia Communications & Multimedia Commission (MCMC) complaint portal Malaysian Computer Emergency Response team For more information, please read the following: http://www.mom.gov.sg/ newsroom/announcements/2016/0617scam-alert. - by Randstand Malaysia and Singapore TI

Here is an example of what a fake job ad looks like

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Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel

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elcoming the Chinese New and Hong Kong style steamed indigenous Year is always about tradition Pontian pomfret fish. The set also includes and auspiciousness and Wan Hong Kong typhoon shelter style with Li Restaurant at Renaissance sea prawn, Braised sea cucumber with Johor Bahru Hotel doesn’t disappoint ten head abalone served with broccoli, when it comes to serving up sumptuous Steamed Yam Rice with chicken sausage served in lotus leaf and chilled mango traditional Chinese feasts. Look out for specially handcrafted puree and pomelo. Wan Li Chinese Set Menu A and Cantonese Style Fortune Abalone and Dried Seafood Treasure Pot (Poon Choy) B come inclusive with a bottle of house alongside their Prosperity Salmon Yee red wine per table except for Set Menu A for six persons. Additional wine may Sang and Auspicious Abalone Yee Sang. Set menu’s come in two variations be purchased at an exclusive price of with Set Menu A offering an eight course RM128.00 nett per bottle. All dishes at Wan Li Chinese menu comprising Prosperity Salmon Yee Sang with organic vegetables, fresh Restaurant are pork and lard free. If you fruits and jelly fish, Double boiled village need to make pre-bookings feel free to chicken soup with American ginseng, call the friendly staff at +6073813388 Cantonese crispy roasted chicken, Hong or drop them an email at rhi.jhbbr. Kong style steamed dragon tiger grouper wanlirestaurant@renaissancehotels.com. and Wok fried sea prawns with garlic and Club Marriot members are entitled to 10% pepper. Other dishes include Braised discount for Wan Li Chinese New Year Set dried oysters with fish maw, mushrooms Menu and 20% discount for Yee Sang and and vegetables, Steamed Yam Rice with Poon Choy. - by Edey Suresh TI chicken sausage served in lotus leaf and chilled lemongrass jelly with passion fruit. Guests who opt for Set Menu B will be pampered with an eight course meal consisting of Prosperity Abalone and Salmon Yee Sang with organic vegetables, Mini herbs Buddha jumps over the wall, BBQ combination platter of Cantonese crispy roasted chicken and traditional BBQ roasted duck Toss the Yee Sang to usher in prosperity

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VOiD by Shawn Shum

Filling the VOiD & our tummy space with innovative dining menu comprises. From the seasonally inspired ingredients right down to the silverware and serving plates of which Shawn’s gorgeous creations are presented in, VOiD reflects a certain culinary style that's both visually stunning and sensorial from taste to texture. VOiD's omakase dinner consists of 11 courses, with prices ranging from RM288++ (fish) to RM398++ (wagyu beef ) per pax, depending on the choice of meat for the main course. Once our whole party arrived, Chef Sunny briefly introduced our omakase menu for the evening which consists a series of plates, beginning with the lightest fare and subsequently proceeding on to the heavier dishes.

Over 2 hours and 11 (+1 pre-dessert) dishes later, our gastronomy void was heartily filled by Chef Shawn (still only 26 years of age) and his youthful team with an average age of 23 years. From humble but delicate tasting starters right down to premium seafood and meat options, the execution of each course is simple yet refined, with an array of alluring flavours leaving us beyond satisfaction!

West-landers would rejoice as Restaurant VOiD is situated at Sunway Citrine Hub (next to Sunway International School) and just a short distance from Puteri Harbour.

Some chefs pay attention to the latest culinary trends, and some chefs create the trends. Shawn Shum is one of them! Foodies familiar with the local F&B scene will know Chef Shawn from his Rowan & Parsley days. Known for constantly pushing culinary boundaries by combining numerous cooking techniques to bring out better the natural textures and flavours of each ingredient, Shawn and his team at Restaurant VOiD promises a glorious dining experience like no other.

For full review, visit: https://magistrate.my/restaurantvoid 1-20–1-22, First Floor, Sunway Citrine Hub, Persiaran Medini 3, Sunway Iskandar, 79250 Iskandar Puteri, Johor Daily from 10.00am - 11.00pm (Brunch 10.00am - 5.00pm; Omakase 6.00pm - 10.00pm) +6011-5502 6828

VOiD serves brunch (including vegetarian options) and dinner from 10am to 11pm, but the focus here lies primarily on seasonal produce, of which their

https://www.facebook.com/RestaurantVOiD.MY/ NON HALAL

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Pulai Springs Resort DoubleTree JB

Camphor & Tea Smoked Duck

ulai Springs Resort (PSR) welcomes you to usher in the Lunar New Year with family and friends with a plethora of mouthwatering Chinese New Year cuisine specially prepared by MasterChef Lim and his team at the Qing Palace Chinese Restaurant. Two special set menus are being served on the eve of CNY (4th February 2019) as well as another three set menus that will be made available from the first day of CNY which will be on the 5th of February till 19th of February 2019. The dishes are symbolic expressions of good fortune, prosperity, happiness, wealth and abundance for CNY and are suitable for family reunions or gatherings with friends. CNY Reunion Set Menu A serves 6 persons at RM528+, and 10 persons at RM880+, whereas the Set Menu B will serve 6 persons at RM780+, and 10 persons at RM1300+. There will be three sessions available for the CNY Reunion dinners starting at 5.30pm, 7pm, and 8pm. As for CNY day on the 5th of

February to 19th February 2019, guests have a choice of Set Menu A at RM818+ for 10 persons, Set Menu B and C will both serve 6 or 10 persons at RM558+ and RM828+, and RM938+ and RM1388+ respectively. These Set Menus are available for both lunch and dinner. MasterChef Lim will also be preparing four varieties of Yee Sang – Salmon Yee Sang, Royal Abalone Slices Yee Sang, Dried Seafood Yee Sang, and Smoked Duck Yee Sang. These are available for dinein or takeaway from 4th January to 19th February 2019. The Cinta Terrace Restaurant at PSR will also be offering CNY buffet and hi-tea. CNY Prosperity Reunion BBQ Nite Buffet is available on 4th February 2019 at RM88+ per adult and RM44+ per child. Book before 31st January and save RM15 per adult and groups of 10 or more will enjoy RM18 savings per adult. Cinta Terrace CNY Hi-Tea Day 1 is priced at RM58+ per adult and RM29+ per child. As for Day 2, it’s RM48+ per adult and RM24+ per child. Every one child eats for free for every four (4) paying adults. Serving time for Hi-Tea is from 12pm to 2.30pm. All dishes at Qing Palace are pork and lard free. The Cinta Terrace restaurant is certified halal. All prices are also subject to 6% Service Tax. To make reservations, please call +607-5212121 or email to enquiry@ pulaisprings.com or visit www.pulaisprings. com for more info. - by Harish Mustak TI

oubleTree By Hilton Johor Bahru or indulge in the Prosperity Salmon Yee (DoubleTree) welcomes friends Sang priced at RM138 nett (Minimum of and family to celebrate the 10 pax). The CNY Fortune Feast Buffet Dinner Chinese New Year of Blooming Abundance by introducing its selection of will run from the 3rd to the 7th of February Chinese delights and delectable dine-in 2019 priced at RM168 nett for adults and RM84 nett for children from 6.30pm to menus. Themed the “Year of Blooming 10.30pm. Enjoy 5th and 6th February 2019 Abundance”, DoubleTree will be bringing guests on a gastronomical journey like no afternoons from 12.30pm to 4pm with the Prosperity Hi-Tea Buffet priced at RM109 other. The Hotel will be dishing out their nett for adults and RM54 nett for children. For enquiries or to make very own version of authentic Chinese cuisine filled with an array of mouth- reservations, please call +607 2686868 or email JohorBahru.FB@hilton.com. - by watering dishes to savour. Feast on the plethora of offerings Harish Mustak TI at the Makan Kitchen, the all-day dining restaurant such as Steamed Garoupa Fish, a Selection of Fresh Seafood at the buffet spread, Homemade Herbal Tea and the auspicious Mandarin oranges. Not forgetting the dish that makes every CNY feast; the Yee Sang platter – that will be tossed to usher prosperity, good health and wealth into the New Year. The Jade Shell Yee Sang is priced at RM98 nett (Minimum of 10 pax) and the Jelly Fish Yee The Blooming Abundance package is inclusive of a bottle of Sang is RM118 nett wine and a special Ang Pow from DoubleTree (Minimum of 10 pax)

Amari Johor Bahru

he Amaya Food Gallery at Amari Hotel Johor Bahru led by Cluster Executive Chef Andy Oh and Executive Sous Chef from Thailand, Gina Kanokwan, will be serving up a number of promotions and various Asian flavours this Chinese New Year. Currently ongoing till the 19th of February 2019 from 11am to 10.30pm, the three Great Prosperity Set Menus will be offered at the Amaya Good Gallery.

Three days advance notice is required and please note that the menus will not be available from 2nd – 9th February 2019. The three Great Prosperity Menus range from a 7-course Wealth menu tagged at RM988 nett, 9-course Huge Wealth menu at RM1288 nett and a 10-course Enormous Wealth menu at RM2388, all for a table of 10 persons. Menu items consist of the traditional CNY dishes such as Yee Sang, Double-Boiled Whole

Chicken in Lotus Leaf, Wok Tossed King Prawns, Braised Baby Abalone with Shitake Mushrooms and Broccoli, Steamed Whole Fish, Chinese Fried Rice and more. CNY Reunion Buffet Dinner at Amaya Food Gallery is from 4th to 6th February from 6.30pm to 10.30pm which will feature South East Asian and International dishes. The buffet is priced at RM148 nett per person and 50% off for children aged 6 to 12 years and senior citizens aged 60 and

above. For a lighter meal, Amaya is also offering CNY Hi-Tea which will be serving a selection of Asian dishes on the 5th and 6th of February from 12.30pm to 3.30pm at RM88 nett and 50% off for children aged 6 to 12 years and senior citizens aged 60 and above. For reservations, please call +607-2668888 or email to Amaya.johorbahru@amari.com or fnbcoordinator.johorbahru@amari. Chef’s Signature Hot & Cold Five Combination com. - by Harish Mustak TI

Ponderosa Golf & Country Resort

Toss for prosperity with Ponderosa’s Yee Sang set

he Hop Sing Chinese Restaurant at Ponderosa Golf & Country Club (Ponderosa) is offering new menu items with the introduction of its new Head Chef, Lean Poh Leong. This year, Hop Sing Restaurant will be doing away with Shark’s Fin for its two Chinese New Year Set Menus. The menu valued at RM998++ will feature Braised Superior Dried Scallops & Crab

Meat Soup to replace previous year’s Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Crabmeat, while the menu at RM1388++ will offer Braised Superior Crabmeat, Scallop and Snow Fungus Soup. The Fortune Set Menu at RM998+ serving 8 – 10 persons include Salmon Yee Sang, Braised Superior Dried Scallops & Crabmeat Soup, Roasted Crispy Chicken, Steamed Grouper Hong Kong-style, Braised Broccoli with

Dried Oysters, Seafood Balls & Vegetables, Deep-fried Prawns in Soya Sauce, to finish off with Chef Leong’s special XO Sauce Fried Rice and Chilled Sea Coconut & Longan for dessert. The Prosperity Set Menu at RM1388++ per table serves Pacific Clam Yee Sang, Braised Superior Crabmeat, Scallop & Snow Fungus Soup, Steamed Fresh Grouper in Chef’s Special Sauce, Braised Broccoli with Black

Mushrooms & Abalone, Yuan Yang Chicken, Pan-fried Prawns with Chicken Floss & Mayonnaise, Special Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaf and for dessert, White Fungus with Glutinous Rice Balls. For further enquiries and bookings, please call Lai Yee at 017-766 2636 or the general line during restaurant operating hours at 607-354 9999 Ext 255, or email neba@ponderosagolf.com. by Harish Mustak TI

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Accumulating Wealth Tips & Tricks

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Embracing the Bear Market

ately, many retail investors felt anxious because of the depressed stock market. Therefore, in this issue, I’m going to discuss how to look at the bear market from a different perspective. But before that, let’s discuss the global economy first. In December 2018, the US job growth hit 312,000, while the unemployment rate rose to 3.9%, and wages jumped 3.2 % from a year ago. Apparently, the US economy has been doing well. Technically, the Dow Jones Industrial (DJI) Average has rebound sharply from 21713 to 23996 at the time of writing. Whether it can break above 24000, it would depend a lot in China. So how is China’s economy? In early January, Apple cut revenue forecast on weak China sales, hammered Asian suppliers and triggered a broader selloff in global markets. On 14th January 2019, China’s top auto industry association said its auto market has contracted the first time in two decades. On the same day, China’s export and import figures has showed they are much worse than expected in December 2018, underscoring the rapid weakening of the Chinese economy. And we have not discussed China’s highly increasing debt level. Not all is bad though. Firstly, oil price has rebound from a recent low of USD42.5 to USD51 per barrel

in January this year. Secondly, the market perceives the two giants’ trade talk to go well, and expects more negotiations to continue. Thirdly, the rate hike seems to have paused as the US Fed chairperson hinted the rate hike would be ‘more flexible’. With all the ongoing changes of macro condition, would it be necessary to make adjustment to our investment? Here is our portfolio performance on 14th January 2019:

Sold COMFORT and HEVEA We sold 80,000 shares of Comfort at 0.85 and 120,000 shares Hevea at 0.63. Both investments incurred losses of RM8000 and RM21600, respectively. The reason of selling Comfort is that we noticed the share price of the entire glove sector is facing downward pressure. For Hevea, it’s believed that the slowdown of China’s economy would have an impact on its particle board business.

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

The portfolio has showed a gain of 175% since November 2015. As you can see, we have sold two companies to preserve more cash, while added one REIT for its stable earnings that comes with attractive dividends.

Added KIP REIT KIP Real Estate Investment Trust (KIP REIT)’s income generating portfolio consists of 5 KiP Marts, which are a cross between traditional fresh market and retail outlets. It has a

strong presence in Johor with three of the marts Tey Bin Yuen strategically located in Tampoi, Masai and Kota Binyuen is the founder of BY Enrich Tinggi. Resources and the author of ‘Life With KIP REIT’s beyond the Comfort Zone’ and ‘Profit from Share Investment’. a t t ra c t i ve d i v i d e n d, His books are available in major business resilience, earning bookstores in Malaysia, Singapore stability and low valuation, or online http://www.teybinyuen.com/ we bought 80,000 shares profitfromshareinvestment of KIPTREIT at 0.78. It around. Second, you are short is a defensive strategy in times of cash to buy. Whichever the of uncertainty. With the above reason may be, you can work transactions plus the cash brought on it. Start learning about the forward, our new cash level is now company you want to invest at RM182,685. and prepare some cash, now! 3. Be mentally prepared that the Embracing the Bear Market bear market would last for Seeing the bear market with the another one to two years. In right mindset is important. It would the US stock market history, help you mentally prepare and be bear market only lasts for one able to profit from it. There are four to two years. Once the bull ways of looking at it: returns, it can easily last for 1. Understand the stock market nine to ten years, and the index is a cycle. It will eventually be can go up as much as 500% on going higher because of global average. inflation and rising population. Would you feel different 4. You can still make money via trading during the bear market, knowing that the bear market as volatility means opportunity. is only a temporary correction? So go and learn the skill. I bet you would. 2. If you are happy to shop during Raya or Christmas sales, why Conclusion are you not happy to shop Bear market is not necessarily public listed company sales? bad as long as you got the right It boils down two reasons: perspectives. Once you have First, you don’t know there learned the right mindset, you can are many good companies still dance in the rain! TI

R&F Mall Johor Bahru Announces Anchor Tenants Offering a stimulating blend of retail experiences, R&F Mall Johor Bahru is set to excite shoppers when it opens its door to the public

&F Mall Johor Bahru is the first shopping mall opened by R&F Princess Cove, Malaysia. R&F Mall Johor Bahru is strategically located at the Singapore-Malaysia Custom Immigration Quarantine (CIQ) in Johor, 1km away from the causeway which links with Singapore, and only 8 minutes walking distance from CIQ checkpoint where shoppers will be connected with a fully sheltered and guarded link bridge. R&F Mall Johor Bahru boasts

a 3-storeys retail space spanning over 800,000 square feet. Targeting at local Johorean, Singaporean and international shoppers, R&F Mall Johor Bahru offers a plethora of shopping, ultimate entertainment and dining establishments for you to indulge in fashion, food and urban leisure. The new shopping mall comprises international fashion, sports, casual & fine dining, kids zone, beauty & health, home living, its anchor premier supermarket –

Jaya Grocer, and flagship cinema – Emperor Cinemas in Southeast Asia, coming all the way from Hong Kong. “We are proud to bring in many first-in-JB brands which Johoreans have never experienced before – the 1st Kiddomo Children’s Innovation Centre in JB all the way from Japan, the 1st Carl’s Jr in JB, the 1st Taiwanese Oregin Ji Ke bubble tea in JB, “Routine by Soon” the new concept café by the same team of People and Places Cafe, and of course, the 1st overseas flagship cinema invested by the famous Emperor Entertainment Group from Hong Kong– Emperor Cinemas will be setting its foot at R&F mall, bringing you the whole new standard of movie experience,” said Richard Hu, General Manager of R&F Princess Cove. R&F Mall Johor Bahru is designed by the same team behind ION Orchard, Singapore, the design exemplifies a perfect blend between the latest trend in shopping mall design and the

unique Southeast Asia climate in Malaysia. The unique combination of indoor and outdoor provides a totally different shopping experience for Johoreans. On the other hand, another key highlight of the shopping mall is the launch of the CIQ linked bridge since May 2018, connecting both JB CIQ and R&F mall. In addition, the first Marina Commercial Hub in Johor Bahru – R&F Marina Place will be unveiled mid of this year. R&F Marina Place is located right next to Woodlands causeway, housing high-end wine

cellar, fine dining cuisines, trendy fashion, high-tech IMAX & 4D theatre, yacht club, and the 1st magnificent international opera house in Johor. “Most importantly, with the permission of His Majesty Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the opera house is going to be named after the Her Majesty Raja Zarith Sofiah, Permaisuri Johor. With the launch of this opera house, R&F Princess Cove will further enhance its position as the most iconic landmark in Johor Bahru. - by Edey Suresh TI

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PROPERTY INSIGHT

Senai International Airport: A strategic partnership in providing professional services in managing Kerteh Airport for the next three pg 27 years PROPERTY

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Sunway Property Unveils Asia’s First Hot Springs’ Serviced Suites

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Seri Austin

Mah Sing

SOBA 2019 Awards

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Sunway Property Unveils Asia’s First Hot Springs Serviced Suites Sunway to invest another RM4 billion in Sunway City Ipoh in the next 15-20 years

unway property has unveiled Sunway Onsen Suites as its latest innovative masterpiece in the integrated green township of Sunway City Ipoh. Conceptualised as the first serviced suites in Asia integrating natural hot springs within the development, the unique development comprises of three tower blocks in total, exceeding RM400 Million in Gross Development Value. The serviced suites come in studio, two-bedroom and three bedroom variations ranging from 592 Sq ft to 1,184 Sq ft. There are also six units of luxurious Onsen Villas which start at 2,712 Sq ft. The starting prices of the units are RM391,000. The serviced suits are located within a RM1 billion GDV integrated development spanning 31 acres, which includes the proposed Lost World Mall, Medical Centre, Assisted Living, with Hot springs facilities

and Education. With direct flights from around Malaysia as well as from Singapore, Sunway City Ipoh Senior General Manager Wong Wan Wooi is confident that the development area will become a major tourist destination. Wong explained that in tandem with Ipoh’s rising acclaim as an international tourism hot spot and one of the best places to retire in the world, according to the statistics department. “Sunway Onsen Suites offers the best of urban conveniences which are all found in the integrated Sunway City Ipoh Township, as well as the best of nature.” He said. He also added, “We will continue to support the state’s tourism ambitions in the coming years through the development of tourism products and through active partnership with the state’s tourism promotion authorities.” - by Moazan Emran TI

200 Million Allocated to Build and Repair Houses

he Rural Development Ministry will build and repair 8,889 houses this year under the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT) on a RM200 million allocation. M inister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said 44,430 people would benefit from the programme which comprise from the construction of 1,535 units of new houses and the repair of 7,354 old houses. “As of 15th December 2015, 10,841 PPRT units were built and repaired exceeding the 10,550

units target, and 817 units were new houses while 10,024 units were existing ones on a RM271 million allocation,” said Rina. She added that despite the lowering of allocation, the quality and size of the construction of the PPRT houses were not affected with the use of Industrialised Building System (IBS) and conventional method which simultaneously reduced the cost up to 18%. She said there was a need to increase the building of new houses compared to repairing existing houses to avoid repeated applications for repairs. - by The Iskandarian TI

Senior General Manager Wong Wan Wooi showing the new Sunway Onsen Suites

Positive Outlook for Mah Sing The outlook on Mah Sing remains positive in the mid to long term with the company’s clear direction towards affordable housing

ah Sing has lined up several launches in 2019 with the key selling points being affordability and strategic locations reported The Edge Financial Daily. In the southern region, Mah Sing will launch the Orchid and Hazel @ Meridin East, Johor (landed residential, starting prices RM450,000 and RM487,000 respectively). Mah Sing chalked up new sales of RM1.22 billion on cumulative nine months of financial year 2018 (9MFY18), and is on track to achieve its financial year 2019 (FY18) target of RM1.8 billion. The sales were mainly secured from new launches in 2018 which were mainly priced below RM500,000. Meanwhile,

unbilled sales of RM2.5 billion will be progressively recognised over the next three years. Currently, Mah Sing has a total land bank of 2,108 acres

(853ha), with a gross development value of RM24 billion, which provides earnings visibility and will drive the company’s growth going forward. - by The Iskandarian TI

The Best Green Initiative for Seri Austin

he most recent edition of the Star Outstanding Business Awards (SOBA) 2018 saw UMLand Seri Austin taking home the Gold Award for “The Best Green Initiative”. The guest of honour

was International Trade and Industry Ministry secretarygeneral Datuk Isham Ishak. SOBA was introduced to promote business excellence and encourage healthy competition among local small and medium enterprises as well as

encourage SMEs to aim higher. In December 2014, UMLand’s most established township, UMLand Seri Austin was the first recognised First SmokeFree Town Park and in July 2015 Seri Austin Gallery was

gazetted as the first Smoke Free Work Place in Iskandar Malaysia. Both were Blue Ribbon recognitions from the Ministry of Health. Seri Austin is also the first Smart Healthy City & Communities Township in Iskandar Malaysia. TI

UMLand Seri Austin team

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Sunway Ups the Ante with X PARK X PARK Sunway Iskandar proudly presents a 32-acres action-packed space promising extreme fun for all

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Are You Interested in Buying a Property This Year? Developers, take note on what respondents think

Operating hours: Monday to Thursday: 2.00pm – 10.00pm Friday to Sunday & Public Holidays: 10.00am -10.00pm Last ticket purchase for ATV is at 6.00pm Last ticket purchase for Go-Kart is at 9.30pm

lanned as a 32-acre action-packed space promising fun for all, the X PARK will offer non-stop adrenalinepumping activities immersed in the site’s spectacular surrounding. The activities that will be developed at the park would be Go-Kart, Mountain biking, Motocross, Rock climbing, Archery, Paintball and few other interesting activities. At the moment, the phase one of the adventure park offers: Go Kart, Badminton, Futsal, High Rope Climbing, ATV, Motocross and Skate-park. As a leading master community developer, Sunway Proper ty continues to build a thriving sustainable township here in Johor. Known as Nature’s Capital City, Sunway Iskandar is the most successful and comprehensive township in Iskandar Malaysia.

With the opening of Sunway X PARK, Sunway Iskandar will become a main destination for sports enthusiasts from all over the country and the community here in Johor. X PARK will be the first tourism destination at the marketplace precinct next to Sunway Big Box Village. Sunway Iskandar is expected to provide excellent connectivity to the residents and business owners with a driving distance of only 5 kilometers to the Second Link via the Coastal Highway Southern Link (CHSL). This master plan brings luxurious city lifestyle in nature with spacious homes and more landscaping for all residents to enjoy with a plot ratio of one. For more information, visit www.sunwayiskandar.com. - by Harish Mustak TI

he Star recently did a StarProperty. my Buyers’ Sentiment Survey which shows that the majority of the 3,000 respondents are keen to make a purchase in 2019. At the same time, they show a reluctance to rent properties for the long term. On the question of buying a property in the next 12 months, 42% of the respondents answered yes. While 34% are not thinking of buying now, 24% are undecided — making them potential buyers. These numbers represent an about turn from last year’s survey results where respondents were uncertain and confused about their property decisions. The certainty shown in this year’s survey reflects the optimism in the market. A whopping 84% chose buying over renting, indicating the reluctance of Malaysians to rent properties for long periods. The findings of the survey also reveal that the price of property (with a weighted average of 3.85) tops the list of factors that influence buyers, followed closely by safety and security (3.82) with location (3.80) in the third spot. As for affordability, properties in the range of RM300,000 to RM500,000 are most favoured by the majority of respondents. The next range is RM500,001 to

RM700,000 and only 5% of respondents are looking for properties costing more than RM900,000. Affordable housing projects by private developers are often in the RM300,000 – RM500,000 range which falls within the budget of the majority of respondents for 2019. The most popular location among buyers is Johor Bahru (50%), followed by Kuala Lumpur (19%), Puchong (18%) and Petaling Jaya (17%). Shah Alam, Cheras and Kajang are also among the preferred locations. Johor is the most popular choice with 31% of the total respondents showed an interest in residential properties (80%) in 2019, followed by commercial properties (33%) and industrial properties (7%). Moreover, JB also tops the list for investment location (48%), beating Kuala Lumpur (31%) with Puchong and Petaling Jaya recording 18%. Other favourite investment locations include Cheras, Penang Island and Shah Alam. Overall, 44% of respondents feel that the interest rates for housing loans are quite high. 64% of respondents strongly believe that there is an oversupply in the local property market and 53% of respondents believe that Malaysian land should be for locals only. - by The Iskandarian TI

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Senai International Airport to Manage Kerteh Airport Operations A strategic partnership in providing professional services in managing Kerteh Airport for the next three years

enai Airport Terminal Services Sdn. Bhd. (SATSSB), the operator of the Johorbased Senai International Airport, is now running the Kerteh Airport, which is the main air base for oil and gas operations in Terengganu. SATSSB, a member of MMC Group, has entered into a contract with Sanzbury Stead Sdn Bhd (Sanzbury Stead), a subsidiary of Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), to manage the operations and maintenance services of Kerteh Airport for three years, effective 1st January 2019. Under the strategic partnership, SATSSB is providing professional management services and undertaking the role of airport operator of Kerteh Airport, whilst Sanzbury Stead maintains its position as the asset owner. On its part, SATSSB will strategise and drive the airport operations to ensure safe, efficient and uninterrupted services in

accordance with regulatory requirements enforced by Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, Malaysian Aviation Commission and other related government agencies. Wi t h its e x t e n s i ve experience in managing one of the fastest growing airports in Malaysia, SATSSB pledges operational excellence in operating Kerteh Airport through an efficient and effective asset maintenance programme that aims at optimising the cost of operations. Kerteh Airport, an important artery of the oil and gas operations in Terengganu, caters primarily to helicopter flights to offshore oil platforms at the state’s coast. It is also connected by scheduled commercial flights operated by Malindo Air to Subang, to serve the demand from PETRONAS’ petrochemicals production and crude oil refinery in Paka. MMC Corporation Berhad Managing Director, Dato’ Sri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh, who is also

the Chairman of SATSSB said “We are honoured to be given the trust and opportunity by Sanzbury Stead to run Kerteh Airport.” “Senai International Airport is the only privately managed commercial airport in Malaysia with expertise in airport management and operations for over 15 years. I am confident that with its experience and capability, we can offer value by maintaining the operations in an efficient and safe manner according to the aviation regulatory standard and customers’ requirement.” he added. In addition, the contract will also cover areas on Aerodrome Certifications, Airport Health, Safety, Security and Environment and Emergency Response Operations. Senai International Airport recently bagged the CAPA ‘Asia Pacific Regional Airport of the Year 2018’ under the less than 10 million annual passenger category, for its leading role in using new biometrics technology and its support of the

Kerteh Airport, an important artery of the oil and gas operations in Terengganu is now managed by Senai Airport Terminal Services Sdn. Bhd.

LCC model. The airport is currently connected to 18 destinations, including 11 domestic and seven international links. It welcomed its first three millionth passengers in 2017 and passenger traffic has nearly tripled over the last six years, with at least 10% growth every year since 2013.

Have You Ever Been Conned by a Third Party Agent for a Financial Consultation?

e know how you feel. You were in dire need for someone to come and help you sort out the financial mess you were in and were feeling vulnerable and almost had to trust anyone who could promise you deliverance from the clutches of debts that were sucking the life out of you. Then came along a consultant (from a call on your mobile) who managed to convince you, and perhaps quite easily, into believing that you have found your saviour. You told your story, released sensitive information and after all that information sharing, then came the bill. You felt compelled to pay for the high-priced service that had not even commenced but you still did despite having some doubts about the transaction. It turned out that your gut feelings were right. You have been ‘duped’! You remembered how you were requested to deal

with the Credit Counselling and Debt Management Agency, or AKPK, to restructure your loans under its Debt Management Programme (DMP) right after you’ve made the payments. This made you realised that this consultant did not have the necessary mandate to assist you. A K P K that is now handling your case has never appointed any third party agents to enrol you into its programme. In fact, AKPK’s financial counselling and DMP are free of charge. You have actually paid for a service that you can actually get for free. Even worse, if you had used your credit card to pay the fees; you had just created more debts.

Such a scenario did happen to a lady from Melaka. She took a loan worth RM200,000 from a credit provider and came t o a situation where

s h e began to default on her repayments. Conveniently, a consultant from Kuala Lumpur who claimed to be

from AKPK called, and offered to assist her to settle her debt with a fee as much as 10% of her loan value. Drawn by the promise that her financial woes would be over, she was all prepared to pay the fees as agreed. Luckily, a relative mentioned about AKPK’s free services just in time, and after making her own enquiries with the Melaka branch, she quickly enrolled into AKPK’s programme and saved herself from being ripped off of RM20,000. Money matters are risky when they involve third party agents especially if you are required to pay out a big sum of money. Always check with the authorities or authorised institutions directly on how your financial issues should be resolved and which agents are designated to assist you. In this regard, AKPK is the agency mandated by Bank Negara Malaysia since 2006 to assist and educate consumers in managing

In early 2018, Senai International Airport became the first airport in Asia to implement AirAsia’s Fast Airport Clearance Experience System, a cuttingedge biometrics technology providing seamless self-service travel experience from checkin to boarding gates. - by The Iskandarian TI

Gunasegaran Munusamy Head AKPK Johor Bahru Bangunan Bank Negara Malaysia

their personal finances towards the realisation of a financially savvy society. The last thing you want to happen is paying a premium price for a service you can actually do on your own or get done for free. That is, if assuming you do get the service. So, dear readers, for all your financial woes, no matter how desperate you are “Keep Calm and Call AKPK” at 03-2610 7766 or visit the nearest AKPK Branch in your state or log on to www.akpk.org.my. We’ve got your back… FREE OF CHARGE! TI

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