The Iskandarian Jan 2016 Issue

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 41 | JAN 2016

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J2 J2 The The Iskandarian ISSUE 41 JAN 2016Advertisement TheIskandarian IskandarianISSUE ISSUE41 41|||JAN JAN2016

2nd Iskandar Malaysia Social Hero Awards (IMSHA) 2015 The2nd 2ndIskandar IskandarMalaysia Malaysia Social Social Hero Awards 2015 or better The better known known as as IMSHA2015under underthe thePatronage Patronageofof5th 5thPrime PrimeMinister MinisterofofMalaysia, Malaysia,Tun Tun IMSHA2015 AbdallahAhmad AhmadBadawi Badawi was held in elegance full elegance at Thistle Abdullah was held in full at Thistle Johor Johor Bahru Bahru theof17th of December.

The Awards Awards Gala Banquet was on the on 17th December 2015. The was graced graced by Jazlan Mohamed Mohamed who who byDeputy Deputy Minister Minister of of Home Affairs Datuk Nur Jazlan represented AlsoAlso present was the of Iskandar representedthe thepatron. patron. present wasChief the Executive Chief Executive of Regional Authority Authority (IRDA) Datuk Ismail Ibrahim.

IskandarDevelopment Regional Development (IRDA) Datuk Ismail Ibrahim.

In recipients comprising individuals and and organisations were Intotal total2020award award recipients comprising individuals organisations given for theirfor outstanding contribution in making dierence were recognition given recognition their outstanding contribution in amaking a in Iskandar in Malaysia.

Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary was difference IskandarNoah’s Malaysia.

Noah’s Ark Natural Animal(Nanas) Sanctuary the overall winner of the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Social Hero of the (Nanas) was the overall winner of the Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Year Award.

Social Hero of the Year Award.

“It’s see that Iskandar Malaysia recognises the need to build “It’sencouraging encouragingtoto see that Iskandar Malaysia recognises the need to the Johor into the pride Malaysia, ” said Nur Jazlan, build the Bahru Johor community Bahru community into theofpride of Malaysia, ” said Nur who expressed his full his support for IMSHA’s mission to develop a more Jazlan, who expressed full support for IMSHA’s mission to develop a inclusive, compassionate and eective society. society. more inclusive, compassionate and effective IMSHA2015 via social social IMSHA 2015received receivedover over200 200nominations nominations which which was done via media.

The nominees are then vetted by Frost & Sullivan before being media. The nominees are then vetted by Frost & Sullivan before being presented outstanding presented to to IMSHA IMSHA Leadership Leadership Council consisting of 55 outstanding members of the community. members of the community.

“TheIskandar Iskandar Malaysia Social Awards is envisioned as the “The Malaysia Social HeroHero Awards is envisioned as the region’s region’scommunity premier community service awardthank to publicly thank the premier service award to publicly the unsung heroes unsung heroes for work the inspirational thatbroader they docommunity, for the broader for the inspirational that they dowork for the ” said community, ” said IMSHAVisvanathan-Suresh.

Chairman Thanam Visvanathan-Suresh.

IMSHA Chairman Thanam IMSHA2015 event championed

by The Iskandarian IMSHA2015is aiscommunity-led a community-led event championed

by The (Iskandar Malaysia’s Newspaper) and the Iskandar Iskandarian (IskandarOcial Malaysia’s Official Newspaper) and the Malaysia Iskandar Sustainable Committee Network Network (IMSC). IMSHA2015 was2015 oficially Malaysia Sustainable Committee (IMSC). IMSHA was sponsored

by UMLand,by I&PUMLand, Group, Maslee ExpressMaslee and Country Garden officially sponsored I&P Group, Express and PacicView supported by event Carlist.my and Wearnes Country and Garden PacificView and partners supported by event partners Autohaus.

Carlist.my and Wearnes Autohaus.

The Malaysia Social Social Hero Awards (IMSHA2016) nominations TheIskandar Iskandar Malaysia Hero 2016 Awards 2016 (IMSHA2016) are now open are andnow members of the public of may nominations open and members thesubmit publicnominations may submit through The Iskandarian’s website www.theiskandarian.com nominations to through The Iskandarian’s website

www.theiskandarian.com. Further information on IMSHA can also be

Information on IMSHA can also be found at: found at: https://www.facebook.com/socialheroawards https://www.facebook.com/socialheroawards

For further enquiries, drop an email to socialherowards@gmail.com or

For furtherthe enquiries, dropvia anfacebook. email to socialherowards@gmail.com or contact committee contact the committee via facebook.

Guest Honour Deputy Minister HomeMinister Affairs Minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed IMSHA Chairman Thanam Visvanathan-Suresh (11thfrom fromright) right) Guestofof Honour Deputy HomeofAffiars Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed (10th(10th fromfrom right)right) and and IMSHA Chairman Thanam Visvanathan Suresh (11th with individual and organisation IMSHA2015 winners withthe the individual and organisation award winners

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A Day in the Life of the Disabled

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

Time to pay more attention to the unseen and unheard of Johor Bahru A special feature

by Amin Khairuddin More on pg5

Rubbish strewn at Senai International Airport by ignorant passengers

Restaurants illegally taking over parking space in Taman Pelangi

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How many more lives must be lost until potholes are no longer a deadly hazard to Johorians?

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The Iskandarian

Battle of the Ribs Interest

Our Friends

Petite 12 year old champs Rib-Eating Challenge at Tony Roma’s

By Maressa Esa newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

N Aalia Zaafira cheering after beating six other contenders in the Rib-Eating Challenge

Educational Visit

by PTP Causes

PEGASUS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Gleneagles MEDINI

“In The Arms Of One Who Cares”

Port of Tanjung Pelepas organised educational trip to UKM for Gelang Patah students

P

ort of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP), Malaysia’s biggest single port recently organised a three day educational visit for 40 selected students from four secondary schools in Gelang Patah to Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).

During their stay at UKM, the students were brought to various faculties and were also introduced and involved in motivational and recreational activities with UKM’s Johor Students Association (PERMAJ). In addition, the students also visited various interesting places in Kuala Lumpur such as the KLCC Tower, National Islamic Museum, KL Bird & Butterfly Park and many more.

PTP Chief Executive Officer, Glen Hilton said that PTP has been organising educational trips to local

universities for four consecutive years now with the involvement of almost 300 students. “At PTP, our responsibility is not only to our employees, customers and investors, but also to the various communities in which we operates in,” said Glen.

Siti Aishah Binti Zakaria from SMK Kompleks Sultan Abu Bakar, one of the students joining the trip, said that it was an eye opening experience for her.

Apart from the educational trip, PTP has actively organised various education-based programmes such as the UPSR & SPM Motivational Talk, English Communication Workshop, PTP Tour, English Tuition and Back to School Programme for the Gelang Patah students. TI

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ever judge a book by its cover as petite Aalia Zaafira who’s only 12, from Sekolah Kebangsaan I.J Convent turned out to be Champion for Female Category in Tony Roma’s Rib Eating 2015 finale recently held at KOMTAR JBCC. “This is my first time entering such a competition. My dad also encouraged me to try something new and I worked out the day before,” expressed Aalia after crowned winner. Competing with six other contenders, she

chewed down Tony Roma’s indulgent beef ribs in 3 minutes and 17 seconds out of the 10 minutes of given time during the challenge.

Into Male Category, Abd. Halim Afandi came out champion by finishing 10 barbequed ribs in 13 minutes and 31 seconds, beating six other competitors within a given time of 20 minutes. Also coming to the challenge as a first timer, he got an entry since his family loves to dine at Tony Roma’s since its branch opened in JBCC. Both champions were awarded with free meals at Tony Roma’s for a year worth RM2400. TI

MICCI Opens Office

T

he Malaysian International Chamber of Commerce & Industry (MICCI) recently opened its first branch office in Johor at Taman Pelangi to enable networking, information archives, briefings and seminars, among

other things.

The branch also launched its co-working space, and corporate members may operate within its meeting rooms and use other office supplies for seminars or business for a fee.

Back-To-School Programme for 151 Orang Asli Children

P

rior to the recommencement of the 2016 school session, UEM Sunrise contributed school supplies to 151 primary and secondary Orang Asli children in Kampung Simpang Arang, Gelang Patah on the third year of their Back-To-School programme.

Each student received school supplies worth RM250 which included two sets of school uniforms, a pair of socks, school shoes, and a school bag.

“UEM Sunrise had proved their main concern to us and had projected the Government’s vision on helping the people around Gelang Patah. The government also highlighted that any development and social advancement shall be shared among all especially the residents here,” said Political Secretary of Johor MB, Mohammad Khairi A. Malik when officiating the event.

“We also hope that parents in Kampung Simpang Arang will encourage and motivate their children to attend school as their absence is still considered a main problem in the state. Together with our CSR and ‘Back-To-School’ programme initiative, we can help ease the burden on parents,” expressed UEM Sunrise’s Senior General Manager Zamri Yusof. - by Maressa Esa

Nusajaya Gets New Name

H

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Participants of 2015 PTP Educational Trip to UKM

RH Sultan Ibrahim Ismail ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar recently declared Iskandar Puteri as the new name for Nusajaya, Johor’s administrative centre.

The Johor State Secretary, Datuk Ismail Karim, said that

Sultan also consented to change Ledang area to Tangkak. He said the state government had approved the name change and is now in the process of being gazetted and is expected to take effect this month.

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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JCI Iskandar Formed Highlight

New player added into the Iskandar Malaysia Sustainable Communities Network

Charter President, Liew Wui Woon (center with President Chain)

A

new dynamic social organisation called the Junior Chamber International Iskandar (JCI Iskandar) was recently added into the Iskandar Malaysia Sustainable Communities Network (IMSC).

Charter President of JCI Iskandar, Liew Wui Woon, said that JCI Iskandar is a worldwide leadership organisation for young active citizens. They promote ‘Active Citizenship’ by providing various

development opportunities to its members, such as individual development, community empowerment, business networking and international affiliation. They also organise various social service projects and trainings for the community as well as self-development.

Liew stated that JCI Iskandar is the third JCI Local Organisation after JCI Johor Bahru (JCIJB) and JCI Johor Bahru Entrepreneur (JCIJBE).

JCI Iskandar will be holding its Charter Luncheon,

Installation and Award Banquet on 9th January 2016 at 1:00pm at Eco World Business Convention Hall, Eco Tropics, Kota Masai, Johor.

Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Exco member Datuk Tee Siew Kiong will be the Guest of Honour to preside over the inaugural event.

For those interested to attend this luncheon, call Organising Chairman, Ir. Fu Yee Woei at 012-6677529 or Charter President, Liew Wui Woon at 012-7162216.

Maslee Coca-Cola Membership Card

Commercial Director of Coca-Cola Malaysia, Gareth Mc Geown (left) and Chairman of Maslee Group, Lee Chuan Aik (right) introducing Maslee Coca-Cola card

J

ohor based grocery store, Maslee, re c e n t l y i n t ro d u c e d ‘ M a s l e e Coca-Cola’ Membership Cards to its customers as a benefitting

partnership with Coca-Cola Malaysia.

“Partnering with Maslee on their newest initiative, this loyalty card offers consumers real value during economic tough times and it’s something we proudly support. Helping local entrepreneurs grow their business is something we are proud off and will continue to work hard every day to achieve that,” said Commercial Director of Coca-Cola Malaysia, Gareth Mc Geown.

Aimed at showing appreciation and rewarding customers for buying Coca-Cola products at Maslee stores, customers will enjoy 2 loyalty points for each RM1 spent on selected Coca-Cola range of products.

Special discounts, attractive membership rewards, gifts, and cash rewards can also be redeemed during Maslee membership days which happens twice a year. The Maslee Coca-Cola special day will be introduced later this year.

“We have also drafted some new plans to be executed this year such as expansion of 5 other branches across the state. A full Halal grocer shop which provides Halal established products by JAKIM will be built soon to cater to our Muslim consumers,” said Chairman and Executive Director of Maslee Group, Lee Chuan Aik. TI

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Best of Both Worlds at Johor Youth Collective 2015

T

he Johor Cultural Council and Johor Islamic Cooperation recently co-organised the “Johor Youth Collective 2015” for the second year, together with “Anak Johor Arts Festival” at Dataran Johor Bahru.

The event featured traditional and modern cultural activities under one theme. Also gracing the launch ceremony was Johor Menteri Besar, Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin.

“The collaboration between these two major activities saw 90% participation from Johor young entrepreneurs, pulling over 20,000 people throughout the five days event. It showcased skills and modern creativity of the younger generation,” said President of Johor Youth, Sports, Cultural, and Heritage, YB Dato’ Zulkarnain Hj Kamisan.

The five days’ event showcased more than 30 vendors selling food and beverages to batik and

clothingline. The “Anak Johor Arts Festival” featured numerous cultural and heritage activities and competitions such as ‘Zapin Johor’, ‘Kompang’ and Drums, ‘Ghazal’,‘Keroncong’, Chinese and Indian Traditional Dance competition, Gasing (Top Spinning), cooking and more.

The combo festival was held to ensure that heritage and cultural activities in Johor will move in pace with the youth’s needs. The festival is currently being planned to be held annually. - by Maressa Esa TI

Who Said Going Off-Road is Just for Men?

L

ast November, about 15 teams of women braved the jungles of Johor for the inaugural Shemud 4X4 Challenge 2015. The event marked as the first extreme offroad motorsports competition catered for women, and also saw the inclusion of six international teams who came from across the globe for an exciting incursion into our lush green forest.

Over the course of the competition, which lasted for five days, the team consisting of Guilia Maroni, 28, and Barbara Naldoni, 31, from Italy came out tops, leaving the rest in the thick of the mud. Both participants considered the tournament very challenging but a rewarding experience.

Guilia described that her participation in this extreme motorsports has given her fond memories of their stay in Malaysia.

She added that both of them were excited to see the beauty of the tropical rain forest in the country.

“If the tournament is organised again, we will surely sign

Participants and crew get ready to journey to their campsite. Images by Shemud Organisers up, but with more participants from Italy to compete equally,” said Guilia during the prize giving ceremony at Prime City Hotel, Kluang.

The team consisting of Fauziah Mohd Nor from Perak, and Noriahno Mohd Kasino from Selangor won the Speed Category of the competition and according to Fauziah, her experience traveling with her husband who is an offroad enthusiast paid off, especially when it came to controlling her vehicle on uneven, muddy roads.

“To think that our first participation in this race came to fruition until we were crowned as the champions in the speed category because all the teams were efficient and cooperative with each other in every challenge we faced,” said Fauziah.

Also present were District Officer Kluang, Muhammad Fuad Radzuan, Director of Youth and Sports Johor, Abd Aziz Abd Rahman and Shemud organiser, Narimah Samat. - by Amin Khairuddin

Transformation of Mall of Medini Mall of Medini located opposite LEGOLAND Malaysia will be transformed to attract more visitors.

Johor Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Exco member Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said the mall will have a more artistic concept and a mixture of businesses in an effort to attract more visitors, in particular shoppers.

He pointed out that such

measures must be taken as the business centre has recorded a decrease in the number of visitors which led to business premises to close down, in particular the food outlets.

The Mall’s management is looking at several marketing strategies such as getting new business outlets that have art based concepts which are in line with Johor Tourism Master Plan 2014-2023.

Hoverboards Prohibited Malaysia Airlines will prohibit the carriage of small vehicles that are powered by lithium ion batteries in passenger checked and/or carry-on baggage for air travel, as they have been classified as “Dangerous Goods”.

This restriction has been recommended to all operators

by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to ensure the safety of air travelers.

These small vehicles, or Personal Movement Devices (PMD) which include airwheel, solowheel, hoverboard, mini-segway, balance wheel and other self-balancing vehicles are considered fire hazards.

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

Nusajaya Police IPD 07-511 4222

Tourism Malaysia Hotline 1300 88 5050

Johor Tourism 07-223 4935 / 224 9960

Senai International Airport 07-599 4500

JB South Police IPD 07-2218 999

Ministry of Tourism (Johor) 07-223 3171

Tourism Malaysia Johor 07-222 3590 / 91

Immigration 07-224 4233

Iskandar Regional

Hotlines

Johor MB, Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin gracing the launch of Johor Youth Collective 2015 & Anak Johor Arts Festival

Development Authority (IRDA) 07-233 3000

Please recycle this newspaper after reading. Thank you

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A Day in the Life of the Disabled Concern

Time to pay more attention to the unseen and unheard of Johor Bahru

By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

W

hether we personally know them or have seen them, we must have at least once in our lives crossed paths with someone with a disability. Have you noticed how hard it is for them to access certain public places or just cross the road?

Like everybody else, the physically disabled have jobs and families, but they have to struggle to live their daily lives, something we take little notice of. A simple row of steps with no ramp could be a ravine to someone using a wheelchair, and how long would it take before someone help arrives?

Take Zulkiflee Hussien for example. He is the President of Johor’s Spinal Support Group, an NonGovernmental Organisation (NGO) that helps those with spinal related disabilities. He lost his ability to walk in a construction based accident. He’s been wheelchair bound ever since.

Zulkilee had to adjust his living condition according to his disabilities, and instead of having a normal job, he has now opened a business selling food in the Sri Stulang development. At first, he had trouble moving about because his housing development lacked the facilities needed to ease the daily routine of the disabled living in the area.

“There are no ramps for the wheelchairs enabled from the carpark to the houses, nor is there

Zulkiflee making roti canai at his Sri Stulang stall any at the public toilet in the hawker centre. I had to request these from the management. Luckily enough, the previous manager sorted that out for me. Now it’s easier to get around,” said Zul who lives on the first floor.

He explained that adjusting to life as a disabled was not easy, as the doctor who initially treated him after his accident told him that he must try to solve his problems with his own strength because people can’t help him all the time.

“He told me to be strong, get up and learn to do things myself. If it wasn’t for his harsh but true advice, I wouldn’t be here now,” he said.

Zul now sells food with his wife at the Sri Stulang Hawker Centre, but teaches other disabled people how to drive and helps them acquire their driving licence. He also coaches archery and is a national level Paralympian. He believes that despite his condition, he has a responsibility to help others like him.

“We need to help each other, and guide them. You don’t know how painful it is when you lose the

ability to walk. I’ve had friends who tried to commit suicide, but by being together, supporting and helping each other out, we have a tighter bond. We have meet ups, trips, play sports and these little things keeps us happy,” said Zul. Not all of them have an easy transition with their lives, and not everybody is supportive with their cause and needs. Another disabled person, Kartik s/o Subramaniam who lives in Taman Bukit Kempas was not so lucky. About five years ago, he lost his ability to walk due to an identified spinal disease. Initially doctors said it was just temporary but after a few months, he had to accept the fact that he was never going to walk again.

to children in his neighbourhood from his 4th floor apartment. Being a wheelchair enabled person living on the 4th floor is not an easy task, he needs to crawl up and down the flight of stairs with the help of his five year old daughter.

“At first my neighbours will help me, but after a while, I had to do it myself. They can’t help me all the time and sometimes I feel it makes me look like I’m taking advantage of them because of my disablement,” he said.

Now with a lower income to provide the family with, Kartik is having problems with his landlord who wants to evict him from the apartment unit. His rent is RM500 a month and with the eviction notice, he is already searching for options.

Kartik in his studio having a guitar class with his student and daughter

Kartik in his home “At first it was just dizziness, when I was admitted. Soon after that I lost sensations in my legs.

The doctors thought it was just temporary. The office allowed me to take leave of absence from work, but after a few months I eventually lost my job. I had to accept that my life has changed,” said Kartik.

Kartik who used to work in Singapore, now teaches music

“I’ve applied for the People’s Housing Project (PPR) in Kempas.

I haven’t gotten any response but I’ve requested for a 1st floor unit.

Since it’s just opposite this housing development, I’ve seen it and noticed the lack of ramps from the carpark to the flats,” said Kartik, worried at the lack of facilities of his future prospect.

Zulkifli bin Md. Jani is going through a similar situation in Setia Indah. Zulkifli had to amputate his leg due to diabetes earlier this year. The factory worker had been suspended from work since his operation and the management has not come to a conclusive decision of

From Cover

his employment. He’s last paycheque has long since passed.

“I don’t know my situation at work. Do I have a job? Do I need to look for one? I called the management but they keep giving me the run around. If I go there personally, it’s the same thing and it’s troublesome to get around,” said Zulkifli.

Now on crutches and using a prosthetic leg, he said it’s not easy to take care of his family especially with no income. He plans to sell his 5th floor flat unit in Setia Indah and move to another development in the hopes that he is able to get a unit on the lower floor.

Although he faces several hurdles daily, he is positive and willing to work for what he needs, believing that if people were more open and receptive to the disabled community, things would be a lot easier for everybody.

Face it, they need our help more than we realise. Maybe it’s the society who has made them disabled in the first place, by somehow ignorantly excluding them from being able to live equally and as inclusively as everybody else.

We need to find a way and help them whenever we can, from simple tasks to finding a new home; a good gesture goes a long way, especially in our own community. TI

Zulkifli showing his prosthetic leg and walking down the stairs after visiting Kartik

Johor to Reduce Remittance Costs with BNM and Industry Players

J

ohor Bahru will become the fourth city in the world to adopt the innovative remittance programme under the Greenback 2.0 project, which aims to provide a better environment for both industry players and consumers.

The initiative will pay focus to two key aspects which is promoting cost effective remittance services as well as empowering customers in making informed decisions.

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) will work closely with the World Bank Group to reduce the cost of remittance services for both banks and non-bank providers by at least 4% and 2% respectively.

According to the Deputy Governor of Bank Negara, Datuk Muhammad Ibrahim, the cost of remittance to any other major corridors are still high, between 4-7% when using non-remittance providers and 6-9% for banks.

“We aim to work with the

Benchmark

JB will be the first city in Asia to adopt the innovative Greenback 2.0 initiative industry to further reduce the remittance cost by at least 2% and 4% through both these channels.

This can be achieved by using an innovative business model, smart use of technology and with the right people to drive the business and process,” said Muhammad during the Greenback 2.0 launch at Doubletree recently.

The planned two year project will make Johor join the ranks of Washington D.C (US), Turin (Italy) and Montreuil (France) in adopting the Greenback 2.0 initiative.

Also present during the launch was World Bank Group Country Manager for Malaysia, Faris H. Hadad-Zervos.

Muhammad explained that financial technology has made a huge leap in the remittance and payment landscape in more developed countries and eliminated a significant amount of hidden remittance costs.

“Leveraging on similar technologies can open up tremendous opportunities for banks and non-banks in Malaysia to penetrate new remittance channels including mobile remittances,” said Muhammad, adding that BNM has plans for the rest of Malaysia to adopt the Greenback 2.0 initiative.

Greenback 2.0 project is a collaboration between BNM and the World Bank Group to

Deputy Governor of Bank Negara (second from left) said Bank Negara will aim to work with the industry to reduce the remittance cost promote banking transparency and competition within the remittance market and to encourage the use of official service providers.

BNM also launched the ‘Pick Remit’ mobile application which

aids consumers to choose the most suitable remittance provider and services for them. Users can download the app in the Apple App Store or on Google Play for Android.

- by Amin Khairuddin TI

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Bringing Healthcare to Orang Asli

PEGASUS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Responsible

Regency Hospital collaborated with other government bodies for the betterment of the Orang Asli people

“A SINGAPORE Curriculum School”

Nursery to University Foundation Year

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egency Specialist Hospital (Regency) recently teamed up with the Consulate of Singapore, Department of Orang Asli Development Malaysia (Jabatan Kemajuan Orang Asli Malaysia, JAKOA) and Dental Health Division of Johor Health Department (Bahagian Kesihatan Pergigian Negeri Johor) and GP clinics in Johor to organise a CSR programme in conjunction with Regency’s 6th anniversary.

Regency and the Consulate of Singapore donated educational tools and school bags to a kindergarten as well as personal hygiene kits to the residents of Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Putih, a village by the shoreline of Pasir Gudang with a small community of 100.

As an encouragement to the adult residents,

Children and an adult resident posing with a hamper on Regency’s 6th anniversary Health Promotion Day Regency also celebrated the group of 30 adults who completed their Adult Class programme by JAKOA. The Adult Class programme provides basic education on reading and calculation.

The Dental Department and Regency staff spent half a day serving the residents of Kampung Pasir Putih by providing them with health check-ups and dental inspection. Along with the health concern activities, the

Care United’s Golden Years Celebration Highlight

Sunway Group joins the celebration with foodstuff supplies donation for the elderly

O Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Iskandar, Gerard Soosay presenting their donation of foodstuff supplies to elderly homes

ver 300 seniors from 17 homes for the elderly in Johor Bahru were brought together for Care United-Sunway’s Golden Years Celebration 2015 at Grand Straits Garden Seafood Restaurant Johor Bahru.

“Although it has been a tough year in 2015, we believe in continuing our charity projects with some funds injected from companies or parties who like to participate together like Sunway Group did for this event. We are also planning to have a Charity Dinner

residents enjoyed an aerobic session, tele-match games and a luncheon with cake cutting ceremony.

“We hope Regency’s 6th anniversary Health Promotion Day at Kampung Orang Asli Pasir Putih with our partners has brought some cheer to the settlement and increased the level of health literacy among its community,” said Chin Wei Jia, Chief Executive Officer of Regency Specialist Hospital.

this year perhaps,” said President of Care United Johor Bahru, Florence Goh. Sunway Group also embellished the event by bringing in 150 volunteers from the Group’s staffs and few lecturers and students from Sunway College Johor Bahru.

“This is our first collaboration with Care United Johor Bahru and I’m hoping that it will bring joy and happiness to celebrate their golden years,” said Chief Executive Officer of Sunway Iskandar, Gerard Soosay.

Sunway Group donated each elderly home with several foodstuff supplies of rice, Milo, oats and more. - by Maressa Esa TI

First Talent Development in Johor by Brandt International

B

randt International recently initiated their first Talent Development Programme fo r G l o b a l B u s i n e s s Services. 32 candidates successfully graduated within a month of training from group activities and improving quality, performance and efficiency in customer services.

“Brandt I nternational made the shift to recruit talents here by adopting the ‘hire and train’ approach in establishing Global Business Services Centre in Medini, Iskandar Puteri. As Brandt International has opened a branch here, it is a conscious move to focus on near-shore market potentials in neighbouring countries and to

Highlight

Service sector is an ambassador that determines an organisation attract new talents to Johor for jobs in the business services sector,” said Munirah Looi, founder and CEO of Brandt International.

“The service provided by an employee determines the perception of the organisation. As such, he or she is the ambassador of the company,” said Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) Vice President, Global Business Services, Michael Warren, during the graduation ceremony.

Top performer was awarded to Lata A/P Kumarasamy. Other talents were recruited mostly from Johor area coming from various backgrounds including fresh graduates, SPM holders, and even early retirees.

MDeC and i2M Ventures Sdn Bhd will provide fifty job opportunities as Customer Management Executives to contribute to professional development for growth in Medini. TI

MDeC Vice President Michael Warren (left), top performer Lata A/P Kumarasamy (third from left), CEO of Brandt International, Munirah Looi (fifth from left) and Managing Director of i2M Ventures Zulfiqar Zainuddin (sixth from left)

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DRILL streets

Q&A

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Monthly Drill Interview By Editor

Mohd Gadaffie Bin Abd Aziz

BIO

At the age of 37, Mohd Gadaffie holds the position of Chief Executive at the Johor Public Transport Corporation (PAJ).

Prior to this, he held management level experience at the Johor State Economic Planning Unit and at Johor Bahru Land Office.

Incepted in 2014, the Johor Public Transport Corporation (formerly known as Perbadanan Pengangkutan Awam Iskandar Malaysia) is a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) wholly owned by the Johor State Secretary Incorporation.

Their duty encompasses overseeing, developing and monitoring the public transport industry towards all areas in Johor with the main objective of developing a trusted public transport system for the people of Johor.

How efficient is our (bus) transportation system and what are the measures being taken to make it more effective?

Our public transportation system is still not efficient. Infrastructure is still lacking in many areas even in Iskandar Malaysia. Bus service is far from the standard of what the people desire. This is because we totally depend on the willingness of bus operators to serve certain routes. Unprofitable routes would not be taken up whilst profitable ones would see multiple operators overtaking each other to get passengers.

To transform our bus service, huge interventions from the Government is needed.

PAJ believes that the Stage Bus Service Transformation Programme (SBST) by SPAD would help upgrade our bus service through rationalisation of routes and transferring the demand risk to the Government. Meanwhile, the Iskandar Transport Blueprint proposes Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) as the solution for Johor Bahru. Hopefully it will get the funding it requires and our Pelan Induk Pengangkutan Awam (PIPA) is looking into this.

PAJ, the local authorities and IRDA have been working together since 2009 to expand Public Transport coverage in Iskandar by introducing Bas Iskandar Malaysia (BIM). By 2012, there were 27 BIM plying on unprofitable routes which has increased public transport coverage up to nearly 70% of the populated area. To shorten the travel time from terminal to terminal, Bas Ekspres

Why are our buses not Touch ‘N’ Go friendly?

Chief Executive

Johor Public Transport Corporation (PAJ) contract. We are also exploring partnerships with interested parties that can provide WiFi services at no cost to the government.

Transit (BeXTRA) was introduced in 2011 and it plies on 6 routes. The combined initiatives of BIM and BeXTRA has served over 5 million passengers since its inception.

Will our buses be made more disabled and wheelchair friendly?

Most of the recently purchased buses are designed to be disabled friendly. Bus operators are actively changing their fleet to low deck buses which will allow installation of the wheelchair ramp. But having more disabled friendly buses is only part of the total solution as a lot of infrastructures such as bus stops and pathways towards the bus stops are not designed to be disabled friendly.

There is often a mismatch between the height of the curb and of the wheelchair ramp which is far from helping. Making our busses more disabled and wheelchair friendly on the contrary is the easiest piece of the puzzle.

Supporting infrastructures proves to be the bigger stumbling block in ensuring universal access to public transport.

Meanwhile, PAJ is also planning a door-to-door service called ‘Paratransit’ to overcome mobility issues of disabled, senior citizens and people with serious illness to go to the hospital, dialysis center, etc. This special service will be furnished with special ramp for wheelchair and a few seats allocated.

Are previously disclosed plans of providing WiFi services on board public busses still in the pipeline?

Yes. We are aiming to encourage operators to install WiFi in our future free bus services as part of their added value in getting the

How do you promote the usage of public transportation over personal vehicles?

There is a series of consideration one would take before deciding to leave one’s car and take public transportation instead. An affordable yet efficient and trusted public transportation system must be in place first before anything else. For example, Seoul is spending USD1 billion for public transport operations every year and trillions of Yens have been poured into connectivity and mobility solutions for the entire of Japan.

Developing the most efficient public transport system in the world alone is not enough to encourage this change of mode from private to public transport. Disincentives to drive private cars must also be introduced in the long run. Higher parking rates, road pricing mechanism and introduction of certificate of entitlement to buy cars are the ‘stick’ that has been introduced in Singapore to deter people from owning and driving cars, and turning to public transport instead.

PAJ is doing its bit to promote the use of public transport. As part of an effort to increase availability of service, 40 new routes will be introduced in cities across the state with the support from Syarikat Pengangkutan Maju and 16 local authorities in Johor. PAJ will also continue with our initiatives such as Transit for Johor Race – an ‘Amazing Race’ type of game with public transportation at its core. We will also expand our ‘Jom Naik Bas’ initiative to other districts, an interactive programme for school children to familiarise with our buses.

We are also currently collaborating with one of the theme parks in Johor to further enhance the content and delivery of the modules.

Cashless system onboard the bus is one of the areas we are looking at today. It encourages efficiency and reduces leakage of fare collection. But our bus service regime is driven by private business entity and investing into such system might be a bit too expensive for them. Some intervention is needed to expedite the adoption of such system. Our role is to facilitate this adoption process by jointly investing in such system.

PAJ is currently evaluating some cashless system proposal from private companies including TnG.

Based on the latest Budget announcement by Menteri Besar Dato’ Khaled Nordin, how will the transportation industry and commuters benefit?

The free city bus service with the Muafakat Johor brand will absolutely change the public transport landscape in Iskandar Malaysia. 56 buses will be wrapped with the new brand. The reliability of the service will also be increased through fixed schedule and monitoring by PAJ and the local authorities. Commuters can enjoy free service which will connect to high density housing area to JB city centre, public facilities, schools, health centres and government offices.

Other districts will see the reintroduction of city buses which were once the backbone of people’s mobility. 10 routes will be introduced in the first phase, followed by 22 more progressively. We are planning to develop a control centre to monitor these buses, and to provide realtime information to passengers through our website and mobile application.

What can we expect for 2016?

2016 will see PAJ spearheading the effort to introduce 14 free bus routes in Iskandar Malaysia with the help from the local authorities. This concerted effort would see for the first time a combined amount of RM11 million to be spent for this cause. The launch of Johor’s Public Transport Master Plan and Public Transport Guideline Book for the local authorities. TranSummit will take place (International Public Transportation Conference) and Transit for Johor mobile application to be launched.

TI

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peggy loh

My johor stories

Peggy is a regular contributor to NST and The Malaysian Insider. She actively writes in her blog www.peggyloh.com about matters that are close to her heart.

She can be reached at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

Let’s Make JB Flood-Free Again!

O

n a road trip around Cape Town, South Africa, there was limited internet access so when I checked my mail later; I was shocked to see photos and updates on the flash floods in Johor Bahru.

It was almost unbelievable but when I recognised familiar buildings along Jalan Wong Ah Fook, I knew it couldn’t be a hoax. Sungai Segget had overflowed and the entire road was a river, partially submerging cars in murky brown waters.

From a video, I saw workers making futile attempts to build a barricade against water rushing into a basement carpark.

Another shocking video featured foreign workers standing in the flood, holding a live fish as long as a man’s arm!

I felt a deep sense of loss and sadness for the affected properties and businesses as the floods wreaked havoc in our city. Flooding was not uncommon in low-lying areas around Jalan Meldrum, Jalan Siu Nam, Jalan Siu Koon and Jalan Siu Chin and basement carparks that were notorious for getting flooded.

Johor Bahru’s old wet market situated along Sg Segget in the area reclaimed around Jalan Segget [Archive photo dated 1951]

through flood waters while the kids and great-grandma were ferried to our house by floating on my plastic bath tub!

After the 16th Nov 2015 flash floods in the heart of JB, the city suffered yet another smaller flood near Komtar JBCC on 24th Nov 2015.

By then Majlis Bandaraya JB (MBJB) and the principal coordinating agency responsible The Food Market at the corner of Jalan Ungku Puan next to for the Sungai Sungai Segget [Archive photo dated 1984] Segget project, Many would remember past seasons Iskandar Regional Development Area of super high tides where the water level (IRDA), were better prepared to deal with of the Johor Straits overflowed along the it. MBJB had also distributed notices to the coast onto Jalan Skudai. It was a seasonal public warning of super high tides between phenomenon that amazed the locals but 24th and 30th Nov 2015.

MBJB and IRDA are aware that there was never cause for alarm. But the flash flood along Jalan Wong Ah Fook on the flash floods were caused by various 16th November 2015, especially between contributing reasons including continuous Menara Public Bank and Komtar JBCC, was heavy rainfall and super high tides. They also agreed that land reclamation work in however, unprecedented.

In 1960, when our family lived in the Johor Straits may have also affected the staff quarters at Jalan Dato’ Wilson in tidal currents and caused more silting at the the compound of the then Johor Bahru river mouth which inadvertently resulted in General Hospital, an unusually high tide on poorer drainage run-off from Sungai Segget Christmas Day flooded the entire area. My into the Straits.

Rapid development within the dad captured photos of guests who arrived for our Christmas party, wading their way Central Business District also changed major

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Many people may not remember but the area around Jalan Segget was originally canals around a triangularshaped island, the site of the wet market where traders sold fresh produce and fishermen brought in their daily catch for sale. The old market was replaced by a new one built with wrought iron in 1894 and later, the canals were reclaimed and built-up as Jalan Segget.

Nearby at the end of Jalan Ungku Puan in a site bordering Sg Segget, there was a Food Market that the Teochew fondly call, pasar kia or small market, renowned as a food court for a range of popular street food. The river was then conveniently used for waste disposal where all manner of waste was dumped and when the tide was low, it was an open sewer that emitted a distinctive stinky pong!

Sungai Segget was then the bane of our developing town and it was a relief when this Food Market was closed and the pollution to the river ceased. The river, which runs parallel with Jalan Wong Ah Fook, was later completely covered and landscaped with pedestrian paths until 2014, when work started on the project to reopen the river.

With such a long and eventful history, Sg Segget certainly deserves to be the crux of the RM240 million upgrading project that includes the construction of the Sungai Segget Water Treatment Plant, flood mitigation and beautification of Jalan Wong Ah Fook.

This project is one of the initiatives of IRDA under the JB Transformation Programme that aims to sustain the city as the capital of Johor by providing economic activities, city living and amenities that are aligned with the vision of MBJB and Iskandar Malaysia.

I simply can’t wait for June 2016 when the project will be completed and the landscape around Jalan Wong Ah Fook will be transformed beyond recognition.

Meanwhile let’s be patient while remaining vigilant as the monsoon season will soon pass and the project, which is on track, will be completed according to schedule. TI

data like the drainage layout system and catchment volume. From the limited data, it was found that Komtar JBCC is situated in a water sub-catchment area and more prone to flash floods due to its gradient.

The area around Jalan Wong Ah Fook has changed dramatically since the 1800s when JB was a free port with a busy harbour for the export of timber and other products. Before the causeway with road and rail links between JB and Singapore was constructed in 1924, Sungai Segget was a major waterway plied by small vessels like sampan and tongkang to ferry goods and people along the river to a site near present day Tropical Inn hotel.

To regulate water levels at high tide and to control traffic, a sea-gate or tidal gate was construc ted at the river mouth.

This tidal gate has been in use for decades and while upgrading work is in progress to improve its functions, additional pumps and a generator were employed to help pump out Jalan Wong Ah Fook with Sungai Segget flowing parallel excess water into the [Right]; Merlin Tower is the tall building [Left] with the JB main Johor Straits when wet market next to the road, the site of present day JB City Square [Archive photo dated 1987] necessary.

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A Carnival for Johorians IIB’s IM Klik Photography and Short

by Johorians Video Competition Crowns Winners

I

skarnival 2015 opened its doors early last month where flocks of visitors came to check out the festivities at Puteri Harbour in Iskandar Puteri (formerly known as Nusajaya). The event was organised

by Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB), Khazanah Nasional Berhad and UEM Sunrise, and this fourth incarnation of the carnival saw more fun filled activities targeted specially for the rakyat of Johor.

CEO of IIB Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim also extended the invitation to our neighbours in Singapore who can easily cross the Tuas Second Link Expressway to get here, adding that inclusiveness is the objective of the event.

“This is the fourth year the three companies organised Iskarnival. Each year, we listen to your feedback and strive harder

to find more ways to share the opportunities that Iskandar Malaysia has to offer,” said Syed Mohamed.

From hot air balloons to mouth-watering food, the carnival also highlighted the many job opportunities in Iskandar Malaysia by hosting over 40 companies in its career fair. The Exposium area was packed with visitors checking out the various developments by developers, educational bodies and hosted a career fair where graduates and job seekers were encouraged to sign up for courses to up-skill themselves.

“This event creates a platform to bring individuals, families, business and key partners together to celebrate the success and inform the community about the vast opportunities of this vibrant economic zone,” said CEO of UEM Sunrise, Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib.

A

fter several weeks of waiting, the winners of Iskandar Investment Berhad’s (IIB) IM Klik Photography and Short Video Competition were announced at the recent Iskarnival 2015. Held at Puteri Harbour in Iskandar Puteri, the prizes were given by Johor State Assembly Speaker, Tan Sri Haji Mohamad Bin Haji Aziz.

Also present was Chief Executive Officer of IIB, Datuk Syed Mohamed Bin Ibrahim and the Executive Director of Khazanah Nasional Berhad, Datuk Mohamad Hisham Bin Hamdan.

“These captivating images are the windows to Iskandar Malaysia’s very heart and soul and gives homage to the people of Johor – transcending race, religion, culture and creed,” said Syed Mohamed.

The prize giving ceremony was held at the Property Exposium, where the top 23 photographs and top 10 videos were displayed as part of the IM Klik exhibition for the duration of the carnival.

The top three winners from the photography category were Kee Jwee Hiong who won RM4000 with his entry titled, ‘The Elder and the Young’, followed by Lau Wei Yang winning RM3000 and Selamat Bin Ismail with RM2000.

IM klik 2015 winners in photography and short video categories receiving their prizes “I am still trying to take it all in. Although I have been taking photographs for a long time, this is my first submission in the competition after hearing about if from the previous year. The submission shows a priceless display of patience by a grandmother who loves having her granddaughter around,” said Kee who won first place in the photography category.

The three winners from the short video category were Kelvin Balloo with his ‘We Are IskandariansThis is Our World’ entry who won first place, Moh Tiong Aik at second and Ahmad Aizudeen at third place.

“This is my hobby and I

just love taking short videos, it gels so well with my generation who loves using technology to tell a compelling story. Thank you IIB for providing this wonderful opportunity to push my art to the masses,” said 24 year old software analyst, Kelvin Balloo.

20 consolation winners from the Photography category took home RM500 each while 10 consolation winners from the Short Video category won RM1000 each.

Last year’s IIB IM Klik competition saw more than 600 photo entries and over 50 short videos submission with the theme ‘We are Iskandarians’. - by Amin Khairuddin TI

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iming to fuel Malaysia’s rich talent pool in the biobased industry, Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation Sdn Bhd (BiotechCorp) in collaboration with Industry Centre of Excellence (ICoE) Biotechnology Cluster and Bio-XCell Malaysia Sdn Bhd, hosted the first ‘PURPLE FIESTA @ Bio-Xcell Malaysia 2015’.

The 2-day career campaign drew more than 250 university graduates, educators, and industry players from across Malaysia to BioXCell, Nusajaya, Malaysia’s premier custom-built biotechnology park, a joint venture between BiotechCorp and UEM Sunrise Berhad.

Combining industry insights, technology of engagement workshops, grooming sessions, and food stations by Mini, the PURPLE FIESTA provided an

streets PURPLE FIESTA @ Bio-Xcell Malaysia Highlight

One-of-a-kind career fiesta to drive Malaysia’s highly skilled workforce exciting and unique experience for attendees, as they explored the vast bioeconomy career opportunities available in Malaysia. The event’s purple theme signifies the colour for talent and education in the bioeconomy industry, as the shade inspires intellectual thought and achievement.

“Malaysia’s bio-talents play a crucial role in contributing to the growth of the bio-based sector while

improving the quality and quantity of the workforce in the country. By 2020, a projected total of 160,000 workers are needed in the field to meet the country’s expectations in boosting the bio-based industry,” said Chief Operating Officer of BiotechCorp cum Chief Executive Officer of Bio-XCell, Razwin Sulairee Hasnan Termizi who officiated the event.

“We are confident that

From left the Career Coaches at Purple Fiesta, Razwin Sulairee Hasnan Termizi, COO BiotechCorp/ CEO Bio-XCell Malaysia (4th from Left) graduates from BiotechCorp’s career programmes will continue to fuel Malaysia’s professional pool of highly skilled and educated

workforce in the bio-based industries to drive the nation’s knowledge-based economy,” he added. - by Maressa Esa TI

Johor State Secretary Visits Gleneagles Medini Interest

The state of the art medical facility will put Iskandar Puteri on the world map of healthcare

Dato’ Haji Ismail Karim (second from left) at the reception counter of Gleneagles Medini flanked by Dato’ Amir

By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

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* Image is for illustration only

Educating Students on the Dangers of HIV

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n conjunction with World Health Day 2015, local AIDS awareness group Sinar Sofia organised a charity theatre performance entitled ‘I’m P+ive’ (read as I’m positive) at the Sultan Iskandar Auditorium in Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai.

The performance, opened to both students and the public saw a number of attendees consisting mainly of university students coming to show their support. Based on a true story, the play educates viewers by showing how real the dangers of contracting the disease can be, as well as coping with it.

Also present was the Johor Health Ministry who set up an education counter

and provided free HIV screening tests for those who were interested. Several health officers also conducted the tests to volunteers who received their results after a few minutes.

The response was positive according to the health officers present, explaining that public screening tests would usually result in lower numbers due to the fear of prejudice and humiliation.

They also explained that if someone’s test results are positive, the health ministry will aid them by conducting more tests to confirm the results before offering other forms of aid including help to secure treatments at government hospitals. TI

leneagles Medini is now officially open, offering the best in class healthcare and medical services for patients in the Southern region. The world class private specialist hospital has 30 speciality medical consultants on board and has handled 1000 visitors including the delivery of 7 babies.

Johor State Secretary, Dato Haji Ismail Karim paid a visit to the hospital, touring the state of the art hospital as a representative of Menteri Besar Dato’ Khaled Nordin.

“This is an impressive and outstanding new medical facility. The hospital is not only staffed with some of the best medical professionals, but patients can now also access the highest quality medical and healthcare,”

said Haji Ismail during the familiarisation tour of the hospital recently.

Also present for the tour was Pantai Holding Berhad chairman Datuk Khairil Anuar Abdullah and Gleneagles Malaysia Chief Operating Officer, Dato Amir Abdullah Firdaus.

“We believe this hospital has what it takes to put Iskandar Malaysia at the forefront of healthcare in Southeast Asia,” said Khairil Anuar.

He added that the medical facility is the manifestation of the Pantai Group’s vision to bring the latest medical technology and best in-class healthcare to the Southern population, adding that those who are working in Singapore that have a Medisave medifund can enjoy treatments here.

“Our aim is to ultimately help boost

healthcare standards in Malaysia and make Iskandar Malaysia as an attractive healthcare destination,” said Khairil Anuar.

The 14th hospital in the country by Parkway Pantai is located at Iskandar Puteri, the heart of Iskandar Malaysia.

Once fully operational, the RM400 million, 300 bed tertiary hospital will have 138 separate clinics to offer a wide range of medical treatment and services.

Among the services offered includes the hospital’s very own five centres of excellence - Cardiology, Orthopaedics, Women & Children, Oncology and Ophthalmology.

Gleneagles Medini is designed and equipped to meet the Joint Commission International (JIC) and Malaysian Society for Quality in Health (MSQH) accreditation standards. TI

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Death by Potholes

From Cover

Concern

How many more lives must be lost until potholes are no longer a deadly hazard to Johorians?

U

nbearable and hazardous road conditions are a common problem along the Pasir Gudang highway and its surrounding areas. Uneven road surfaces and potholes are more than a nuisance when it can cause fatal accidents for motorists especially motorcyclists.

On the night of 12th December 2015, Nordin bin Junaidi, 54, was on his way home from Pasir Gudang to Kampung Melayu Pandan, when his motorbike hit a pothole and crashed. He was riding alone on a dark stretch of Jalan Pekeliling, Pasir Gudang.

There were no street lights which made the condition of the road dangerous at night.

The victim was an Indonesian Malaysian permanent residence of 32 years, and a labourer in Tebrau. He lost consciousness immediately upon impact according to eyewitnesses and concerned motorists. An eyewitness called the ambulance and notified the police. The same person informed Nordin’s family about the accident, by using the victim’s phone.

“A man called me at around 8:35 p.m. while I was still at work, saying that my father had fallen of his bike after hitting a pothole along the Pasir Gudang highway, and he was

Freshly covered potholes along Jalan Pekeliling, Pasir Gudang. The lack of street lights is also an obvious hazard unconscious,” said Laila Sari, 21, the victim’s only daughter.

She added that emergency response personnel were already there at the scene when she arrived.

Nordin suffered from severe head injuries and was rushed to the intensive care unit (ICU) at Hospital Sultan Ismail. He died from his injuries at the hospital 5 days later, leaving behind a widow and daughter.

This is just an example of the cases

A copy of the police report that happens every day. Most of it goes unreported in the media, thus unknown to the general public.

“This is not the first case that has happened here, some were just small

Muafakat Fair Price Shops Highlight

Spearheaded by Iskandar Cooperation Malaysia, the retail chain aims to bring fair prices to the masses

J

ohor Menteri Besar Dato’ Khaled Nordin believes the cooperative business concept can still be utilised in this day and age, with the potential to increase the economy and welfare of the state’s citizens.

“The state government is confident that the cooperative concept represents the best platform to increase the socioeconomic and welfare of the rakyat,” said Khaled, during the launch of the Kebayan Jalan Nenas Muafakat Fair Price shop.

Khaled also said those who are interested in opening a fair price shop would only need a minimum capital of RM30,000.

Aside from offering lower prices than other retail outlets, the chain of shops will also offer a 3% discount on all products sold to cooperative members and their family who have registered under imCoop.

“The state government will pay for their membership cards to help address the high cost of living.

Some RM1.3 million has been allocated for this programme,” said Khaled.

Dato’ Khaled Nordin checking the pricing of goods According to Khaled, who is also Iskandar Regional Development Authority’s (IRDA) joint chairman, the state has already allocated a fund of RM12 million for the development of the Muafakat Fair Price Shop chain, in part of the state government’s initiative to help the rakyat with the rising cost of living.

He added that IRDA injected RM10 million of the total sum, where the rest was contributed by the state government.

A total of 19 other fair price shops were opened simultaneously with the opening of the Kebayan

Jalan Nenas outlet, all managed

by Koperasi Iskandar Malaysia Bhd (imCoop).

The retail chain expects to have 150 shops by 2017 with the goal of offering cheaper necessities to the masses. 6500 people from the lower income group, as well as the Asnaf group were given free membership under the Muafakat Johor Cooperative.

As many as 1,300 job opportunities will be available under imCoop, which now has a total of 60 cooperatives, representing its 40,000 members. by Amin Khairuddin TI

incidents but there are several fatalities too.

The situation is more dangerous due to the lack of street lights, as it can be very dark here at night,” said Saifuddin, a local resident of the area.

Recently, a posting went viral on social media regarding this issue. A group of volunteers took matters into their own hands and had marked the potholes around the area with spray paint to alert road users of the dangers ahead. It was a good effort since there is evidence of improvement.

The Iskandarian went to the location of the accident and discovered that the potholes along Jalan Pekeliling were freshly covered and paved - Coincidence?

Regardless of a good effort, how can we ensure similar incidents do not happen again? Is a person’s life equivalent to the price of improvement of public roads? Does it take fatalities to make local authorities to move into action or is it up to the public to take matters into their own hands, and cover these potholes due to the lack of road maintenance?

A pothole could be just a bump for some, but it can also be the end of another.

- by Hakim Malik and Amin Khairuddin TI

Christmas Joy for Johor Welfare Home Children

P

ulai Springs Resort recently hosted a charity event, ‘Christmas Charity Hi-Tea’ with Johor Calvary Welfare Home children as part of their corporate social responsibility programme in giving back to the community and the needy.

“We wanted to bring joy and happiness especially to the children here during the Christmas celebration. It is also about showing generosity and care to those we love,” said General Manager of Pulai Springs Resort, Sunny Soo. There were 32 children between the ages of 3 and 16 years old and they enjoyed a festive Christmas buffet selection prepared by the resort’s executive

chef and team. Santa Clause made his appearance and gave away candy.

“This is the second time we gathered with Pulai Springs Resort, and we appreciate what is done for the children. I’m sure they cherish and feel thankful,” expressed representative of Johor Calvary Welfare Home, Justin Lai. At the end of the event, a mini game of musical chair was held for the children to participate.

Each got to bring back home a goody bag of story books by Pelangi Publishing Sdn Bhd, Christmas candy cane, stationeries, and a RM50 AEON Big Gift Card.

Pulai Springs Resort also gave away an ang pow to each of the children.

Children of Johor Calvary Welfare Home during the Christmas Charity Hi-Tea hosted by Pulai Springs Resort

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Megadeth new album and be the Joyful You

JAN 2016 | Page 2

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

editor’s H note

appy 2016 folks and I hope your year begins fantastically!

Last year saw a mixed bag of emotions around the world and regionally, so I pray that this year would be a better one for everyone.

On the music front, pioneers of trash metal – MEGADETH is back to rock and roll this 2016 with their 15th music album featuring 11 brand new tracks. Also, current Irish favourite –Walking On Cars will be releasing their debut album this January.

Rose tackles a new topic this New Year and find out why it’s important to be the

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

joyful YOU! Sony Pictures Malaysia releases an action packed movie; the 5th Wave and a supernatural thriller, The Forest which is inspired from the real-life Aokigahara Forest.

Be sure to catch both these heart-gripping movies at the cinema near you.

In this issue, we embark on our staycation at the very heart of the city.

Any guesses? Flip over the pages to know more. If you are a foodie and wanting to try something cool and delicious, look no further than Delish Pizza located at Senai. It may be a long drive there but we have the highway and it’s definitely worth the trip.

MUSIC UPDATES

Universal Music Singapore

WALKING ON CARS

H

ailing from the remote Irish coastal town of Dingle, “Walking On Cars” have dominated

Ireland’s live scene, selling out arenas and garnering a huge loyal fanbase. Now the fivepiece releases anthemic crowd favourite “Speeding Cars”, the track taken from their much anticipated debut album due out on 29th January 2016.

Selling out three London headline shows last year including The Scala and Electric Ball-room, “Walking On Cars” continue to dominate Ireland’s most prominent venues, play-ing two sold out nights at the Olympia in Dublin.

Smash singles “Catch Me If You Can” and “Two Stones” were both Top 30 hits in Ireland, the former also topping the iTunes

charts there. The “As We Fly South” and “Hand in Hand” EPs followed, as the band hunkered down in the studio with the MyRiot production team of Tim Bran and Roy Kerr (London Grammar, Bloc Party, Foxes) to record their debut album.

Creating anthemic balladry combined with booming guitar riffs and sing-a-ling melodies, “Walking On Cars” have been tipped as an NME Buzzband, with praise from the Inde-pendent and Line of Best Fit. Their epic songs have been streamed over 5 million times, and the charming Irish rockers are set to make their mark in the UK this year with their highly anticipated debut album.

Listen to Speeding Cars via http://po.st/WoSC

MEGADETH Unleashes New Studio Album ‘Dystopia’

T

hrash metal genre pioneers MEGADETH kicks off the New Year with the release of their 15th studio album Dystopia on Universal Music / Tradecraft / T-Boy Records on 22nd January 2016.

With musical architect and band visionary Dave Mustaine at the helm, Dystopia was recorded in Nashville, TN, and mixed by Josh Wilbur (Lamb of God, Gojira, Avenged Sevenfold).

The rest of the MEGADETH lineup is comprised of David "Junior" Ellefson on bass, new member Kiko Loureiro (formerly of Angra) on guitar, and drummer Chris Adler, who took time away from ‘Lamb of God’ to record Dystopia. The result marks a true return to form, adding new blood and injecting a new burst of creative energy into the new album.

"There's an excitement right now that I haven't felt for a really

long time," exclaims Dave Mustaine.

Featuring 11 brand new tracks, Dystopia will be released on both CD and LP, as well as digitally through all online partners. “Fatal Illusion” is the first track released from the album.

Dystopia weaves together Dave Mustaine’s intricate and unique songwriting style, trademark leads and lightning riffs with harmonious precision, paying homage to MEGADETH’s influential roots while continuing to break new and heavy ground.

MEGADETH burst into thirty years ago, virtually inventing a genre with their debut album Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!

(Recently recognized by VH1 as the Greatest Thrash Metal Debut Album of All Time). It sold more than 38 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades including 11 Grammy nominations, scoring five consecutive platinum albums

including 1992’s two-million-selling Countdown to Extinction.

TRACKLIST

1.

The Threat Is Real 2. Dystopia 3.

Fatal Illusion 4.

Death From Within 5.

Bullet To The Brain 6.

Post American World 7.

Poisonous Shadows 8.

Conquer or Die! 9.

Lying In State 10.

The Emperor 11.

Foreign Policy

As always, for those wishing to share their fashion collection, travel tales, or like us to review your restaurant/hotel for a staycation, drop me an e-mail at waves.lifestyle@ gmail.com and be featured. For more news, do access www.theiskandarian.com The Iskandarian wishes all our readers a very Happy New Year!

Priya

JAN 2016 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Four Ways to Be the Joyful You – Part 1

B Personal Motivator & Energy Coach yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses

eing a joyful person and being a happy person are two different things. The first one is our true self and the latter is our impermanent personality which is derived from the chemical process known as the “happy emotion”. It is impermanent because when we are happy, we are also bound to feel sad. It is a balancing process for the body and also a duality of this physical realm.

To be happy is easy. Same goes with sadness. For example, let’s learn from our children. When a small child cries, we give him

something he likes and he stops crying. He probably starts laughing and becomes happy.

It is a classic process of turning sadness into happiness. For adults, this process takes a longer time because adults think a lot. They take their thoughts seriously. Therefore, their process of happiness and sadness becomes very complicated. Often adults stuck in this process have forgotten that what they are longing is not happiness but the joy of ‘Life’.

If you are looking to be happy again, your chance to live in illusion is high. Instead, be a joyful human spiritually, mentally, emotionally

and physically. What you need in this process is not seeking. To seek implies something is outside of you that you need to look for it. The process only requires you to tap into the joyful state of the soul, mind, emotion and body.

Joy of the body comes from two areas; the healthy food we eat and the physical exercise we do. Food can alter our state of consciousness and physical exercise nourishes the body. If you are transforming your life, start focussing on eating healthy food and perform regular exercise. Be conscious about your body and it will bring you the aliveness of its energy.

An Energy Coach and A Personal Motivator. Rose Osman uses her knowledge and intuitive skills in energy to coach people to live a joyful life through her coaching programmes on personal & career growth, relationship, love and health.

MOVIES

Source: Sony Pictures Malaysia

The 5th Wave

I

Genre: Action Adventure Release date: 14th January 2016 Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Nick Robinson, Ron Livingston, Maggie Siff Alex Roe, Maria Bello, Maika Monroe and Liev Schreiber Director: J Blakeson Producer: Tobey Maguire, Graham King, Matthew Plouffe, Lynn Harris

Executive Producer: Denis O’Sullivan, Richard Middleton, Ben Waisbren

n this film, four waves of increasingly deadly attacks have left most of Earth decimated. Against a backdrop of fear and distrust, Cassie (Chloë Grace Moretz) is on the run, desperately trying to save her younger brother. As she prepares for the inevitable and lethal 5th wave, Cassie teams up with a young man who may become her final hope - if she can only trust him.

Screenplay by: Susannah Grant and Akiva Goldsman & Jeff Pinkner Based on Novel by: Rick Yancey

The Forest

A

n American woman, Sara (played by Natalie Dormer of Game of Thrones and The Hunger Games), journeys to the forest in search of her twin sister Jess, who has mysteriously disappeared. Frustrated at Jess’ pattern of behavior, Sara’s husband Rob (Eoin Macken of The Night Shift) is unable to talk his wife out of making the 6,000-mile trip.

After a visit to the school where Jess teaches, the resourceful Sara sets out for the forest itself. Accompanied by a charismatic new acquaintance, expatriate journalist Aiden (Taylor Kinney of Chicago Fire), she enters the forest having been well warned to “stay on the path.” Forest guide Michi (Japanese star Yukiyoshi Ozawa) keeps a protective eye on them both, but when night falls he cannot dissuade them from staying in the forest, and reluctantly leaves the duo to face the elements alone.

Fear soon fragments Sara’s consciousness; she begins to question Aiden’s motives, including his claim

Genre: Supernatural Thriller Release date: 7th January 2016 Cast: Natalie Dormer, Taylor Kinney, Yukiyoshi Ozawa, Eoin Macken Director: Jason Zada Producer: Tory Metzger, David S. Goyer, David Linde

Executive Producer: Len Blavatnik, Aviv Giladi, Lawrence Bender, Andrew Pfeffe

that he has never seen Jess. Determined to discover the truth about her sister’s fate, Sara will have to face the angry and tormented souls of the dead that prey on anyone who dares come near them.

These malevolent spirits lying in wait for Sara at every turn will plunge her into a frightening darkness from which she must fight to save herself.

JAN 2016 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

travel

go local STAYCATION @

DOUBLETREE by HILTON JOHOR BAHRU Address

12 Jalan Ngee Heng, 80000 Johor Bahru, Johor

By Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

I

am sure there isn’t a soul who wouldn’t want to take a mini break and escape into another world free of stress and workload. Although JB city centre is bustling with activities, a staycation at DoubleTree by Hilton Johor Bahru (DoubleTree)

is something not to be missed.

DoubleTree is not only a place for business jet setters but families too. Strategically located in the heart of the city and close by to the Customs, it is easily accessible by local transportation.

My partner and I recently embarked on a two days one night staycation.

Day One Upon check in, we were given their signature cookies and an additional welcome note for the Executive level. The rooms are spacious in this floor and you can even choose a comfortable pillow you fancy from their “pillow menu”.

After settling down,

Executive Room

we decided to check out their Executive Lounge located on the 29th floor. The Lounge is accessible by Executive and Suite room guests and it comes with a host of special privileges.

Unlike some hotels, DoubleTree welcomes children to their Executive Lounge and it is open from 6am to 10pm but from 7am on Saturdays and Sundays.

You get to enjoy a complimentary breakfast, and in the evenings cocktails and canapés are served from 6pm to 8pm. During school holidays and public holidays, family travellers may access the Lounge from 4pm-6pm.

The Executive Lounge also has a meeting room which is complimentary for two hours and additional hours are payable and subject to availability. There are also private workstations and

business centre facilities available if you need to get some urgent work done.

Putting work aside for a while, we were pleased to try some of their canapés before proceeding for dinner at Tosca for some rustic Italian cuisine.

Tosca is located on the 13th floor with various dining options

from indoors to private rooms or al-fresco dining by the poolside.

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner and on Sundays; they serve brunch from 12pm-3pm at RM108 nett for adults.

Feeling hungry, Jai the Outlet Manager was happy to encourage us to try a few of their “House Specialties”. We started off with some well-seasoned ‘Mushroom Soup with truffle oil’ followed by the thin-crust ‘Mushroom and Turkey Ham Pizza’.

For the main course we tried the baked ‘Whole Sea Bass with fresh Italian Herbs’ right from the Zesti Oven. The fish was served with garden vegetables and rosemary roasted potatoes. The flavours and juices from the vegetables and fish were simply mind-blowing and did wonders to our palate! A definite winner and we highly recommend this dish and were glad Jai made the right choice for us.

No course is complete without desert, and we ended our lovely dinner with the classic “Tiramisu” with a DoubleTree twist. The Tiramisu here is served cold in a bowl topped with the hotel’s signature cookies crumbled on top with fresh berries. Tosca is definitely a great place for Italian fine dining and they have something for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians.

For reservations, call 07-268 6868.

Feeling stuffed with great food, we decided to call it a night.

To be continued…

Mouth-watering Whole Sea-bass dish at Tosca

Calendar of Events 1st Jan 2016 Happy New Year

1st – 6th Jan 2016 Year End Sales

JB, 2nd Jan 2016 Run to Survive 2016 @Sutera Square Johor

Spore, 8th Jan 2016 DrinkEntrepreneurs JFDI Open Hse @ BASH S’pore

JB, 9th Jan 2016 Monash Application Day @ Johor Bahru

15th Jan 2016 Hindu festival Ponggal

JB, 16th – 17th Jan 2016 Johor Career & Postgraduate Expo @KSL Mall

Spore, 23rd Jan 2016 Viper Challenge @Sentosa Island S’pore

Spore, 27th Jan 2016 Neck Deep LIVE in S’pore @ Scape Warehouse S’pore

24th Jan 2016 Thaipusam

Spore, 16th Jan 2016 The Vamps @ The Coliseum, Hard Rock Hotel S’pore

Spore, 17th Jan 2016 StrollerRace Singapore 2016 @S’pore Sports Hub

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

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Gen-Y & Management Styles Employees hailed as Generation-Y have become a recurrent “headache” for any organisation

G

eneration-Y (also called the “Millenials”) are those born between 1977 and 1998. Over 70 million of them represent the fastest growing segment entering the workforce today. Their traits in employability has become a source for concern as they change jobs quickly. Surveys reported that Gen-Ys in the Asia Pacific Region have the shortest job tenure i.e. 18 months of average job tenure compared with Gen-X and Baby Boomers who average 4 years.

Gen-Y can be recognised by these common characteristics: • Academically talented • Ambitious and motivated – the ‘can do’ generation who never worry about failure • Extremely focused on selfdevelopment • Plan to move jobs within 2 years • Value both money and status • Value interesting and challenging work (sometimes even higher than salary) • Want to be ‘coached’ rather than managed

Having been raised by parents who doted on them with ample of attention and praise; they carry oodles of self-confidence and believe they are highly valuable to any organisation from day one! HR personnel could identify what makes them tick and they become your assets.

“GIVE ME PROGRESSION! Don’t dub us as disloyal job-hoppers. If there is no progression in a company, I will move on!”

To retain, companies should invest in continued learning and training to build new skills with clear progression paths for Gen-Y employees. The HR function needs to have long-range plans to keep them constantly involved and engaged.

“COACH ME. Don’t direct or control me.”

56% of graduates studied, cited their ‘ideal’ managers as those who function as mentors.

Gen-Y employees do not like being directed, controlled or micro-managed and want to be given ample room for expression and suggestions.

“TELL ME HOW I AM DOING. Give me constructive feedback and recognise my worth.”

See how adept today’s Gen-Ys are in the use of social media and communication tools.

Translate this to how they see the workplace.

Interaction and acknowledgement is important to them. An environment that provides feedback and recognition such as two-way consultative appraisals and exchanges will make a Gen-Y employee feel they have a purpose being there. They want to know where they stand and how they can grow.

“LEAVE ME TO DO IT. Give me freedom, be flexible.”

Gen-Y employees are resourceful, usually with various “tricks” up their sleeves. So set goals and allow them the freedom to reach them in their own way. This is the information age and the internet is their

Dasan Thanam Divean Dasan is the Managing Director of IAAYS PLT and the creator of the CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERTS Programme successfully implemented in TNB, KPJ and several JB Hotels and Resorts. A registered trainer with PSMB, he is also accredited with the United Kingdom Association of Training Professionals. Reach him at : dasan@iaays.com.my

powerbank of knowledge. You may be surprised at the results.

“I WORK SMART!” Gen-Y values a work-life balance more than other generations and their motto is ‘work smarter, not harder’. This would mean that managers may need to change employment habits, perhaps allowing flexi-hours or for them to work from home. After all, the world is seamlessly connected today and all you need is Wi-Fi, the internet and gadgets.

The Problem: Generation Gap Many management styles today lack the capability to deal with Gen-Y. They spend more time ‘doing’ than ‘managing’, and unable to give employees what they need.

Why? • T here is now more work with less people • Managers don’t know how to provide feedback and develop people • Scarce rewards • Not enough value given to the role of the manager Research indicates that management behaviour is a key factor in retention.

Dissatisfaction with one’s manager is a top reason for leaving an organisation.

Gen-Y employees expect more from their organisations and superiors, and will walk out if they don’t get it. If companies do not adapt to the new world work culture and the needs of today’s Gen-Y, they will be the ultimate losers and be caught in a vicious cycle - Recruiting, training, resignations; only to recruit again.

Admit it. The world is changing. It’s time to change your management style. TI

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Adam’s

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Brought to you by:

Financial Journey In the Adam Series, we explain how financial planning is being applied in our day to day life as we journey through different stages and challenges

I

n this issue, we’ll see how Adam and Aida’s relationship blossoms and also enhance our knowledge in another important financial decision – buying a car.

One evening after work, it started to rain heavily. Adam was stranded at the entrance of the bank when his eyes suddenly caught Aida who was standing just beside the ATM machine. Aida was actually waiting for the rain to subside before walking over to the nearest LRT station to catch a train home.

Adam took the opportunity to ask her to join him for a cup of teh-tarik at a nearby stall and she obliged. They chatted without realising that the rain had stopped and he then walked Aida to the LRT station.

That night, Adam couldn’t sleep as his thoughts were focused on Aida and he looked forward for more encounters with her.

Suddenly a thought flashed his mind - he felt that it was an ideal time to buy a car. Apart from convenience, it would also give him the opportunity to offer Aida lifts. Actually, the thought of buying a car was in Adam’s mind about a year ago when he started working, but he managed to delay it in order to save up for the down payment. This is what financial planners’ term as delayed gratification and it certainly warrants discipline and patience. As Adam had saved quite a fair bit, he felt that he is able to afford a car now.

The first thing that Adam needed to decide is whether to buy a new car or a used car. Most often, people think that it is wiser to purchase a new car as there will

be less maintenance cost as compared to a used one. That may sound logical but we have to be aware that a new car can also have other intrinsic costs. For example, in order not to void the warranty, you’d have to send your new car back to the manufacturer’s appointed service centres for your regular service. They may in turn charge you more for their services and spare parts as compared to your regular workshops. The other important cost factor that many people failed to take into consideration is the depreciation amount whereby it is usually valued higher for new cars compared to used cars, which is especially true in the case of continental cars.

Of course buying a used car has its own drawbacks - higher maintenance costs and hidden defects with expired warranty duration. However, if you decide to buy a used car, it’s always advisable to get your trusted mechanic to examine the car first. It must also clear the JPJ inspection records for stolen vehicles, non-permissible modifications and etc. Only then, should you pay the owner a deposit as there are too many cases of fraud these days. Another point to note is that used cars normally carry with them a higher rate of financing cost compared to new ones. However, if you are buying it in cash, it shouldn’t have such an impact.

After much consideration and shopping around, Adam decided to purchase a used car and is willing to trade-off the ‘scent’ of a new one against the opportunity of savings he’d stand to gain from the

depreciation cost. Next, he examined his budget to see how much he can allocate towards his car instalment every month. As a rule of thumb, we should ideally keep our car instalments within 15% of our take-home pay in order to be in a healthy position.

Monthly Take-home pay = 2,500 Ideal Monthly Instalment = 15% x 2,500= 375 Intended Financing Period = 5 years Total Loan amount = 375 x 12 x 5 = 22,500 The above shows that Adam should restrict his car loan amount to RM22,500 with RM375 as the monthly instalments. The next step is to see how much down payment he could afford. He quickly checked his unit trust investment statement and noted that he’d be able to cash out about RM10,000!

With some determination and a little luck, he was able to find a relatively well-maintained, low-mileage and reliable second-hand car for only RM30,000. With a down payment of RM10,000, he took out a RM20,000 hire-purchase loan for 5 years with an interest rate of 4% p.a. The monthly instalment worked out to be RM400 {[(RM20,000 x 4% x 5) + 20,000] / 60}.

Therefore, his total loan commitment is about one-quarter (1/4) of his take-home pay which is still acceptable so long as it doesn’t exceed one-third (1/3) of the take-home pay.

With his “new” car now, Adam has to further tighten his budget and made the following adjustments:

Johor Region Looks to Foster Residential Demand

R

eal estate developers are quietly optimistic that new projects and a steady flow of investments into Iskandar Malaysia will boost investor interest in property in the region, particularly in the overstocked residential segment.

Creating demand “The authorities need to bring in industry and services in order to grow the population, but all of this takes time,” said Ivan Teo, General Manager of property developer Rawhide, to Oxford Business Group (OBG). This underscores the need for more mixed-use properties, which provide a wider variety of services and cater to multiple segments of the community, he added.

There is some early movement in this direction, according to Freddie Lee, ExecutiveDirector of Seri Alam Properties, thanks to increased activity in the industrial segment.

“A lot of Singaporean small and medium-sized enterprises are keeping their headquarters in Singapore but moving their factories here, because it is cheaper and Malaysia shares the same culture and law,” he told OBG. In November 2015, Singapore’s Beyonics Technology opened a 27,000-sqmetre electronics manufacturing campus in Kulai, Johor. Developed at a cost of S$10m, the

iPark could help draw workers from around the country, and spur demand for housing.

This followed-on from an S$250m plant opened by US confectionary giant Hershey’s in Senai, Johor earlier in 2015. As the company’s largest single investment in Asia and its second-largest plant, the 6500-sq-metre facility will create employment for roughly 400 workers and it plans to export 90% of its output.

In the Works The rollout of other industrial projects in the region could also add to demand. In December 2015, Singaporean developer Rowsley announced plans to partner with private health care provider Thomson Medical to develop the Vantage Bay Healthcare City in Iskandar Malaysia.

The RM5bn medical city, set to be completed by 2018, plans to cater to the growing elderly demographic in nearby Singapore with a range of facilities, including a specialist hospital, medical school and longterm care facilities.

Other government-led projects are also set to generate local employment and housing demand. The RM97bn Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC), a series of oil refineries, naphtha crackers, petrochemicals plants and liquefied natural

gas import terminals, is being developed in Johor.

The 8100-ha PIPC project is slated to create as many as 70,000 jobs during the construction phase and 4000 permanent positions upon completion.

The RM20bn Ibrahim International Business District (IIBD) project, announced by the Johor state government in November 2015, could help attract other businesses to Johor in the coming years. A series of projects meant to upgrade the Johor city centre into a modern international business district, the IIBD will be rolled out over the next decade, in a bid to leverage the state’s proximity to Singapore while offering more space and lower costs.

Developers will also be looking to EduCity - an integrated higher education centre being developed as part of the Iskandar project – to spur further interest in Johor.

Already home to half a dozen different campuses, with universities from the UK, the Netherlands and Singapore among those represented, EduCity is drawing a growing number of foreign and Malaysian students.

The housing needs of staff and students are expected to increase demand in the residential

After revising his budget, he realised that he’d be spending at least RM800 per month on his car (e.g. maintenance, tax and fuel). He had to trim down on his food and entertainment bill as he wished to continue saving and uphold the life insurance benefits.

Even with those adjustments, he still came up a little short but his parents were kind enough to offer a “rebate” on his monthly contribution. He was truly grateful and promised to repay their kindness as soon as he gets an increment.

Adam now believes that owning a car is not cheap! He remembered what his father used to tell him, “Before you buy one, make sure that you can afford to maintain it!” How true, he thought deeply to himself. TI To be continued…

Brought to you by:

segment, which stakeholders hope will help drive sector growth.

Price dynamics The devaluation of the ringgit, which had fallen 17% against the US dollar year-to-date in early December 2015, could also increase the appeal of property in Johor.

With the Malaysian economy slowing, many developers have been holding prices of residential properties in Johor steady in order to appeal to buyers, despite a rise in input costs. However, this could soon change, as the weaker ringgit puts greater pressure on the cost of imported machinery and materials.

This, too, could be an incentive for buyers looking for an investment property, allowing them to take advantage of lower costs ahead of an expected increase.

26

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invest

Accumulating Wealth Tips & Tricks

Stay invested amidst uncertainties (Part 2)

R

emember we started playing a game investing RM200k virtual money in the stock market to see how they’d perform amidst uncertainties? But before we look at their performance, let’s see what unfavourable news that has arisen lately: 1. The oil price has fallen below USD35 per barrel just when everyone was expecting the oil price would stop falling.

2. The US Reserve Bank is expected to raise interest rate for the first time in almost a decade.

3. China has published the index of China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS) on 11th December 2015, which included 13 other currencies. Coupled with the earlier announcement that the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) will be included in the SDR (Special Drawing Right) from 1st October 2016 onwards, the market has stronger expectation that Renminbi will weaken down the road.

4. The weaker Ringgit is not expected to turn stronger in the short term given the above three contributing factors altogether.

As a result, the FBM KLCI Composite Index fell 28 points from 1656 a month ago and closed at 1629 as at 15th December 2015. So how are the counters we picked last month?

Here’s our portfolio and its performance as at 15th December 2015:

CELEBRATE Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day

George & Dragon Cafe

Tey Bin Yuen Binyuen is the founder of BY Enrich Resources and the author of ‘Life beyond the Comfort Zone’. He’ll be conducting a mini workshop ‘Achieve Financial Independence through Share Investment’ on 15 Jan 16. Collect this article to exchange a ticket worth RM20 for FREE. Reach his team at contact@teybinyuen.com

due to unfavourable news, not all counters performed the same.

Counters that bucked the trend shows certain good qualities such as making good profits, exuding bright prospects, or paying attractive dividends (the six counters that went up have possessed one of these traits).

2. Based on the above point, we can see it’s important to stay invested amidst uncertainties, for there are opportunities available as long as companies are doing well.

Festive Menu Valentine's Day -

Romantic Dinner Special

Company Functions Parties

One new counter On 15th December 2015, we have bought 30000 shares of Federal Furniture Holdings Berhad (8605 / FFHB) at 0.685 because we’re in a comfortable position to add since we’re sitting on 10% gain in the portfolio.

In its Q3 report released on 30th November 2015, Federal Furniture has made a net profit of 2.259 million, which showed significant improvement

Disclaimer: The companies mentioned above and in this article are meant for study purposes only.

It doesn’t constitute any ‘buy’ or ‘sell’ recommendation. Please consult your financial professional if you want to make any decision.

There were seven counters selected on 16th November 2015, with RM136,990.00 invested, leaving RM63,010.00 balance of cash.

Overall, six out of seven counters went up and we’ve made RM13,255.00 paper gain on capital appreciation and received RM1300 dividend from ECS and Gadang, respectively. (Note: ECS gives 8 cents and Gadang 5 cents).

In terms of return on percentage, we’ve made 10.6% gain including dividends.

Compared with the KLCI Composite Index which fell to 2%, it’s a 12.6% difference in a month.

While the gain in this short duration is encouraging, what is more important is that what we’ve learned through playing this game: 1. While the market sentiment is bad

compared to its immediate and preceding year corresponding quarter. The company also mentioned that it’s expecting their operation to be more than double its turnover in the current year.

The investment made on FFHB is RM20,550.00, which after deducting from the cash balance of RM63,010,00, we are left with RM42,460. We’ll include this counter and its performance in our portfolio table for the next issue.

Conclusion When this article is written, the Reserve Bank of the US is at the brink of increasing its interest rate. So it’d be interesting to see how our portfolio would fare in the next few months. After all, this is only the beginning of the game. There would be more to come and more to see. TI

Taman Tasek Branch

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No. 1 & 3, Jalan Glasiar, Taman Tasek, 80200 Johor Bahru

Johor Premium Outlets Branch  (07) 590 9268  (07) 590 9128 Suite 204, Johor Premium Outlets, Indahpura, 81000 Kulaijaya

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Pizza, Pasta and more at Delish

Delish Family Bistro (Halal) 108 Jalan Impian Senai 2, Taman Impian Senai Open daily from 12pm to 10pm and from 2pm on Friday Closed on Sundays Tel: 607 – 5951908

Our resident writer Peggy Loh goes scouting for scrumptious food all over Johor Bahru. Reach her for a review at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

Popular thirst-quenchers [Left to Right] Iced Passion Fruit Tea, Iced Syrup Selasih and Passion Fruit Soda

Entrepreneur-Chef, Mohd Rizal Mohd Ismail, recommends two of his favourite pizza flavours – Mom’s Favourite [Left] and Chicken Pesto [Right]

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ntrepreneur-Chef, Mohd Rizal Mohd Ismail, 27, said it all started when his older brother was a fan of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles whose favourite food is pizza.

This food inevitably became a family favourite so when father bought cookbooks for mother to perfect her recipe for pizza bread, Rizal would help her make the dough.

After enjoying mother’s delightful pizzas for the past 15 years, they decided to share their homemade pizza creations along with

Façade of Delish Family Bistro at Taman Impian Senai a menu of pasta, drinks and dishes at Delish Family Bistro. Their Senai outlet offers fastcasual dining where orders are placed at the counter for dine-in and takeaways or phone-

in for delivery at a minimal charge.

If you are like Rizal and his brother who want more ingredients in their pizza, then Mom’s Favourite is the choice because it’s topped with two types of meat – beef and chicken, along with slivers of colourful vegetables. If you have a cream-based taste, then pick Chicken Pesto Pizza topped with their own-recipe pesto sauce. Pizzas come in 7” small (RM10), 9”medium (RM15) and 12” large (RM23) sizes, with top-up charges for extra cheese.

“This is how we interpret pizza but we can’t skip the essentials,” said Rizal who is proud of the unique crunch and herby fragrance in their authentic pizza breads.

Freshly-made pasta come in a choice of popular sauces like Bolognese, Marinara and Seafood Aglio Olio but sauces unique

Fans of cilantro or coriander, will simply fall in love with this Cilantro Pesto Pasta served in a creamy based pesto sauce with chicken slices to Delish are “must-try” items. These include Cilantro Pesto Pasta created with a delicious creamy based pesto sauce, rich with the taste of fresh cilantro or coriander. If you prefer a little zing, then it’s the Creamy Tom Yum pasta that will leave a warm, fiery feeling in your mouth. You can order pasta serving sizes in a choice of Lite (RM9.50) or Normal (RM13.50), ask for extra pedas or spicy with an option to pick either beef or chicken.

This heat in your mouth can be soothed by thirst-quenchers like Iced Passion Fruit Tea (RM2.80), Iced Syrup Selasih (RM2.50) and Passion Fruit Soda (RM4.80). Among the popular side-dishes are Delish Meatballs (RM9.50) with a hint of Mediterranean in rich mushroom gravy and Baked Chicken Wings (RM9.50) in Honey Garlic or Hot ‘n Spicy flavours.

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Cover: Forest City Official Launching Malaysian Ambassador to China, Zainuddin Yahya (second from left), Founder and Chairman of Country Garden Holdings, Yeung Kwok Keung (middle), Executive Director of Country Garden Pacificview Datuk Daing A. Malek A. Rahaman (second from right). pg 31

Mah Sing Group Announces Second Ramada Hotel in Iskandar Malaysia

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Country Garden: On Path for World Domination Highlight

Country Garden officially launches the RM170 billion Forest City Project in Johor

By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

Country Garden is a property development company based in Guangdong Province, China, owned by Yang Guoqiang’s family.

In 2011, it was named one of Forbes Asia’s Fab Top 50 Companies. Country Garden boasts a market capitalisation of over US$8 billion as of 2014;

with more than 200 highend township developments throughout China, Malaysia and Australia among its vast international project portfolio.

To date, the company has sold properties to over 1,500,000 homeowners and employ above 70,000 people worldwide.

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ountry Garden’s Forest City development will be built on four man-made islands and is set to put Johor on the world map upon its completion. The smart city project is a benchmark project for the China based developers, building an area of 1,370 hectares with an investment of RM170 billion over the next 20 years. The project will provide more than 220,000 job opportunities in Johor by 2035.

Founder and Chairman of Country Garden Holdings, Yeung Kwok Keung said the development will provide a comfortable modern atmosphere and will be a dream residential area not only for local residents but people from all over the region as well.

“I have always dreamed of something better, a better life.

The forest city project will provide new ideas that are environmentally friendly and will present modern life on the island by providing intelligent facilities for 100,000 residents to live and work,” he said during the Forest City launch at Country Garden Headquarters in Guangdong, China recently.

Also present was the Executive Director of Country Garden Pacificview Sdn. Bhd. Datuk Daing A. Malek A. Rahaman and Malaysian Ambassador to China, Datuk Zainuddin Yahya.

“Besides its location along the Johor Straits and unique design will attract foreign investors and offer opportunities to all,” said Daing, adding that the project in

Founder and Chairman of Country Garden Holdings, Yeung Kwok Keung

County Garden’s Headquarters stands out of the landscape due to its unique design incorporating nature and the environment , complete with ambient sounds provided by hidden speakers in the disguise of rocks and branches Iskandar Malaysia would provide various opportunities to both foreign and local investors.

The company’s HQ, a 22 storey building covered in lush greenery showed a glimpse of

The man made forest located at the building’s entrance incorporates both artificial and real trees

what Forest City will look like in the near future, extending more on the concept with an underground road system while parks and gardens will cover the residential landscape.

“This is a fresh idea where it will have a four layer development and the public will not see any vehicles on the road as Forest City will be filled with greenery on the top layer while roads and parking bays used by vehicles will be underground,” said Yeung.

Forest City will be the company’s largest international project and will be adjacent to Singapore, easily accessible via the Second Link. First phase units include apartments ranging from 75 to 175 sqm and bungalows from 250 to 550sqm. The development, just off the coast of Tanjung Kupang is expected to house an estimated

The man made forest located at the building’s entrance incorporates both artificial and real trees

hundred thousand residents upon completion.

“We will also provide an effective transportation system for more than 100,000 residents living there. Forest City will be a dream for the community to live and work there,” said Yeung.

The reclaimed islands will have commercial districts, schools, shopping areas as well as other facilities including its own water supply and treatment plants, paying focus to several environmentally sustainable features, demonstrating a vibrant urban space while integrating with the ecosystem.

Country Garden has taken into consideration the needs of the surrounding communities and preservation of the natural ecosystem surrounding the project.

The company also donated RM3

million to the Fishery Association to help local fishermen.

The company made its mark with its Phoenix City project started in 2002, took over 20 years to achieve its current state. Originally occupying a 667ha land area, the project gradually expanded to about 30,000 homes and 150,000 residents with nine schools and four commercial areas.

Country Garden Holding is one of the largest real estate developers in China with more than $7.5 billion USD market capitalization. Established in 1992, the company has over 20 years’ experience in real estate development with over 200 projects across 22 provinces across China. It is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and is on Forbes list of Asia Top 30 Companies. TI

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Mah Sing Group Announces Second Ramada Hotel in Iskandar Malaysia

UMLand: World Best

Highlight

Boasting 322 rooms, the 4 star hotel is the latest addition under the Ramada brand

By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

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ocated next to LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort, The Ramada Meridin Johor Bahru is the latest addition under the Ramada brand. The 4-Star hotel will have 322 rooms and offer a more upmarket accommodation compared to its Ramada Encore Meridin. The hotel will have state of the art facilities including an aqua gym, mini amphitheatre, central oasis garden and more.

Ng Chai Yong, Chief Executive Officer of Mah Sing Group signed a franchise agreement with David Wray, Director of Acquisitions & Business Development, Wyndham Hotel Asia Pacific to procure the Ramada Brand for the second Meridin tower in Iskandar Malaysia.

“Mah Sing Group’s decision to brand a second hotel tower of Ramada is a testament to the growth being experienced by Wyndham Hotel Group across South East Asia, and is yet another vote of confidence in the support

David Wray from Wyndham Hotel Group South East Asia and Pacific Rim with Ng Chai Yong, Chief Executive Officer of Mah Sing Group and Yonto Wongso, Chairman of Topotels

and services the company offers,” said David Wray.

The hotel’s serviced suites’ show unit was also launched during the signing ceremony, offering guests a glimpse of what’s to come.

The unit showcased contemporary décor with the hotel’s themed interior and furnishings that were ergonomic in design with a premium luxury bed for comfort while enjoying a panoramic view of Medini and LEGOLAND. “The hotel towers are part

of Mah Sing’s The Meridin@Medini, located within the special economic zone of Medini itself and enjoys privileges such as tax exemption and no limitation for foreign buyers,” said Ng. The Ramada brand has a global portfolio of over 830 properties in 60 countries with tremendous growth throughout the Asia Pacific region. The Meridin@Medini is an integrated development located along Persisiran Pantai JB-Nusajaya. TI

Property Corner Real life case studies

A.Devadason

CA(M), FCCA, MDRT Deva is a partner in the firm of Dason & Dason, Chartered Accountants who specialises in tax advisory and consultancy.

He can be reached at deva@dason.com.my

J

ob hopping is common especially during economic prosperity. O ften, the resigning colleague will be hush-hush with the name of the next organisation until commencement date. Some even go to the extent of keeping things under wraps until confirmation.

I learned from a friend, that this practice extends to the property market as well. He maintains that one should be very secretive when buying in the secondary market as there is always the risk of a desirable unit getting taken away by an invisible hand. To illustrate his point, he narrated an incident that occurred 5 years ago.

The Scenario Sam and Kumar (not their real names) are childhood friends who share a common interest in property investment. They have worked together in a few property projects in the past and have made a tidy sum from their partnership.

Sam was in the market to get a sizeable house for his growing family and was looking to get a unit in the same vicinity as Kumar’s semi-detached home in Taman Nong Chik. He had also communicated to Kumar to be on the lookout if a unit is available for sale.

Unknown to Kumar, his neighbour was migrating and had placed the house for sale via a property agent. No boards or banners were placed outside the premises as the owner wanted it to be a low profile sale.

Coincidentally, the agent approached Sam on the availability of the house. It had 4 rooms with a total land area of 4,000 square feet. The house was perfect for his 3 children to have a room of their own as well as ample space to play.

The Sneak Both Sam and his wife were ecstatic when they viewed the house as the agent withheld the address until then. The prospect of being neighbours with a family friend was such an unexpected bonus. Kumar however, was away on a short vacation with his family and was still unaware of the developments taking place next door.

The price was agreed immediately with the agent and a deposit was placed. As a courtesy, Sam called Kumar to inform him of what was transpiring. All seemed well and Sam was looking forward to moving into the new house when the formalities were completed.

Unknown to Sam, Kumar had his own plans when he knew of the sale. He contacted the neighbour and hijacked the house for himself. The neighbour was more than willing to proceed with Kumar as he could save on the commission by not going through an agent.

Needless to say, the friendship ended very badly when news broke of Kumar’s deed.

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Since taking ownership, Kumar had merged both houses to create a larger bungalow unit. Sam had moved on to find his dream house elsewhere and both families have become estranged.

Conclusion On hindsight, Sam should have been secretive of his purchase and just surprised Kumar after the formalities have concluded. But then again, one has to live with whatever happens and move on, no matter the outcome.

Although this case is an isolated one, but sometimes it pays to be secretive for a while until the matter at hand is concluded especially things of great significance or financial value.

Greed and ambition are powerful tools when used in moderation.

Overindulgence can lead to irreparable consequences when gains are made at the expense of conscience and guilt.

Here’s wishing everyone all the best in realising your investment goals and maintaining relationships with family and friends. TI

United Malayan Land Bhd (UMLand) was recently crowed the World Best in the International Property Awards 2015 through its flagship project, the UMCity Medini Lakeside in Iskandar Malaysia.

Th e International Property Awards is the world’s largest, most prestigious, and widely recognised programme.

The wining category was the Best International Office Development through one of the UMCity Component, the UMCity Office Tower.

UMLand competed against other best property professionals in the world to win both the titles of ‘Best in Asia Pacific’ and ‘World’s Best’, the highest accolades in the property industry, with the UMCity Medini Lakeside.

Upon completion in 2018, UMCity will have a premium corporate office tower, two internationally-branded serviced residences, a hotel, a lakeside shopping centre, and a wide range of business suites.

Loan Scheme for Affordable Housing This January spells good news for homeowners as the state government’s scheme to help the low-income group obtain loans for affordable homes in Johor will be available.

The State Housing and Local Government Committee Chairman Datuk Abdul Latif Bandi said the scheme drawn up by the State Government and Ambank Islamic Bhd.“This scheme helps the target group obtain their housing loans, which are difficult to be approved by other commercial banks. Ambank Islamic will provide funds totalling RM300 million to ensure that the target group obtain financing for their homes,” he said.

Latif said the scheme was the brainchild of Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin, who announced it when tabling the 2016 Johor Budget last November. The scheme will assist those eligible to obtain financing for an affordable home, particularly Package A type units priced at RM42,000, and Package B at RM80,000.

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Property Investment Opinion

More Homes The Johor government has recently announced that it has allocated RM150 million to develop additional affordable homes through the Johor Affordable Homes Programme (RMMJ) by 2019.

Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin said, “Some of the additional housing units would be developed through government-linked companies such as Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor (KPRJ) where 1,083 units would be built in Kampung Melayu Pandan, Desa Larkin in Johor Bahru, Kulai and Kota Tinggi”.

Other developers will construct affordable homes in various locations across Johor Bahru.

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The 2016 USA’s Presidential Elections, High Speed Rail and Good Economics

very five years, the United States chooses a new president and the next US Presidential Election will be held this year. The world watches in anticipation who will eventually be nominated, as the winner’s stances towards Asia will determine Asian peace and prosperity.

How do you think this has anything to do with high speed rail and property prices here? Well, everything.

The one important issue that both Republicans and Democrats see eye to eye is the value of building America’s high speed rail network.

They both believe the American national high speed rail system will create millions of new jobs, spur totally new industries and boost the real estate value across the continent, save business money, enhance independence from oil, accelerate mobility, cut their annual $700 billion trade deficit and significantly bolster

national security.

In short, the national high speed rail system is good for America. Similarly, a national high speed rail network will be good for Malaysia.

Just like America, the Malaysian economy is also powered by traditional electrified rail system, air and road transport, which is among the world’s most developed.

Malaysia will benefit from enhancing such advanced national linkages and looking beyond 2020, a high income Malaysian economy requires such state of the art infrastructure as global competitiveness raises the stakes of speed of mobility and commerce.

In Johor, we recently saw the awarding of the Gemas-Johor Bahru electrified double tracking project (EDTP) to China Railway. The Gemas-JB rail eventually completes the electrified double tracking rail network up to Padang Besar. This will certainly enhance the development

of the entire region of the traditional rail system spanning the peninsula.

There are 1,641.4km of railway network in Malaysia, of which 46 % are electrified double tracks. The completion of the Gemas-JB EDTP in 2020 will increase the number to 58% according to the New Straits Times.

The High Speed Rail linking Singapore and Kuala Lumpur spans a different route from the current electrified rail network. It hugs closer to the coast of the states and opens up entirely new areas of development.

With these planned networks, we will see unprecedented economic benefits and better income of the people. New jobs will be created; at the same time livability is greatly improved with better mobility.

Social inclusion and leveraging up of skills are needed to fulfill these new jobs ensuring a better standard of living for the people. The country will see less dependence on oil imports and also enjoy cheaper

Ed Cheong Ed is the Singapore founder of the Iskandar Malaysia Investors Forum and Rafflesland Group of Companies which provides platform for property investors to gain insights and worldclass investment strategies.

He is contactable at iskandar@rafflesland.com

fuel prices. The environment will be cleaner with less motor exhausts as people move away from land and even air transport. Air and land vehicles are the greatest polluters other than industries.

In short, the future for Malaysia and Iskandar Malaysia is very much linked to better national rail infrastructures. A shining and brighter future is indeed at the end of the rail tunnel. TI

Propernomy by Dr Daniele Opinion

Dr. Daniele Gambero REI Group

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

F

irst time home buyers are finding more projects within their catch as Malaysian developers have generally repositioned their offerings at more reasonable level of pricing. The Southern and Western corridors of Klang Valley, from Klang to Shah Alam, Seri Kembangan to Kajang and down south till Bangi and Semenyih are experiencing an unusual exciting and sparkling moment. All the Malaysian big players are there offering high-rise and landed properties far below the RM700,000 tag which represents the higher limit of KL/Selangor affordable values.

Demand for homes remains high and supply is still far behind as per this study and projection done based on the latest Property Market Report 2014 released by NAPIC earlier in 2015. Unless something new comes into the market very soon, by 2020 we will still have an unsatisfied demand of more than 3 million homes.

By looking at these numbers and considering the positive effort to increase the supply of affordable homes put in place by the Malaysian developers, we should expect a good market outlook and positive outcome for the industry. However, by asking around developers and various professionals; the finding is totally a different story. Almost everybody is

Affordable Homes and the Outstanding Student Loan Issue: The Challenge of the 2015 Housing Nation – Part One

complaining that it is becoming more difficult to purchase affordable homes. But pay attention to the words: now people are not saying, “It is impossible to find affordable homes” but, “It is difficult to purchase affordable homes”.

The Unexpected Negative Factor We all know how challenging it has become to find proper financing nowadays. Banks are narrowing down the selection criteria, margin of financing (MOF) is often below 90%, Bank Negara (BNM) has introduced more restrictive parameters for the calculation for the Debt Servicing Ratio (DSR) and the unexpected has actually happened: PTPTN (Perbadanan Tabung Pengjian Tinggi Nasional) has finally done what it has been for a long time threatening to do. Since 1st June 2015 the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS) form has been updated with two data related to the PTPTN loan that several hundred thousand Malaysians have obtained in their younger years to complete their higher education: outstanding amount and number of months in delayed payment.

We can surely say that Malaysian banks are generally speaking quite flexible but one thing - payment punctuality. How good a paymaster / borrower is, often represents the positive decision making factor to have loan approved even with higher DSR or MOF. It makes sense as punctuality in repayment is an indicator of reliability and trust. What is quite wrong is that very punctual paymasters (in their owing to banks) have been revealed as un-trustable borrowers when it comes to borrowing from the Government. Banks have rapidly changed their valuation parameters and rejected loans percentage has been going up the sky.

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