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

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Pasir Gudang Pollution: Knowing and Realising

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GCMY Launches Johor Chapter in Malaysian Houses of Parliament

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Global Compact Network Malaysia (GCMY) Launches Johor Chapter in Malaysian Houses of Parliament

he M alaysian Houses of Parliament had hosted over 100 corporate companies to a talk session organised by the Global Compact Network Malaysia (GCMY) and United Nations Country Team Malaysia which ended with the launching of the GCMY Johor Chapter. Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Dato’ Haji Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim and UN Resident Coordinator, Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei Stefan Priesner witnessed the launch of the chapter. GCMY is the local chapter of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) network and promotes UNGC’s 10 universally accepted principles in the areas of human rights, labour, anti-corruption and the environment at country level as well as the 17 Sustainable

Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations. With 162 participating countries in the Global Compact, the GCMY helps nurture the next generation of responsible business leaders through its programmes and initiatives. “With the fastgrowing economic pace of Johor, I am pleased to announce the launch of the Global Compact Network Malaysia Johor Chapter, which will serve as a platform for multi-stakeholder engagement and collective action in creating sustainable business practices in the state,” said Dato’ Haji Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon in his keynote address. The Johor chapter will act as a one-stop concierge service for businesses to begin, deepen and broaden their CSR initiatives to achieve the SDGs for sustainable growth in a holistic manner for the people of Johor.

The talk session organised by GCMY at the Malaysian Houses of Parliament titled ‘Financing the SDGs: Malaysian Private Sector Role in Bridging The Gap From Goals To Action’ had prominent panellist such as Caring Group/Climate Governance Initiative Founder Datin Seri Sunita Rajkumar, RRJ Capital Director Rizal Ishak and Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC) CEO Dzuleira Abu Bakar. “It is crucial for private sector companies to recognise the importance of SDGs under the 2030 Agenda and this must be integrated into their longterm business strategies. We are optimistic that this would lead into their buy-in of the 2030 Agenda,” said Stefan Priesner, when he delivered the keynote address. Fe r o z e N a d a r, Executive Director of GCMY, who mooted the SDGs

(from left) Professor Dr Mohan Avvari, RRJ Capital Director Rizal Ishak Rizal Ishak, Caring Group/Climate Governance Initiative Founder Datin Seri Sunita Rajkumar, Deputy Youth and Sports Minister Steven Sim, Dewan Rakyat Deputy Speaker Dato’ Haji Mohd Rashid bin Hasnon, United Nations Resident Coordinator for Malaysia Brunei & Singapore Stefan Priesner, MaGIC CEO Dzuleira Abu Bakar, GCMY Executive Director Feroze Nadar and GCMY Johor Chapter Director Edey Suresh

Expert Insight series, said that it is important for the private sector to step up and play a key role in accelerating the SDG agenda. “We want to see the Malaysian Private Sector as a key global stakeholder in leading the SDGs and initiatives and for this to materialise there needs to be strategic tripartite

collaborations involving the government, GCMY and the private sector. From strategies to measurable impact, the tripartite group would be instrumental in transforming goals into action, thus benefiting both business growth and wellbeing of key stakeholders.” - by The Iskandarian TI

RM70k worth of Preventing Environmental Degradation and Promoting Equipment Donated for Green Growth HSI’s Rehab Department A Focus Group Discussion (FGD) for Budget 2020

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n FGD jointly chaired by the Minister of Finance (MOF) and the Minister of Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change and organised by Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) was held to enable stakeholders to share their views and inputs in formulating the nation’s budget for the following year. Following the 2020 Budget Consultation on 27th June 2019 the MOF will be convening a series of 12 focus group meetings with pertinent stakeholders comprising Government agencies, the industry, academia and NGOs. These focus group meetings are intended to gather views and recommendations on specific topics to be translated into measures and strategies for the 2020 Budget, which will be tabled in Parliament on 11th October 2019. This is the first time the MOF has adopted a more collaborative budget preparation process. Whereas previously the said Ministry organised all focus group discussions alone, this

time around we are working with other ministries to come up with a more inclusive budget. “Environmental protection is also an agenda that is gaining global attention especially when the world is threatened by climate change disasters. Conglomerates like SAMSUNG and Apple have imposed environmental sustainability requirements on their suppliers. Even our major commodity exports of palm oil are also threatened by environmental causes,” said Finance Minister Lim Guan Eng in his opening address. Amon g th e topic s discussed was the Pasir Gudang pollution crisis which Energy, Science, Technology, Environment and Climate Change Minister Yeo Bee Yin assured that the government was serious about formulating a holistic solution to overcome the issue. The Ministers also shared their views on tax incentives given for green initiatives and some of the proposed reviews and extensions to be considered before tabling the 2020 budget. by Edey Suresh TI

n conjunction with World Physical Therapy Day as well as the National and Malaysia Day, Hospital Sultan Ismail had a celebration at its Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Yayasan Suria Johor Bahru (Foundation), who is also the 2nd IMSHA 2015 winner, took the opportunity to hand over several medical equipment for the patients in need worth nearly RM70k. The rehabilitation department is one of the most important units in a hospital where patients go through physical therapy to recover and strengthen themselves physically and mentally. The equipment donated were 3 units of Vital sign machines, one Tilting table and one RM38,000 worth Ultrasound machine sponsored and resourced by JM Healthcare. Officiated by Dato’ Soh Poh Sheng JP, the patron for Yayasan Suria JB, he said in his speech to optimise the use of the equipment for all the patients in the department, while giving encouraging words to the staff to cooperate well with the patients as they will be needing special attention and that requires a huge responsibility. The equipment were then handed over to Dr. Sharon Anne Khor, Rehabilitation Medicine Services Johor State and observed by Director of Hospital Sultan Ismail, Dr. Hajah Azizah Riduan.

Dato’ Soh Poh Sheng JP, the advisor for Yayasan Suria JB giving his speech

Previously, the department and the Foundation had worked together to organise a Rehabilitation Charity Dinner and had successfully raised RM100k, where the funds were used to purchase the said equipment and with the balance of about RM30000, James Ho, the Founder cum Secretary of Yayasan Suria JB said they are looking to buy a treadmill to aid in the physiotherapy services at HSI’s rehab department. The Foundation also welcomes other sponsors and donors to help them achieve this deed together and interested parties may contact James at 0197724172. The event ended well with seasoned and known clown Edward Leong or “Uncle Fishy” for entertainment that managed to put a smile on the children and even adults during the celebration. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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Shelter Home Nightmare: Robbed Down To Nothing! Amari Johor Bahru does its part for Pertubuhan Kebajikan Fitrah Qaseh Pekan Nenas 1

ecently, the shelter home of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Fitrah Qaseh at Pekan Nenas 1 (Home) was robbed and about 20 abused and physically challenged children were left with nothing. As the home was left in a mess, the children had no choice but to cramp themselves in the Larkin Fitrah Qaseh shelter home where another 30 homeless and abused children are staying. The Home’s manager, Muhammad Fitri said the house that is located rather remote in the orchard of Pekan Nenas is for the well-being of the children who are in need of serenity and it is appalling that it is now robbed down to nothing! The team members of 6 staff from Amari Johor Bahru collected furniture, household items, beds, mattresses, toys, clothes, pillows, groceries and all other necessities generously donated by the expatriate community in Ledang Heights and Leisure Farm, spearheaded by the hotel’s Director of Public Relations and Marketing Communications, M.S. Bobby. Two 3 tonne lorries were sent to Ledang Heights and Leisure Farm to load the various items contributed by several expat families.

Amari Johor Bahru team with children and staffs of Pertubuhan Kebajikan Fitrah Qaseh Pekan Nenas 1

The hotel also presented a cheque of RM1,708 and cash donation of RM300 to Camellia Fitri, who also manages the Homes in Pekan Nenas and Larkin. The money was collected from Amari’s ongoing ‘Ringgit For Better Life’ where Amari’s staff are encouraged to donate their spare change into the fund to help the needy under Amari’s CSR programmes. The cheque presentation was held at Amari Johor Bahru where about twenty of the children from Fitrah Qaseh were treated to Hi-Tea. Amari Johor Bahru would continue to aid Fitrah Qaseh in a longer run and foresee matters that the Home needs under its CSR programmes. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Breaking A Record While Learning LifeSaving Skills All At Once

ardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) is a method of applying chest compressions on a collapsing person with no pulse. Should their heart stop, lack of oxygen would cause brain damage within minutes and this is where CPR comes in handy. In conjunction with Melaka Mahkota Medical Centre (MMC) 25th anniversary and Regency Specialist Hospital 10th anniversary, Hands to Heart’s Save A Life with CPR Health Carnival would be held at the Dataran Pahlawan Field, Melaka and Padang MPPG, Pasir Gudang, Johor respectively on 19th October 2019. The event is part of the hospitals’ umbrella anniversary campaign, “A Journey to Good Health” and it aims to draw thousands of Malaysians from all walks of life to converge, learn and perform en masse basic CPR. “In collaboration with the Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council (MHTC) and various organisations, we

Mahkota Medical Centre CEO, Stanley Lam (left) and Regency Specialist Hospital CEO, Serena Yong showing off the Hands to Heart event logo

hope to bring together 10,000 participants in Melaka and Johor to perform and learn this life-saving skill this October,” said Stanley Lam, CEO of Mahkota Medical Centre, adding that the two hospitals may record the largest participation in a CPR session in the Malaysia Book of Records, should the feat be achieved. “Our anniversary mission is to share and teach the public a lifesaving skill that will result in many benefiting from either having this skill or be saved by people with CPR skills in emergency situations. As patient-centred hospitals,

we feel compelled to share knowledge that can have a meaningful impact in the society,” said Serena Yong, CEO of Regency Specialist Hospital. The event also aspires to promote awareness of cardiovascular diseases and general health maintenance in a fun, family-friendly and festival atmosphere. Participants can look forward to taking home a chest compression ball, sponsored goodies and enjoy health talks, free health screening, food trucks and many other exciting activities. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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news 2000 Special Needs Participants Made A Mark in the Malaysian Book of Records

round 3000 participants had flocked to Laman Extreme, Pasir Gudang, Johor for Petron Dealers Johor East and Sekolah Kebangsaan Kota Masai 2 Merdeka Special Charity Fun Run. The event was organised with the support from Pejabat Pendidikan Daerah Pasir Gudang, in conjunction with Merdeka Day celebration and was a part of Petron Dealers Johor East CSR programme to raise funds for new school facilities for special needs students at Sekolah Kebangsaan Kota Masai 2. Among others that had participated to organise the run were Umar Mishary Insani (UMI), Kesatuan Guru-guru Melayu Malaysia Barat (KGMMB), SKT Sdn.

Some of the participants that attributed to the Malaysian Book of Records

Bhd. and Pasir Gudang KPJ Hospital. Around 40 schools participated in the run as well. The run was flagged off by the Chairman of Johor East Dealers, Abdul Wahab bin Ismail Gani. Among the 3,000 participants, 2,000 are of special needs participants with 1,200 handicap-able while the 800 participants are of other categories, making this run the highest number of handicap-able individuals in a Fun Run

resulting it being approved and recorded in the Malaysia Book of Records. Minister of Education, Maszlee Malik officiated the closing ceremony and spent time with the attendees and participants. He highlighted his appreciation of the event, and commended the effort put in by Petron, SK Kota Masai 2, and other government bodies for being able to work together on this noble cause. Winners for few categories were granted prizes and the ceremony was held in the presence of PIBG SK Kota Masai 2 Principal, Mohd Shahrizal bin Manap before the presentation of the Malaysia Book of Records Certificate. The event ended with a sponsorship handover ceremony and lunch. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

The Union of Women NGOs Johor Nurtures Family Communication

arnival Keluarga Sejahtera or the Carnival of Harmonious Family is a carnival organised by the Union of Johor Women’s NGOs which had taken place at the Faculty of Engineering, UTM Skudai celebrating positivity and healthy bonds in families. It was first organised by the women’s unit of IKRAM Johor in 2018 and after the formation of the women’s NGOs union exactly a year ago, they banded together to put out a carnival that caters to more families and interested individuals. Among the NGOs involved were Wanita IKRAM, JEWEL, HALUANITA, IWPG, JEIWA, PTNN, ABIM, ROSE2ROSE, PERTIM & PERWANIN, and spearheaded by Associate Professor Dr. Siti Zaiton Mohd Hashim who is also the Chairwoman of the women’s unit of IKRAM Johor. Officiated by the CEO

of The Darul Takzim Family Development Fo u n d a t i o n (YPDKT), Tuan Haji Mohd Helmi bin Dato’ Haji Sha’ri @ Shangari, Union of Johor Women’s NGOs together with CEO of The Darul Takzim Family the carnival Development Foundation (YPDKT), Tuan e d u c a t e d Haji Mohd Helmi bin Dato’ Haji Sha’ri @ families in Shangar terms of communication to every activities that were allocated age of children while raising in different rooms for the awareness on the importance different age groups. Health check-up of communication within the and registration for HPV and family. Around 274 adults and Mammograms were also 216 children registered their made available, giving priority interest to attend the carnival to B40 group of people. The union of women prior to the day itself. The activities during the carnival NGOs is looking into making included two sessions of the carnival an annual event talk about understanding and their next carnival would children psychology for adults be about children’s safety on which were mostly catered to 19th October 2019 at Hutan parents and teachers, while Bandar Mutiara Rini, Skudai the children enjoyed the Johor. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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he Rotary Club of Johor Bahru (RCJB) led by president Ranjeet Singh Bhullar paid a visit to Setanggi Orphanage, Johor Bahru (Pusat Jagaan Kasih Setanggi) located at Jln Cendana, Kg Setanggi JB to uplift the overall morale and façade of the home. The home was established in 2014 and currently houses 31 children consisting of 14 males and 17 females ranging from the

age of 5 to 6 years old. Most of the children come from broken families with a single parent supporting them. The home is public funded and is managed by eight caregivers. RCJB repainted the home and took care of the maintenance of electrical systems to avoid frequent power trips. The club also supplied refurbished furniture, a fridge, a rice cooker and three units of air conditioners besides

furniture like beds, cupboards and a dining table. Juhaidah Maskom, who has been managing Pusat Jagaan Kasih Setanggi since 2014, provided the list of items and refurbishments needed by the home to RCJB. President Ranjeet said the Rotary Club of Johor Bahru now in its 68th year has been consistent in serving the community through various service avenues. - by Edey Suresh TI

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Pasir Gudang Pollution: Knowing and Realising

From cover

Finding collective voices from activists and citizens of Pasir Gudang

Panel of ‘Halatuju Isu Pencemaran Pasir Gudang’ (‘The Direction of Pasir Gudang Pollution Issue’)

ringing the hot discussion of Pasir Gudang pollution out from the social media to actual people, moderated by Bait Al Amanah, a panel of professional researchers, academicians and activists were hosted under one roof collectively with concerned citizens and public

about the situation in Pasir Gudang. The forum held in Masai was to inform and collect opinion from immediate and affected citizens in Pasir Gudang regarding the pollution situation there. The line-up were Ir. Dr. Zaki Zainuddin; Water Quality & Modelling Specialist, Dr. Japareng Lalung, Lecturer from the School of Technology, USM, Dr. Serina Rahman, Visiting Fellow of ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute, Singapore, and Vincent Chow Kok Kow from Malaysia Nature Association. Dr. Zaki Zainuddin mentioned the need to control the source of pollution and detecting the cause of it, how that would be much more effective compared to cleaning it up later. “There is a need to revise the law,” he added. Dr. Japareng on

the other hand stressed that there is a need to be stringent in observing where the industrial waste goes since the chemicals found in the pollution like Benzene, Limonene and Toulene are scheduled waste and are supposed to be disposed by Kualiti Alam in Negeri Sembilan. “If a manufacturer produces scheduled chemicals or waste, it is supposed to reach Kualiti Alam. If it’s not, then something is wrong and should be checked immediately,” he said. Vincent Chow calls for more environment awareness and knowledge among the public so they feel the need to be protective of the place they are living in while Dr. Serina introduced ‘Citizen Scientists’, a role that anyone could take by doing research and collect

MBJB’s Silver Jubilee Fundraising Dinner Charity dinner raised RM 1.5 million

Past Mayors of Johor Bahru City Council attended the event as they played significant roles in the building of Johor Bahru city

charity dinner event commemorating MBJB’s silver jubilee was held recently at Persada, attended by Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal, also representing His Highness DYMM Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar. The event raised funds for NGOs, its main five beneficiaries being: Yayasan Raja Zarith Sofia Negeri Johor, Yayasan Bandaraya Johor Bahru, Rumah Seri Kenangan

Johor Bahru, Persatuan Cerebral Palsy Johor, and Persatuan Down Syndrome Johor Bahru. Up till 22nd September 2019, the dinner event has raised RM1,503,000. Five of these organisations were chosen based on the programmes they have held for the benefit of society, especially people of Johor in education, welfare, social, and more. More donations will be channelled in stages to other chosen organisations.

This would be the second time MBJB is hosting a charity dinner event. Last year’s inaugural event raised RM 1.11 million and it was donated to fourteen welfare organisations in Johor. Come 1st January 2020, MBJB’s main office will move to its new building in One Bukit Senyum. It is currently at its last phase of development. Johor Bahru was granted its city status on 1st January 1994. Past mayors and past secretaries also attended the event to celebrate the city’s success and achievements, honouring their contributions the last quarter of the century. Celebrity performers who were invited included Jalaluddin Hassan, Farahdhiya, Miss Malaysia 2014 Dewi Liana Seriestha and veteran singer Jamal Abdillah. - by Salamahafifi TI

data within the local surroundings so they could aid the Department of Environment (DOE) should any problems crop up. The concerned attendees voiced out their views which were collected to further aid the points that the panel has raised. In related news, 12 primary schools, declared as “hotspot schools” affected during the recent chemical pollution in Pasir Gudang were given about 1000 masks for its pupils as precautionary measures by local NGO Ihsan Johor together with 3M Malaysia. Many of the schools namely SK Kopok, SK Tanjung Puteri Resort, SK Taman Scientex, SK Kota Masai, SK Pasir Gudang 4, SK Taman Bukit Dahlia, SK Taman Megah Ria, SK

Taman Pasir Putih, SK Taman Rinting 3, SK Pasir Gudang 1, SK Pasir Gudang 3 and SK Kota Masai 3 were affected by the two incidents of chemical pollution in the area back in March and June. Pasir Gudang Member of Parliament Hassan Abdul Karim assured the parents and the community that the state government was committed to ensuring the safety of the residents in Pasir Gudang. “I have met with the Menteri Besar to convey the people’s wishes and he was receptive to all the feedback,” he said, adding that they have assured that drastic action including closing down illegal factories would continue. - by Edey Suresh & Norfy Shafeq TI

Carlistbid.my Inspection Hub is Now Open in JB

arlistbid.my, a brand under iCar Asia Limited has officially launched its latest car inspection hub on 23rd September 2019 at Kampung Ungku Mohsin, Johor Bahru. Present during the officiation were CEO of iCar Asia Limited, Hamish Stone and iCar Asia’s Director of Sales, KY Gan and 23 Motors Sdn Bhd’s Executive Director, Dato’ Abdul Kaathir, a Johorean who is a decorated professional racer with his own automotive company in Batu Pahat, Johor operating since 2014. The new site has the capability to store more than 150 cars at a time and with their simple 3-steps process to sell cars, it would give a much more faster and convenient selling process to Johor car sellers. Carlist.my has more than 1,500 trusted dealers that are ready to bid for the

(From left) iCar Asia’s Director of Sales, KY Gan, Chief Executive Officer of iCar Asia Limited, Hamish Stone, Executive Director of 23 Motors Sdn Bhd, Dato’ Abdul Kaathir and General Manager of 23 Motors Sdn Bhd, Ramanesh Ram during the Grand Opening ceremony at Kampung Ungku Mohsin

cars listed in their auction. Process from submission of vehicle information, physical vehicle check arrangement and selling merely takes 2 to 3 hours before a car seller can conclude the whole selling process. Off-business day’s inspection could also be arranged if requested by clients. The J o h o r ’s inspection hub is the third

after the two existing hubs located in 3 Stone Park, Shah Alam and Regal Valet in Kampung Sungai Penchala, Kuala Lumpur. Visit the newly opened Carlistbid.my’s Inspection Hub at Lot. 23002, Jalan Jumaat, Kg. Ungku Mohsin, Johor Bahru and for more information on selling your car, visit www.carlistbid.my. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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SDGs: Corporate Sustainability Equation Reflections for 2030

orporate Sustainability. I nclusive Business. Social Enterprise. These are no more than just buzz words but are now embedded as part of business speak. It is now a norm for policy makers to engage with the private sector to step up and play a leading role in contributing towards a green economy, to evolve products towards a circular economy and become a responsible business. For business to embrace sustainability, it needs a s u s t a i n a b l e d e ve l o p m e n t philosophy and a focused operational strategy. The philosophy has been established by the UN 20 years ago, in the form of ‘Our Common Future’ report which states –

“sustainability is to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs”. It’s an apt direction that has stemmed many global targets which humanity (and its governments) tries to attain from the Millennium Development Goals to the current Sustainable Development Goals. But there remains much debate over the operational tactics of the private sector to achieve these Goals. Clearly (and rightfully) the private sector is designed to be a profit-making machine and there is as much good and as much bad that this outlook has contributed to the state of the world. Calls for the private sector to limit growth is something that is difficult to

process, hence the need for a strong operational equation to give life to the sustainability philosophy. Allow me to propose one equation for the private sector to solve in their pursuit of profit and sustainability. The basis of this equation is that profit and growth is not a bad thing. They are neutral in nature. How profit is attained and what is fueled by growth are the impact that private sector needs to address. Therefore:

sector must be profitable in order to exert power, giving it a position to contribute to a better world. How it can contribute depends on the Corporate Value that the organisation carries – if it is built only to profit by exploitation or it will create an ecosystem that enriches the entire stakeholder chain of its operations. The weaker these value systems are the less sustainability centric it will be. For example, cigarette companies; immaterial how much

All profit produces some form of power, be it from providing better wages and benefits or influencing policies. A private

good they do through their CSR programmes, can never be a net positive contributor to the Sustainable Development Goals.

Creating a Culture of Peace

The run was officiated by Sr. Dzulkefly Bin Ahmad as the official representative to the Menteri Besar of Johor

ore than 12,000 peace lovers participated in the Run for Peace 2019 held at Kota Iskandar organised by Soka Gakkai Malaysia (SGM) in conjunction with the “Month of Peace”. In addition to that, another 5000 runners got together at Batu Pahat and 3000 in Muar, Johor. The Run for Peace is a noncompetitive biennial event held by SGM since 2005, and to date, more than

250,000 peace lovers had participated in the run. The key objective of the run is to raise awareness on anti-nuclear weapons and cultivate a culture of peace in the community. In a welcoming speech, Michael Kok, President SGM spoke that, though we are still facing the threat of nuclear weapons at present, we remain committed and believe that so long as we possess the awareness and continue to strive earnestly to sow the seeds of peace in our heart and mind, we can one day achieve our vision to create a world free of nuclear weapons. The organiser shared that the starting point of their peace movement begun on 8th September 1957, when Soka Gakkai’s second president Josei Toda made a historic declaration calling for the abolition of nuclear weapons, condemning nuclear weapons as “an absolute evil” which threaten humanity’s right to live, and called for their prohibition. - by The Iskandarian TI

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We would like to congratulate our last batch of IGCSE students on their outstanding results. We maintained a 95% pass rate and a track record of innumerable A and A*s in our Cambridge IGCSE examination results.

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This means that the private sector must be measured beyond Profit and Power metrics but also how it applies its Corporate Value system that drives leadership decision, employee behavior and sustainable product innovation. Internal KPIs must also evolve to enable internal operations and external supply chains to actively commit to these values. Every private sector organisation I know of has great corporate values written down. This is the most promising baseline there is, as these values will influence how Profit is attained and how Power is wielded. But if it remains a 30,000 feet document, until then corporate sustainability will never be a sustainable word. - by Feroze Nadar ( Founder/CEO Triplenomics Consulting ) TI

Noah’s Ark Natural Animal Sanctuary (NANAS)

came to know of NANAS’ private tours through meeting Betty, a volunteer in NANAS during a donation drive. It was a serendipitous moment because I have been lugging a few tin cans of coins in my car for almost a month, not knowing what to do with it, other than exploring banks which might have coins deposit machine. NANAS showed up just at the right time to run its “Give me all your spare change” campaign. Upon arrival at NANAS after making a few turns off Gelang Patah, I was pleasantly surprised to see a wooden, kampung-styled house which houses 700 dogs, 300 cats, 10

horses, 3 primates, a wild boar and many other rescued animals in a 10-acre site. The private tour had about a dozen of visitors from Johor Bahru and another big group of visitors from Singapore. We were there to explore what it looks like to care for a big group of abandoned and stray animals. During the tour, I saw some staff cleaning the shelter thoroughly as the dogs roam freely. It seemed to me that the team was doing all they can to upkeep the place to be as clean and as comfortable for the animals. During the tour we had the opportunity to chat with some of the volunteers. Most of

the dogs there seemed to have a story of their own and some animals were even greeted affectionately by the volunteers with their given names! Betty, the tour-guide for the day, shared with us some important initiatives undertaken by NANAS. Besides trying to rehome some newly broughtin animals, NANAS is also actively involved in community outreach programme to educate and increase awareness of the necessity to sterilise owned and community cats and dogs. Ultimately, there needs to be an effective plan to reduce the stray population to curb overpopulation of strays and this is in line with the mission of NANAS which aims to reduce the number of homeless animals on our streets. For more information on NANAS and the sanctuary’s private tour, please visit their website: https://www. noahsarknaturalanimalshelter. com/ - by SMay Tan TI

We would like to

congratulate Sourashis Ghoshal for accomplishing the prestigious

Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards for Cambridge IGCSE Environmental Management

5A*, 3A

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MO N T H LY DR I L L e Exclusiv w Intervie

Director

Asmadi bin Ahmad graduated from the Nanyang Technological University Singapore with a Bachelor’s Degree in Applied Science (Computer Engineering). He also possesses a Master’s Degree in Education from the International Islamic University in Malaysia, specialising in Curriculum Development and Instructional Management. With a total of almost 20 years’ experience as a principal and teacher to eventually becoming owner and director of a school, Asmadi has handled all aspects of education that includes management, administration, human resource, finance, academic, assessments, training, discipline, and institutional building management. He has also contributed much in pioneering an integrated curriculum that is of international standard (IGCSE, Cambridge Board) with English as the principal medium of instruction. As a principal, he has management experience of dealing with a total of 120 teachers, administration, and academic and even maintenance of staff when he was the principal of ADNI Islamic School in Ampang, Kuala Lumpur that has 600 students from pre-school to secondary school level. Tell us more about Mount Safa and what are its unique selling points?

Mount Safa is an Islamic school registered under the Religious Department in Johor (JAINJ). At the same time, we also implement a unique blend of international curricula, which is a marriage between the rigorous Singapore curriculum and the world-renown curriculum of the Cambridge Assessment International Education. Ours is a modern and integrated school with goals to achieve the best of both worlds using English as the principal medium of instruction, and putting Qur’anic education as equal to learning the academic subjects. We also put emphasis on what we call the “Sunnatic sports” - sports which are advocated by Prophet Muhammad namely swimming, archery and horseback riding. It is compulsory for pre-schoolers to take swimming classes, and primary four students to take up karate for self-defence. We view these co-curricular activities (CCAs) very seriously, as they are a form of life preservation education that is essential for children.

What is the most important element in running a school? You have to understand that education is a birth right for all. Through structured assessments, we can gauge the level of understanding and cognitive maturity of each student. From there, we can mould and guide them to improve in all aspects of education. With that being said, what is most important about running a school is taking care of the people involved in it; namely, our students, dedicated teachers and administrators, and concerned parents. It is important to maintain a symbiotic relationship between all stakeholders. Just like a family, all aspects of a relationship must be clear- be it in

Pr in cip a l, E xe c utive Dire c tor & CEO Mou nt S af a Inter n ation a l S cho ol

communication or instruction. Moreover, just like any family, there are bound to be little hiccups that we must quickly address and manage so that we can reduce or better yet, remove any negativity. What are among the facilities provided?

We are privileged to be able to obtain a lease from Johor Land for this facility. Our school is located within the compound of the Johor Land Mutiara Complex, which is complete with various amenities such as ample parking space, a large field for outdoor sports, a swimming pool, as well as a sizeable hall for events and indoor activities. As for horse-riding, we take a weekly trip to Horse Valley Riding Academy in Permas Jaya.

How d o you m a n a g e perceptions from the public being an Islamic School?

Asmadi bin Ahmad

Perceptions are really tricky to handle, and it is not possible to manage them all. However, what we believe we can do is to work towards our goals, demonstrate the outcome and prove that we are doing our level best vis-a-vis our school philosophy. Being an integrated school – both Islamic and international, we strive to balance between the essentials of Qur’an and Islamic education, and the necessary academic learning. Our students read and memorise the Quran every morning, and they learn Maths, Physics,

Geography and Art for the rest of the day. Twice a week, we all stay for after-school CCAs such as karate, swimming, netball and football. Our aim is to show that an Islamic lifestyle, if done right, can create holistic and balanced individuals with sharp intellect and well-developed God-conscious personalities.

How does Mount Safa facilitate students’ current and future needs? Currently, we are using the technology of communication to its fullest. With the help of Telegram, a mobile communication software, the school has created notice boards and groups for each level of class, which include the teachers, students and parents as a complete and comprehensive communication channel. Any news, notices, homework, and achievements will be put up on telegram for ease of access of information for all stakeholders. This one-way channel gives access to the students to keep up, as well as keeping the parents in the loop and to be more inclusive with the development of their child. Parents are also welcome to make appointments with their children’s teachers when they have any specific issues to address.

What are the CSR activities conducted by Mount Safa? Of course, we have local CSR activities where

we collaborate with the local masjids in Bukit Mutiara and Taman Daya, and we also continuously raise funds for orphanages and refugees. The bulk of our charitable efforts are culminated in helping the ones in most critical straits amongst the oppressed and discriminated communities globally- such as the Rohingyans, Uygurs, Syrians and others. Last year, we donated about RM30,000 in charity collected through fundraisers and donation drives organised by the school and the community. In February this year, we were able to contribute USD10 000 to a Syrian refugee camp in Jordan.

What’s your take on alternative education?

I would say that there has to be a right balance in everything. There must be a balance in education and religion, as well as embracing the reality that they can be very much compatible. Do not live in a bubble and focus on one thing. In Islam, we have many subjects and studies about life, science, mathematics, poetry and more. With an integrated system like ours, the process and efficacy of discipline and learning seamlessly gels together in creating good individuals contributing to their community. Now there are STEM/STEAM where engineering and technical knowledge in education is being promoted, but do not forget that the right balance will bear more fruitful answers and less confusion. We must understand the true purpose of what is being taught or learned and not just take it in because we have to, but because we want to.

What do you do in your free time?

Me, free time?! I wish I had free time (smiles). However, most of my leftover time I try to engage in activities that help me upgrade myself. Currently, I am a PhD candidate, and am also taking up further studies in Arabic. TI

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PEGGY LOH

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

Mid-Autumn Festivities Unique To Pekan Nenas

The Mid-Autumn Festival was organised along with a street carnival where secondary school students operated stalls for food and beverage while other stalls sold local products and handicrafts

hen I was in Pekan Nenas, Johor recently for an exhibition to showcase The Art Journey of Pekan Nenas, I met with local art activist, Cha Ming Cheng of Batu 27 Creative, who told me about how the local community celebrates the Mid-Autumn Festival here. To most traditional Chinese, the Mid-Autumn Festival is just as important as the Spring Festival that welcomes the Lunar New Year and is celebrated with a family reunion that includes a banquet dinner followed by playing lanterns, eating mooncakes and pomelo in the garden, while admiring the full moon. This tradition has been observed through generations and in recent years, events have also been organised to celebrate together as a community. In towns like Muar, Batu Pahat, Kukup and Pekan Nenas where there is a large Chinese community, the Mid-Autumn Festival is part of their annual community event calendar. Cha told me that Pekan Nenas has a unique way to celebrate this season because the stronger winds around this time of year, encourages locals to fly their kites. In fact, it’s probably the only town which combines the art of kite-flying with lanterns by stringing 40 to 50 paper lanterns together to fly them up with their kites. He fondly recalls that during his childhood, he would watch the strings of

lanterns floating in the sky and had fun counting the number of lanterns. In those days, candles were used to light the lanterns so these might be blown out, but he admitted that it was more fascinating to watch if a lantern caught fire! It was certainly a skill to maneuver a giant kite and keep it flying but to also lift the strings of lighted lanterns and keep them flying high must be an added challenge. Their Mid-Autumn Festival event this year was organized by Batu 27 Creative in collaboration with the Pekan Nenas New Village Head, Phang Wee Kiew, and supported by Majlis Pengurusan Kommuniti Kampung (MPKK) or Village Community Management Committee. The little that Cha shared with me ignited much interest in this Johor town which is doing its part to keep traditions alive while building stronger bonds in the community. Closer to the date, Cha sent me an invitation complete with a map to help me find my way to the event venue in a school situated within the village. It was easy to reach the compound of SJK (C) Yu Ming 1 & 2 in Pekan Nenas which is adjacent to an open field, linked to a basketball court and children’s playground. It was a picture of a charming village green with young people playing while the road bordering the school was cordoned off for food stalls run by both Malay and Chinese vendors.

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In the school compound, secondary school students were in-charge of operating a section selling food and beverage and running games stalls in another section. The carnival atmosphere prevailed along rows of stalls for local products and handicrafts, including fresh pineapples and pineapple products by Nectar, a homestay operator that offers village tours and pottery classes, and I even met a Malay couple, M & Z, who creates products made from threads derived from pineapple leaves. Cha and his family had a stall to promote a range of handicrafts made from wood salvaged from wooden pallets, designed as coasters, fridge magnets and keychains as well as small trinket boxes, skillfully embossed with a range of window grille motifs. He told me that the interesting range of metal window grille designs in new village homes was the inspiration for this series of designs and his latest product is a square wooden lantern with window grille design cut-outs on four sides for rays to shine from a tea-light candle burning within. Then Cha took me to a stage, set up for performances and the show kicked off with an aerobic exercise routine by primary school students, aimed to encourage a healthier lifestyle in the community. I observed that while this group comprised mainly of Chinese, there were also Malay and Indian children, and Cha commented that it was common for non-

Traditional kite-maker, Chow Hon Pin [Left] and local art activist, Cha Ming Cheng of Batu 27 Creative [Right] with the giant kite that would lift the string of lighted lanterns into the sky

Chinese to study in Chinese schools here. Then Cha introduced me to traditional kite-maker, Chow Hon Pin, 70, renowned not only for making kites but also for skills in flying strings of lighted lanterns with a giant kite. Cha shared with me that when he was approached, Chow was initially reluctant to participate with them in this event. “I’m too old,” was the excuse from older kite-flying enthusiasts in Pekan Nenas. Unwilling to give up, Cha persisted and finally convinced Chow to showcase his skills in flying a kite linked to lanterns, to a new generation of people. With 30 years of kite-flying experience, Chow gave it up in 2009 due to his advancing age and changes in weather

patterns. Last week, when Chow and his team did a trial-run to fly his giant kite linked to a string of lighted lanterns, Cha captured the performance in photographs and videos. Posted on social media, it reached more than 70,000 people, many of whom responded with keen interest to come to witness its revival here. At twilight, throngs of people gathered around the field where Chow and his team sent three of his giant kites skywards and successfully kept a string of lanterns alight – using LED lights – and flying above the event area.

Children with lanterns lighted with candles, ready to join the night walk through Kampung Baru Pekan Nenas; In the background, notice the strings of lanterns flying in the sky!

Then candles were lit in paper lanterns for children to take a walk around the village holding the lanterns, just as it was traditionally enjoyed in past generations. Proudly led by the school’s brass band, villagers and visitors – I spied a few foreigners – and MPKK representatives joined the crowd to experience a traditional night walk through the village, holding lighted lanterns hung from bamboo sticks. Cha is confident that the revival of this sport unique to Pekan Nenas has gained interest among a new generation and is set to become a major attraction in future MidAutumn Festivals to build a greater sense of pride in the local community. TI

The art of flying strings of lighted lanterns in the sky to commemorate the Mid-Autumn Festival is unique to Pekan Nenas; The kite at the top of these lanterns, is invisible in the night sky

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O C T O B E R 2 0 19

INSIDE Halloween Movies & Breezy Escapade to Palm Resort

OCT 2019 | Page 2

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editor’s O note

ctober has always been my favourite month due to personal reasons and almost month-end, Hindus around the world and in the region will be celebrating Deepavali – the Festival of Lights. I don’t know about you but I look forward to donning my traditional wear and indulge in some tasty snacks and sweets! As end of October is usually synonym with Halloween, Sony Pictures brings us an action-comedy in the form of Zombieland: Double Tap starring Woody Harrelson in the lead role. Also, another comeback by Disney is the gothic-like ‘Maleficent: Mistress of Evil’, sequel to the 2014 global box office hit, Maleficent. Goddaughter Aurora begin to

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

question the complex family ties that binds her and Maleficent as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies and dark new forces at play. As Deepavali approaches and if you’re craving for scrumptious Indian food, look no further than Vanakam India at Horizon Hills serving you the best of North and South Indian food and special Deepavali sweets prepared for the festive season. Once again you can look forward to a long weekend break this month, and look no further than Le Grandeur Palm Resort in Senai. With its refurbished rooms, Olympic size pool and beautifully landscaped golf

courses as well as Spa and great food, book your stay ASAP for a relaxing holiday. 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 celebrants a very Happy Deepavali!

Priya

Music Updates

Charlie Lim Brought His ‘Check-Hook’ To Taiwan and Japan By Universal Music Singapore

ans of Charlie Lim had plenty to be excited about this fall as the singer, songwriter and producer headed to Taipei to play Shout Out Festival, Tokyo to play a double-headliner bill with TENDRE (JP), Fukuoka to play Nakasu Jazz Festival, and ending off with a by invite-only performance in Singapore for a Universal Music Group initiated event, Music Is Universal, alongside renowned singersongwriters Juan Karlos (Philippines), Jeremy Zucker (US), and Oh Wonder (UK) on 17th September 2019 at Zouk Singapore. Charlie Lim is a singer-songwriter/producer based in Singapore, whose records ‘TIME/SPACE’ and ‘CHECK-HOOK’ both clinched the #1 spot on the iTunes Singapore chart when they were released, and was named best pop album of the year by The Straits Times. Gathering accolades and prominent festival slots along the way, including a central role in writing and performing the theme song for Singapore’s National Day last year, Charlie has quickly grown into one of Southeast Asia’s most unique voices in modern pop music.

2018 was a busy year for Charlie Lim, with the release of his new album ‘CHECKHOOK’, which went to #1 on the Singapore iTunes album charts. Besides performing at several high-profile gigs and music festivals across an 8-city tour, including Summer Sonic in Japan, BIGSOUND in Brisbane and OzAsia Festival in Adelaide, he played to a packed house of 1600 people during his album launch at the iconic Star Theatre in Singapore. No stranger to experimentation when pushing the boundaries of pop music, Charlie’s ability to traverse genres seamlessly while reinterpreting arrangements with both intricacy and raw emotion has become the mainstay of his successful live show. The Mothership, Charlie’s main 6-piece band that has been playing with him for more than 8 years,

will be supporting him in Taiwan at Shout Out Festival. “We’re really excited to play in Taiwan for the first time, and hopefully we will make a good first impression especially with the whole band coming over,” said Charlie prior. “I’ve heard so many good things about Taiwan, and was great to finally meet the fans and make some new friends,” he said. Japanese fans got a more intimate experience as he strip down to a 4-piece band setting featuring world class jazz musicians Chok Kerong on organ, Soh Wen Ming on drums and Euntaek Kim on bass & guitar. The tour took Charlie back to Tokyo after his Summer Sonic debut in 2018. “Playing Summer Sonic last year is definitely one of the highlights of my career. Japan is one of the first few places my band and I got to tour when I first started out, and we played Moon Romantic back then as well and it was such a great experience – so it feels like we’re coming full circle now,” shared Charlie. C h a r l i e performed in Tokyo as part of a double b i l l w i t h a l t- R & B outfit TENDRE, who has been steadily growing his fanbase with his signature Urban Tokyo sound. This was followed by a performance at Nakasu Jazz Festival in Fukuoka, the largest jazz festival in West Japan. TI

OCT 2019 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

The Heaven Within – Part 2

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

yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses www.roselifecoach.com

e simple in everything

The feeling of joy and simplicity is inter-related. Whenever we’re busy indulging in overthinking and self-judgement, our life will be perceived as complicated and overwhelming. On the other hand, simplicity gives us space to enjoy little things in our life. Joy happens in little things such as seeing speck of dusts floating in the air, and even our breathing for an example, is a movement of expansion and contraction of

life in simplicity. How many of us enjoy breathing? Despite the simplicity of our being-ness, it is quite challenging to be simple these days. We are bombarded by the complexity of modern society and often try to live simple materially, but we forget that simplicity can begin from within.

Another simplicity that you can try is simplifying eating habits. Eat only when you are hungry and nourish your body with food that have a balanced diet. When we can live simply within our body, we can stimulate inner joy, emit a sense of ecstasy and indirectly see joy around us.

You can start to be simple in many ways. For example, be simple in communication. Speak what is necessary and leave everything else in silence. The space of silence trains us to listen to inner joy.

It’s perfectly fine to say No The joy of life happens when we commit to others or things that are aligned with us. Discernment is the key. Most of the time we

are occupied to share our energy, time and space for others without discernment. We are taught to give more than receive, whereas, the inner joy is about giving and receiving equally. There is nothing wrong to give more, however, when things begin to pull you away from your inner joy, it’s time to say no. Practise to say no from time to time can be liberating. Give priority to yourself. Start from within because the most powerful joy you can experience is in you. TI

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

Genre: Action-Comedy

Genre: Dark Fantasy-Adventure

Release date: 31st October 2019

Release date: 17th October 2019

Directed by: Ruben Fleischer

Directed by: Joachim Rønning

Produced by: Gavin Polone

Produced by: Walt Disney Pictures & Roth Films

Executive Producers: Paul Wernick, Rhett Reese, Rebecca Rivo, Ruben Fleischer David Bernad

Written by: Linda Woolverton, Micah Fitzerman-Blue, and Noah Harpster

Written by: Rhett Reese & Paul Wernick and Dave Callaham

Cast: Angelina Jolie, Michelle Pfeiffer, Elle Fanning, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Sam Riley, Harris Dickinson, Ed Skrein, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville Martell

he years have been kind to Maleficent and Aurora. Their relationship, born of heartbreak, revenge and ultimately love, has flourished. Yet the hatred between man and the fairies still exists. Aurora’s impending marriage to Prince Phillip is cause for celebration in the kingdom of

Source:

Ulstead and the neighbouring Moors, as the wedding serves to unite the two worlds. When an unexpected encounter introduces a powerful new alliance, Maleficent and Aurora are pulled apart to opposing sides in a Great War, testing their loyalties and causing them to question whether they can truly be family. TI

The Walt Disney Company Malaysia

Cast: Woody Harrelson, Jesse Eisenberg, Emma Stone, Abigail Breslin Rosario Dawson, Zoey Deutch, Luke Wilson

decade af ter Zombieland became a hit film and a cult classic, the lead cast has reunited for a sequel, through comic mayhem that stretches from the White House and the heartland. These

Source:

four slayers must face off against the many new kinds of zombies that have evolved since the first movie, as well as some new human survivors. But most of all, they have to face the growing pains of their own snarky, makeshift family. TI

Sony Pictures Malaysia

OCT 2019 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle CALENDAR OF EVENTS

travel

OCTOBER 2019

1st – 6th Oct Funfair Euro Fun Park @ Sutera Square

1st – 26th Oct Deepavali Bazaar @ Giant Tampoi Open Carpark

3rd – 5th Oct

Naturally Splendid Escape at Le Grandeur Palm Resort – Part One

Food Heaven 2019 @ Laman Menanti UTM

4th – 6th Oct TLM Baby Expo @ Persada Johor

5th Oct Sonic Run @ Hutan Bandar Mutiara Rini

5th – 6th Oct Costime III @ Sutera Mall

7th – 8th Oct Digital Journalism World Summit @ One Farrer Hotel SG

10th Oct Meet The Experts @ Petrosains Playsmart JB

12th Oct • •

Mount Safa Int Roadshow @ Angsana JB Mall UTM x Talentbank Career Fair @ Dewan Sultan Iskandar

18th – 20th Oct Homefair 2019 @ Persada Johor

19th Oct Boyce Avenue concert @ Fort Canning Park S’pore

27th – 29th Sept Megahome @ Persada Johor

19th – 20th Oct Malaysia Property Show @ Suntec CC Singapore

Pool view from the room By Harish Mustak waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

hecking in at Le Grandeur Palm Resort in Senai, Johor is a breeze just like the earthly breezes you get when chilling in your room by the pool or watching a bunch of businessmen hit it on with a game of golf – yup pool-view or course-view, take your pick with the rooms at Le Grandeur. I arrived just within the lunch hour which normally lasts till 2.30pm at the Ishwara Asian Brasserie & Terrace – one of the several F&B outlets here at the resort. The Ishwara is normally open from 6.30am to 10.30am and 12pm to 2.30pm daily serving continental with a mix of local flavours for breakfast and themed lunches depending on the season. I got to try out the authentic tastes and flavours of the Citarasa 14 Lunch Buffet which featured the cuisine of the 14 different states in Malaysia. At the back of my head I was thinking, “There goes my diet!” I have not really settled down after checking in as I arrived slightly off-schedule, and had to rush to put my things in the room and grab lunch. So while waiting for my digestive juices to take action before I take my next action on the itinerary, I went back to my precooled room – yes I’m one of those people who leaves the air-conditioner on when I leave my room, but for good reason and not for long, I admit. Anyway, I did a little bit of unpacking and while perusing the refurbished room, I noticed that the hotel had prepared a jar of cookies meant as a welcome treat for me just like the welcome drink I got at the reception. Hospitality definitely goes a long way with

27th Oct Deepavali

30th Oct Backstreet Boys @ Singapore Indoor Stadium

31st Oct Halloween 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

My favourite place, the bowling alley

The newly refurbished rooms at Le Grandeur sweetness I have to say. Another thing that caught my eye was this interesting gadget that looked like a phone being perpetually charged

Meet Handy, the travel buddy on a dock. It was a Handy mobile phone with a brochure which said, “Take me out, I am your free travel buddy.” I was quite surprised and amazed at this. Not having to worry about roaming charges or getting lost, and free to use during my stay. Wow! After the brief marveling moment, I quickly freshened up to take my hotel tour, without Handy of course as I had my day planned. I had a chance to partly tour around the extensive golf course the resort has which also includes 3 x 18 hole golf courses (Allamanda, Melati, and Cempaka – named after Malaysian flowers). Interestingly enough, there was a golf tournament happening on that day so I also got to spectate a few clubs

swinging. Golf Manager, Majid who has been working at the Palm Resort Golf course pointed out to me a few of his favourite areas on the course and which were some of the signature holes with beautiful views and landscaping. I continued my traverse through the itinerary to the next building located near the golf clubhouse which was the Sports & Leisure Club. I was surprised at the various amenities available there. The Olympic size swimming pool looked like an oasis in the dessert for me because of the humid day. Besides that, there was also a few snooker and pool tables available, as well as fusball. What intrigued me the most was bowling! There was an eight lane bowling alley at the club. Just like the blip effect when you get during time travel, I had that same feeling of euphoria when I realised that I had a good sweat and a few points up on the scoreboard after three frames of one of my favourite games! To be continued… TI

Hit a round of golf at Le Grandeur’s extensive golf course

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Live Healthier for Longer Life

ccording to the WHO (2017), the average life expectancy of women in Malaysia is 77.5 years. As women are now living for longer period, we should embrace the fact that Cancer – or the C Word, is real and plays a part in all our lives. We can no longer bury our heads in the sand as it affects our friends, relative, family, or the very person dearest to our hearts. Dr. Alexandriia S ee, an OBGYN Specialist at Gleneagles Medini who has completed her specialist training in the United Kingdom shares on how we can beat cancer.

Q. Do you fear the C Word? A. I believe we all fear being told we have cancer. It is only human. However, due to the advancement of medicine and technology, we can now all take positive steps to detect cancer early and even prevent it from occurring. If cancer is detected early,

treatment can be curative. Q. What are the Big C’s? A. In Malaysia, the top 3 women cancers are breast (1 in 3), colorectal (1 in 10), followed by cervical cancer (7 in 100). For these cancers, once you start having symptoms, the cancer may have already spread to the later stages. Therefore, it is important to have regular health screening. Q. How can we beat C? A. We are fortunate that early detection of the top 3 C’s can be possible via mammograms, faecal occult blood screening as well as Pap + HPV testing. These screening tests can be performed annually. Cer vical cancer is particularly unique as the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) causes it. Therefore, current HPV vaccines offer protection against cervical cancer. Females aged between 9 and 45 years old are eligible. There is also a pre-

cancerous stage that we can simply screen for and treat to prevent progression to cancer.

Q. Are these tests painful? A. None of these tests are painful. Some may find it uncomfortable in which case, speak to your doctor and they can find a test that suits you. Q. When to seek help? • Breast Cancer Women can perform selfexamination at home. If you notice a lump, pain, discharge,

such as bleeding in between your menses or bleeding after intercourse. Some women may also experience abnormal watery discharge. Pain is usually felt at the later stages. • Colorectal Cancer Women may have unexplained weight loss. They may also have a change in bowel habit, abdominal pain and/or bloody faeces. Figure 1. Examination

Breast

• Cervical Cancer Women may exper ience abnormal vaginal bleeding

Obstetrician and Gynaecologist Gleneagles Medini Johor

S elf-

Up to 40% of cancerous lumps are found on breast examination. Step 1. Stand in front of the mirror with your hands on the hips to look for any changes in the breasts Step 2. Pick a method of checking both breasts. This can be performed standing in the shower or lying down.

skin and/or nipple changes you should seek medical advice.

Dr. Alexandriia See

Q. Are there any foods that I can take to prevent C? A. Lessons from Okinawa, Japan still holds the record for longest life expectancy with Okinawans having the most number of

healthy centenarians. Their diet is low in carbohydrate and regularly includes bitter melon, tofu, sweet potatoes, turmeric, brown rice, shitake mushrooms and seaweed. Most of their food is also non-processed. Let’s beat Cancer Together To be honest, we are all guilty of neglecting our health. We plan for holidays, our spas and facials but put aside our trip to the doctor. We spend dollars on dining and shopping but we are mindful of the cost of screening. Together, let us start investing in our health. Let us start living healthier today. “It’s time for us to stop being afraid of Cancer – It’s time for Cancer to be afraid of us” - Morgan Freeman TI

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Magical Mangroves Are Our Best Defence mangroves suffered less damage than those with damaged or cleared mangroves in the 2004

angrove forests are a highly underrated habitat. Often seen as messy, smelly, muddy overgrowths that need to be cleared and replaced with cement boardwalks and beach resorts, many do not realise what these forests do to protect humans. Studies have shown that areas behind undisturbed

tsunami. Mangrove roots trap rubbish from land, preventing them from adding to the marine debris problem we face at sea, and they also prevent coastline erosion. Mangroves are home to a wide range of wildlife, some

of which are endangered and endemic, such as the Mangrove Pitta in the Pulai River and the Estuarine crocodile in many parts of Johor. They are also a source of food such as snails and bivalves for fishermen, kampung

folk and the Orang Asli. Mangroves are magical simply because they are the link between land and sea; they are plants that can filter out and

survive in saltwater and have many unique physical features and medicinal properties. Mangrove seeds that fall into the water can float for 1-2 years before finding a nook to settle in and begin sprouting. It is always best to let mangrove forests remain where they are to grow and multiply naturally to

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

activities are known to have less than 20% chance of survival and success. Kelab Alami conducts mangrove tours along the Tebrau Strait, refer to kelabalami.weebly. com for more information. TI

protect our shores; tree-planting

Columbia Asia Hospital - Tebrau

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Frustrated Employees – Time to Implement the Grievance Policy

n this current time, managing workforce with an iron fist is no longer suitable and employees now demand for better treatment including the right to seek redress for their workplace issues. This development in turn, has given life to a guideline known as the grievance policy. Grievance in general is a complaint made by an employee who seeks help for work or non-work related issues which may negatively affect his emotions, work performance and relationship at the workplace. Currently, many organisations have yet to implement such a policy as there are no legal requirements to do so. The only sight of it is in the Code of Conduct for Industrial Harmony and Code of Practice on the Prevention and Eradication of Sexual Harassment in the Workplace as best practices. This seemingly trivial policy offers quite the benefit to both employers and employees. The most beneficial of them all are speedy dispute resolution and protection against constructive dismissal claim. We can observe the Industrial Court’s stand on the matter when it often rejects claims of CD simply because claimants

Alya Ariffin Legal Adviser MECA South Sdn. Bhd. alya@meca.com.my

fail to utilise their company’s grievance policy before walking out of an employment. Companies too should treat grievances as a mean to discover problems hidden within the organisation and address them before they snowball into irreversible damage. Problems of turnover and misconducts such as falsified emergency and sick leaves due to

workplace demotivation would surely reduce drastically when employees feel like they are heard and cared for. In order for any type of policies to take effect, employees must first be aware of its existence. They should know the company’s grievance policy and procedures including how to lodge a complaint, the investigation

process and ultimately how it will be resolved. Since grievance is not a creature of the law, it has no predetermined structure. Nevertheless, MECA would like to share this useful sample of grievance flow chart. Despite the company’s willingness to implement their version of a grievance policy, they would still fail to achieve

the desired aim if employees themselves are unwilling to utilise it. The usual concerns are possibilities of confidentiality breach and retaliation. As for the superiors tasked to handle grievances, are they well equipped with the needed skills to portray empathy, listen and mediate the issues? These are some of the issues that might need to be addressed once an employer decides to implement a grievance policy. It’s to be noted that a grievance policy is a tool that is highly recommended to all employers. It is important to ensure your employees are cared for so the organisation will constantly be at its optimum productivity. TI

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Accumulating Wealth Tips & Tricks

Volatility Means Opportunity – Part 2 of the game. In the last issue, we had covered the first part - Stock Selection. Today, let us discuss the second part – Strategy. As usual, let us have a look of our portfolio for this month.

in terms of sales. As one of the worlds’ top 50 EMS providers, VS is a beneficiary of the ongoing trade war. Technically, the nine months uptrend of VS has seen it close its big gap that occurred in December

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

f you follow economy news and the market indexes, you would get entertained always. While there were a number of bad news released just last month, a few ‘better news’ have been released subsequently. For instance, in September 2019, China and the US committed to restart trade talks in October. Shortly after, Trump announced to delay the tariff increase for two weeks. In Europe, the European Central Bank (ECB) cuts deposit rate from -0.4% to -0.5% and launches a 20 billion euros stimulus to shore up Eurozone economy. This news seemed to have provided some relieve to the market. Apparently, volatility is still part

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

The portfolio above has showed a gain of 220% since November 2015. In September, we received 2 cents dividend from HOMERIZ that amounted to RM1200. Bought VS Industry (6963) VS Industry is engaged in manufacturing, assembling and sale of electronic and electrical products and plastic moulded components and parts. In March 2019, VS won a contract from Bissell, the largest floor care products in the US,

2018, implying the momentum is likely to continue. According to Bursa announcement, the management of VS and EPF have been accumulating VS shares lately. So, we bought 30000 shares of VS at 1.28. After adding the dividend received, our cash on hand is now at RM37381. Strategies in times of volatility There are five strategies you may consider using in times of volatility: •

Buy when the market is panic

Be greedy when everyone is panicked, because that is the time you would get great bargains. Look at what happened in the last few months. When the market plunged, most counters went down like the end of the world. However, those were the times when the stocks were oversold. If you remain composed and act like a contrarian, you are likely to have bought at good prices.

fulfilled. First, when the price does not fall below critical support such as the MA200 and round number or strong previous highs and lows. Second, when the price has fallen to at least 5%, and with that, you can lower your average price more effectively. If the price goes up, consider adding when it has gone up 3-5%. In this case, you would not increase your cost much.

• Take calculated risks To win consistently, you need to manage risks. Once you have bought a good company at a great price, it is a good start. To continue, you need to have a clear target exit price and cut loss price. An exit price is the price you want to take profit, be it 5%, 10% or more. Whereas a cut loss price is the price you want to sell when it does not work in favour of you. Ask yourself, “How much can you afford to lose?” Remember, both exit and cut loss prices should be set before you start buying. Most people end up losing money because they don’t manage risk.

• Create a watch list You can only use the first three strategies effectively if you have a watch list in the first place. Filter the companies with good fundamental and prospect, and identify the right price with their valuation. By doing so, you would have prepared what to buy and when to buy.

• Add wisely There might be a time you want to consider adding if the price goes down. Only do so when you see the following two conditions

• Hold some cash Holding much cash might not be a good idea in the Bull Run, but in times of uncertainty like now, cash is essential. Therefore, always keep a portion of cash, like 20-30%, as opportunity arises unexpectedly. Conclusion Now you have learned how to adopt the five strategies in volatile times. It is time to use them with good companies, so that you would increase your chances of winning. TI

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play E-Wallet: Understanding the Inevitable Change

soduku

-Wallet is like email but instead of mails they keep your money as a form of payment. Just like your wallet, you can control the amount of money you place inside it for different purposes. Once funded, you can use the wallet online and in physical transaction too. All you need to do is tap or scan a QR Code. Though it seems easy, security for this cashless payment is heightened as well. Firstly, all e-wallet users need to register with a provider and complete a full KYC (Know Your Customer) process before getting ahold of an e-wallet. Verified e-wallet users normally have higher spending limit. E-wallet has two different types, one is cloudbased (WeChat Pay, Boost, Grab Pay, Touch n Go) and another is card-based (AEON Card, M Money, Big Pay, M Pay Wallet). The only difference between the two is that the card-based are linked to card schemes like Visa, Mastercard, China Union Pay.

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every month The Iskandarian shares what you should and should not be doing in your communities !

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for the solution

Why does it exist? For convenience! Having

electrical money saves so much time while you’re doing a transaction. Instead of rummaging through your physical wallet for money to pay, you just need to tap with your card or mobile phone and you’re good to go.

messages. The concept is similar and is believed to be the origin to all digital payment that we have today. In 2003, millions of mobile phone users have done digital transactions with their mobile phone.

What is the history behind e-wallets then? In 1997, Coca Cola Helsinki launched vending machines that accept payments via text

Google in 2011 is the first major company to initiate mobile wallet with NFC (Near Field Communications) technology where shoppers could pay, get points and redeem coupons. A year after that, Apple Passbook installed functions like boarding passes, tickets and coupons. Apple Pay came forward in 2014 in the US followed by competitors like Android and Samsung Pay in 2015. Check out the list of e-Wallet made available (and BNM approved) in Malaysia: Alipay, CIMB Pay, kiplePay, Lazada Wallet, Maybank Pay, Samsung Pay, WeChat Pay, vcash (by Digi), TnG, Razer Pay, BigPay, GrabPay, FavePay and Boost. That’s just to name a few! So are you ready to get on board of the cashless world? - by Norfy Shafeq TI

paired with my plate of biryani, everything tasted just right. If rice is too much for you, an order of their cheese or garlic naan with curries or even tandoori chicken paired with fresh mint sauce is also equally amazing. As Deepavali is around the corner, my early festive mood was complete when I was served with Indian sweets such as Ladoo and Barfi; Vanakam India’s special promotion for the festive season as well as Gulab Jamun. They tasted so good and the word authentic is such an understatement as it was absolutely marvelous! But do remember to ask for a scoop of ice cream which goes really well with the Gulab Jamuns. The restaurant is

t a k i n g catering orders for Deepavali and will be open for its full hours and days too. Vanakam India is open every day from 11am to 10.30pm, taking their final order at 10pm so be sure to come early and have a taste of authentic Indian cuisine today at No 39, Jalan Eko Botanik ¾, Taman Eko Botanik. Any bookings or catering order could be made by getting in touch with them via their Facebook page vanakamindiajb and call at 07-585 7543. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Physical cash could only be used physically and needs to go through depositing into ATM Machine process before it turns into e-money for you to use online. E-Wallet on the other hand could be used both offline (stores) and online. It is super easy and saves paper too!

What does it do? E-wallet is slightly similar and starkly different to credit card payments. We might have come across symbols that sit beside the Visa and Mastercard like Boost and Alipay at stores’ counters and it’s really like having different wallets.

Put Your Hands Together for Vanakam India Bringing authentic taste of Indian cuisine to your table

Colourful mural brightens the mostly monochrome space

Prawn Briyani and Chicken Briyani comes with a set of two side dishes including cool cucumber raita with complementary papadom

Tasty Signature Crab Masala - the house’s specialty

Sizzling Lamb Masala invites your appetite with its strong whiffs

t was a hot day out and although there is still time for Deepavali, I was already feeling festive and it got me thinking of delicious savoury Indian food and I was looking forward to my meal at Vanakam India in Eko Botanik that serves authentic North and South Indian food. The pristine white facade already cooled me as I set my eyes on it and once inside, I was served ‘Vasantha Neer’, a coconut mocktail that is refreshing

and popular as a welcoming drink in India. The drink has coconut bits too making it more enjoyable. They open at 11am, just perfect for an early lunch or dare I say, for a festive “brunch”. Leafing through their menu, there is so much to choose from and at very affordable prices too, ranging from RM4 to RM24 per dish. As I dined in a group, we decided to go all out and had Vanakam’s Signature Crab Masala which was rich in flavours and

heavily drenched with spices but I quickly calmed my senses with crowd’s favourite ‘Bindi Kur Kur’ – Tender and crunchy ladies fingers and Paneer Tikka (soft grilled cottage cheese) which are also great as appetisers. On to the mains and top on the list were Chicken Biryani and Prawn Biryani. Each biryani set comes with a curry and raita and was really aromatic. The next course that followed is just my affair with Chicken Butter Masala, Malabar Fish Curry, Butter Garlic Prawns and Lamb Rogan Josh. Ranging from Mutton meatballs to kebabs and down to Tandoori and Chicken Tikka it was all a match made in heaven in my mouth and tummy! Being comforted that the dishes are cooked with nil MSG and colouring, I could eat all of them in one go. I do admit that some dishes are spicier than the other but once

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PROPERTY INSIGHT

Sunway Iskandar Unveils Key Tenants at Sunway Big Box & Deploys Scootbee within its township

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pg 25

PROPERTY

RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS

APARTMENTS

VILLAS

CONDOMINIUMS

OFFICE/RETAILSPACE

Kempas Exit on the North-South Highway To undergo facelift in the hopes of easing traffic congestion and cutting down travel time pg 26

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Korea Telecom Corporation

UMLand Bandar Seri Alam

Eyes investment opportunities in Johor

Offers up to 30% rebate under its Bumiputera Campaign

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Korean Telecom Corporation Explores Investment Opportunities Down South

T Corporation (KT) formerly known as Korean Telecom signed two Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with two wholly-owned subsidiaries of Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) namely Iskandar Innovations Sdn Bhd (IISB) and Iskandar D e ve l o p m e nt M a n a g e m e nt Services Sdn Bhd (IDMS). The MOUs were signed by Datuk Akmal Ahmad, Sugu Maran Kailasan as Directors of IDMS, Azman Hussein, Johari Shukri Jamil as Directors of IISB, Kim Youngwoo, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Business Development and Kim Hoonbae, Senior Vice President, Head of New

Media Business of KT. Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad, President/ Chief Executive Officer of IIB, witnessed the signing ceremony together with Nathan Byungki Oh, Senior Vice President, Head of Global Investment, KT at IIB’s corporate office in Medini, Iskandar Puteri, Johor. The first MOU was signed between KT, IISB and IDMS on Smart Building and Smart Energy Business that would create the path in exploring Smart Building technology in Medini and Iskandar Puteri. KT and IISB also signed another MOU for Home Virtual

Reality and Data Centre which would result in a collaboration to create unique propositions in high technology and modern living for residents and corporations in Iskandar Puteri in the near future. Speaking at the MOU signing ceremony, Datuk Ir Khairil said, “IIB is committed towards driving the digital transformation agenda in Iskandar Puteri. We envision Iskandar Puteri to be a smart city of international standing where technology works seamlessly in everyday life, and we hope this collaboration would create unique value propositions for the development of the Iskandar Puteri

Boxes of Surprises in Sunway Iskandar Puteri

unway Malls had finally unveiled its Sunway Big Box claimed to be the first retail hybrid park at its key tenant unveiling ceremony in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. The occupancy of the tenancy is at 85% ahead of its opening, promising a fulfilling mall experience once their doors are open to the public. Some of the 36 key partners unveiled at Sunway Big Box to date are NSK, SSF, BookXcess, Golden Screen Cinemas, MOX, Sports Direct, EnerG X Park, Ace Hardware, Mr DIY, Tomaz, Caltex, Starbucks, Burger King, Sketchers, Universal Traveller, Thai Odyssey, Maxis, U Mobile, Mr Dakgalbi, Absolute Thai, Gong Cha, Tealive, Famous Amos and Pet Lovers Centre. Spread over 24acre land, Sunway Big Box is integrated with an upcoming 280-room hotel development, a 170,000 sq ft NLA (net lettable area)

office tower and is connected to a 38-acre extreme park component. The two-floor cluster would be offering close to 100 retail, F&B and entertainment stores. “Supported by a hotel and an office component, Sunway Big Box is a unique retail development that is planned for the future, aligned to Sunway Iskandar’s masterplan to build Nature’s Capital City. Sunway Big Box is meant to be the place for people from all walks of life to congregate, shop and socialise,” said CEO of Sunway Malls and Theme Parks HC Chan in his opening speech.

The retail park slated to open by mid-December 2019 is the closest to Singapore via the Coastal Highway Southern Link (CSHL) with a catchment of 200,000 within 20 minutes. Also, Sunway Iskandar had signed a MoU with Singapore technology company CtrlWorks, the creator of Scootbee, the world’s first self-distributing personal mobility devices in Sunway Iskandar and the first in Malaysia too. The Scootbee will provide an affordable, sustainable and clean mode of transportation. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Sunway Big Box is Malaysia’s first hybrid retail park comprising a Cinema, Hotel, office tower, extreme park, large format stores and retail outlets

ecosystem.” These MOUs were signed after a successful joint venture between KT & IISB via the establishment of a Virtual Reality Centre of Excellence called VRinity which was launched at the Mall of Medini in Iskandar Puteri. The KT delegation led by Kim Youngwoo, Head of Global Business Development during the signing ceremony mentioned, “We are excited to participate in the development of Iskandar Malaysia and to collaborate with IIB. KT would share knowledge and experience in bringing technologydriven development to this region

Partnership formed - L-R: Nathan Byungki Oh, Azman Hussein, Johari Shukri Jamil, Kim Hoonbae, Kim Youngwoo and Datuk Ir Khairil Anwar Ahmad

both economically and socialy”. The signing of the MOUs marks KT’s expansion of their business internationally as they continue to leave their footprints in Iskandar Malaysia, thus inspiring other Korean investors to look at Iskandar Malaysia as another attractive investment destination. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Sutera Good Earth Exhibition 2019: Food Waste. Reborn. Tanah Sutera Development held its biannual Good Earth Exhibition to raise awareness on the environment

any people might think of food waste as rubbish or something smelly that has to be quickly ridden of, yet not many people know how food wastes – the leftover of what we consume daily, can actually save mother earth from dying. The main objective that Tanah Sutera wanted to achieve through this exhibition is to raise a larger awareness towards not just our community, but also the society at large. Through the expository of this knowledge to the society, we can help mother earth sustain herself even longer. The event was officiated by honoured guest VVIP Tan Chen Choon, Local Government, Urban Wellbeing and Environment Committee chairman – held at Sutera Mall level 4. Tanah Sutera is also pleased to announce the collaboration between themselves and SWM Environment Sdn. Bhd. on food waste collection, especially targeting and focusing on residential food wastes, in hopes of reaching and educating the public that have not heard about this phenomenon before. This collaboration is known to be a

Exco Tan Chen Choon officiating the event

pilot project within Taman Sutera Utama and they hope that through the launch of this project, will be able to influence other surrounding communities to do their part in preserving the environment too. It is sincerely hoped that this exhibition opened the eyes of the public to the importance of food waste. For more information about the exhibition or food waste collection, kindly contact Teh Hui Theng or Tan Pei Hui at 07-289 9009. - by Moazan Emran TI

Second Phase of Mah Sing’s Give Back to the Community

Ng Jui Eian (Senior General Manager of Mah Sing Group Project Development), Benjamin Ong (Chief Operating Officer of Mah Sing Group), Sr. Dzulkefly Ahmad (Housing, Communication and Multimedia Committee Chairman), and Haji Mohd Radzi bin Haji Mohd Amin (undersecretary of the Johor State Housing Department) at the balloting along with the first ballot

ah Sing Group recently released a total of 132 medium-cost shop-lots and 132 units of doublestorey townhouses at an affordable price of RM200,000 and RM150,000 respectively. Officiated by Sr. Dzulkefly Ahmad, Housing, Communication and Multimedia Committee Chairman, the balloting session for the Type C (Phase 2) affordable shop houses and homes saw the

attendance of a total of 104 registrants for the shop-lots and 795 registrants for the townhouses. This project that is being developed by Mah Sing Group is part of the requirement under the state government’s housing policy. The total of balloted units for the 1,200 sqft shop-lots were 114 units with the allocation to the Malays (74 units), Chinese (29 units), and Indians (11 units). As for the 1,000 sqft townhouses, a total of 68 units were allocated to the Malays, 27 units to the

Chinese and 11 units to the Indian with a total ballot of 106 units. Prior to this, Mah Sing had conducted the first phase of balloting for 50 units of medium cost shop-lots in March 2018 and 106 units of affordable homes in July 2019. Mah Sing is also expecting to launch 187 units of double-story terrace homes (The Acacia 22’ x 70’) in Q4 of 2019. “I would like to commend Mah Sing Group for their efforts in developing the 1,113

acres of land here with great and attrac tive g ate d a n d g u a rd e d housing development as well as including affordable homes and other proper ties for the convenience of the public,” said Dzulkefly in his speech. “I wish you all good luck in obtaining the certificate of qualification to own a home by expediting your financing so that the process of ownership can run smoothly,” he added. - by Harish Mustak TI

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All Eyes on the Emerging Pekan Sentral in Pekan Nenas

he Pekan S e n t r a l project in Pontian under Paragon Bizhub Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paragon Globe Berhad is a modern commercial development, set in the growing township that offers 15 acres of land with a total of 158 units of 2-storey shop office and 3-storey shop office feature with

contemporary design aiming to provide unlimited business potential to its investors and business owners. After a successful launch of Phase 1, Pekan Sentral Phase 2 comprises of 46 units of 2-storey shop office and it recently had its soft launch and is open for registration. The property is Freehold and surrounded with potential growth

town sh ip an d is perfect for all kinds of businesses. Driving to key venues form Pekan Sentral is at most, 30 mins to Johor Bahru city while it takes only 8 minutes to get to Setia Eco Gardens. M o r e information could be obtained by visiting their websites www. pekansentral.com / www.pgbgroup.com.my - by Norfy Shafeq TI

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Johor Remains as an Attractive Destination for Property Investment – Sr. Dzulkefly

he iProperty.com. my (iProperty) Home & Property Fair held recently offered an offline experience where potential buyers were able to make better decisions when engaging faceto-face with property developers, making it the perfect ground for developers to connect with potential buyers too. This year was iProperty’s biggest fair

in Johor Bahru with 25 notable developers showcasing its properties and new projects. Knowledgeable company personnel were also on hand to answer all queries, provide up-to- date market information and guide guests at the property fair through the buying process. The Johor State Secretary’s Office (SUKJ) also collaborated with iProperty by setting

up an enquiry counter for the affordable homes project (RMMJ), community housing project (PPR), and online application for Bumiputera lots at the property fair. “J o h o r has always been one of the major real estate markets in Malaysia and is an attractive location for real estate buyers looking for their dream home,” said Sr.

Dzulkefly bin Ahmad, Johor State Housing, Communications and Multimedia Committee Chairman. David Mawer, General Manager of iProperty.com Sdn Bhd Malaysia said, “Johor remains an attractive destination for foreign investment because of its geographical location and excellent infrastructures. “ - by Harish Mustak TI

Four Leaf Clover Design to Ease Traffic along Kempas Interchange

enteri Besar Johor, Datuk Dr Sahruddin Jamal had launched the upgrading works of the Kempas exit on the North-South Highway aiming to ease traffic congestion here and to bring down the travel time for the road users. The expected completion of the Kempas Interchange project is in December 2020 and costs RM39.7 million.

This project is part of the Iskandar Development Authority (IRDA)’s plan to strengthen the accessibility and network within the Iskandar Malaysia region. The public have benefitted from many projects and facilities under the IRDA plan, namely, the Coastal Highway that links the city centre to Kota Iskandar, Bandar Tiram interchange, and the upgrading of Jalan Kolam Air. Expected to be

complete by the end of this year is the upgrading works of the road leading to the tourism region in Tanjung Piai. “I was told that this interchange, once completed, will be able to reduce the peak travel time to Johor Bahru city centre from 56 minutes to 40 minutes,” said Datuk Sahruddin. The current highway exit is located strategically nearby a few federal departments such as the Ministry of Home Affairs,

Immigration Department and the Registrations Department. Residents adjacent or close to the project will face a brief time of inconvenience but in the future will be in direct benefit to the upgrade. “The current diamond design will be upgraded to a four-leaf-clover interchange, while the road will be widened,” said Abdul Halim Mohd Nor, Representative from IRDA. Also in attendance at the launch of the Kempas

Continuous Effort to Increase Local Home Ownership

occupancy of unsold RM600K worth per unit houses, the Bumiputera campaign offers up to 30% rebate that are halved between UMLand as developer (15%) and 15% on behalf of the state government. “As a developer, we play an important role in the community where we not only aim to provide some of the best housing available in the region, but also at a price where it is affordable as well. We want to encourage and help the Bumiputera to get their dream home at a very affordable price. At the same time, to support the government in reducing the total number of unsold bumi units stock,” said KK wong, Group Director of Township, UMLand. (From left to right) Senior General T h e Manager, Seri Alam Properties Sdn Campaign for Bhd, Frankie Tan, UMLand Group of Bumiputera offers Director Township, KK Wong, Housing, Communication and Multimedia completed and Committee chairman, Sr. Dzukefly Bin ready to move in Ahmad and Iskandar Halal Park CEO, houses in UMLand’s Ahmad Lokman Bin Ibrahim Imperial Jade

fter its initial campaign in April 2019, United Malayan Land Berhad (UMLand) Bandar Seri Alam continues its effort to support the government’s National Home Ownership Campaign 2019 (HOC 2019) aimed to increase the number of property ownership in Malaysia, especially enabling better housing options meant for the Bumiputera buyers. In order to increase the

Residenz, Citrine Residenz and Opal Residenz among others. Sr. Dzukefly Bin Ahmad, Housing, Communication and Multimedia Committee chairman officiated the campaign and have announced the state government’s incentive to help developers in increasing the purchase of unsold Bumiputera units as well as ensuring M40 target groups would have their dream home at hand. Interested home buyers looking for ideal home through the said campaign could head down to Citrine Residenz Clubhouse in Bandar Seri Alam. Ongoing until further notice, buyers will be able to enjoy attractive incentives of up to RM110,000.00 or 30% discount. UMLand Seri Alam is also offering a 7.5% rebate, free legal fee on SPA and Loan Agreement, stamp duty exemptions on SPA and Loan Agreement. To top it all off, UMLand is also offering a 2.5% move-in bonus as a startup for homeowners, price ranges from as low as RM326,500 for a 20’X65’ double storey terrace house. - by Norfy Shafeq TI

Official launch gimmick of the Kempas Interchange project

Interchange project was Chairman of the Johor State Roadworks, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, Mohd Solihan Badri, Kempas Assemblyman, Dato’ Osman Sapian, Chief Executive of IRDA, and the

Mayor of Johor Bahru, Dato’ Haji Amran bin A Rahman. The public are welcome to contact IRDA for further details or to report any inconveniences at +607-2305171. - by Harish Mustak TI

Enter a Different Reality in Medini, Iskandar Puteri

new form of entertainment that sees a joint venture between South Korean company KT Corporation and Iskandar Innovations Sdn Bhd, a member of Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) group under their company; Virtual Realm Sdn Bhd has opened VRinity - Virtual Centre of Excellence at the Mall of Medini in Iskandar Puteri, Johor. Officiating the grand launch was Jimmy Puah, Chairman of International Trade, Investment, Utilities Committee of Johor who said that the joint venture between IIB and KT Corporation has definitely contributed to the progressive economic transformation that is in line with the vision of the Johor state government. The VR centre is the third in the world to be operating here in Malaysia with the first two centres

Dzulkefly and Jimmy Puah were being briefed on the VR Sports aspect in the centre

based in South Korea by KT Corporation. The chairman of Virtual Realm Sdn Bhd claims that the latest attraction in Iskandar Puteri is targeted to obtain 40,000 visitors in the first year and would expand value to this region. O ver RM4mil has been invested collectively by both IIB and KT Corporation into VRinity, their first phase of cooperation and there are more to come in the future as IIB is also in the looks to train and develop local talents in forming the AR industry. VRinity offers 8 games with its 2 signature

games, Special Force VR Ace and Black Badge: Signal. The two and including World War Toons are catered for visitors of 12 years old and above while the rest are for all ages. In conjunction with the opening, promotional prices are offered for all you can play with Kids (6-8 years old) at RM69/ pax and 9 years onwards are tagged at RM83/pax reserved for Malaysian visitors. VRinity opens from 10am to 10pm and bookings can be made via www.vrinity.com or contact +607 567 8901. by Norfy Shafeq TI

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