Feedback and cooperation valuable for development plans in Kulai

BY NORBAITI PHAHARORADZI

A map showing the developments in Kulai at the launch of the Publicity and Public Participation in Local Government programme.

KULAIJAYA: Members of the public should be more proactive by getting involved in state development projects that are being carried out.

State Housing and Local Government committee chairman Datuk Abd Latif Bandi said the people could benefit through developments taking place such as the Special Area Draft Plans (RKK).

He said the people would be more empowered in making decisions regarding their future if they had the knowledge to deal with developers.

“For instance, under the RKK 2015-2025 in north Kulai here, the community can engage with appointed parties such as the Kulai Municipal Council and relevant officers at Kampung Rahmat hall to air their grouses on the plans drafted.

“Engagements through programmes like this will also help the people to be prepared for the changes that will be brought to the communities over the development period,” he said at the launch of the Publicity and Public Participation in Local Development programme at Kampung Rahmat.

Abd Latif (second from right) and Kulaijaya Municipal Council president Abdul Rahman Salleh (right) looking at the RKK draft. – Photos by Norbaiti Phaharoradzi

Abdul Latif said that the people must realise that development plans should take into account the views of local councils and the community.

He also encouraged closer cooperation between the communities and developers to identify areas for development.

“Those who plan to sell their lands should also be more aware of the long term benefits that could arise,” he said.

Abdul Latif said that the one-month programme would provide an opportunity for the communities to voice out their opinions or objections against the draft tabled.

All opinions and objections gathered would be presented during the Objection Hearing Committee meeting chaired by Abdul Latif with the engagement from land office, State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN), local authorities and the Town Planning Secretariat to be held at a later date.

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Aussie builder urges Malaysian peers to come up with new ideas

osted on June 8, 2015  | 451 views |  Topic : Featured, Property News.

Leading the way: Ahmad Phesal (second from right) walking in during the opening of the FIABCI 66th World Real Estate Congress at One World Hotel.

WILL urbanisation bring peril or prosperity? One man who saw Malaysia rise out of the ashes of the Japanese Occupation and the Malayan Emergency sums it up.

“I cannot overemphasise, and I’ll repeat and I’ll repeat and I’ll repeat, the importance of education for our youngsters. Training and education play a very important part in creating an urbanised society,” said Maha Sinnathamby.

Maha grew up in a house that had no electricity or tap water in Rantau. Today he is the chairman and founder of Springfield Land Corporation, a planned city in Queensland, Australia.

“In the face of rapid development, we must not forget to cherish our greatest treasure — human capital.

“This is why planning has to be done very carefully so that communities are integrated. They must have common areas to mix, react and add value to each other,” he said at a press conference on the 66th FIABCI World Real Estate Congress.

Kuala Lumpur mayor Datuk Seri Ahmad Phesal Talib, who was present at the event, said that is why ground research on how people live, work and play is important.

“We need new ideas and approaches from developers on realising the vision of a greater Kuala Lumpur,” he said.

The challenges will be great. He cited parking lots in the city centre as an example. In the face of growing car ownership, how many will be deemed enough?

“Would there be a need for parking lots in the middle of the city if the public transport campaign is a success? But at the same time, what of those who reside in the city?

“It wouldn’t do for the city to be a bustling hub in the day but a ghost town at night.

“Now we have a policy. Any building in the city centre less than 200m from the LRT station must provide connectivity as in shuttle buses. Based on our planning, we now have 47km of walkways in which people can enjoy the city space by using public transport,” said Ahmad Phesal.

His chief concern now is how to redevelop rundown parts of Kuala Lumpur such as Pudu and Chow Kit.

Having had the advantage of studying the 15 master plans of planned cities worldwide, Maha pointed to an example where one had a population of 150,000 who did not have to travel anymore than five minutes to a hospital, train station, shopping centre or school.

Shouldering this responsibility are developers.

Conference moderator Michael Geh, who is also FIABCI vice-president, said this is where the three-day congress has a part to play.

“This interaction with local developers is hoped to inspire them to work towards the ideal,” he said.

Geh also touched on the need for transparency. He does not deny some quarters have been evasive in divulging information to questions regarding methods of construction and building materials.

To this, Ahmad Phesal said authorities had strict policies. One is a complete slope development guideline. Ikram (Institut Kerja Raya Malaysia) is DBKL’s second-opinion party for this. Developers must also provide 10% of open space for projects.

“For property buyers, beware is the key word,” said FIABCI Malaysia president Tengku Abdul Aziz Tengku Mahmud.

Would it be fair to put the “crowded city” phenomenon squarely on the developers’ shoulders?

Geh feels groups who put pressure on developers should be investigated for their motives.

“Sometimes they are a small group but they are loud. So it looks like the whole city does not want development. I hope the authorities will not give in to them unnecessarily for the good of the community,” said Geh.

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Affordable housing criteria relaxed for skilled workers

EMPLOYEES with talent and skills in Penang will be given a chance to own affordable housing in the state, in a move to stem the brain drain.

State Housing, Town and Country Planning Committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo said investPenang recently proposed to the Selection Process Enhancement Committee (SPEC) that a certain percentage be allocated to skilled workers.

He said: “investPenang has proposed that for ‘talents and skill’ from other states, the minimum five-year work experience in Penang be waived.

“SPEC has agreed to adopt this as long as the other criteria are met.

“However, SPEC doesn’t agree to allocating a quota for this group of people.”

In the criteria now, an eligible applicant must be a Penang-born, employed and also a registered voter in Penang.

Those who are not Penang-born must prove that they have been residing and working here for the last five years. They must also be a registered voter in Penang.

Jagdeep said successful applicants would now have to live in Penang for at least five years from the date of the handover of keys to their unit.

“Based on a survey, there will be 13,088 new jobs in the private sector in the fields of engineering, accountancy and technology by 2017,” he added,

He was speaking at a press conference in Komtar.

Keen applicants under the skilled workers category can contact investPenang at PSDC Building 1, Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah, Bayan Lepas.

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I-Bhd earnings set to rise on unbilled sales

PETALING JAYA: Property developer I-Bhd should see earnings picking up, underpinned by its RM550mil unbilled sales and forthcoming launches, according to PublicInvest Research.

I-Bhd, the master developer of the 72-acre i-City in Shah Alam, posted a 68.9% year-on-year jump in net profit to RM10.3mil for its first quarter ended March 31, 2015.

The research house said property development featured strongly in its net profit growth although it was weighed slightly by pre-opening hotel expenses and seasonality factor in its leisure division.

With a remaining gross development value (GDV) of over RM8bil encompassing more than 10 residential and commercial tower blocks, it said the group could achieve its vision of RM500mil to RM600mil revenue annually in three years.

PublicInvest Research also said I-Bhd’s property investment division would eventually be a healthy cash cow, with the integral part being the RM763.9mil Central Plaza @ i-City.

A model of the Best Western hotel and other components of I-Bhd’s project.

It said this was a first-of-its-kind regional shopping mall in the country jointly-developed with the Central Pattana Group, Thailand’s largest retail developer.

It also said the opening of new attractions at the Leisure Park contributed to the growing revenue base of the leisure activities segment, together with the opening of the three-star Best Western Hotel.

PublicInvest Research has a “outperform” call on I-Bhd’s stock, and a 12-month target price of 92 sen.

The research unit said its target price was a conservative price-earnings of 10 times to reflect the current small-cap nature of the company.

“This is at a significant discount to its three-year earnings compound annual growth rate of over 50%, translating to a price/earnings to growth ratio of only 0.2 times.”

“The recent under-performance of its share price is unwarranted in our view, and we see this period of weakness as an opportunity for accumulation.”

On Friday, I-Bhd’s stock closed half a sen lower to 60 sen.

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Property venture ends Yong Tai’s losses for years

BY SHARIDAN M. ALI

PETALING JAYA: Garment maker Yong Tai Bhd is banking on a venture into property development to end years of losing money.

A joint venture to build serviced apartment in Malacca has contributed to its turnaround. For the nine months ended March 31, net profit stood at RM1.1mil compared with a loss of RM1.9mil a year ago.

Revenue for the period nearly doubled to RM86mil.

“The recent results, although Yong Tai made just a small profit, are really meaningful for us,” executive director Ng Jet Heong (pic) said in a recent interview.

“We have seen the light at the end of our (long dark) tunnel,” he says.

Yong Tai had been making losses every year since 2008. The company now expects to register a profit in the current financial year ending June 30.

The company is now on a stronger financial footing following a capital reduction and rights issue exercise. The fund-raising exercise will pay for the company’s expanding property venture.

Following board approval for the company to diversify in 2012, Yong Tai formally inked a joint venture (JV) agreement with PTS Properties Sdn Bhd in 2014.

In it first property project, Yong Tai pumped RM4.4mil cash into the RM120mil serviced apartment project in Malacca.

The JV partners sell and lease back the property to take advantage of the lack of hotels and similar accommodations in the state.

“The conventional way of acquiring land bank is expensive and we lack expertise. Fortunately, PTS is willing to collaborate with us in the Malacca projects,” he says.

This led to Yong Tai’s second JV project with PTS, dubbed The Apple, a residential and the Marriot Hotel, to be completed in 2017.

Ng says Yong Tai will contribute about RM35mil to this project of RM240mil GDV. The return is estimated at RM80mil to be progressively realised up to its completion,

“We are mulling over drastic measures such as reducing retail outlets, renegotiating contracts apart from the usually practised cost cutting,” he says.

When ask on selling off the unprofitable business, Ng says it would be up to the board but the company wanted to try its best in turning around its core business first.

The company that produces its own apparel is also involved in retailing its products through 19 outlets. It also does fabric dying and contract garment manufacturing.

The group’s core business, however, continued to face tough competition from overseas.

“I am excited with the property venture. I want the company to be eventually known as a property player,” Ng said. “It’s not easy to find the right people while coping with the challenging apparel division.”

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Community living in a gated and guarded residency

To cater for well-designed secure homes in the affluent township of Bandar Rimbayu, IJM Land Bhd has launched Wisteria, a G&G neighbourhood with linear parks.

BY MANGALESRI CHANDRASEKARAN
mangalesri@ocision.com

Artist’s impression showing the overview of Wisteria @ Bandar Rimbayu.

FAMED for providing splendid developments with exceptional craftsmanship, IJM Land Bhd strives to achieve more as the firm launched its high-end trendy homes in the green township of Bandar Rimbayu, located close to Kota Kemuning, Selangor.

Developed with excellent connectivity, Bandar Rimbayu provides easy accessibility via the Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), Shah Alam – Kota Kemuning Expressway (LKSA), South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE),
North – South Expressway Central Link (Elite), as well as the upcoming West Coast Expressway (WCE).

IJM Land recently won an award for its spectacular landscape in Bandar Rimbayu, for The ARC which provides a 360-degree view of the entire neighbourhood. The township saw the launch of Chimes, Perennia, Periwinkle and Scarlet, comprising double-storey link and semi-detached houses, followed by the recent launch of the Wisteria.

Developed on 23.18 acres of freehold land, Wisteria comprises 231 units of double-storey link homes with spacious built-ups ranging from 2,388 sq ft to 2,449 sq ft. The residences with a gross development value of RM220mil is slated for completion in 2018.

Artist’s impression of the elegant entrance to Wisteria, a gated and guarded neighbourhood.

Designed to perfection

Cleverly designed to maximise comfortability, Wisteria offers three unique designs for buyers to choose from. Each of the unit is designed to provide ample space with a price tag starting from RM881,800 onwards.

The Type A (land area of 23 ft x75 ft) offers two layouts, both equipped with a three plus one rooms and four bathrooms layout. The intermediate unit offers a built-up area of 2,424 sq ft and 2,446 sq ft built-up area for the end lot unit.

Meanwhile, the Type B (land area of 23 ft x 80 ft) units come with three plus one rooms, one powder room and an en-suite bathroom in each room. The intermediate unit in Type B has 2,388 sq ft built-up area while the corner lot comes with 2,454 sq ft built-up area.

Artist’s impression of the serene linear park as viewed from the homes.

Furthermore, the Type C (land area of 23 ft x 80 ft) unit has the same layout with Type A which has three plus one rooms and four bathrooms layout. The intermediate unit for Type C has 2,449 sq ft built-up area while the corner lot unit offers 2,492 sq ft built-up area.

The units are spaciously designed with a dual frontage and lifestyle living for Type A and C. The linear garden at the back allows residents to enjoy the garden view from the living hall and the master bedroom.

The alluring night view of The ARC, the icon of Bandar Rimbayu.

Each master bedroom also offers a walkin closet space with an en-suite bathroom, a feature that is mostly desired by home owners to be incorporated in their homes. Also included is an eight-foot tall entrance door, providing a grand and elegant entrance to all units, which is also incorporated in all the rooms.

Well-crafted with quality finishings and fittings, Wisteria is set to exceed every resident’s expectations with green technologies that are well-blended into its development. The key features of its design include solar panel water heater systems, rainwater harvesting tanks, dual flush water closets and skylights upstairs and family hall area, to minimise the usage of water and electricity and to emphasise on the usage of natural resources.

The units at Wisteria offer high ceilings and larger floor areas, besides providing good daylight and ventilation. Residents’ privacy is well assured as the units are spaced far apart from each other with wide roads and linear parks.

Artist’s impression of Wisteria, uniquely designed homes amidst Mother Nature.

The importance of safety and security measures have been carefully thought of in Wisteria, as this G&G development is equipped with close circuit television (CCTV) surveillance, perimeter fencing, adequate streetlights, basic home alarm system, auto gate system and 24/7 security guards and patrols.

“Living in Wisteria means having green spaces, a central park and community hall to enhance healthy living and community engagement besides being an inspiration for a serene living within nature,” says Bandar Rimbayu Sdn Bhd senior manager of sales and marketing Susan Teh.

As the developer of the township, IJM Land has a strong track record of building exceptional developments which give long-lasting impression, as seen in Bandar Rimbayu, which without a doubt, will be one of the most anticipated townships of IJM Land Bhd.

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Kuala Lumpur mall still up and running

SUNGEI Wang Plaza remains open for business despite the closure of Bukit Bintang Plaza (BB Plaza) for redevelopment.

The shopping centre adjacent to BB Plaza, is open from 10am to 10pm daily. As the passage link between BB Plaza and Sungei Wang Plaza will be closed, the public can enter Sungai Wang via the main entrance facing Jalan Sultan Ismail or via secondary entrances in Jalan Bulan and monorail entrance at Level 1.

Those driving may use the following routes:

 a) South of Klang Valley – via SMART Tunnel and Jalan Sultan Ismail;

b) North of Klang Valley – via Jalan Sultan Ismail then Jalan Imbi; and

c) East of Klang Valley – via Jalan Tun Razak then Jalan Bukit Bintang;

Those taking the LRT and monorail can exit via Bukit Bintang station and come through the Level 1 entrance.

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Sunway City Ipoh bags five FIABCI titles

Lost World of Tambun at Sunway City Ipoh received World Gold Award at FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Awards 2015

Gold winner: His Royal Highness Yang di-Pertuan Besar Negeri Sembilan Tuanku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tuanku Munawir (second left) presented the award to Sunway Group managing director (property investment division) Datuk Ngeow Voon Yean (second right).

LOST World of Tambun (LWOT), an anchor component of Sunway City Ipoh (SCI), clinched World Gold Winner in the Resort Category at the recent FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Award 2015, making SCI the first integrated development in Southeast Asia to garner five FIABCI accolades including two world titles.

“We are humbled by this international recognition. As Malaysia’s top property developer, tourism development is central to complementing our integrated developments in the townships we build. Having achieved resounding success with Sunway Resort City in Selangor, which is one of the top tourist hubs in the region, we are very proud that Sunway City Ipoh, a joint venture with the Perak state government, is another success story and is now an international tourist attraction in Malaysia. It continues to boost tourism activity and remains an economic driver for the state of Perak,” said Sunway Group managing director (property investment division) Datuk Ngeow Voon Yean.

As the first township in Southeast Asia today with five FIABCI titles to its name, Sunway City Ipoh continues to make significant contributions to the transformation of Ipoh’s urban development.

Prior to winning this year’s FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence, SCI garnered FIABCI Malaysia Property Award 2010 for the Master Plan Category; The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat at SCI was awarded FIABCI Malaysia Property Award 2011 for Best Resort and the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Award in 2012 for Resort Development Category, while Lost World of Tambun at SCI clinched the FIABCI Malaysia Property Award in 2014.

Sunway City IpohSCI consists of six key components namely residential, leisure, commercial, industrial, hospitality and education. As of 2014, 65% of the development has been completed, and the 35% remainder is scheduled for completion by 2025. For its residential component, about 1,300 homes have been completed with 2,000 more homes being planned. Future plans include the Lost World Outlet Mall, Lost World Serviced Apartments (with hotspring facilities), The Banjaran Hotsprings Retreat phase 2 and hilltop homes, among others. As a major tourism driver, SCI receives an annual average of 1.5 million visitations.

As the largest integrated township in Perak, SCI stands as the catalyst of growth for the Eastern Development Corridor of Ipoh. Today, SCI spans approximately 1,350 acres with a Gross Development Value (GDV) topping RM2 billion.

Located in the midst of tropical greenery, majestic 260 million-year-old limestone hills and natural hot springs, the integrated township enjoys accessibility to the Ipoh town centre and other parts of Malaysia. It is about eight kilometres from downtown Ipoh and five minutes off the North-South Expressway.

If you would like to send press releases or be a contributor, contact us at editor@starproperty.my

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