New landmark for Kuching

An artist's impression of the Batu Lintang project that will change the skyline of Kuching.

KUCHING: Kuching skyline is set to change with the construction of a 36-storey office tower in the prime area of Batu Lintang.

The proposed tower will beat the city's tallest building, the 22-storey Wisma Bapa Malaysia in Petra Jaya which now houses the Chief Minister's office, several ministries and the state secretariat.

The tower is part of Sarawak's biggest mixed-development project jointly undertaken by Naim Holdings Bhd with Lembaga Amanah Kebajikan Masjid Negeri Sarawak (LAKMNS) and Tabung Baitulmal Sarawak (TBS), both state charitable trusts.

Naim has a 70% stake in the joint venture while LAKMNS and TBS each holds a 15% equity interest. A memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the project was signed recently.

Naim managing director Datuk Hasmi Hasnan said other components of the 13.6ha project were a 27-storey apartment, 18-storey condominium, a second office-tower block, hotel tower, a four-storey shopping mall, a 17,000-sq-ft showroom and multi-storey car parks.

'We will incorporate a water theme park, roof garden and plenty of green areas to make the development environment friendly and one that the local population can enjoy,'' he added.

The project site was previously occupied by government quarters. The land has been cleared and earth-filling works was completed recently.

Hasmi said the project would be carried out in phases over 20 years, with the apartments to be built first. The apartment block will have 115 units and the condominium 216 units.

“For each phase, we will do in-depth study on market demand and supply to take cognition of any changes in the economic climate to ensure the project's success,'' he said.

Hasmi said the development was expected to create 2,000 jobs and would provide business opportunities to retailers and wholesalers.

By The Star

GAIM seeks to invest more in Iskandar

Berinda Group chief executive officer and Tanjung Bintang group managing director Frank Goon Swee Kheong (right) briefing Johor Baru mayor Jaafar Awang (centre) and Charlie Taka on the Molek Pine 3 Tower.

The Macau firm has just acquired two condo blocks there for RM200mil

JOHOR BARU: Global Asia Investment (Macau) Ltd (GAIM) is looking to invest in more property projects in Iskandar Malaysia following its initial foray into Johor Baru market.

Chief executive officer Charlie Taka said the prospects in Iskandar Malaysia were good and the company wanted to benefit from long-term growth of Malaysia's first economic growth corridor.

Headquartered in Macau, GAIM is an asset-building consulting company with 10,000 members. It assists its clients, who are mostly Japanese, in investing overseas.

“Iskandar's close proximity to Singapore and its strategic location in the region is the major selling point to attract investors from all over the world,'' Taka told StarBiz at the ground-breaking ceremony of Molek Pine Tower 3 project here recently.

He said like Chinas' Shenzhen, which benefitted from the economic spillover of Hong Kong and Macau, Iskandar would benefit from Singapore's position as an international trade and financial centre.

He expects Iskandar to be fully developed in 10 years although Iskandar Regional Development Authority, under its Comprehensive Development Plan, has set a target for the economic corridor to become an international metropolis in 2025.

Meanwhile, GAIM has purchased the two condominium blocks at Molek Pine Tower 3 from Tanjung Bintang Sdn Bhd for RM200mil. The blocks would be used for its “Malaysia My Second Home” programme for its Japanese clients.

The project comprises a 28-storey tower block with 212 units and a six-storey block with 36 units on a 2.42ha site in Taman Molek.

The units will have built-up areas of 1,300 to 2,300 sq ft. The condo, with selling price from RM500,000, is expected to be completed in two years.

It is being developed by Tanjung Bintang, a unit of the Berinda Group, which in turn is a property development arm of the Kuok Group. Taman Molek was launched in 1990 and now has about 5,000 residential and commercial units.

“With European and the US economies still have a long way to recover and Japan's economy not in a good shape either, we are focusing on China and Asean countries for investments,'' said Taka.

He said GAIM would look at several options when investing in Iskandar including joint ventures with local partners, buying properties en bloc and acquiring stakes in companies.

Taka said apart from Iskandar, the company also had property investments in Kuala Lumpur and Penang.

GAIM, which has a revolving fund of RM500mil, has similar investments in Canada, China, Cambodia, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Thailand, the United States and the Philippines.

By The Star

Abu Dhabi's Tasweek buys Superboom stake

Abu Dhabi-based Tasweek Real Estate Marketing and Development is buying a minority interest in property developer Superboom Projects Sdn Bhd.

Superboom is developing the RM250 million high-end condominium project named The Haven Lakeside Residences in Ipoh, Perak.

The deal was signed last weekend. Superboom chief executive officer Peter Chan declined to specify the stake size nor the amount paid by Tasweek.

"This is a strategic alliance between us and Tasweek to take on more projects in Malaysia. They were very impressed with our development and have decided to invest in Malaysia," said Chan.

He added that the group will provide funds for the project and market the units in the Middle East.

The deal comes just a week after Superboom appointed Best Western International Inc, one of the world's largest hotel chains, to manage, market and lease the units internationally.

Set for completion in 2013, The Haven will see its three 26-storey towers with 165 units each becoming the tallest buildings in Perak.

China's Beijing Construction & Engineering and Bina Puri Holdings Bhd have been given a contract worth RM109 million to construct the buildings.

According to Chan, 85 per cent of Block A and 60 per cent of Block C have been sold to property investors in Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, India, Europe and the Middle East in the last nine months.

Block B was launched last weekend and he expects half of the building to be sold within three to six months.

Buyers are attracted to The Haven as it overlooks a 1.6ha private natural lake with running water, a 14-storey high monolithic limestone rock formation, and the existing 280 million-year-old limestone hills.

The Haven is aimed to be among the first developments to embark on all feasible avenues of harvesting nature's renewable and sustainable resources such as wind, water, bio-gas and pro-active mechanical resources to power and maintain common areas.

By Business Times

Sunway REIT targets RM7bil asset value

PETALING JAYA: Sunway REIT Management Sdn Bhd, the manager for Sunway REIT, is looking to make some sizeable and meaningful asset acquisitions in the medium term and widen the REIT's presence in the country.


Datuk Jeffrey Ng says one of the acquisitions involved a shopping mall from a third party vendor. However, he expects more competition for good assets, especially with the emergence of more well capitalised REITs in the country.

Chief executive officer Datuk Jeffrey Ng said one of the acquisitions involved a shopping mall from a third party vendor.

Ng said one of the growth plans for Sunway REIT was to expand its asset value to RM7bil in the next five to seven years.

However, he expected more competition for good assets, especially with the emergence of more well capitalised REITs in the country.

“Besides shopping for good assets from third parties, Sunway REIT also has the first right of refusal for Sunway City Bhd's (SunCity) assets which guarantees a ready pipeline of assets for injection into the trust,” he told StarBiz.

Among the new commercial projects underway by SunCity include a number of office towers and office cum retail projects in the Klang Valley.

A new commercial project, Sunway Velocity in Cheras will feature office suites, service apartments, and a shopping mall.

“Sunway REIT will remain as a a retail-focused REIT with an asset portfolio that comprises 60% of retail assets and the balance will be a mix of hospitality, office buildings and other commercial assets,” Ng added.

The trust's eight assets are Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Sunway Carnival Shopping Mall, SunCity Ipoh Hypermarket, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Pyramid Tower Hotel, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya, Menara Sunway and Sunway Tower.

Sunway REIT was listed on Bursa Malaysia on July 8 last year.

For the second quarter ended Dec 31, 2010, Sunway REIT recorded gross revenue of RM85.3mil compared with RM72.4mil in the previous quarter. Net property income rose to RM62.8mil from RM55.2mil previously.

The trust would be paying 1.75 sen per unit to its unitholders, a 15.9% increase over the payout in the first quarter.

Total income for distribution amounted to RM46.9mil from realised net profit of RM44.7mil, which is equivalent to a 105% payout ratio.

Ng said the strong second quarter performance was mainly due to a 17.1% increase in the rental renewal rates for the next three years in Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall.

“The vibrancy of and business synergy within Sunway Integrated Resort City (previously Bandar Sunway) is a key driver to the double-digit rental growth recorded for the retail space at Sunway Pyramid,” he said.

Ng said the rental reversion of Sunway REIT's portfolio of 16% was stronger than other REITs in the country and the improved performance starting this quarter would flow through to unitholders over the coming years.

An analyst with a local brokerage said it was important for Sunway REIT to pursue a consistent asset acquisition strategy to enhance its yield accretive potential.

“It must buy assets that offer potential for higher net lettable area and spruce up the properties to improve the rental rates. Sunway REIT is pretty much a yield play and unitholders mostly invest in the REIT for its dividend yield of 7% to 8% a year,” the analyst added.

By The Star

Glomac rides on niche projects

Some of the completed units at Suria Residen, a low-density, gated housing developed by Glomac in Cheras.

PETALING JAYA: Glomac Bhd, a medium-sized property outfit, is on an exciting growth path as it undertakes more niche developments with fast turnaround time in Greater Kuala Lumpur.

The company has a broad range of affordable to higher-end projects. Its 13 ongoing projects include townships in Sungai Buloh and Rawang in Selangor and in Kota Tinggi, Johor, as well as some niche residential and commercial projects in Greater Kuala Lumpur.

For the six months ended Oct 31, 2010, its revenue surged 98.5% to RM267.2mil while pre-tax profit rose 87.5% to RM61.5mil. Net profit attributable to shareholders grew 78.4% to RM31.4mil.

In a recent note, ECM Libra Research said Glomac was on the brink of higher earnings and land bank.

An analyst with a local brokerage concurred, saying the company could look forward to strong double-digit growth of at least 30% over the next three years.

As at end-October 2010, Glomac has unbilled sales of RM572mil, which will be one of its key earnings growth drivers, going forward.

For the financial year ending April 30, 2011, Glomac has set a sales target of about RM500mil.

Going forward, the company can look forward to growing contribution from some of its key ongoing projects like Glomac Tower, Glomac Damansara, Glomac Cyberjaya and Bandar Saujana Utama.

Glomac Damansara Residences, a 2-tower serviced apartment project with an estimated GDV of RM240mil, is set for soft launch in the middle of next month.

Other projects earmarked for launch over the next 12 months will have a combined GDV in excess of RM1bil.

These include a boutique mall in Glomac Damansara with an estimated GDV of RM145mil, Glomac Al Batha Mutiara serviced apartments (RM250mil) and Glomac Utama, a mixed development within the vicinity of Bandar Utama (RM400mil).

One of Glomac's core strategies is to acquire land bank that offers potential for prime and sizeable greenfield developments in Greater KL.

Its recent acquisitions include a 200-acre parcel in Puchong and seven acres in Cyberjaya.

The Puchong land, purchased at RM8.84 per sq ft, has a potential GDV of RM800mil. Glomac will start developing it in about 12 months and the project will comprise terrace and semi-detached houses as well as villa apartments.

The seven acres of commercial land in Cyberjaya were purchased at RM90 per sq ft.

The mixed commercial project planned for this year will have an estimated GDV of RM250mil. It will be an extension of the ongoing Glomac Cyberjaya project launched about two years ago.

Glomac was founded in 1988 by two entrepreneurs, Tan Sri FD Mansor and Datuk Richard Fong.

The company was listed on Bursa Malaysia main board on June 13, 2000. In 2003, it received ISO 9001:2000 certification.

Glomac has completed about 15,000 residential and commercial units with sales totalling RM4bil. It has also completed 5.4 million sq ft of commercial space.

The completed high-end residential developments include gated-and-guarded communities of Aman Suria Damansara in Petaling Jaya, Lakeside Residences in Puchong and Suria Residen, Cheras.


Suria Stonor being developed by Glomac in Kuala Lumpur.

Suria Stonor, a luxury condominium in the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur City Centre, is Glomac's jewel in the crown.

In late 2007, Glomac acquired a 1.3-acre site opposite Petronas Twin Towers and developed it into Glomac Tower, the company's first commercial high-rise project in Kuala Lumpur.


Artist’s impressions of Glomac Tower.

Glomac Tower, a grade A commercial building, has been sold en-bloc at a record price of RM1,120 per sq ft. The project will be completed in the middle of this year.

In 2006, Glomac made two overseas investments. They comprised an office building with car parking lots in Melbourne and a “built-to-suit” warehouse in Bangkok. Both are contributing steady rental yields to the group.

Glomac is now helmed by Datuk FD Iskandar, who is group managing director-cum-chief excutive officer.

The group comprises about 40 subsidiaries involved in every facet of real estate business including property development, property investment, construction, property management and car park management.

By The Star

All eyes and ears on second MRT

KUALA LUMPUR: The second mass rapid transit (MRT) line, which circles the Kuala Lumpur city centre (KLCC) orbital and known as the “circle line”, is already in the final planning stage.

The details are expected to be announced in March.

“Its alignment must depict the current and future business districts in Kuala Lumpur,” said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department and chief executive officer of Pemandu Datuk Seri Idris Jala during an Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) update to analysts and fund managers recently.

In the longer term, a third line to Port Klang was being comtemplated, he said. The circle line is expected to cover the hotspots surrounding the KLCC, Jalan Bukit Bintang, the new Kuala Lumpur International Financial District in Dataran Perdana, KL Ecocity, Pusat Bandar Damansara and Sentul, among others.

Meanwhile, the “blue line” the first line which is a 50km alignment that covers Sungai Buloh to Kajang, via Pusat Bandar Damansara and Bukit Bintang is slated for completion in 2016. The network of all the three MRT lines will be fully operational by 2020.

“Greater KL now has a population of 6 million people. By 2020, we will have 10 million people. If we don't have the MRT, the city will be choked. Right now, nearly everybody drives. This is not sustainable,” said Idris.

He added that currently 13% of people commuted using urban transportation. Under the ETP, Idris said this should increase to 50%, adding that the funding structure for the MRT would be disclosed by end-February.

“Apart from reducing travelling time, the MRT will also cause property prices to appreciate because of better accessibility. If your house is near the MRT station, prices will go up because of the commercialisation created around the area,” said Idris.

Some analysts are wary of the ambitious plans laid out by Pemandu.

“As usual, it's a case of execution. Will the Government be able to actually implement the project? We'll need to see it being done to believe it. More importantly, how is the Government going to fund this project?” asked a construction analyst.

Another analyst said the Government was likely to reduce cost by getting developers to co-fund some of the MRT stations.

On implementation, he said that Pemandu would have learnt from past lessons of the LRT, monorail and commuter train.

Some brokers have notably been able to analyse the impact of the proposed MRT comprehensively.

In a Malaysia Market Strategy Report titled “Property boom-boom” released on Jan 26, global investment bank UBS' head of research Chris Oh said Malaysia was set to enjoy improved connectivity in the coming years with the proposed infrastructure rollout of the MRT system and possible high-speed rail linkage between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

He said the MRT captured the imagination of the people, developers and investors. He expects property value around a radius of 20km of the city centre to rise significantly.

The preference would be on developers who have vast landbank with high-density mixed development around MRT stations.

“Interest in Malaysian property will be fuelled by foreigners looking out for higher returns (via undervalued currency and low entry costs) than their home countries (Singapore and Hong Kong) and the absence of significant restrictions on property ownership by foreigners,” said Oh.

Singapore-based DBS Research was the first to issue a property sector report titled “Entering a Golden Era” on Jan 14, analysing the impact of MRT on the property sector.

The analyst, Yee Mei Hui, said: “The MRT system is expected to be a structural catalyst for the rise in value of the real estate surrounding MRT stations.”

In the report, the firm was projecting boldly that land values in MRT hot spots could jump by up to six-fold over the next five years.

She said the MRT would have a strong structural impact on the Kuala Lumpur real estate, given that the KL city had been under-invested since the last wave of mega-projects in the late 1990s.

The new MRT will create new opportunities for high-density mixed developments, urban renewal and new suburban townships.

In turn, this has boosted the potential for land prices to reach new peaks with higher plot ratios and more commercial developments. Other than existing prime areas, she identified KL Ecocity, Pusat Bandar Damansara and Sentul as new locations for high-density developments to watch out for.

By The Star

Sunway adds shine to REITs

The real estate investment trusts market is expected to be an attractive investment with positive macro economy numbers and higher disposable income.

More property groups are likely to set up real estate investment trusts (REITs) in Malaysia this year as the market continues to stay attractive, said the manager of a major property trust.

"With positive macro economy numbers and higher disposable income, we expect the REIT market to be an attractive investment," said Datuk Jeffrey Ng, the chief executive officer of Sunway REIT Management Sdn Bhd (5176), the manager for Sunway REIT.

Sunway REIT is Malaysia's largest REIT, and it is also the largest REIT initial public offering in Asia, excluding Japan, since 2007.

It was launched by Sunway City Bhd and Sunway REIT Management last July, with eight assets worth RM3.7 billion.
Sunway REIT is expected to double its asset size to RM7 billion in five years, which will comprise 60 per cent of retail properties.

Ng said it is looking for properties to buy, but he declined to elaborate.

Pipeline properties include the two new phases to Sunway Pyramid mall, now known as SP3 and SP4.

Ng said Sunway REIT has helped to bolster the equity market and made it more attractive to foreign institutional players.

"Before the entry of Sunway REIT, the Malaysian REIT (M-REIT) market was never on the international radar screen as the players were too small to attract foreign investors.

"With Sunway REIT coming in, I think we have been catalytic to put M-REIT back on the global funds' radar," he said on Friday in Bandar Sunway, Selangor.

Sunway REIT's assets are Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Sunway Carnival Shopping Mall, SunCity Ipoh Hypermarket, Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, Pyramid Tower Hotel, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya and two office towers.

Sunway REIT is 58 per cent held by institutional funds like the Employees Provident Fund, Permodalan Nasional Bhd, Government of Singapore Investment Corp and Great Eastern Life Assurance (M) Bhd. Some 26 per cent of the trust is held by foreign unit holders.

By Business Times

Property loans growth may taper off

ECM Libra Investment Research expects the loans growth to taper off in anticipation that property sales growth may slow down in late 2011.

Residential and non-residential property loans which accounted for 44 per cent of loans growth in 2010 are already showing signs of growth moderation, it said in a research note today.

Residential loan approval has contracted 3.8 per cent year-on-year in December while non-residential loan approval slowed to 30.2 per cent from 47.3 per cent in November.

"Loans growth will also be dampened by an impending statutory reserve requirement (SRR) hike and imposition of macroprudential lending measures as guided by Bank Negara Malaysia in its latest monetary policy statement on Jan 27," said ECM Libra.

In the near term, it said, loans growth is expected to remain intact as lending indicators continue to be in positive territory with loans application and approvals in December 2010, increasing by 36.5 per cent and 17.4 per cent year-on-year, respectively.

"That said, loans disbursement contracted by 2.8 per cent year-on-year in December," it added.

Loans grew by 12.8 per cent to RM883.6 billion in 2010.

Both household and business loans growth moderated in December at 13.4 per cent and 12.1 per cent, respectively.

The loan-deposit ratio remains high at 81.4 per cent from Nov 10 at 81.3 per cent, which is close to the seven year high of 81.7 per cent reached in Oct 10.

"This was due to deposits growing at 7.3 per cent as compared to the loans growth of 12.8 per cent. We believe the lagging deposit growth may curb loans growth momentum going forward," ECM Libra said.

ECM Libra said it has maintained the neutral call on the banking sector as loans growth is tapering while net interest margins is under pressure going forward.

Meanwhile, OSK Research Sdn Bhd has maintained its view of loans growth for 2011 as remaining robust, with the rise in interest rates from record lows unlikely to dampen pent-up credit demand spurred by a recovering economy.

"The banking system's capitalisation remains sufficient, with the risk weighted capital and core capital ratio, standing at 14.6 per cent and 12.8 per cent, respectively," it added.

By Bernama

SP Setia remains a 'sell', says ECM

SP Setia Bhd remains in the 'sell' zone despite the positive acquisition of a 106.2 hectare (262.5 acres) land in Tebrau, Johor, last Friday, ECM Libra Investment Research said today.

It target price was at RM6.00 per share. "We are not imputing any earnings from this new project into our model yet, until there is more clarity on the development timeline," the research house said in a note.

The land, to be developed as a mixed township, is expected to
generate a gross development value (GDV) of at least RM700 million, ECM Libra added.

It also expects the project to be launched in FY12 with the contribution commencing from FY13 onward.

With the new acquisition, SP Setia will have six projects in Johor.

By Bernama

AZRB, Jasa Bakti JV awarded RM125m public housing project

KUALA LUMPUR: AHMAD ZAKI RESOURCES BHD and Jasa Bakti Sdn Bhd have been awarded a RM125 million contract to undertake a public housing project in Kuala Terengganu.

AZRB said on Monday, Jan 31, it had received a letter of acceptance from the Housing and Local Government Ministry to build 1,002 flats under the public housing program (PPR-for rental) in Changang Tiga, Kuala Terengganu.

“The award for the works amounted to RM125 million. The works are to be completed within the period of 30 months; that is commencing from Feb 16, 2011 to Aug 15, 2013,” it said.

By The EDGE Malaysia

Challenging times ahead for Iskandar

JOHOR BARU: Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Ismail Ibrahim says attracting new investments to Iskandar Malaysia is going to get tougher and more challenging.

He said although the country's first economic growth corridor was making significant progress and moving in the right direction, albeit uncertainties in the global economy, Iskandar could not afford to rest on its laurel.

“The intensity of the competition is becoming greater and we have to prove our sceptics wrong that Iskandar is indeed taking shape as planned,'' Ismail said in an interview with StarBiz.

He said the challenge was not only in attracting new investments to Iskandar, but also receiving financial support from the Government for infrastructure development projects.


Ismail Ibrahim … ‘We have to prove our sceptics wrong, that Iskandar is indeed taking shape as planned.’

Under the Comprehensive Development Plan 20062025, Iskandar is set to transform into a metropolis of international standing.

Iskandar, launched on Nov 4, 2006, is located in the southern most part of Johor and spans over 2,217 sq km. It is three times bigger than Singapore and has five flagship development zones JB City Centre, Nusajaya, Eastern Gate Development, Western Gate Development and Senai-Skudai.

The corridor has attracted investments totalling RM67.68bil up to November last year. A total of RM39.42bil, or 58%, of the total investment was from domestic investors and the balance from foreign investors.

Of the overall investment received, RM6.28bil was from the public sector; RM14.45bil went to tourism, utilities and others; RM20.25bil for properties; and RM26.38bil for the manufacturing sector.

During the same period, RM27.61bil or 40.8% of the total committed investments have been spent on development projects in the region.

Ismail said Irda would continue to work closely with government agencies like Malaysian Industrial Development Authority and Malaysia External Trade Development as well as foreign missions to promote Iskandar.

He said Irda also had a good working relationship with the Johor State Investment Centre (JSIC) although Irda's coverage was limited to Iskandar only, while JSIC covered the entire state.

Irda is the regulatory body mandated to plan, promote and facilitate the development of Iskandar. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman are the co-chairmen.

“We are mindful of the growing Asia-Pacific region and we are coming out with programes to attract more investments from China, India, Indonesia and Singapore,'' Ismail said.

He said besides these countries, Irda would continue to woo investors from Europe, the United States and the Middle East, and would likely to extend its reach to Brazil, Russia and South Africa.

Ismail said although the economies of Europe and the United States were still in the doldrums, Irda believed that they still offered good investment opportunities for Iskandar as not everyone there was affected by the downturn.

He said Iskandar was now in the second phase of its road map which focused mainly on attracting new investments and the completion of phase-one projects.

Ismail said Irda would have more outreach programmes this year with the private sector, which would not be limited to meeting them as groups in seminars or conferences, but would be on one-to-one basis.

“We want to engage them better and intensively so as to share our plans for the private sector in Iskandar and vice versa,'' he said.

Ismail said the private sector stakeholders included property developers, investors, chambers of commerce, small and medium-scale enterprises and land owners.

On why the Government decided to allocate an additional RM600mil for Iskandar in November from the RM339mil announced by Najib in Budget 2011, he said the Government must have its own reasons for that.

Ismail said the bulk of the allocation would be spent this year on ongoing projects like the New Coastal Highway, Iskandar Malaysia public housing project and river cleaning works.

“We believe (the extra allocation) has got to do with our timely delivery of our infrastructure projects and the commitment shown by us and the new projects already in the pipeline,'' he said.

By The Star

Bringing condo living to Perak

Artist’s impression of The Haven Lakeside Residences in Tambun, Perak.

It takes a foreigner to help us appreciate what is available in our backyard. It also takes the can-do spirit of Australian Peter Chan to do the unthinkable.

The limestone rocks and hills around Ipoh have so enchanted the co-principal of Superboom Projects Sdn Bhd that he is building three blocks of luxurious condominiums The Haven Lakeside Residences in Tambun, 15 minutes' drive out of Ipoh.


Peter Chan ... ‘This is a little Guilin.’

“This is a little Guilin,” says the CEO of Superboom Projects, referring to China's famed holiday destination Guilin. “Limestone hills and formation are unique. They do not happen just anywhere and The Haven is surrounded by them.”

The area that Chan has set his sight on forms part of the Malaysian Main Range, which stretches from southern Thailand to Johor. Limestones have today become synonymous with Ipoh, just as the Melawati Range is synonymous with Taman Melawati, Kuala Lumpur which also is part of the Main Range.

Leveraging on the green factor and old money looking for new lifestyles, Chan will be building what will be Ipoh's most luxurious condominium priced from RM330,000 to RM2mil a unit. It will also be the tallest building in and around Ipoh. The tallest building is Tower Regency, a 20-storey hotel in Ipoh. The project is expected to set a new benchmark for the Perak property market.

“Property prices move up quite a bit in the Klang Valley and Penang but there is this perception that it should be low here (Ipoh). It is just that there is little population growth here. The young people keep leaving home to seek work in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. So, when there is no population growth, there is no demand. But environmentally, Ipoh is an ideal place to retire in. The cost of living is not as high as in Kuala Lumpur or Penang,” he says, adding that there are several hospitals and a supermarket chain within a short drive of the project.

For years, developers in Perak have concentrated on building double-storey terraced and semi-detached houses. Because of the abundance of land, the idea of building luxurious high-rise condominiums did not figure.

Chan looks at the market demand with new lenses. There are many empty nesters in and around Ipoh, with a population of about 800,000. Increasingly, security has become an issue. There is no room today for a five- or six-room house, unless two or more generations stay together, he says.

His target audience is the retirees' market in and around Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. The other market segments are those in search of a holiday home.

“Ipoh is a quiet and serene place to retire and to holiday in. Penang and Malacca are oversold but little is known about Ipoh. I would like to change that,” he says.

He is offering 11 layouts with built-ups ranging from 1,000-3,000 sq ft. Although there are about 500 condominium units, Chan is offering about 300 covered car parks in a three-storey parking podium with lifts. There will be two separate covered parking facilities with additional bays on ground level.

Chan does not expect full occupancy all year around. Hence, he is working with Best Western Hotels group, one of the world's largest hotel chain to manage, market and lease out some of the properties. Maintenance charges for the first 1,000 sq ft is 22 sen, the second and third 1,000 sq ft at 16 sen and 12 sen per sq ft.

On the issue of the terrain housing the three 26-storey blocks, Chan said the site has been tested by three independent engineering companies working on structure and foundation. Prof Bernard Pierson, the Shell chair for Geosciences at Universiti Teknologi Petronas was reported to have vouched for the safety of the residences.

This will be Chan's third project. His previous two projects are double-storey terraced housing at Subang Galaxy in Subang 2, Selangor and Permai Lake View Apartments, located adjacent to the 14-acre Haven site. Chan completed the apartments in 2006. Fronting the Permai Lake View apartments later on will be about 30 shops. The concept to build the condominiums came in 2008.

The three blocks will be sited around a 4-acre lake on the foothills of the Main Range, where a 14-storey limestone rock stands. Chan's 14-acre site, inclusive of the lake, is adjacent to Sunway's plot of land which includes a hill. On the other side of the hill is Perak's famed spa resort, The Banjaran.

“Things are moving in Perak. It is just that this place has long been overlooked, with Penang and Malacca oversold as a retiree's home and a retreat,” he says.

The project, with a gross development value of RM250mil, is being constructed by Bina Puri Holdings Bhd and Beijing Construction Engineering (M) Sdn Bhd, two top contractors in Malaysia and China respectively. The leasehold project is expected to be completed in 2013.

By The Star

Higher income status will help grow real estate sector

We are in very interesting times when changes are happening in almost every sphere of our lives and in every part of the world. We are certainly experiencing first hand the age old saying that “the only constant thing is change”.

With change comes challenges and opportunities. To avoid being left behind, all alike from the common folks to governments and organisations should be proactive and take the necessary steps to be part of the big wheel of change.

One of the big changes underway for the country is the need to take the big step forward to become a high income nation. This is indeed a welcoming change that will allow all working Malaysians to progress up the income ladder and to look forward to bigger pay checks and maintain a higher standard and quality of living.

Widening the pool of high income earners is certainly good for the country to take a leapfrog forward across all the economic sectors. This is because it will promote higher domestic consumption and more sustainable growth for the country.

In the real estate sector, one of the keys to ensure sustainability in the local market is to increase the people's per capita income at least to the level of the other developed countries in Asia.

Unless we grow our per capita income, we will not be able to move up the value chain and see a phenomenal growth in our real estate sector.

The vast difference in per capita income compared with the high income countries of Singapore, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan could be the reason for the big property price gap here compared with that in those countries. Likewise in the other sectors, there are also many growth opportunities to be tapped by moving up the value chain.

It does not help that the country is still dependent on so many foreign workers which is causing substantial outflow of foreign exchange to the other countries. Instead of relying on these supposedly lower wage foreign labour, it is time to revert back to our own Malaysian workforce which will have substantial spillover benefits to the local economy.

Although the pay structure will have to be revamped upwards, employing our own workers will ensure that they will be duly employed and prevent them from getting involved in other undesirable activities if they remain unemployed.

Like many high-income countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan, foreigners should only be allowed to work as domestic maids and high skilled and critical professional jobs that are in short supply locally.

This way, the people's wages will have a chance to move upwards and not kept artificially low like what is happening now. There will also be less outflow of funds from the country.

In the real estate sector, one of the most obvious changes is the rapid appreciation of property valuation and the sudden windfall for many property investors.

The sharp rise in property prices in some parts of the country has caused both anxiety and excitement depending on which side of the scale one is at.

Developers certainly have a big role to play in the way property prices move. The pace and size of their project launches will determine the supply coming into the market.

When there is still a strong pent-up demand for more affordably to higher priced houses like what is happening now, it will help if developers speed up on their launches and help to ease the supply flow.

The price of a property when it was first launched is an important factor, but beyond that, the rate of how much a property will appreciate or depreciate is dependent on a number of factors including demand and supply. While location is a major factor that determines a property's value, other important considerations include infastructure network, accessibility, security, and the amenities and facilities provided.

I have observed that while there are townships and neighbourhoods that continue to be relevant and look refreshing and happening, there are also many that are dreary without much going for them. Of course, the value of properties will also differ accordingly.

Developers should continue to establish strong rapport with their buyers even after the projects are handed over to buyers.

We should give the thumbs up to developers who consider the handing over of completed projects as the beginning of their relationship with their customers.

They continue to listen to their buyers, help to form active and engaging community activities and add value to the townships they build.

It is important not to undermine good after-sales service as they can work wonders for a developer's reputation and promote loyalty and repeat purchase from customers.

Deputy news editor Angie Ng hopes to see developers sprucing up parks in their townships instead of cannibalising them and deprive residents of a healthy form of recreation.

By The Star (by Angie Ng)

Best Western to manage and market The Haven

BEST Western International Inc, one of the world’s largest hotel chains, has been appointed by property developer Superboom Projects Sdn Bhd to manage, market and lease out The Haven Lakeside Residences.


Jonathan Badman (left) and The Haven Sdn Bhd co-principal David Yam at the site of The Haven Lakeside Residences.

BWI Hotels Sdn Bhd group director of sales and marketing (Malaysia) Jonathan Badman says this will be the group’s first undertaking of luxury residential eco-resort in Malaysia and the first of its kind in South-East Asia.

Says Badman: “Owners have a choice to stay or to lease out their units. The transaction is between themselves and Best Western Hotels. We will also manage the public areas of the project.”

He says the Arizona-based company will further improve the design and facilities at The Haven to Best Western’s premier level, the equivalent of a four-star and above in hotel rating.

The company manages and operates two hotels under franchise agreements in Malaysia currently, these being Best Western Kinabalu Daya Hotel in Kota Kinabalu and Best Western Marina Island Resort in Pangkor. Both are its core three-star brand.

In the second quarter of this year, it will be opening in three new locations namely Best Western Sandakan Hotel and Residence in Sabah (170 rooms), Best Western Premier Dua Sentral KL (352 rooms) and Riverside Malacca (170 rooms).

The group will be having four new locations in 2012 and 2013 in Malacca, Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam, and The Haven in Tambun, Perak.

“If we cannot bring value into a relationship, we will not do it. In the case of The Haven, it will be a win-win situation,” Badman says.

The Best Western brand began operations in Malaysia in 2005 and Asia will be its growth market. The group manages and operates 165 properties in Asia and the Middle East. It operates in 80 countries and territories globally.

By The Star

SP Setia to expand Johor landbank

KUALA LUMPUR: SP Setia Bhd, which has established a strong foothold in Johor, continues to expand its landbank in the state by acquiring a land from Kenyalang Property Development Sdn Bhd for RM125.8 mil.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia yesterday, SP Setia said its subsidiary, Setia Indah Sdn Bhd, had entered into an agreement with Kenyalang for the acquisition, which is expected to conclude during the financial year ending Oct 31, 2011. It plans to develop a mixed residential development located in the Tebrau corridor.

By Bernama

Sunway REIT to beat profit forecast

SUNWAY Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), Malaysia's biggest property trust, expects to do better than the RM170 million net profit it forecast for the year.

This is due to strong rental revision of 16 per cent for its entire portfolio in 2010, which has improved performance of the properties, Datuk Jeffrey Ng, the chief executive officer of Sunway REIT Management Sdn Bhd said.



Sunway REIT has eight assets worth RM3.7 billion. They are Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Sunway Carnival Shopping Mall, SunCity Ipoh Hypermarket, Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, Pyramid Tower Hotel, Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya and two office tower.

Ng said the main driver for growth this year will be Sunway Pyramid.
Net rental for Sunway Pyramid was raised from RM8.90 per sq ft (psf) to RM9.40 psf after Sunway REIT's initial public offering last July, by Sunway City Bhd (SunCity).

The mall has recorded a sales growth rate of 15 per cent, higher than industry growth of between five and 10 per cent.

Any major change to the mall's earnings will have a positive impact on the trust's overall performance as it contributes 60 per cent to the trust's earnings.

Ng expects Sunway REIT to also surpass its forecast revenue of RM330 million, led by overall improvement of Sunway Integrated Resort City (SIRC).

SIRC, a multi-billion development by Suncity has two operating hotels, shopping malls and universities, Sunway Medical Centre, condominiums and villas, convention centres, shopoffices and a theme park.

Ng said SIRC will benefit from the rising growth in tourism spending, which is around RM50 billion a year.

"If SIRC continues to grow and be vibrant, there is no reason why Sunway REIT cannot achieve double digit growth year on year," Ng said.

By Business Times

Bayu Melati, PKNS in venture to develop land

MELATI Ehsan Holdings Bhd’s wholly-owned unit Bayu Melati Sdn Bhd has sealed a joint venture agreement with PKNS Holdings Sdn Bhd to develop three parcels of land in Kelana Jaya, Selangor, into a mixed commercial development worth RM1.62 billion.

The proposed development will feature serviced apartments, office towers, Soho offices, a sports complex, mall, hotel and a performing arts centre.

By Business Times

Setia Indah to acquire 106ha in Johor Baru

SP SETIA Bhd’s wholly-owned unit Setia Indah Sdn Bhd has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with Kenyalang Property Development Sdn Bhd to buy 106ha in Johor Baru, Johor, for RM125.8 million.

It told Bursa Malaysia yesterday that it intends to develop a mixed residential development project on the land.

By Business Times

Parkway to run private hospital in Sabah

Parkway Holdings Ltd, the Singapore hospital operator, said it will lease and operate a RM200 million (US$65 million) private hospital that will be built in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Parkway, controlled by Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional Bhd, signed an agreement with Jesselton Wellness Sdn Bhd, a special-purpose vehicle set up to develop the hospital that is part-owned by an investment arm of Sabah’s state government, the company said in a statement.

Danajamin Nasional Bhd, a Malaysian state bond insurer, will guarantee RM200 million of notes that will be issued to finance the project, it said.

By Bloomberg

SP Setia buys land for RM126m

SP Setia Bhd, which has established a strong foothold in Johor, continues to expand its landbank in the state by acquiring a land from Kenyalang Property Development Sdn Bhd for RM125.8 million.

In a filing to Bursa Malaysia today, SP Setia said its subsidiary, Setia Indah Sdn Bhd, had entered into an agreement with Kenyalang for the acquisition, which is expected to conclude during the financial year ending Oct 31, 2011.

It plans to develop a mixed residential development project on the land, located in the Tebrau corridor.

Currently, it is developing four on-going project within the corridor, namely Bukit Indah Johor, Setia Indah Johor, Setia Tropika and Setia Eco Gardens.

SP Setia said the proposed acquisition was in line with its strategy to strengthen its presence in the state while taking advantage of the exciting happenings in the Iskandar region.
It is also expected to contribute positively to the future earnings and cash flow of the group.

By Bernama