The Iskandarian Apr 2015 Issue by The Iskandarian-WAVES Lifestyle

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

Official Newspaper

KDN : PP17797/06/2012(032765) | Singapore MICA : MCI (P) 144/11/2014

The Iskandarian, Iskandar Malaysia’s Premier Community Newspaper, is a publicprivate collaborative product by IRDA’s Social Development Division

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian

The Iskandarian Monthly Drill

We get in touch with CEOs & Chairmen to drill them with questions

We would be naïve to think that the introduction of GST is not going to impact on consumer confidence in the short term

email: admin@theiskandarian.com

- Jennie Parr Centre Manager KOMTAR JBCC

pg 9

website/e-paper : www.theiskandarian.com

The Iskandarian Iskandar Malaysia’s Premier Community Newspaper

Download iskandar.my app at iOS App Store and Google Play Store today!

Scan for Reading Online

INSIDE

The Royal Ibrahim’s of Johor Peggy Loh takes us down the royal memory lane of traditions and historical culture Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar wants to see balanced developments in Johor Bahru with spillover effects for the pg 2 rakyat

pg 10

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

The Iskandarian

Our Friends

streets

Sultan Ibrahim wants balance Opinion

His Royal Highness would like to see balanced developments in Johor Bahru with spillover effects for the rakyat

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

he rapid developments that are going on in Johor Bahru, namely the Iskandar Malaysia region, has and will drastically change many things in the district. The Iskandar Malaysia region has been growing fast so much so that many have been voicing out their opinions on the surplus of supply compared to the so called measly call for demand. His Royal Highness, The Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar quite clearly stated in an exclusive interview with The Star newspaper, “I wish to see balanced development. I do not want to see Johor Bahru filled with buildings only. The people must benefit from any form of development. There must be spillover effects with the ordinary people being able to open up businesses to serve people who have bought homeshare. Ordinary Johorians

must see the spillover effects, as I want people to benefit from all these changes.” Aside from the foreign developers investing in Iskandar Malaysia such as Country Garden and R&F, there are also local developers aggressively involved in building Iskandar Malaysia such as UMLand and MB Group who help create a healthy and competitive industry. “I am also aware of the grumblings on the ground that homes are becoming too expensive, especially for the poor. I hope that the Government will speed up the building of the 28,000 affordable homes in the state, especially for firsttime buyers,” said His Highness. Balanced development also means balancing out the activities surrounding the environment in the region. HRH Sultan Ibrahim has made it clear that, “It is pointless to be a developed state if our environment is all polluted as it will not be a conducive place for the rakyat to live in.”

The state government and relevant authorities have been directed by HRH Sultan Johor to ensure that there are no illegal logging activities in the state. “I want the state government to increase the number of green lungs in Johor, as well as maintain exiting forest areas, as an effort to preserve the environment. This is why for the Forest City project, great emphasis will be placed on the environment and greenery,” said Sultan Ibrahim. TI

DYMM Sultan Ibrahim (filepic)

Johor for Johorians Highlight

Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin makes it clear that policies are made to benefit the people of Johor

enteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed K haled Nordin was asked for his views on comments by Singaporeans about the apparent lack of consistency relating to housing policies in Iskandar, Johor, as one of the factors contributing to the trend of Singaporeans being less keen on purchasing properties in Iskandar Malaysia, recently. “I make policies that look after the interest of Johor people, if there is a need for changes, I will make

the changes. Anyway, Singaporeans will see things in their own way,” he replied during a press meet for JCorp’s Chartered Accountancy programme. Reports are suggesting that Singaporeans are the top buyers of properties in the region with 4,314 units in 2014. This figure is however lower by 20% in comparison to the purchases made in 2013. During the Regional Corporate Outlook 2015, organised by REHDA Institute and Malaysia Property Inc recently, IRDA’s Senior

Vice President of economics and investment Cheah Ping Yean concurred that the number of launches in Iskandar Malaysia has dropped of late, with each new quarter seeing fewer launches but rebutted that it could be due to the Chinese New Year celebrations, indicating that it was still too soon to tell. Cheah added that till the end of December 2014, Iskandar Malaysia had received Singaporean investments for the services and

manufacturing sectors totalling RM14bil on a cumulative basis. For this year, it is forecasting between RM15bil and RM25bil for both sectors, of which 35% will be foreign direct investments. Of this 35% (about RM7bil), RM1.75bil is expected to come from Singapore. As at October 2014, cumulative committed investments into Iskandar reached RM156bil, increasing almost 13 fold compared to 2006’s RM11bil when it was launched.

SEND LETTERs or inquiries to facebook.com/theiskandarian admin@theiskandarian.com www.theiskandarian.com

Published by True Soul Media PLT [No.51-B, Jalan Impian Emas 5/1, Taman Impian Emas, 81300 Johor Bahru] Printed by Twinstar Synergy Sdn. Bhd. [Lot2A, Jln 13/2, Seksyen 13, 46200, Petaling Jaya, Selangor] Copyright of articles, contributions and photos which are published by The Iskandarian is the property of True Soul Entertainment. The Iskandarian does its best to ensure the authenticity and accuracy of its contents, the publisher cannot accept any responsibilities for errors, mistakes and inaccuracies. The publisher reserves the rights of this product and no part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the permission of the publisher.

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

streets OneBuild@JB Exhibition dedicated to the vibrant Southern market

skandar Malaysia is one of the largest size economic development regions in Asia in recent history. The push for construction and infrastructure development in this Southern Peninsular Malaysia’s region is growing dramatically. In response to growing interest from local and foreign investors to Iskandar Malaysia, the inaugural edition of OneBuild@ JB – Southern Malaysia Building Materials and Construction Technology Exhibition will make its debut from 23 – 26 April 2015 at Expo @Danga City Mall, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia. “With more industry players setting their sight on Iskandar Malaysia, the region is expecting a stronger capital inflow and investment. Therefore, we are in an effort to provide a premier platform where these industry players can connect with the right network for their business ventures,” said Lim Kean Boon, Managing Director of One International Exhibition Sdn. Bhd. OneBuild@JB 2015 is the one and only, as well as most comprehensive building materials and construction trade show in Johor. It will be established as a one-stop trading and sourcing platform designed for industry players to explore business opportunities and for industrial professionals to obtain the most updated solutions in the building and construction sector, specifically in Southern Peninsular Malaysia’s market. The co-located Green Conevo Expo will feature the best in knowledge of Green Technology, providing a truly comprehensive platform for participants and industry stakeholders. The event is fully supported by Construction Industry Development Board

Malaysia (CIDB), which is the local authoritative government body in construction industry. The major organisations or associations involved in different fields of building and construction sectors such as Johor Master Builders Association (JMBA), Malay Contractor Association of Johor State (PKMMNJ), Institute of Engineers Southern Branch (IEM SB), Building Materials Distributors Association of Malaysia (BMDAM), just to name a few, have given their utmost support and collaboration to the anticipated OneBuild@JB. “Having 135 booths and participation from more than 80 companies, OneBuild@ JB aims to tap on the opportunities that will create the promotion and betterment of Johor’s building and construction industry. We are glad that the new idea and appearance of OneBuild@JB is well-accepted by local and international market players whom shall bring a very great product and technology showcase for our visitors during the exhibition. Other than that, visitors are encouraged to attend the seminars which are specifically designed for them and their work fields,” added Lim. The seminars held during OneBuild@ JB shall be conducted by industry professionals, including CIDB Holdings, Institute of Engineers Southern Branch, Malaysia Green Building Confederation (MGBC), Malaysian Institute of Architects (PAM) Southern Chapter and other industry-related organisations. The topics shall excompass construction technique, health and safety, green technology and engineering issues among many other. For more information or preregistration, visit www.oneinternational.com.my

The Iskandarian

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

Refusing to use the fitting room, this kiasu shopper goes bare back in full view of others to try out his clothing

-Posted by Nurul Shahidah

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

streets

New Airline: flymojo Highlight

flymojo executes Letter of Intent for up to 40 Bombardier CSeries Airliners

new airline, flymojo was recently announced at the Langkawi International Maritime & Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA). Bombardier Commercial Aircraft and Fly Mojo Sdn Bhd have signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the sale and purchase of 20 CS100 aircrafts with options for an additional 20 CS100 aircrafts. flymojo, will be based out of Johor Bahru and Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and is expected to become the first customers for CS100 aircrafts in the region. At the LOI signing ceremony, flymojo was represented by Managing Director, Janardhanan Gopala Krishnan and Bombardier Commercial Aircraft by Regional

Vice President, Sales, Asia-Pacific, Frank Baistrocchi. In attendance were the Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, the Minister of Transport, Liow Tiong Lai, the Deputy Minister of Transport, Aziz Kaprawi, Canada’s High Commissioner to Malaysia, Her Excellency Judith St. George, flymojo Chairman, Alies Anor Abdul and Vice President, Sales, China and Asia-Pacific, Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, Andy Solem. “Born of the desire to make air travel a much-anticipated and longed for experience, flymojo is dedicated to providing value, and exceptional customer service that will focus on putting the human touch back into flying,” said flymojo Chairman, Alies Anor Abdul.

Always in Our Hearts: MH370 Memorial

alaysia Airlines (MAS) recently held a private gathering to remember the 13 employees lost when flight MH370 disappeared en route to Beijing from Kuala Lumpur one year ago on the March 8th, 2014. The event at the Malaysia Airlines Academy, Kelana Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, was attended by MAS employees and family members of those employees lost. The gathering of the MAS family was led by Tan Sri Md Nor Yusof, Chairman

One year since Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370 vanished, the plane’s whereabouts remains a mystery

of Malaysia Airlines, and Group Chief Executive Officer, Ahmad Jauhari Yahya. They were joined by members of the Board of Directors and members of staff across all divisions of the company. “We acknowledge the reality of our shared loss and remember 13 dear friends and colleagues who left us when MH370 disappeared one year ago,” he said. “We love them. We miss them and we will never forget them. They will always remain in our hearts.” Ahmad Jauhari paid

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

Nusajaya Police IPD 07-511 4222

Tourism Malaysia Hotline 1300 88 5050

Johor Tourism 07-223 4935 / 224 9960

Senai International Airport 07-599 4500

JB South Police IPD 07-2218 999

Ministry of Tourism (Johor) 07-223 3171

Tourism Malaysia Johor 07-222 3590 / 91

Immigration 07-224 4233

Iskandar Regional

Hotlines

tribute to the dedication of the airline’s employees; for their tireless efforts and their enduring support to the airline and the families of the passengers. “Whilst MH370 was tragic for all of us, it also brought out the best in Malaysia Airlines,” he said. He gave special thanks to those who volunteered to provide caregiving assistance and support for families of passengers and crew. The Government of Malaysia and all those supporting the international search effort were also recognised.

Development Authority (IRDA) 07-233 3000

Please recycle this newspaper after reading. Thank you

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

Do You Vespa? Interest

streets

Bella Vespa launched the first 3S certified showroom and service centre in Johor Bahru

Marlborough’s Student Investors Achievement

Lee Storey and His wife cutting the Vespa cake along side Farouk Faisal By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

espa is a brand known for its adorable attractiveness ever since its first model built in 1946 by Piaggio and Co. This Italian wasp has built a reputation for itself as a simple and loveable scooter, making features in the passions of the people such as art, music, lifestyles and love. Lee Storey and his wife, Masnaida Samsudin recently hosted the grand opening of Bella Vespa, the first authorised Vespa dealership in Johor. The couple being Vespa enthusiasts, were so proud to open one of the first 3S certified showroom and service centre in Johor. “I am so overwhelmed that people think greatly of what we have achieved. Four months of hard work have paid off in bringing new levels and standards of services in Johor. I have achieved satisfaction of opening up Bella Vespa with my wife,” said Lee.

The new showroom was inaugurated by Farouk Faisal, Vice President II of Naza Premira Sdn Bhd with a short congratulatory speech and a Bella Vespa cake cutting with Lee and his wife. “Vespa is a way of life or a lifestyle to many scooter lovers out there. It suits all classes of life. I’ve seen men in suits and also men in sarongs riding a vespa,” said Farouk. Many Vespa enthusiasts showed up on the opening day by parking and showcasing their individual custom scooter styles. Everyone who came got a goodie-bag with a “Do you Vespa?” t-shirt in it. The Bella Vespa showroom showcases brand new Vespa scooters and has a lounging area for customers to wait and relax while waiting for their scooters to be serviced in the 3S service centre. For more information, visit www.bellavespa.com or contact +607 2444 939. TI

Marlborough College Malaysia IB Pupils become International Share Traders of the Year

dward Chai, Richard Lai, Andrew Yeow and Jack Hobby have done Marlborough College Malaysia proud. They have beaten over 8,700 other teams from the UK and around the world to become 6th overall and the top non-UK school international stocks and shares trading team. Each year, the UK’s Institute of Fiscal Studies runs an online share trading game known as Student Investor. Teams of four students are given a virtual £100,000 (that’s roughly RM550,000 or SGD205,000) that they can ‘invest’ in the UK stock market. Over a period of about three months, the students invested their virtual cash in real shares and the actual share prices were used

to calculate either profit or loss. The team maintained their position in the top ten throughout the competition and were consistently the top performing non-UK school. What made this achievement even more remarkable is that for the entirety of the competition, the team have been on an eight hour time difference meaning that the UK markets have been open while the team was asleep. In the end, their portfolio value reached £198,353.08, nearly doubling their money in three months. The competition which is sponsored by Bloomberg, the FTSE and AXA Insurance has awarded the team with £100 (RM 530) each as a prize.

The Marlborough College Malaysia team that aced it: (Left to Right): Jack Hobby, Andrew Yeow, Edward Chai and Richard Lai

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

Happenings CNY

Interest

recap

Tunku Temenggong Tunku Idris with the Children of the Cerebral Palsy Association

Rotaract Club’s recycling drive together with SWM at Danga City Mall

streets Sharing with you the happenings from last month

CNY

Interest

Generous committee members give out Ang Paos during JARO CNY Luncheon

KTC Group of Accountants Graduation Night 2015 attended by YB Dr Zaini

CNY

Interest

Networking Loh Hei at Ponderosa Golf & Country Club for members and guests

Frost & Sullivan’s new office being officiated by Tan Sri Shahrir Samad

MATTA Fair is back By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

alaysia’s Premier Travel Fair is back for another round of showcasing comprehensive range of travel and holiday products from all over the country for vacationists and holiday goers. The one and only premier travel fair, Johor MATTA Fair 2015

is just around the corner with its first installment happening from 10th to 12th April from 10am to 9pm. MATTA Fair 2015 showcases a comprehensive range of travel and holiday products from all over Malaysia and the world under one roof. During the 3 day fair, visitors who are eager to look for the best offers also can expect to get attractive bargains and great

value in all packages. Visitors also stand a chance to win attractive lucky draw prizes. Fabulous prizes worth RM120,000 will be for the visitors who register and pay RM3 entrance fee before entering the expo hall (free for children below 12 years). For every purchase of RM500 and above, visitors can stand a chance to win a BRAND NEW PROTON SAGA 1.3SV (Manual). TI

Benchmark LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort Enters Malaysian Book of Records for “Most Number of Mandarin Orange Replicas Made of LEGO”

Interest

Launching of Frost the Trail charity run

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

streets

Thistle Johor Bahru join hands with Kechara Soup Kitchen

histle Johor Bahru recently helped Kechara Soup Kitchen to feed the homeless. Michael Borostyan, the hotel’s General Manager, and Rohani Mohamad, the Director of Sales, were also present to lend a helping hand. The pair along with other department heads volunteered at the soup kitchen as part of Thistle Johor Bahru’s Quarterly Corporate Social Responsibility activity. This activity is in line with the Thistle Hotels & Resorts Corporate Social Responsibility Statement under the Community Embedment and Philanthropy in which the hotel organises additional support for

Responsible

Employees from Thistle Johor Bahru joined arms with Kechara Soup Kitchen to help feed the city’s homeless the community and reaching out to lend a helping hand through fundraising or volunteering. Hotel team members arrived at the meeting point located next to the Sultan Iskandar Building around 10pm along with 130 packets of food consisting of white rice, 3 vegetarian side dishes, an apple and a bottle of mineral water. After a short briefing with

the other volunteers, Kechara Soup Kitchen coordinator Vanitha K. Chandrasegeran then led a team of hotel members and volunteers from Monash University around the city centre to help feed the homeless between 11pm and 1am. “We serve more than half a million nutritious meals throughout the year at the hotel, none more important than what we are doing

Thistle Johor Bahru staff and General Manager Michael Borostyan team up with Kechara Soup Kitchen at the KTM meeting point here tonight,” says General Manager Michael Borostyan. “This is our first time working with Kechara Soup

Kitchen and I am so inspired by the will of everyone here, to come together to help those in need.”

Royal Selangor opens in JBCC Interest

Royal Selangor celebrates 130 years with the 8515 Collection exhibited at KOMTAR JBCC

Ribbon cutting as the symbolic grand opening of Royal Selangor at JBCC by Dato’ Kamaruzzaman Abu Kassim, President and CEO of JCorp By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

elebrating 130 years of pewter craftsmanship, Royal Selangor International unveils the 8515 Collection at the official grand opening of their newest outlet in KOMTAR JBCC, Johor Bahru. 8515 celebrates the story of quality, craftsmanship and design which have become synonymous with the brand since its inception. Royal Selangor now has stores and distributors in major cities worldwide, including Shanghai, London, Hong Kong, Toronto, Melbourne and Tokyo. The pewter pioneer pays homage to

You Don’t Need to See To Kick a Ball Highlight

National blind football coach in search for players at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar

hree former students of Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar in Johor Bahru, are now playing blind football for Malaysia. The students were from the very talented special education unit of the school which has had a colourful history in churning out sports talents. Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar (English College) is a school that integrates sighted students with visually impaired students. Coach of the national blind

football team, Sunny Salesh, held a football clinic at this unique school recently. The clinic introduced the techniques and tactics of blind football to the twenty-four visually impaired students. Sunny hopes to unearth new talents from this school in order to form a competitive team. “The boys can go far in this game. Last year, our national team clinched the silver medal at the 2014 Asean Para Games in

Myanmar,” says Sunny. The blind football clinic at Maktab Sultan Abu Bakar was sponsored by Columbia Asia Hospital - Nusajaya. As a sports partner for national blind football, the private healthcare company does not only supply jerseys for the players, but also, through its blind football events, Columbia Asia has been instrumental in creating awareness of this sport and channeling support and interest from the public and sponsors alike. TI

the designs, most of which have stood the test of time. “It is remarkable that these designs still look very desirable and relevant to this day,” said Yong Yoon Li, Executive Director of Royal Selangor International. With the opening of this new outlet, the 8515 collection is a tribute to the time-honed skills, entrepreneurial spirit and values passed down from Yong Koon more than 100 years ago. Each item features rows of tiny impressions and dimples, methodically hammed into patterns to promote aesthetic values while showcasing a modern touch on the various artefacts. The 8515 collection is available at Royal Selangor retail stores, authorised dealers and online at royalselangor.com. TI

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015 Advertisement

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

DRILL

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

EXCLUSIVE The Iskandarian aspires to be the voice of the rakyat and with that in mind, our Editor touches base with CEOs and Chairmen of organisations to Drill them with questions to hear their opinions and perspectives.

Jennie Parr

Centre Manager

Monthly Drill

KOMTAR JBCC Shopping Centre

Jennie Parr is the first Centre Manager of the KOMTAR JBCC Shopping Complex since the mall reopened for business in July 2014. Her accumulated 33 years of Retail & Marketing expertise is reflected in every detail of the new shopping mall. Before the retail world, Jennie began her career in the media industry as a TV producer for Channel 9 Australia, in the early 1980’s. After 6 years with the media company, she ventured into the F&B (marketing) industry with Jardine Restaurants who had Pizza Hut & Sizzler Restaurants under their portfolio. In the early 1990’s she embarked on her career as a Regional Marketing Manager with Westfield, managing various locations in Australia as well as Malaysia for 11 years. In 2002, she moved to a role in Melbourne as Retail Centre Manager in Collins Place, handling day to day operations of the shopping mall. In 2007, she took up the role of Retail Manager at Crown Melbourne Entertainment Complex one of the prestigious landmarks in Melbourne. After a 6 year career with Crown, Jennie moved to Walker Corporation as Retail Manager for a little over a year before leaving Australia to take up the role of Centre Manager of KOMTAR JBCC.

Share with us the vision for KOMTAR JBCC? It’s our vision to make KOMTAR JBCC a leading shopping and entertainment destination for not only southern Malaysia but Singapore as well. We want the Complex to be befitting of international standards, hence

the very specific targeting of not only having well recognised local brands but international retailers as well.

How has the take-up of tenancy been so far and share with us some of the big names that are either coming in or have already opened shop? The take-up has been fantastic and we are very pleased. To have the calibre of new entry retailers into JB such as Sephora, Dior, Chanel, Estee Lauder, M.A.C, Victoria’s Secret, Keihl’s, Haagen Dazs, Tony Roma’s, Fatburger to name but a few plus of course Marks & Spencer and The Angry Birds Activity Park in our Centre, we are really thrilled. Lots of other great retailers too like F.O.S, Padini Concept Store, Brands Outlet, Vincci and wonderful restaurants are opening too.

Quote

“We would be naïve to think that the introduction of GST is not going to impact on consumer confidence in the short term”

You’ve worked in Malaysia before and you’re aware of the cultural differences here. How has it been adopting to Johor Bahru which is slightly different in comparison to KL? I was in KL in the late 90’s and always felt so welcomed and at home. I come back to Malaysia regularly – not ever thinking for one minute that I would live and work here again but here I am! I think that says everything about how I feel about being back here. I’m really enjoying JB and once again, everyone I work with from senior management; especially my ED/CEO Tuan Haji Yusaini Hj Sidek, right through to the team I work with day in and day out have been so welcoming and supportive and made my role and stay in JB great.

With 2015 being dubbed as a year filled with uncertainties, has KOMTAR JBCC taken any preventive measures to sustain tough economic times? That’s an interesting question. We would be naïve to think that the introduction of GST is not going to impact on consumer confidence in the short term. I was in the shopping centre industry when it was introduced back in 2000 in Australia and it had an impact. What we need to do is give our customers a reason to visit, give them a great experience whilst here and work with our retailers to make sure that there is the enticement to encourage spending. Confidence will definitely return.

With so many malls in JB, why would KOMTAR

Quote “It’s a lovely, brand new destination in the heart of Johor. It’s easily accessible and we have such great retailers. It’s our intention to give customers a memorable experience every time they visit”

JBCC be a preferred destination for both tenants and shoppers? It’s a lovely, brand new destination in the heart of Johor. It’s easily accessible and we have such great retailers (as already mentioned). It’s our intention to give customers a memorable experience every time they visit.

What’s in store from KOMTAR JBCC for the rest of 2015? It’s going to be a great year! Watch for the opening of a brand new concept by Metrojaya – date will be announced soon and we will be celebrating their opening in grand style and we’ve still got more stores to open. KOMTAR JBCC really does have it! TI

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

streets

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

peggy loh

My johor stories Peggy is a regular contributor to NST and actively writes in her blog www.peggyloh.com about matters that are close to her heart. She can be reached at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

The Royal Ibrahim’s of Johor

he rakyat had been eagerly anticipating the coronation of Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar and the announcement of this auspicious event on March 23 was met with great excitement. According to Johor royal traditions, the Istana Besar will be the venue for the coronation of the state’s fifth sultan in the history of modern Johor. The state will enjoy a public holiday for this event and at least nine different but related events will be held from March 16 in a grand month long celebration including visits to all the 10 districts in the state.

that emerged was one of continuity and connectedness between the past and present, tradition and modernity and between people of different communities. Then I cross referenced the information with details recorded in A History of Johore (1365 – 1941) by R O Winstedt, another book a friend offered to lend me. Whenever I read the old spelling for Johor with the alphabet “e” in Johore, it makes me smile because it’s a throwback to a bygone era when we used to spell the word kampung as kampong. From 1931 to 1935, Richard Olaf Winstedt, better known

The majestic steps of the Istana Besar or Grand Palace are part of the Johor royal traditions for the sultan’s coronation

The coronation will combine Islamic, Malay and Western culture and rituals that are exclusive and based on Johor royal traditions, but I was intrigued by the Western bit. Historically, Johor developed quite independently and held out against accepting a British Resident until the 1910 appointment of a General Advisor. I did a bit of research on Johor history and also arranged to meet with Datin Patricia Lim Pui Huen, a professional historian who comes from a family with deep roots in Johor. Datin Pat, as she is fondly called, is also the great-grand-daughter of Wong Ah Fook, and she has written a biography of her great-grandfather, a pioneer of Johor Bahru whose name is synonymous with our city’s main street. Over tea and cookies, I learnt a great deal from her and she encouraged me to read her book, JOHOR, Local History, Local Landscapes 1855 – 1957 for more details on the early history of Johor. As I read her well-researched book published with priceless photos, the theme

as R O Winstedt, was the General Advisor to Johor. I found the first paragraph in the Author’s Preface so interesting that I must quote it verbatim for the readers’ benefit: I owe my best thanks to His Highness the Sultan of Johore, Colonel Sir Ibrahim, D.K., S. P.M.J., G.C.M.G., K.B.E., for the portraits of his father and grandfather that illustrate this book. His Highness has also been kind enough to read the chapters devoted to Temenggong Daing Ibrahim and Sultan Abu-Bakar and to furnish me with valuable criticism and information, calling my attention to Mr Vaughan’s account of Johore in 1702. “I congratulate you,” His Highness writes, “on the way you have touched on all Johore affairs. It appears to me that you conceal nothing. The work will be authoritative.” It’s fascinating to read the writings of an Englishman that was reviewed by the Sultan himself and who gave his comments on the accuracy of the accounts.

JOHOR Local History, Local Landscapes 1855 – 1957, by Datin Patricia Lim Pui Huen, and A History of Johore by R O Winstedt, are rich resources for a better insight into Johor’s early history Educated in an English boarding school, the Sultan, who continued his father’s strong relationship with the British, certainly had a good command of the language. Besides being decorated with honours from state and nation, he was also knighted by honours from the United Kingdom. Three Johor rulers were mentioned in a single paragraph and at the coronation of HRH Sultan Ibrahim in March, he will be the second Sultan Ibrahim in the history of modern Johor even though there were two Ibrahim’s before him. Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim (1825 to 1862) founded Iskandar Puteri and established the state of Johor. The son of the first Ibrahim, Sultan Abu Bakar – the Father of Modern Johor (1862 to 1895), laid the foundations of the state, set the outlines of Johor Bahru city, built many buildings and established the state’s political and legal framework. For his coronation, he adopted the English tradition of pledging the oath of loyalty to the monarchs, the royal regalia and exchanged the traditional Malay head-dress for a crown that was made by royal jeweler, J W Benson of London.

The iconic sculpture of Virgin Mary at the Johor Bahru Convent was a gift from Sultan Ibrahim (He reigned from 1895 to 1959) In his long reign from 1895 to 1959, Sultan Ibrahim consolidated the state’s growth, expanded its economy and developed Johor into a modern metropolis. British Advisor, D G Campbell, reported that the government maintained 39 schools, at two of which English is taught. Education was a priority and by 1913, two more English schools were founded in JB – the English College, now named Sultan Abu Bakar College, and the Bukit Zahrah English School.

The acronym SIGS for Sultan Ibrahim Girls’ School, named after His Royal Highness, was officially opened by Sultan Ibrahim in October 1939. This allgirls school now known as SMK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, started as an afternoon session school in the premises of the Ngee Heng Primary Boys’ School before it shifted to the present site a year later.

A premier all-girls school in JB, Sultan Ibrahim Girls’ School (SIGS) or SMK (P) Sultan Ibrahim, was named after Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Almarhum Sultan Abu Bakar

Sultan Ibrahim also granted the Convent of the Holy Infant Jesus land along Jalan Yahya Awal to build their school and his gift of the sculpture of Virgin Mary still holds a place of pride in the school’s façade today. I remember in 2012, HRH Sultan Ibrahim, our current ruler, responded to the issue of a proposed move of the JB Convent to another site in Nusajaya by stating emphatically that the school will not be moved or renamed because the land for the school and the iconic sculpture was a gift from his great-grandfather and namesake, Sultan Ibrahim! Unlike the last coronation ceremony in Johor on Feb 10, 1960, that was witnessed only by royalty and dignitaries, this generation of rakyat can be a part of Sultan Ibrahim’s coronation through live telecast broadcast on RTM TV and on big screens in Dataran Bandaraya JB. March 23 is a momentous day in the history of Johor – one that we can proudly declare “we witnessed it!” I join the rakyat in sending our congratulations to HRH Sultan Ibrahim on his coronation – Daulat Tuanku!

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

ootball legend, Johan Cruyff established the Johan Cruyff Foundation in 1997 to encourage children to exercise. He realised that not only sport is fun it also plays a major role in children’s health development and connects them with other people. With this inspiration, the Cruyff Court Iskandar (CCI) was officially opened in September 2012 by HRH Tunku Mahkota Johor, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim and Johan Cruyff himself, to give children of all ages, social backgrounds and races, the opportunity to play, bond and develop a love of sports in a safe environment. What started as a community building and social inclusion exercise, has started to bear fruit with the emergence of budding football stars from its pioneer batches. The recent Singapore’s Junior Soccer School and League (JSSL) ‘Soccer 7’ held at The Padang in Singapore, saw 80 teams and close to 1000 children from all over Asia turned up to win the inaugural JSLL Singapore International 7’s titles. Four of Cruyff Court Iskandar’s U10 players were selected to represent Chelsea FC Soccer School Singapore in this challenge. Adrian Iman, Auf Danial, Muhamad Aqil Luqman and Muhammad Aiman Zulhakim proudly slipped into CFHCSSG jersey and had a taste of yet another international exposure and experience. At barely ten years’ old, this opportunity speaks volume for their talent. “Football is my passion, and the chance to improve on my passing and shooting

techniques makes this opportunity a priceless exposure,” said Adrian Imran, 10. Another talent making it big in the junior football scene is Muhammad Alif Ahmad who will be representing the JDT U12 team this coming June in Japan. His football skills were discovered in Cruyff Court Iskandar (CCI) football clinic in 2013, and he has not looked back since. “Representing JDT has been the ultimate goal for me. After representing Malaysia in the Cruyff Court World Cup in Amsterdam last year and played against teams from Brazil, England, Spain, Denmark and the US, I am more sure now on how I can contribute to making this team victorious,” said the confident standard six student at SK Kompleks UDA Johor Bahru. A further boost for the team is the enlistment of three CCI players in the Stage 4 of a football TV reality program, ‘Mencari Ramli’. The highly popular sports reality programme feature Telekom Malaysia (as the official partner of Manchester United (MU) football team in Malaysia) search for 16 players to be trained by top coaches in Manchester. Team coach Shafizan Hashim felt Mohd Mikael Imran Norris, Nur Ilman Zaini and Mohamad Mustaqim Azrmi were each qualified to be the next ‘Ramli’. The fact that they came through from the 4,000 boys who came for the qualifying round, Stage 2 and 3, is a testimony to their strong talent and techniques. In the month of May, the fifth and final selection phase will take place in Kuala Lumpur.

streets

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

Cruyff Court Iskandar’s

Shining Stars Take Flight

Mohd Aiman Zulhakim, Auf Danial, Adrian Iman & Muhamad Aqil Luqman

CCI ‘Mencari Ramli’

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

By Harish Mustak & Edey Suresh newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ioneering the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO) in Medini, Iskandar Malaysia, Brandt International Sdn. Bhd. (BISB) recently established a centre of excellence with a target expansion plan for up to 750 people over the next 5 years. Being one of the three projects that are coming in this year, BISB are working with i2M and Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn. Bhd. (MIMSB) to promote and develop Iskandar Malaysia as a region to be the next Business Services hub in Malaysia. With over 25 years of working experience and employing over 600 staff in Malaysia alone, how do you perceive the growth of human capital in Iskandar Malaysia? Certainly the southern corridor is a green field and Iskandar Malaysia is virtually untapped which gives us that opportunity to fully develop this place. I personally see that there is a lot of

streets

Brandt Now in Iskandar Malaysia Exclusive

i2M announces three new projects generating up to 1,100 high-value jobs in Medini, Iskandar Malaysia

collaboration between Iskandar Malaysia and the Johor state government and all the various development authorities. We are already gearing up for the talent pool and are working with RTC (Rural Transformation Centre) to focus on the development of the rural transformation activities. Working with RTC gives us the opportunity from a human resource perspective to offer training to the graduates from the rural communities on the BPOs and shared services industry. With English courses and training of other skills, we want to make them ready and be more employable for a high value job in Iskandar Malaysia.

Medini looks to become a business services hub Highlight

i2M announces three new projects generating up to 1,100 high-value jobs in Medini, Iskandar Malaysia

Is Brandt International Sdn. Bhd. purely consultations processes and are there any hands-on training with customers? We started of very much as a consultation company, but over the last five years, we have identified that there is essential opportunities in the business process management services sector. So today we position ourselves as a consulting led BPO player targeting domestic and global markets. What we do that represents our core service offerings is the whole suite that we call customer service management which ranges from looking at customers, business analytics, to help clients, all the way down to managing the calls and finally also facilitating the backend processing activities. So it is a whole customer value life cycle of services. The other key core service offering is in Human Resources Management services. We actually help clients in the area of sourcing for talent, recruitment and all the way down to payroll management and personnel administration activities. How would you manage the growing trend of Malaysians heading off to Singapore and other parts of the world to work and benefit from the foreign exchange while leaving Malaysia in a state of brain drain (if given the opportunity)? We have to look at it as a whole ecosystem in totality. While we cannot match salaries, we have to work to create high value jobs for the

Stakeholders at the signing ceremony

to 3,000 new jobs to be created in Medini. Due to the value proposition and its proximity to near-shore activities to Singapore and other fastgrowing economies in the region, many companies such as Brandt, VTC and Goldbury are considering choosing Medini as a location for a branch office in the region. “i2M is committed to its mandate to attract both local and foreign companies such as Brandt, VTC and Goldbury to set up their business services operations in Iskandar Malaysia. These projects will accelerate the development of an exciting eco-system towards realizing our ambition to develop a world class business service destination. Going forward, i2M will continue to work with its partners towards the realization of the current and upcoming projects,” said i2M’s Managing Director, Zulfiqar Zainuddin. With this announcement, i2M reaffirms its commitment to partner together with MIMSB and other stakeholders

such as Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) and Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) to attract high-value and high-income jobs and to develop the business services sector in Iskandar Malaysia. Ir. Khairil Anwar Ahmad, the Managing Director and also Chief Executive Officer of MIMSB said, “as the master developer of Medini, MIMSB is very pleased with the successful partnership with i2M in providing suitable commercial office space and buildings for tenants seeking alternative locations for their operations.” The three projects were announced at the International Outsourcing Forum Locations (IOFL) Asia in Nusajaya, Iskandar Malaysia. The event was organised by Arena International and was attended by senior executives from the outsourcing and shared services community.

Why did you choose Iskandar Malaysia and specifically Medini to set up shop? Iskandar Malaysia gives you an advantage whereby with less cost, companies can experience great near-shore business opportunities. We are happy to work with i2M to set up our offices in Medini. This centre is in a perfect location for us to execute our plan to strengthen our existing portfolio of services by moving up the SSO value chain and establish the company to be one of the top globally competitive local outsourcing providers Your 2 cents on the economic outlook for Malaysia in 2015? I would think that businesses need to be very agile to stay relevant and continuously understand your buyers’ behaviour and innovate. The traditional ways no longer work as customers no longer want the usual methods. It is important to always innovate and adapt to the demands. Clients’ feedback is always an added value for the company. TI

Uber Lion Dance On Demand On Demand

i2M Ventures Sdn Bhd (i2M) is proud to announce three new companies that are setting up shop in Medini, Iskandar Malaysia. This wholly-owned subsidiary of Khazanah Nasional Berhad (KNB) mediated the continued partnership with stakeholders and partners such as Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd (MIMSB) since its 2013. In line with Medini’s direction of becoming a business services hub, the three organisations that are coming in are also business services orientated. The three companies are Brandt International Sdn. Bhd. (BISB), Vision Technology Consulting Sdn. Bhd. (VTC) and Goldbury Communications Sdn. Bhd. (GCSB). It is envisioned that with the arrival of these companies, over 1,100 highvalue jobs will be generated over the next five years across IT outsourcing (ITO), business process outsourcing (BPO), client management and consulting services. Since its inception, i2M has facilitated and attracted up

people. The education ministry and the industries should be working together to promote employability of fresh graduates in the region before they run off to other high value jobs outside the region. Saving on living costs might be an attractive offer.

Request a lion dance with a touch of a button.

nfusing the modern and the traditional, Uber the mobile app that connects commuters launched their ‘Lion Dance On Demand’ campaign to roaring responses for the Chinese New Year. Uber gave the people of Johor Bahru the opportunity to request a lion dance with a touch of a button. This new experience could possibly be the future of how all lion dances can be booked. It is an exciting move forward in technology

for the community. Uber solved the trouble of going out and finding a lion dance troupe with finding the best prices and took care of all that for only RM38. “The ‘On Demand’ lion dances’ were performed at many houses, shops and even shopping malls like AEON Tebrau City and City Square,” said Lingesh Thayala, Head of Marketing for Uber Johor Bahru.

14 13

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015 Advertisement

www.facebook.com/waveslifestyle twitter.com/waveslifestyle

APRIL 15’

NieEPrW eview

Mov

Avengers

‘ALL DAY’

KANYE WEST DROPS HIS SINGLE

ARE YOU READY TO FORGIVE? BY ROSE OSMAN

APR 2015 | Page 2

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

editor’s note

kanye west’S ‘all day’ single

MU S IC U P DAT E S Source: Universal Music Singapore

Kanye West has finally released the finished studio version of “All Day”, featuring Theophilus London and Allan Kingdom

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

or those who are unaware, 2015 is the Year of Festivals or MyFest across Malaysia. The Festival recently kicked off with the World Kite Festival entering its 20th cycle, and that is not all as we can look forward to a lot of cultural and traditional events throughout the year at various locations. So keep following our Calendar of Events page and social sites for more details. This year marks 100 years of the legendary Frank Sinatra, a one of a kind icon who continues to have an immeasurable influence on popular culture of music, film, art, theatre, fashion and beyond. Relive his timeless music which has been compiled for a worldwide CD and digital release on April 21 by Capitol/Universal Music. Although Annie (the movie) didn’t make it to our shores, we have two new movies coming your way this April. Watch funny man Kevin James take on criminals in the sequel of Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 and catch your favourite multi-casted Super Heroes fighting the ultimate villain in the Avengers: Age of Ultron. Learn how to forgive others in part two of Rose’s motivation column, and Kampung Sungai Melayu which is nestled minutes away in Kota Iskandar shares its space in our Travel column. As for our must eat; Tony brings us a new discovery in the heart of the city – Maco Vintage Café. As always, for those wishing to share their fashion collection, travel tales, or like us to review your restaurant/property, drop me an e-mail at waves.lifestyle@gmail.com and be featured. For more reads, do access www. theiskandarian.com Wishing all celebrants a Happy Easter!

Priya

Kanye West

‘All Day’ has been released to radio and is available on iTunes, all digital retailers and streaming services globally.

rom the ashes of the 2015 BRIT Awards stage - which he burned to the ground with his performance Kanye West has just released his hotly anticipated new single ‘All Day’, featuring Theophilus London, Allan Kingdom and Paul McCartney. The track has been heralded by critics and fans alike as one of Kanye’s best, and a much-needed shot in the arm. In fact, ‘All Day’ has been in such demand – after several early demos and snippets leaked last year. The wait for the official track is now over. ‘All Day’ has been released to radio and is available on iTunes, all digital retailers and streaming services globally. Kanye has

announced that the forthcoming album will be titled ‘SO HELP ME GOD’. ‘All Day’ is the fourth new track from Kanye in 2015. The January 1st release of his beautiful collaboration with Paul McCartney ‘Only One,’ - which West recently performed on the Grammy and SNL stages, as well as UK and Scandinavian TV – was followed by yet another McCartney collab, ‘FourFiveSeconds,’ the nineteen U.S. Top Ten for Rihanna and eleventh for West. Two weeks ago, Kanye debuted his track ‘Wolves,’ featuring Sia and Vic Mensa, at the presentation of his new collection with adidas Originals, YEEZY Season 1. The

presentation was seen via live-stream by thousands of fans packed in to 42 theater locations in 13 countries worldwide and by millions online. Later that week, Kanye performed the live debut of ‘Wolves’ alongside Sia and Mensa on Saturday Night Live’s 40th anniversary special. The nowlegendary BRITs performance of ‘All Day’ featuring UK grime artist Skepta and over 30 of Britain’s top MCs made headlines due to heavy censoring and has been hailed as one of Kanye’s most visually-stunning. ‘SO HELP ME GOD’, the highlyanticipated new studio album from Kanye West, is coming soon.

Frank Sinatra’s Timeless Music Celebrated Worldwide With New, Career-Spanning ‘Ultimate Sinatra’ Centennial Collections From Capitol/Universal Music

n celebration of Frank Sinatra’s centennial year, new, careerspanning collections of the entertainment icon’s timeless music have been compiled for worldwide CD and digital release on April 21 by Capitol/Universal Music. Available in 25-track CD, 26-track digital, 24-track 180gram heavyweight 2LP vinyl, and deluxe 101-track 4CD and digital editions, Ultimate Sinatra presents key recordings spanning the Chairman of the Board’s recordings for Columbia, Capitol and Reprise, together for the first time. All CD and digital editions also feature previously unreleased Sinatra recordings, with the 4CD Deluxe and 2LP vinyl formats adding further bonus tracks via the included digital download vouchers. Beginning today, Ultimate Sinatra’s CD, deluxe

4CD, 2LP vinyl and standard digital editions are available for preorder from Amazon, iTunes and Google Play. The defining voice of the 20th century, Frank Sinatra enjoyed a legendary recording career that spanned six decades, beginning with his earliest session in 1939 and culminating with his last in 1993, for his world-renowned, multiplatinum Duets and Duets II albums. All of Ultimate Sinatra’s configurations open with “All Or Nothing At All,” recorded with Harry James and his Orchestra on August 31, 1939 during Sinatra’s first studio session. With that starmaking session, Sinatra embarked on a threeyear run of nearly 100 big band recordings with the Harry James and Tommy Dorsey Orchestras, followed by more than 50 years of sessions for Columbia (1943-1952), Capitol (1953-1962; 1993-1994), and his own Reprise label (19601988). Ultimate Sinatra’s single-disc CD brims with 25 stellar recordings representing a crosssection of Sinatra’s unparalleled recording career. The standard digital edition adds a 26th track, the boisterous “Chicago”. The 4CD and digital deluxe edition boasts 100 tracks celebrating 100 years (plus a never before released bonus track), including many more luminous recordings that reinforce Sinatra’s well-deserved moniker, The

Voice. As a special extra, the 4CD deluxe edition includes an additional download EP featuring 4 further previously unreleased recordings, redeemable via an included voucher. The chronological collection dives deeper into Sinatra’s musical world of iconic recordings, before closing with a previously unreleased rehearsal version of “The Surrey With The Fringe On Top” recorded in 1979. The deluxe edition also features an 80-page booklet with a new essay by Sinatra historian and author Charles Pignone, as well as rare photos and quotes from Frank Sinatra and his children, Nancy, Tina and Frank Jr., as well as Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Quincy Jones, and others. Throughout 2015, the 100th anniversary of Frank Sinatra’s birth (December 12, 1915) will be commemorated around the world with a new stage show, prestigious exhibitions, music, video and book releases, special partnerships, major television and film events along with a host of independent tributes and concerts. The definitive FRANK SINATRA 100 App will continue to provide fans with continuous updates on official Frank Sinatra centennial activities. The free to download app, available for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and Android tablets, will continue to evolve with exclusive Sinatra 100 content and other updates.

APR 2015 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle Motivation

Are You Ready to Forgive? (pt II)

A Energy Coach, A Reiki Master and A Personal Motivator. Rose Osman uses her knowledge in energy and Reiki to help people achieve their goals in personal growth, life, love, career & relationships.

orgiveness is a trait of unconditional love; hence it can only be given. To practise giving, you might want to do this on a daily basis, and each session only takes five to ten minutes. Do it before you go to bed tonight and when you wake up the next day. Take a deep breath three times and close your eyes. Put both of your hands on the middle of your chest and say I forgive myself for ________. Repeat it many times and say it as slowly as you can. Feel the emotions rising in you and allow the tears to flow. Be the

forgiveness and live that moment. Try these examples; I forgive myself for the pain I feel. I forgive the mistakes I made. I forgive the unconscious me. I forgive the shame I carry with me. I forgive the guilt. I forgive the anger raging in me. I forgive the anxiety and the depression I had in me. I forgive my past. I forgive everything about me. As you allow the forgiveness to heal the pain, there will be moments where you will get to feel the true power of forgiveness. Practice this for 30 days and feel the changes

By Rose Osman

Personal Motivator & Energy Coach

in you. How do we forgive others? First, we must trust that forgiveness has its own life. It breathes itself through our inner choice to forgive. Once forgiveness is awakened, it will free us from inner pain and then it will reach others that we want to forgive. Forgiveness is a work of divine power. The flow is unconditional. If we understand the energy of forgiveness, we will never try hard to forgive. All we need to do is live it within us and let the forgiveness do the rest.

yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses

MOVIE pREVIEW AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Genre: Action-Adventure Malaysia release date: 30th April 2015 Rating: na Cast: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen, Paul Bettany, Cobie Smulders with James Spader and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury Director: Joss Whedon Producer: Kevin Feige Executive Producer: Louis D’Esposito, Alan Fine, Victoria Alonso, Jeremy Latcham, Patricia Whitcher, Stan Lee, Jon Favreau Written by: Joss Whedon

Synopsis

arvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping programme, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible

plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure. Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk. Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader

as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meets an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963.

Source & Cover Image: Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, Malaysia

APR 2015 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Calendar of Events

April 2015

go local eat local stay local

Kampung Sungai Melayu Interest

Located just minutes away from Kota Iskandar, the village is a hidden gem just waiting to be uncovered by tourists

Committed

The RM 1.2 million abandoned kelong is now being utilised by the villagers to catch mussels

By Edey Suresh newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

N 1st April 2015 April Fool’s Day

3rd April 2015 Good Friday

JB, 4th - 5th April Joran Bagus Fishing Competition @ Kota Tinggi

5th April 2015 Happy Easter

JB, 5th - 6th April GP Joran @ Tg. Leman, Mersing

Spore, 7th - 8th April

usajaya is a key component of Iskandar Malaysia with 24,000 acres of contiguous development-ready land. Located in Flagship B of Iskandar Malaysia, Nusajaya is primed to be the new major growth centre where most of the catalyst projects will be developed with a targeted population projection of 500,000 predicted by 2025. Our guide for the day, Nor Hisham Hussein (Director of Social Development Division, IRDA) brought us to an old abandoned clay factory in Tebing Runtuh which is a few minutes away from Kota Iskandar. We were informed that the factory is over a hundred years old and could possibly be one of the oldest factories in the country if not in the region. A short track into the overgrown surroundings of the factory and much to our amazement, we stumbled upon a surviving batch of pottery possibly made over a hundred years ago right here in Johor! The mood was now euphoric and we were eager to head to our next stop; Kampung Sungai Melayu.

Russell Peters show @ Suntec Singapore

JB, 10th - 12th April Matta Johor Travel Fair @ Danga City Mall Expo

Spore, 10th - 12th April Baby Market Fair @ Suntec Singapore

Spore, 17th - 19th April

Pakcik telling us the tale of the clay factory

Outdoor Wedding Show @ Dhoby Ghaut Green, S’pore

Spore, 23rd - 26th April Singapore Yacht Show @ ONE 15 Marina Club S’pore

Spore. 28th April Demi Lovato LIVE @ Suntec Singapore

If you need more information on the above mentioned events, drop us an email at: waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

Amidst all the developments taking shape is the 120-year old Kg Sungai Melayu. The village is made up mostly of fisher folks who are blessed by the seas’ rich marine life consisting of lobsters, crabs, fishes, mussels and lots more. Located opposite Marlborough College, the village offers a glimpse of serene living to its visitors who get to take a boat ride and catch their own lunch or have a taste of their mouth watering Malay seafood on the jetty while basking in the rustic and authentic Malay kampung experience. According to Kampung Sungai Melayu village head, Tok Pandak Ahmad, many bird watchers come to the village to observe migratory birds as the village lies along the seasonal flight path. Since being declared as an eco-tourism village on Nov 5 2014, the village has received over 3,000 tourists who came to enjoy fishing, making “belacan” and “asam pedas”, playing traditional games, participating in fishing demonstration and making handicraft from various items in their surroundings while appreciating being close to nature. Pandak was kind enough to take us

out on a boat ride to visit one of the floating mussel kelong which was apparently worth around RM1.2 million but left abandoned in working condition. The village folks have taken over the barge and put it to good use. After our boat ride, we sat for lunch and tried Kg Sungai Melayu’s infamous Asam Pedas (spicy tamarind gravy) dish and Kupang Masak Kicap Bersambal (we passed on the sambal so it was just steamed mussels) and feasted together. The Asam Pedas lived up to its name and the choice of using ikan sembilang (catfish) complimented the dish further. After our satisfying meal, we thanked Tok Pandak Ahmad and the rest of the villagers for their hospitality and drove back to the concrete jungle reminiscing about our days’ event. Directions from Johor Bahru (25km) Follow the coastal highway beyond Danga Bay towards Nusajaya. Pass Horizon Hills on your right and take the exit signposted Lebuh Kota Iskandar. You will

Kg Sungai Melayu’s signature dishes

see a sign for the Marlborough College, turn left into the school road. Follow the road along the bottom of the playing fields, turn right onto a tarred road with palm oil for 8km and you will reach the village. GPS: 1.454896, 103.690729

Nor Hisham Hussein (second from left) and Pandak Ahmad (second from right) were our gracious guides

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

streets

A Jazzy Fest in JB Highlight

Mezzotono performing there a-capella number By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

star-studded lineup comprising of local and international talents recently jazzed up Johor Bahru at the inaugural JB Jazz Festival. “We were excited to welcome Sadao Watanabe to Johor Bahru. Sadao is indisputably a legend in the jazz scene and we were honoured to have such a big name to mark the first ever JB Jazz Festival,” said Yap Siong Cheng, founder of the Johor Society for the Performing Arts, organiser of the JB Jazz Festival. Italian acapella group Mezzatono, Singaporean musician Jeremy Monteiro, David Gomes and his Jazz Ensemble featuring Junji Delfino and other wonderful talents were among the jazz artists joining

Benchmark

Sadao at the JB Jazz Festival. The princess of Johor, YAM Tunku Aminah Maimunah ibni Sultan Ibrahim who also happens to be the Royal Patron of the Johor Society for the Performing Arts graced the event a couple of times showing her admiration for the Jazz music genre. The inaugural JB Jazz Festival was the first of a series of festivals under the JB:IFC umbrella. JB:IFC is a bold initiative by the Johor Society for the Performing Arts to catapult and position the city of Johor Bahru as a leading festival city in the region, hosting world acclaimed arts, music, cultural and lifestyle events. “In the last 12 years, the JB Arts Festival has grown in size and stature, while the city of Johor Bahru itself, driven by Iskandar Malaysia, has also grown rapidly,” said Yap.

Yap explained that JB:IFC was, in many ways, a natural step and perfectly complemented the government’s initiative in promoting Malaysia Year of Festivals (MYFest) 2015. “This festival and others to come organised by the JB:IFC is also in tandem with the efforts of the government and other industry players in making 2015 a year of festivals for Malaysia,” said Dr. Badrul

A’s galore at Convent JB

10 brilliant Convent girls scored straight A+’s for their SPM and were awarded Anugerah Terbilang at an award presentation ceremony at SMK Infant Jesus Convent, Johor Bahru

By Harish Mustak newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

MK Infant Jesus Convent Johor Bahru (Convent JB), an all-girls school, recently made education history for not only the school and the district of Johor Bahru but also for the state by being the number one high performance school in the state of Johor for their achievements in the recent Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations. With 100% passing rate and a grade point average of 1.6 for the whole school, Convent JB was proud to present 10 Anugerah Terbilang award to the well-deserving girls who made the school proud. With 11A+’s, Sua Zi Yee was the top scorer in the 2014 SPM for Convent JB. “I am so happy about my results and achievements. I am thankful to my parents who have supported me so much,” said Zi Yee excitedly. Hj. Aminudin Adam, Director of Johor Education Department said in a statement that, Convent JB is ranked 6th in the whole of Malaysia behind Kolej Yayasan Saad Melaka (0.54), MRSM Taiping (1.06), MRSM Pengkalan Cepa (1.07), MRSM Tun Ghaffar Baba (1.11) and SMS Tuanku Munawir (1.15). “I would like to congratulate the students, parents and teachers of Convent JB for

The first ever JB Jazz Festival with a star-studded lineup

the astounding results in the 2014 SPM. Convent JB must be proud and being 6th in the country and 1st in the state is such an achievement,” said Aminudin. 32 students were presented with Anugerah Gemilang and 52 were awarded Anugerah Cemerlang. A total number of 94 straight A’s were produced in the 2014 SPM for Convent JB. “I am so proud of my girls. I also appreciate the support from the parents which was part of the driving force to Convent JB’s achievement,” said Ng Lee Wan, Principal of Convent JB. TI

The Anugerah Terbilang Students with straight A+’s . Sua Zi Yee (third from right) received the best student award with 11 straight A+’s

Hisham bin Kassim, Director of Tourism Johor. Upcoming festivals under JB:IFC planned for this year include the JB Classical Music Festival in May, the first-ever JB Film Festival in June, the Unity Drums Festival with JB’s own 24 Festive Drums in June, the 12th JB Arts and Fringe Festival in September, and the JB Food and Visual Arts Festival from October to December.

David Gomes Jazz Ensemble Featuring Junji Delfino

The saxophones and trumpets of the Jazz Ensemble

Quick Reads

New community hall in Muar

Founded by Tan Sri Dato Dr. M. Thambirajah together with a group comprising 48 students of the Tamil Language Society and some lecturers of University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Sri Murugan Centre (SMC) has helped over 16,000 Indian students graduate from local public universities and 23,000 students graduate from foreign universities. SMC’s students have also produced excellent results in public examinations in recent years. In their latest endeavour, SMC

Johor has bought land at Muar to build a multi-purpose building which consist of hostels, conference room, meditation room, computer room and seminar hall for the use of Indian community. The hall will be built on a 1.25 acre piece of land beside SABGS Hostel & CHONG HWA HIGH SCHOOL MUAR, off Jalan Abdul Rahman, Muar. The auditorium will be capable of housing 500 people while the hall can hold a maximum capacity of 1500 people. The hall is expected to be completed by 2017.

LEGO Friends Musical Performance in Asia The LEGO Friends have travelled from Heartlake City to throw their very own block party at LEGOLAND Malaysia Resort. Join Olivia, Emma, Stephanie, Mia and Andrea in their first musical performance in Asia. Catch the LEGO Friends LIVE at the newly refurbished & fully air-conditioned LEGO City Stage from 14 March to 28 June at 12.30pm, 2.30pm and 4.30pm. The girls will showcase their famed musical talents and perform original LEGO Friends songs. The musical will come with additional fun filled activities for the whole family during the March School Holidays such as “Build a LEGO Cupcake” and a “Sing-a-long Karaoke” session with Andrea. There will also be a hair and make-up station to bring out the inner superstar with sparkling makeovers.

A daily LEGO building activity will take place at the LEGO City Stage from 10.30am to 4.30pm with registration closing one hour before the show starts. For more details on show timings and activities, kindly log on to www.legoland.com.my

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

live

An Introduction to RTC Johor Empowerment

RTC Johor aims to create positive impact on the livelihoods of the urban and rural citizens through coordinated projects

ohor Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) is an initiative introduced by the Malaysian government under the National Blue Ocean Strategy 4 (NBOS4). Located in the heart of Kulaijaya town, RTC Johor‘s prime mission is to effectively transform and upgrade the quality of life of the citizens of Johor. Its operational radius covers within 100 – 150 kilometre radiuses and, together with the concept of collaboration between all Transformation Centres in Johor, RTC Johor interconnects with 24 other Mini RTC Johor scattered throughout the 10 districts in Johor. Since its establishment in 2014, RTC Johor aims to create positive impact on the livelihoods of the urban and rural citizens through coordinated projects. This will be achieved through these objectives: •

•

To increase citizen’s income by establishing more creative and innovate community projects. To lower citizen’s cost of

Email us if you want to know more

•

food supplies, create job opportunities and enhancing the entrepreneurship culture To establish and expand volunteerism spirit among citizens

A total of nine initiatives will be executed in RTC Johor’s operational radius. The initiatives are:1. Skills and Training and Initiative 2. Information Kiosk Initiative 3. High-Value Agriculture, Initiative 4. A g r o - F o o d Products Processing, Initiative 5. Agricultural Produce Supply Chain Management. 6. University Cooperation 7. Health Services 8. Financial Services 9. Rural Tourism

living by providing cheaper agriculture and processed

products to urban and rural consumers.

•

To induce investment

collaborative to increase

Watch this space as we will bring you more about RTC and their innitiatives. In our next issue, we will share the breakdown on the nine initiatives that will be excetued by RTC Johor.

Rural Business Communities Goes Electronic Empowerment

ver 40 participants registered for the opportunity to learn a thing or two about the fast-growing medium of marketing for businesses and commerce which we know as the internet. E-commerce and online marketing has been introduced many years ago and had been an integral asset to many organisations and companies in expanding their market size and extending reach to their clients and customers. RTC’s initiative in organising this course recently has been made clear in their mission which is to have healthy, educated and high income citizens living together in a well and sustainable environment. This course would not only educate the community at RTC but also enlighten all entrepreneurs, business owners and even individuals in the rural community. A source of empowerment such as this initiative by RTC is just one of the many efforts executed by RTC to showcase and expose the talents

Rural Transformation Centre (RTC) organised an e-commerce and online marketing course for the community in the hopes of helping them find a more effective medium for their business available in the rural community. The course was conducted by Mr. Rohaizad bin Jumad who is the Head of Coordination Point 4 (E-Commerce) in RTC Johor. The participants were exposed on the right techniques and best practices for online businesses. They were also advised and made aware of the importance and usefulness of the internet and its ability to boost businesses. RTC plans to continue this initiative by implementing and applying it to the monthly calendar of RTC activities. This would not only give opportunities to other groups of people in the community but also would expand the knowledge sharing and capacity of the rural community as a whole. RTC is introducing a new portal to act as a medium to facilitate the RTC community in their business ventures and entrepreneurial transactions which is quite similar to www.mudah.my. Visit www.e-putra. my or www.rtcjohor.com for more information.

The RTC community eager to be enlightened on e-commerce by Rohaizad bin Jumad who is the Head of Coordination Point 4 (E-Commerce) in RTC Johor

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015 Advertisement

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

work

The Importance of Mega Trends for Long-Term Sustained Growth Mega Trends 6:

Manoj Menon Manoj is a Partner & Asia Pacific Managing Director at Frost & Sullivan

•Being Global: Whilst in the context of business models, it is appropriate to delve into one of the most important learning’s from the next generation of companies, the internet companies. Internet companies start off with the premise of being global. The competition is global, the resources available are global, and the market is global. This in itself is a huge competitive advantage. The internet today makes every company compete globally. It will be impossible

New Business Models (part II)

for any company in the world to state that they only participate in a particular country market or a particular city market. What keeps the CEOs of telecom companies in Malaysia awake are Apple, Google, Skype and Facebook and not their local counterparts. What will keep the CEOs of retailers in Malaysia awake in the coming decade will be Amazon.com. This will be true of most companies and most industries. The inherent advantage of starting off with a premise of being global is scale and will more importantly limit the ability to leverage global resources. • Pay As You Go business model: Over the last decade we have seen a huge shift in the strategy of organisations to focus on their core competencies. Companies prefer

to not acquire assets but to lease them for their needs thus keeping their balance sheets light and giving them tremendous flexibility to scale based on business needs. This has been one of the primary drivers to the Cloud Computing business proposition in the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) industry. It is a win-win business model as it ensures greater utilisation of resources. The same trend also applies to us in our personal lives. We acquire quite a number of assets which we use for a very limited extent of its complete capability. Consumers, vendors and the environment would be better off with a more efficient way of maximising the utilisation of the assets. The pervasiveness of the internet, the availability of more information will ensure this

business model will become more common place in our everyday life through offerings from insurance, automotive and consumer durable manufacturers. It is important to note that the four themes above are intertwined. We will be living in a hyper connected world with over 80 billion connected devices. We will be gathering enormous amounts of information from customers. This will undoubtedly help companies offer highly personalised, pay as you go offerings co-created with the customers. We can visualise a world where your insurance plans will depend on your exact driving habits, you will pay for the number of kilometers you drive on your car rather than own the car, and you will own less of everything but have the ability to use almost anything, albeit for a fee.

Quick Reads

Sultan Johor boosts REDtone holdings Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar has emerged as the singlelargest individual shareholder in REDtone International Bhd. The other substantial shareholder of REDtone, Berjaya Corp’s chairman and Chief Executive Officer Datuk Seri Robin Tan Yeong Ching, said he was pleased to hear of the stake increase by Sultan Ibrahim. “We are excited to have Tuanku as one of our major shareholders, especially at a time when we are aiming to further solidify our growth and widen our profits,” said REDtone Chairman Datuk Seri Syed Ali Syed Abbas Al Habshee. REDtone also saw 74.60 million shares being traded in an off-market deal. “The group has posted three consecutive years of profit since the financial year 2012. REDtone’s position in the telco industry will be further strengthened,” added Ali.

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

invest

Accumulating Wealth Case Study

Learning the lessons and invest more wisely

ecently, a friend of mine attended my investment workshop and during a group discussion, he shared with us a deadly mistake which he made that cost him hundreds of thousands. In this issue, let me bring you into the scene of our discussion so that you can learn from his lessons and potentially save yourself tons of money. (For illustration purpose, let’s put his name as Joe and the company he invested in as ‘ABC’). Here is a short extraction of the discussion:

Joe: I bought ABC Company shares at 50 cents and as I watched the share price climb every day, I became complacent and added more at 60 cents. Guess what? It went all the way up to 85 cents within days! The excitement was beyond words but the second day, the share price collapsed to 19 cents. I panicked at the beginning but later thought that it was a ‘healthy correction’, so I bought some more at 65 cents. Unfortunately, things didn’t go my way. The share price went down day by day, until it settled at around 26 cents! My average purchase price was 53 cents and my capital has shrunk by half! Initially, I had hoped that it will ‘come back’, but it didn’t, even though it has been a year. Me: I feel sorry for you. But what made you buy this counter in the first place? Joe: My friend said that this is a super dark horse and could potentially earn 1000% return in a year. I was excited and jumped in. Me: Did you look at the company’s track record and finance? Joe: No, I didn’t. But after the share price tumbled, I looked at it and discovered their finances were not in good shape. They had high debt and they’ve been losing money for a few quarters. But I was told ‘it has very bright prospect in the near future’. Me: So what have you learned from this experience? Joe: Like what you always say, I will definitely check the company’s fundamentals before buying it the next time.

Tey Bin Yuen Binyuen is the founder of BY Enrich Resources and the author of ‘Life beyond the Comfort Zone’. He’ll be conducting a workshop ‘Profit from Share Investment Module 1’ on 12 April 15. Collect this article and present upon registration to receive exclusive rebate. Reach his team at contact@teybinyuen.com

Me: That’s great! But let’s say that after checking everything you needed to know, you’re happy and bought the shares; but its price keeps falling continuously too. What would you do? Joe: I’d think I’ve made another mistake because I accumulated more of them after the collapse, and I did so without knowing the company’s background. I should have cut my losses to preserve my capital instead of buying more. Me: I’m glad you got the point. Even though you’ve researched about the company, there is no guarantee for its share price performance. Always know how much you can afford to lose - maximum 5% or 10% of your capital; depending on your risk appetite. Bear in mind that if you lose half of your capital (say 10k to 5k); it will take 100% capital appreciation to go from 5k to 10k again. It’s much harder. Joe: Got it! It was a very expensive lesson that I’d never forget. Let’s summarise the three lessons we’ve learned after hearing the above conversation: 1) Don’t buy on rumours. Always do your research about the company before buying them. 2) Preserve your capital if it doesn’t go your way, and always know how much you can afford to lose before how much you want to make. 3) Always reflect upon your results and learn the lessons. If you learn from your own mistake or even borrow other people’s mistakes, you’d inevitably become a wiser investor.

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

play

Johor kaki Maco Vintage Cafe

Tony is a very passionate Johor food blogger. He is fascinated by Johor’s unique culinary heritage created by its melting pot of diverse cultures. He hopes that his writings about the delightful experiences with Johor food and the people behind it, visitors from around the world will appreciate the potpourri of Johor culinary art.

and two years later he opened his first Cafe & Bakery in Sutera Utama (near Sutera Mall) and a year later, Maco Vintage opened in the historic JB old town. We started with a Mixed

aco, the owner invited me to visit his cafe at JB old town (between Jalan Tan Hiok Nee and Jalan Ibrahim). The Café is located just beside (on the right of ) Hiap Joo bakery, (famous for its banana cakes). Maco is a graduate of SHATEC (Singapore Hotel and Tourism Education Centre). Upon graduation, he worked for nearly 10 years in Singapore at Humble House, Raffles Hotel and Fullerton Hotel as a pastry chef. Returning to JB, he initially sold his signature mille crepe cakes online via his Facebook page - Sugar & Flour. Market response was good

Mixed Fruit Salad Fruit Salad with roasted sesame dressing (RM15++). It was a simple cut fresh fruits with some lettuce doused with a house made roasted sesame sauce. It was tart, sweet, juicy, and crunchy with the nutty and aromatic sesame. I’m not a fruity salad person but still loved this appetising starter. Next up was Maco’s Chicken Chop (RM20++). It definitely

rekindled my love for good old chicken chops as it was made with a large slab of chilled chicken thigh that was baked and lightly pan seared to give it a slight char. The tender chicken was juicy and sweet inside with a smoky caramelised crisp outside. The thick piece of chicken chop was bathed with a savoury sweet, peppery brown sauce made with fresh mushrooms and peppercorns. The lovely brown sauce was smooth and complemented the juicy chicken chop perfectly. After the main course, it was time for Maco’s famed mille crepe cakes. Each cake retails at RM8.50 per slice. The mille crepe cakes have a nice layered tender texture with a gentle bite. The layered cakes come in many innovative styles and flavours which Maco constantly creates. The chilled cakes have a fresh cream flavour and are not overly sweet. I tried a few of his signature mille crepe cakes and enjoyed them all.

Location

Maco’s Chicken Chop Finally, I had Maco’s Original Cafe Brulee sealed at the top with caramelised sugar (RM12++). Made with a blend of beans, the coffee was aromatic and sweet with nutty notes. Take-Away Cakes Maco Vintage packs the cakes in small boxes with dry ice satchels which can keep the cakes chilled for more than an hour. You can also buy Maco’s cooler carrier bags worth RM8. Parking is available just beside the cafe, though it can be full during peak hours and the roads around it are narrow.

Restaurant name: Maco Vintage Address: 18, Jalan Ibrahim, Johor Bahru, Malaysia Map: http://bit.ly/MacoVintage GPS: 1.515212,103.668891 Hours: Monday to Friday 12:3011:00 | Saturday 11:00-12:30 | Sunday 11:00-11:00 No pork, no lard, no Halal cert

Mille crepe cakes

All You Can Eat at Pulai Springs Promotion

Qing Palace Chinese restaurant’s ‘all you can eat’ Szechuan dishes promo is back and Crab Meat, Sautéed Diced Chicken with Dried Chillies Szechuan Style, Peking Duck and the famous Camphor and Tea Smoked Duck.

Seabass Indonesian Style Curry Fish

he award winning Qing Palace Chinese Restaurant at Pulai Springs Resort welcomes guests to the back-by-popular-demand “Imperial Indulgence” promotion from March to 30th April 2015. The ‘All-You-Can-Eat’ promotion available for both lunch and dinner will offer guests an unforgettable gastronomic experience. Qing Palace at Pulai Springs Resort offers authentic Szechuan cuisine. The allyou-can-eat promo will feature over 80 kinds of authentic Szechuan main courses, rice, noodles, live seafood as well as mouth watering desserts. The chef heading the restaurant recommends the signature Szechuan Hot and Sour Soup, nourishing Braised Shark’s Fin Soup with Dried Seafood

Meat lovers will also enjoy chef’s signature Stewed Mutton with Dried Soya Served in Claypot and Braised Beef Brisket in Szechuan Style. On the other hand, the chef also recommends his popular Fried French Beans with Minced Chicken and Qing Palace Special Fried Noodles. After a long meal, cool off with Chilled ‘Guiling’ Herbal Jelly, Honey Dew with Sago or the restaurant’s signature ‘Oni’ or better known as yam pudding. Using selected ingredients, all the dishes from the ‘all you can eat’ menu are made to order to guarantee the freshness and texture.

12.00 noon to 3.00 pm and 6.30 pm to 10.00 p.m daily. For more enquiries or dining reservations at Qing Palace, call 07-521 2121 / 07-555 4715 or email enquiry@pulaisprings. com

Sautéed Diced Chicken with Dried Chillies Szechuan Style Other popular dishes from the “all you can eat” menu includes Fried Prawns with Oatmeal, Fried Eel with Szechuan Sauce, Ostrich Meat with Dried Chillies, Fried Venison with Mongolian Sauce, Cuttlefish with Chef’s Special Sauce and Braised Eel with Garlic. Guests will also have the chance to try out fresh and live seafood from the “all you can eat” menu. The live seafood includes Seabass, Patin Buah and Red Pearl fish cooked in various styles like the signature Indonesian Style Curry Fish, Deep Fried Whole Fish with Thai Sauce and Garlic and Steamed in Hong Kong Style.

Peking Duck The ‘All You Can Eat’ Imperial Indulgence promotion is available at only RM65.00 nett per adult and RM 32.00 nett per child and is available daily for both lunch and dinner. Qing Palace is opened daily from

Camphor and Tea Smoked Duck

@home

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

PROPERT Y INSIGHT

PROPERTY

RESIDENTIAL PROJECTS

APARTMENTS

VILLAS

CONDOMINIUMS

OFFICE/ RETAILSPACE

Cover: MB Group launches their Singpore sales gallery Fann Wong and Christopher Lee join MB Group as brand ambassadors to promote pg 27 Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort

plus

Part 3 to Dr. Daniele Gambero’s 2015 Budget Propernomy & UMLand’s UMCity Medini Lakeside MoU Signing

Connect with us on Facebook

Read this article on our website

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015 Advertisement

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

Quick Reads

UEM Sunrise FY14 profit falls 17% For the full year of 2014, UEM Sunrise’s net profit came in 17% lower at RM479.93 million, compared to RM579.14 million in FY13, despite a 10% yearon-year increase in revenue to RM2.66 billion, from RM2.43 billion reported The Edge. The lower profit was attributed to lower margin from land sales, which was partly offset by higher profit from property development. UEM Sunrise expects a challenging 2015, amid concerns on oversupply of properties, a tight lending environment and the general economic uncertainties. However, the group will proceed in launching several new projects, including Estuari, Denai Nusantara and Gerbang Nusantara in the southern region, and Serene Heights, Artisan Hills and Sefina in the central region. The group has proposed a first and final single tier dividend of 3 sen per share for 2014.

Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort Finds Its Perfect Match Highlight

B Group is delighted to announce the signing of renowned celebrities, S i n g a p o re a n - b o r n a c t re s s, Fann Wong and her husband Christopher Lee, Malaysian-born Singaporean actor, as Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort’s Ambassadors.

Cindi Sim, Managing Director of Dimensi Panorama Sdn Bhd, a member of MB Group

Cindi Sim, Managing Director of Dimensi Panorama Sdn. Bhd., a member of MB Group, made this milestone announcement at

First-time parents, Fann Wong and Christopher Lee embark on a new journey with an all-encompassing wellness resort the official opening of MB Group’s Singapore sales office recently, revealing that both husband and wife will be advocating Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort - a distinctive self-sustaining coastal development that embraces the convergence of lush nature, wellbeing, and family-friendly architectural design dedicated for multigenerational living. Developed by Dimensi Panorama Sdn. Bhd., the property market is being redefined with this upcoming development through its holistic concept embedded within the development. “We are thrilled to have Fann and Christopher on board. They are remarkable celebrities who value family, wellness and community living - qualities that embody the Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort development. Fann and Christopher are no strangers in the local and international arena, both being prominent personalities for their talents,” said Cindi Sim. Fa n n Wong and Christopher Lee will begin appearing in the property’s print and broadcast advertisements including brochures and posters nationwide.

Christopher Lee and Fann Wong at the Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort Ambassadors Signing Ceremony, with Cindi Sim, Managing Director of Dimensi Panorama Sdn. Bhd. “Since giving birth to our baby boy, Zed, we have put even more thought into the environment and community that would be good for Chris and I to raise not only our young family but to take care of our parents too. Chris and I would like every family to know about the Sungai Pulai Wellness Resort development – a place where multigenerational families can live under one roof with every aspect of their needs being taken care of,” said Fann Wong. Adding to his wife’s

comment, Christopher Lee said, “It is the attribute of an all-inclusive living reflected by the brand that appeals to me. We took an instant liking to it since my wife and I are strong believers of wellnessoriented lifestyles.” The Wellness Resor t has all the ideal proponents for multigenerational living. It also presents a holistic concept in healthcare services, which includes a world-class concierge medical service (CMS) for longevity-promoting lifestyles for the residents and public.

Property Corner

Property buyers are not Chinese nationals State Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Executive Committee Chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong, refuted claims that Iskandar Malaysia’s property sector is dominated by China national buyers during a press conference. He reiterated that Singaporeans are the main buyers of the luxury housing units, not China nationals. Foreigners bought 7,830 property units last year, an increase of 1,006 units or 13% compared to 6,824 units in 2013. China nationals bought 2,078 units in 2014, an increase of 477% when compared to 436 units purchased in 2013. Overall, Singaporeans topped the list of buyers with 4,314 units last year.

@home

Real life case studies

A.Devadason

CA(M), FCCA, MDRT Deva is a partner in the firm of Dason & Dason, Chartered Accountants who specialises in tax advisory and consultancy. He can be reached at deva@dason.com.my

dislike the idea of renting. Buying is my cup of tea. I reckon my thoughts have been moulded by the words of my parents as well as the logic of paying for something that I will have ownership over rather than financing someone else’s property. At least that’s how most Asians’ think anyway. The idea of owning one’s own real estate is a goal that many aspire to attain. However, this thought is not universal. Some, especially Caucasians, have a different mindset. Renting gives one the

To Rent or Not

flexibility to uproot anytime without the encumbrance that a purchased property does. One can easily accept an outstation/ overseas posting without worrying about the mortgage, maintenance and the physical safety of the property. Some would say, renting allows them to travel freely to different countries and enjoy life by seeing the world with one less worry. A part-time job is more than sufficient to raise sufficient money for food, rent and the next trip. Apart from cultural reasons, renting allows one to experience the particular neighbourhood and reflect whether it’s suitable for long term stay. Should the neighbours prove to be from hell or other unsavoury situations such as being too close to a train track or high crime rate, it gives a chance to look elsewhere to buy. It also allows one to

gauge whether a particular neighbourhood has sufficient demand and in tandem, price appreciation. When someone intends to buy a property for its rental income, being on the other end actually helps solidify ones market research. There is also the cash flow aspect to consider. Renting requires lower outlay as opposed to initial down payment, legal fees, stamp duty and other acquisition costs. This is especially true when one has just started a new job and has yet to earn enough or in the case of business, keeping the start-up capital low. Furthermore, rental is tax deductible expense, while only the interest component is allowed when paying instalments. It also allows business owners to evaluate whether the area has sufficient demand to run a profitable venture. Should results fail to live

up to expectation, renting gives the freedom to move elsewhere. The flip side of renting is the lack of control by the tenant. Landlords can sever a contract, refund the deposits and even compensate for the pre-mature termination and eject the tenant anytime. Although, this seldom occurs but the spectre of this situation is always there, especially when another tenant with sufficient finance manages to convince the landlord to do so. The other drawback is a potential rental hike with each tenancy renewal. Often, it is common practice to increase 10% every 2 years. In the end, the choice is often down to Ringgit and Sen mostly. Should the numbers justify, go with rental for the interim period until the day comes where owning makes much more sense. TI

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

@home

UMCity Medini Lakeside Makes New Friends Benchmark

UMCity Medini Lakeside talks with Samsung, Ascott, Shama, OZO, MBO and Regus about partnership efforts for projects in Nusajaya

nited Malayan Land Bhd (UMLand)’s premier mixed development in Medini Iskandar, UMCity Medini Lakeside welcomed five new established partners (representing 6 brands) who will bring a new level of quality services to Iskandar Malaysia. This is a significant milestone for UMLand in positioning itself to become the lifestyle developer and to provide luxury and quality products in all their projects. The RM1 billion Gross Development Value (GDV) UMCity is uniquely located next to a lake, offering an exclusive enclave for business and living. These new strategic alliances are with The Ascott Limited, ONYX Hospitality Group, Samsung S-1 Security Solutions Korea, MCAT Box Office and Regus. UMCity Medini Lakeside will be enhanced with awardwinning serviced residences by The Ascott Limited, the largest international serviced residence owner-operator globally and in Malaysia. Ascott is set to provide both residents and visitors to the Iskandar development with contemporary vibrant living at Citadines Medini Nusajaya, the first Citadines Apart’Hotel in Nusajaya. The Ascott has over 26,000 operating serviced residence units in over 200 properties worldwide. Comfort, style and luxury at UMCity will come in the

form of Shama Medini, the first Shama property in Malaysia. The Shama Medini lifestyle serviced apartments, which will have a lakeside view, is the 11th property under the Shama brand, which has presence in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Hong Kong and Bangkok. Shama Medini in UMCity will provide an unparalleled level of lifestyle, luxury and comfort for the discerning business travellers, residents and expatriates in a new city. OZO Medini will offer stylish hotel accommodation designed to cater to the diverse needs of the business and leisure travellers. Practical yet stylish, OZO Medini is all about getting the important things right - the things that matter to travellers. OZO Medini is the second planned OZO property in Malaysia, after OZO Penang. Both the Shama and OZO brands are managed and operated by the ONYX Hospitality Group, which is well known for its Amari brand of hotels in Thailand and the Middle East. Work and setting up office in UMCity Medini Lakeside is made easy with the Regus Serviced Offices, which will be located on the 16th floor of the UMCity Corporate Office Tower. The Regus Serviced Offices in UMCity will feature serviced business suites, conference facilities and full office operations and management

ONYX Hospitality Group, The Ascott Limited and UMLand representatives led by Executive Director, Dennis Ng (fifth from left) and Group CEO Charlie Chia at the signing ceremony

services, bringing a brand of professional business space into Medini and Nusajaya. The world’s largest provider of ready offices that serve as flexible workspaces, Regus offers bespoke packages in over 120 countries. In the entertainment area, MCAT Box Office will set up an MBO Cinema, which will boast the latest technology in cinema entertainment at UMCity Medini Lakeside. One of the biggest chain of cinemas in Malaysia, MBO Cinemas has more than 24 cinemas and 176 fully digitalised screens. This fast growing brand will provide exciting entertainment for UMCity Medini Lakeside residents

and visitors. UMLand also extends its partnership with Samsung by collaborating with another Samsung subsidiary, Samsung S-1 Security Solutions Korea for its total security solutions for the UMCity Medini Lakeside project. Samsung S-1 is an international security services company with over 38 years of international experience. UMLand Group CEO, Datuk Charlie Chia Lui Meng said, “UMCity Medini Lakeside is expected to redefine metropolitan living. UMCity is Phase One of UMLand’s Medini Lakesidemaster plan, which is situated at the

gateway into Medini Iskandar and is strategically positioned to be the ideal enclave. This one of its kind waterfront commercial development is designed for vibrant community living and work. We are very excited that these international partners are bringing brands that are a class of its own, to help turn the concept of UMCity Medini Lakeside into reality.” Upon completion in 2018, UMCity will have a premium corporate office tower, two internationally-branded serviced residences, one hotel, a lakeside shopping centre and a wide range of business suites.

Property Investment Opinion

Ed Cheong Ed is the Singapore founder of the Iskandar Malaysia Investors Forum and Rafflesland Group of Companies which provides platform for property investors to gain insights and world-class investment strategies. He is contactable at iskandar@rafflesland.com

irstly, I’d like to extend my congratulations to His Royal Highness Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, the Sultan of Johor on his coronation on 23rd March. As I wrote this article, I read about the immensely useful interview in the Star

Why there is no oversupply in Iskandar Malaysia’s Property Market

newspaper dated 18th March with the Sultan of Johor. It was very refreshing and timely for us to get such useful, frank answers to many questions that are on the minds of property investors internationally. In particular, I’m happy and reassured by the Sultan’s views on the property market and how it is progressing. We can be assured that many Chinese property developers investing huge capital into the Iskandar Malaysia scene will be prudent and wise in balancing demand and supply for both the short and long term. I’m also confident that the Forest City project is increasing its strategic land stock of coastline projects which are in short supply and is an initiative which can provide Johorians as well as those from other states in Malaysia opportunities to own high grade private properties in the near future. The view from Forest City out to the Straits of

Malacca is one to behold, and I can imagine it to be the top residential location in Malaysia together with Puteri Harbour! Incidentally on the same day, I made a trip to survey the progress of various coastline developments in Nusajaya. I passed by the completed condos in Puteri Harbour and noted the good quality of construction. Many other upcoming projects have started work before even selling such as the Southern Marina by Kuok Brothers and a commercial one by UM Land. The hive of activity in Puteri Harbour resembles the frenetic pace of construction of that in Marina Bay Singapore where the Marina One project is also taking place. I can only say that in five years’ time, the prices of Puteri Harbour property will be double that of now. People don’t usually buy when the market it slow like now. However, I believe wise investors can look at the resale market

of condos in Puteri Harbour today instead of waiting for new launches in the hot future. As for the current rental market in Nusajaya, I think there is so much upside to it. Having visited the prime estate of East Ledang where most of its landed units and condos are already completed, the living environment is serene, up class and impeccably well maintained. The bungalows are most impressive and well constructed, compared to even those in Singapore. If you are looking for landed projects to invest in for rental and capital appreciation, now is the time to look at East Ledang’s bungalows. The resale units are now only going for RM 4M onwards, comparatively much less than those in Kuala Lumpur and Penang. With today’s exchange rate, 1.5M SGD can alternatively buy a 400 sq ft one room one toilet prime apartment in Singapore at declining peak price.

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015 Advertisement

www.facebook.com/theiskandarian www.theiskandarian.com

FREE COPY

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015

@home

Propernomy by Dr Daniele Budget 2015

The strategic planning and the micro-propenomy effects of a macroeconomic budget (pt III)

to the Government to complete the Country’s development within the given timeframe. Through a differentiated tax saving scheme, this Budget help the Rakyat have extra cash that might be needed to own a house.

Dr. Daniele Gambero REI Group

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

Developing Human Enterpreneurship

Capital

And

Enhancing Fiscal Governance

and the proposed agenda looks like heading in this direction. If this is the case, then we will see a much wider range of industries and services controlled by Bumiputera and the economic growth of the Country will be more equilibrated. Being housing or dwelling, one of the basic needs of the people is that the status of Bumiputera will carry along a high potential market segment for property developers in terms of a widely diversified range of products.

The Government is paying attention to the quality of education The incoming GST will allow a better and more evenly distributed tax load

A fast developing Country as Malaysia needs to be supported by a proper fiscal and taxation system based on equity and high collection. Citizens must understand that, even though it might be looking painful, paying taxes is a “must do” in a modern and conducive economy. For sure the Government will have to proof that tax payers’ money is wisely and economically spent and returned to the Rakyat by services, infrastructure and proper social services. Infrastructures, PPPs, security, safety, social housing and so on cannot be supplied by cash strapped Government and the Rakyat has the civic responsibility to respond positively to the tax paying call. The incoming GST will allow a better and more evenly distributed tax load on all parties while giving the extra fuel

The status of Bumiputera will carry along a high potential market segment

Education is becoming a core issue in Malaysia. The Government is paying attention to the quality of education and is proposing a number of actions which are towards a general enhancement of the system. This leaves ample of room for the hope to see a better quality of workforce coming in to play a strategic role within the short medium term. In terms of property development this will cover schools and higher education compounds, students’ and lecturers’ accommodation and social services, enough even for the most demanding investors. Advancing The Bumiputera Agenda Bumiputera’s represent almost 70% of the Malaysian population and it makes sense to have a special programme to enhance their contribution to the growth of the Country. Meritocracy should be the name of the game

Upholding Role Of Women It was about time for this to happen. Women are contributing as much as or even more than men to the development of a Nation. Being supportive wives, carrying mothers, business women or productive employees, their role is strategically high in this final chapter of the Malaysian development. For the last two strategies of this year’s Budget, there is surely a need of in depth analysis and evaluation. Let’s go through the ideas and plans presented by our PM Dato Najib and see what is in for the properties in the next issue. Sources: Department of Statistics, Minister of Home Affairs, REI Group archives

Quick Reads

MCA: Looking into property assessment rates MCA district and local councillors in Johor have been directed to look into the issue of property assessment in the state, some of which have seen a whopping 7,500% increase. Describing the huge increases as ‘ridiculous’, MCA Deputy President Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said so far, there were about 4,000 complaints, mainly in Yong Peng reported The Star. “In some cases, the assessment in a village has jumped from RM12 to RM800,” he said, adding that such increases would burden the people. “I have a case involving three buildings which are of similar size and all adjoining in the same location. However, they have different assessment rates of around RM200, RM300 and RM400. “Where is the uniformity in the valuation?” he asked, adding that MCA had no problem with areas in which increases were within range and acceptable. “But when it goes up many folds, including up to between 30 and 75 times, then there is a huge problem,” he told reporters after attending the swearing-in of MCA councillors, village heads and hospital visitors’ boards representatives. He reminded the councillors to always listen and help solve the people’s grievances. He reminded everyone about the need to fulfil all their responsibilities especially with regards to their KPI, which required councillors to submit reports every three months about their attendance not just at full council meetings but also in subcommittees that they participate.

Seri Austin launches D’Lagoon Highlight

Dynasty View Sdn. Bhd. (DVSB), a subsidiary of UMLand Berhad launch D’Lagoon luxury apartments

ynasty View Sdn. Bhd. (DVSB), a subsidiary of UMLand Berhad marked ‘Chap Goh Meh’ with the staffs and Seri Austin with lion and dragon dances at their Seri Austin Gallery recently. Commemorating the event was the launch of their luxur y apar tments. DVSB’s Chief Executive Officer, KK Wong announced the launch of

D’Lagoon located at Seri Austin Township consisting of 204 units of luxurious apartments and 58 units of landed 3-storey resort strata units by the lake. According to KK Wong, “With world-class architecture, premium amenities and strategically located within the popular growth corridor at Tebrau Hotspot in the center of Iskandar Malaysia, D’Lagoon is expected

to be a steady source of income through rental.” He added that, “For investors, D’Lagoon is a perfect platform promising a stunning appreciation in a very short period.” The project spans 6.56 acres and offers spectacular views of the expansive lush greeneries coupled with an endless beautiful lake.

D’Lagoon boasts of all modern day amenities like CCTV surveillance, high speed broadband & astro ready, elevated infinity swimming pool, fully-equipped glass gymnasium, games room, multi-purpose hall and club house, sky deck, jogging track, barbeque terrace and also a basketball court for your year-round convenience. The 20 storey luxurious skyscraper feature 3 types of

different unit with spacious built-up ranges from 807 sq. ft. to 1,033 sq.ft priced from RM 606,800. Meanwhile the landed 3-storey houses feature 5-bedrooms and 3-bathrooms with a spacious built-up of 2,796 sq.ft are priced from RM 1,453,800. For further information on D’Lagoon, introductory rates and availability please contact Sales & Marketing Department at 07-354 1111.

The Iskandarian ISSUE 32 | APR 2015 Advertisement