The Iskandarian November 2015 Issue by The Iskandarian-WAVES Lifestyle

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 39 | NOV 2015

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STILL NO END Highlight

Image above shows the Pasir Gudang Highway viewed from Taman Daya bridge in April 2015. The Image below was captured at the same location in October 2015.

By Maressa Esa newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

otholes, imbalanced road structures, concrete dividers are ever y where along the stretch of Phase 1 Pasir Gudang highway reconstruction which was expected to complete by April 2015. In June, Pasir Gudang Member of Parliament, Hj Normala Abdul Samad expressed her strict thoughts that no more extension will be given after the prior date of 30th September for the completion of Phase 1 but it appears that the contractor has managed to secure a second extension dateline. It is claimed that the new completion date of

December 2015 was granted due to several factors. “The contractor, IDX Multi Resources Sdn Bhd, has been granted an extension till December or Liquidated and Ascertained Damages (LAD) will be imposed if they fail to meet expected completion,” said Normala. When probed by The Iskandarian on why was there an date extension given, Normala explained that during labour works, they encountered several unforeseen problems such as soil liquefaction or groundwater which needed to be discharged properly or face future interruptions when dredging works resume. More

on pg5

14th Nov - 20th Nov 2015

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From September to December, that will be the second extension time for completion of the Pasir Gudang highway

BER OCTO

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INSIDE Peggy Loh talks about her startling discovery that Hospital Sultanah Aminah is now charging parking fees for vehicles pg 10 parked in the hospital compound Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) Chief Executive Datuk Ismail gives his comments on the recently announced Budget 2016 and its implications on Iskandar Malaysia pg 22

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A Helping Hand for Those in Need Responsible

The state government encourages NGOS in organising social programmes to promote the spirit of volunteerism among youths By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ith the help of Che Sir Khor Association and Meow Tian Nieh Organisation Masai, a total of 40 families in the Pasir Gudang area have been selected to receive monthly assistance in the form of basic necessities such as rice, sugar, cooking oil and canned

goods worth RM100 for a duration of six months. This idea of providing food for the needy on a monthly basis was triggered by Johor Menteri Besar, Dato’ Khaled Nordin. He said, “I mentioned a few times that we really want to develop and reveal more volunteers in the community because if we want to form a developed community, we cannot just rely on the government.”

Tian Lee Choo receiving food from Menteri Besar Khaled Nordin

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“In The Arms Of One Who Cares”

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Quick Reads

VEP and Road Charge Delayed Again The Johor State government doesn’t know why the implementation of both the Vehicle Entry Charge (VEP) and Road Charge (RC) for foreign registered vehicles is delayed again as it is a matter for the Transport Ministry to answer. Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin said only the Federal Government could say why the postponement took place as the implementation of the VEP and RC was not a state matter. “Anything on the VEP and RC, please ask the Transport Ministry and the respective ministers. We do not want to comment on the matter,” said Khaled. The VEP system, which was supposed to be implemented at the two border crossings with Singapore on 1st Oct 2015, has been delayed without any announcement for a new date. Currently, more than 200,000 Singaporeans have registered for VEP through the Road Transport Department website.

Seroja Kaniappan explaining her situation to the Menteri Besar “People need to work together with the government and it is also consistent with the concept of consensus Johor, which all parties must continue to have good relations,” said Khaled. These selected families will also receive free meals every Sunday, prepared by the volunteers of the association. The MB visited three families that day, handing out food and meeting them for the first time to discuss more about their situation. Single mother Seroja Kaniappan, aged 51 was the first family visited by the association. She explained that she is supporting seven family members who are all living with her in a small flat located in Taman Cendana. Khaled and the volunteers then visited the home of Tian Lee

Choo, aged 40 who works part time as a mechanic with a monthly income of RM1500, supporting his wife and six children. The last family visited by Khaled was of Teh Yoong Chen, aged 54 who was recently diagnosed with colon cancer. The father of three was the sole breadwinner of the family and now is bedridden due to his disease. Being unable to work and due to the cost of his medical treatments, the association has been helping him with his struggles. Khaled said that NGOs are encouraged to increase assistance programmes to the public, but with the aim to help transform the target group to be better. “As with today’s programme, it was a good effort and I hope it will be an example to other organisations,” he stressed. TI

Miracle for Your Kidneys Responsible

Renown Academy Seri Alam Preschoolers cherish a day spent with hemodialysis patients at the Rotary House

otary Club of Johor Bahru Haemodialysis Centre Berhad (RCJBHCB) recently organised their annual two day event, “Patients Day” at Rotary House, Jalan Tun Abdul Razak. This year, RCJBHCB received 69 patients who are economically challenged for a price reduction treatment of RM110 per session compared to normal price of RM300-RM400 per session. They were divided into 2 groups of patients with different days and rotated in a week. The event was also open to the public. “This year’s event was full of excitement as many of our friends came and showed their support and cheered the patients who were having their treatment here. Renown Academy Seri Alam students sang, danced and even presented flowers as gifts to them. Moreover, talks were given to the patients regarding diet and fluid consumption,” said Sixtus Lionel, Manager of Rotary Club of Johor Bahru Haemodialysis Centre Berhad. Other than that, RCJBHCB and their suppliers teamed up by providing the patients with goody bags and quiz prizes. It has become a culture for the centre to continue motivating

Patient receiving dialysis treatment by state registered nurses and encouraging patients enabling them to return to their normal lives after receiving each dialysis treatment. The two-day event also aided the patients to apply for subsidies from Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia (KKM), Pertubuhan Keselamatan Sosial (PERKESO), Buddhist Tzu Chi, Majlis Agama Islam, Caring Key United Club and other organisations. Working with eighteen machines of which nine machines are catered for immobile patients while the other nine are for normal patients. RCJBHCB is the first dialysis centre of Rotary International and the first to be run by Rotary in Malaysia. - by Maressa Esa TI

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

Perhaps stronger rules and enforcement should be introduced to ensure common hygiene is preserved at all times -Sent by Nurul Ishaq

Beware of AKPK Scams Caution

AKPK does not engage with third-parties or agents to liaise with clients regarding their financial situations

(Second from left) Finance Deputy Officer of Johor, Tuan Haji Zulkiflee Abbas and CEO of AKPK, Azaddin Ngah Tasir

lmost every individual is affected by the economic downturn in the country, resulting us to be more careful of our budget and expenses. Agensi Kaunseling dan Pengurusan Kredit (AKPK) recently dropped by for a one day event tour of ‘Jelajah Bijak Wang 2015’ at UTC Kotaraya, Johor Bahru. “The tour around Malaysia is to get close and to assist any individuals on financial management by giving out several tips based on our expertise and also by restructuring their loans. Visitors can also enjoy interactive activities and stand a chance to win

several lucky draw prizes,” said Azaddin Ngah Tasir, Chief Executive Officer of AKPK. “Another important message I would like to advise the public is that AKPK does not engage with any middleman or agents through telephone calls or text messages to liaise with its clients regarding their financial and loans restructuring programme. We engage directly with our clients with high confidentiality,” he added. Johor Finance Deputy Officer, Tuan Haji Zulkiflee bin Abbas, also attended the events’ closing ceremony and expressed his appreciation to

the Ministry of Finance and AKPK for organising the event to help individuals from encountering challenges especially on loans and debts. ‘Jelajah Bijak Wang 2015’ started its tour in Perak and will extend to 14 other locations across the country. AKPK has been providing free of charge services that includes financial education, Debt Management Programme, and counseling on financial budgeting to managing expenses. Until August 2015, the agency has received almost 350,000 individuals subscribing to their services and 10% of theat quota was from Johor Bahru. - by Maressa Esa TI

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Johorians to Give Suggestions on Budget

he people of Johor are asked to submit their suggestions and views on important aspects for the state government to consider in drawing up the 2016 State Budget. Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin, said

priority would be given to issues on the needs of the people including the prosperity of the people, the economy, rural development, women empowerment, building the capacity of the youths and young people, education and skills, heritage and culture, as well as

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racial solidarity. “We are now focusing on gathering various matters for preparation in tabling the 2016 budget and are considering several aspects to be included in our planning,” he said in the statement. “It is thus my aspiration

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and responsibility to ensure that whatever is being planned and eventually implemented by the Johor state government truly meets the needs of the people and in line with their expectation,” he said. Mohamed Khaled said the Johor State Budget for next year

was expected to be tabled on Thursday, 19th November. All suggestions must be stated via the official Facebook page of the Menteri Besar at www.facebook.com/ MohamedKhaledNordin with the hashtag #bajetjohor2016.

Movie Treat for Underprivileged Students Highlight

Underprivileged students who scored good exam grades enjoyed a movie in the cinema for the first time

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p p r ox i m a t e l y 1 6 primary school students who achieved well in their Ujian Pencapaian Sekolah Rendah (UPSR) trial examination were treated to a movie preview of ‘Pan’ at City Square Johor Bahru. “This is my first time to enjoy a movie in a cinema which is grand and I will study hard for the upcoming UPSR,” said Nuradila Ranmani, one of SK Tanjung Adang student who scored 3A’s and 2B’s in her UPSR trial. Most of the students expressed that it is their first time to enjoy a movie in a cinema and felt grateful for the opportunity given by Country Garden PacificView. According to Hezrin Ali, Head of Corporate Communication and Media of Country Garden

Students with reps from Country Garden PacificView and Johor media members PacificView, the organisation took an initiative to treat the underprivileged kids for “Pan” and free movie snacks from their four different adopted schools namely SK Tanjung Adang, SK Morni Pok, SK Pendas Laut, and SK Tanjung Kupang from within Gelang Patah area. “O ther than to

celebrate the students’ achievement, the movie preview is also an inaugural for Country Garden to invite Johor media partners as a get-together occasion. The movie treat is also an incentive for the students to study hard and achieve well in their examination,” he added. - by Maressa Esa TI

Carlton College to Open in Malaysia Highlight

Hong Kong based Carlton College to open in Tebrau Bay, Johor Bahru

H Chancellor of Carlton College, Dr. Robby Kwok (left) and representative from Greenland Holdings Group Ltd, Hafis Shahar (third from left)

ong Kong-based Carlton College has signed a joint venture with China-based developer, Greenland Holdings Group Ltd, in efforts to extending its branch in Malaysia specifically at Tebrau Bay, Johor Bahru. The project in Tebrau Bay which is approximately 30,000

square feet for Phase 1 features more on educational sectors. The development will be initiated by year end and is expected to be completed by 2017. With gross development value of RM30 million, Phase 1 is a 6 storey building. “Carlton College which will operate in Tebrau Bay is an open gate for our students to grab the

chance of international prospect in studies and experience various cultures not only in Malaysia but with Singapore since it is quite nearby,” said Dr. Robby Kwok, Chancellor of Carlton College. The college is renowned in its base land in Hong Kong and Macau that offers courses mainly on Business Management, Hospitality Management and Applied Financial Line for Diploma level. Carlton College belongs to an educational service provider, AES Group which was founded in Australia. - by Maressa Esa TI

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

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From Cover

When asked on why roadworks were sighted during daytime that leads to massive traffic jam especially during morning peak hours, Normala clarified that the issue whereby closure of lanes for every now and then should end by 6.00 am but was forced to drag until 8.00 am due to unavailability of premix material supplies and other certain unavoidable conditions. The Iskandarian has observed that several stretches along the highway has remained idle for many months and have gotten bumpier with more potholes. The concrete dividers along Plentong exit is seen dangerously positioned in the middle of the lane for both directions at times. “The never-ending construction but with improvements are acceptable but it should not be going on for several years since 2008 until today. I am not seeing any changes nor are the roads are getting better,” said Shanmuga Sunthari, a warehouse assistant who uses the highway on daily basis. “It is quite dangerous when there are certain stretches with no streetlights at night especially for motorists. I don’t see any emergency lanes along the area and definitely a hassle for ambulances on emergency trips being forced to queue during heavy traffic jam. The number of

Happenings

accidents and death tolls that come from the congested area aren’t declining,” expressed Nabeela Farhana, a staff nurse. Some of the locals were forced to take a longer route to Pasir Gudang via Eastern Dispersal Link (EDL) Highway and other alternative routes just to avoid the massive traffic and bumpy ride along the highway. YB Normala also mentioned that the Pasir Gudang highway’s Phase 2 construction which is mostly in the Pasir Gudang area will begin as soon as Phase 1 is completed. Roadworks are currently being done at Pesisir Pantai Highway, FT17 from Permas Jaya area towards Pasir Gudang. There are also several new projects that will begin soon in Pasir Gudang such as the new public hospital which was announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during Budget 2016 and the Johor Circuit is currently being revamped under the watchful eye of Tunku Temenggong Johor, Tunku Idris. Moving and embankment of pipeline works on the Pasir Gudang highway are currently at its last phase, scheduled to be carried out from 28th to 30th October. Whether the Phase 1 of the highway will be completed on time in December is yet another game of wait and see. TI

Recap

Sharing with you the happenings from last month

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s part of developing the talents of Johorian youths, Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah (MPJBT) and Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) recently joined forces with Elnet Talent Solutions, to give the youths the tools needed to have a fighting chance in the working world. Thirty five youths, aged 18 to 30 were pre-selected by the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) and Yayasan Penyayang (YP), the community arm of MPJBT, for a two day workshop teaching them the basics of communication, problem solving and creative thinking. The training was conducted by Elnet Talent Solutions Chief Executive Officer and corporate trainer, Dr. Elilen Chandra, who was the recipient of the 2014 Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Iskandar

streets Giving Youths an Edge for Their Future Highlight

IRDA and Yayasan Penyayang join hands in youth talent development Malaysia Social Hero Award for Education Advancement. “What I do in this training programme is to create confidence in them. With the business plan exercise, it serves as a tool to display their confidence in front of people. They can discuss in any language but must communicate in English to convey their ideas,” said Dr. Elilen. He believes that by allowing the youths to discover their confidence and overcome any self-

esteem issues, their true talents will be unleashed, thus improving their sense of being and overall achievements. Joining Dr. Elilen for the training programme was Nor Hisham Hussien, Head of Social Development for IRDA. “More than 60% of Iskandar’s population are youths. This is a long term project from 2005 till 2025. It only makes sense to focus on this age group because in twenty years,

Dr. Elilen imparting entrepreneurial skills to the youths they are the generation that will inherit Iskandar Malaysia”, said Nor Hisham. Hisham believes that training programmes like this helps prepare the youths for changes in the future especially in the local industries, and

gives them the mindset needed to achieve greater things. Yayasan Penyayang aims to provide aid to the lower income communities, the handicapped and the less fortunate who are living in the MPJBT area. - by Amin Khairuddin

JARO Receives RM50,000 Highlight

More funds are needed to reinvest for daily operations in Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation

* Image is for illustration only

nother relief for Johor Area Rehabilitation Organisation (JARO) came as they recently received a fund of RM50,000 as a start from The STAR Fo u n d at i o n fo r t h e i r sustainability. “Our appreciation goes to The STAR Foundation for giving us this donation as we are coping and trying to uphold the charity. The fund is also to sustain the lives of the disabled people that are working here; as we are one of the organisation that receives this special group and keeps them employed by making handicrafts using their abilities and craftsman skills,” said Chairman of JARO, Datuk Jimmy Low Boon Hong when receiving the cheque. “This is a start for The STAR Foundation to channel the funds to JARO and continue it up to two years. We will further extend

Chairman of JARO, Datuk Jimmy Low Boon Hong presents a gift to Datuk Tay Puay Chuan, The STAR Foundation Trustee our aid to the foundation if we see there is a lapse in the upcoming years,” expressed The STAR Foundation Trustee, Datuk Tay Puay Chuan. According to Datuk Jimmy Low, JARO was formed in 1952 and has been a self-sustaining charity organisation with approximately 63 staffs that are physically and mentally challenged. The organisation provides shelter and rehabilitation requirements

for the staff. Their handicraft items are put on sale and the funds are reinvested into JARO’s daily operations. “I’m hoping that more funds will come in to uphold our daily operations and expenditure while receiving support either from the Government, NGOs or any other parties. We also welcome any groups who are physically challenged to come and work with us,” he added. - by Maressa Esa TI

Get Healthy Programme for Johor Rural Folks Highlight

The RTC Johor together with several other bodies join hands for Jom Sihat in Kota Tinggi

he Rural Transformation Centre of Johor (RTC) recently organised a ‘Jom Sihat’ (Get Healthy) programme for the rural folks at the Kota Jaya Hall, Kota Tinggi.

The event was jointly organised with the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Rural Transformation and Development, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Kota Tinggi District Council, the Youth

body, The Boys Brigade Malaysia, and Monash University Malaysia, Clinical School Johor Bahru. The hazy atmosphere failed to dampen the spirit of the 2000 odd local folks who were seen particating in the flurry of activities. Among the activities held include blood check, eye check, BMI check, breast examinations, talks on maintaining a healthy diet, cleaniness, and treatment for

worms and lice. “Blood regenerates itself. When I donate blood, I make room for new blood which makes me feel younger and filled with vitality,” said Ahmad Shahrom, a participant. Jom Sihat organising chairman Dr. Hj Mohd Azlan Abdul Jalil said this was the team’s second event after Kulai and they are reaching out to smaller districts and have been receiving a positive response from the public.

“It’s a team effort to contribute to the needy. The RELA Kota Tinggi district team on duty jumped in to fill in the blood bank by their own sincereity and passion for the people which saw a total 112 bags of blood collected by noon time,” said Azlan. “We will continue our efforts to the neighbouring districts and want to reach out to the very last needy person in each district. This is our commitment,” added Azlan.

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Permai Hospital’s Smart Approach

PEGASUS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Highlight

Carnival held as part of World Mental Health Day 2015 to break the stigma of mental illnesess

nlike the mental institutes you see in those B-rated h o r ro r m ov i e s, Permai Hospital located in Kempas Johor looks more like a university campus than anything else. Part of reaching out to the public, the hospital hosted its second charity carnival, in order to spread awareness and break the stigma that comes with being diagnosed with mental illnesses. The carnival, part of World Mental Health Day 2015 was officiated by the hospital’s director Dr. Abdul Kadir Bin Abu Bakar. “Several activities aimed at fostering physical health and mental wellbeing were organised for both the young and old,” said Dr. Abdul Kadir. Over 50 booths were set up and operated by the hospital’s staff from various departments. Most stalls

were selling food items, some clothes, and pre-made goods while others offered a fun time with various games and activities. Also present at the carnival was Johor State Health Director Dato Dr. Khairi Bin Yakub who was the guest of honour for the event. He explained some of the various programmes provided by the state government to help with the growing issues of mental health. “Almost 1000 staff have been trained through the

Grief Response Programme which was held at both state and district levels. Among those trained include medical officers and personnel from both the government and private sectors.” “The main purpose of this exercise is to provide a healthy mind and response skills for any personal sorrows, and those who are willing to help family, friends or others who may be experiencing mental challenges,” said Dato Dr. Khairi. - by Amin Khairuddin TI

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World Heart Day 2015 Highlight

Regency Specialist Hospital upholds ‘prevention is better than cure’ motto

R YB Normala Abdul Samad flagging off the Regency Pedal Quest 2015

egency Specialist Hospital (RSH) extended their annual event, ‘World Heart Day 2015’, together with the launch of Regency Heart Centre at the hospital in Bandar Seri Alam. Lots of excitement and a crowd of about 600 participants geared up for the many activities held. “This year’s event is to promote healthy living and good

exercise because the heart’s health is crucial for all of us. We even invited the visitors to screen their health status and advised them on several protections they required alongside encouraging them to exercise,” said Chin Wei Jia, Chief Executive Officer of Regency Specialist Hospital. The whole day event featured a bicycle challenge named

the Regency Pedal Quest, fitness exercises such as Zumba, Yoga and Taichi, kids colouring contest and other health and treatment consultations including blood donations, quit smoking campaign, and others. Pasir Gudang MP YB Hj Normala Abdul Samad flagged off the Pedal Quest that covered an approximately 16km route with partnership between Iskandar Regional Development Authority, Seri Alam Properties and Happy Riders Connect. Regency Heart Centre is a comprehensive heart care programme and RSH has successfully performed 15 heart surgeries thus far. - by Maressa Esa

Options of International Schools in Johor

he 4th Private & International School Fair (PISF) was recently held at Hotel Jen, Nusajaya. It attracted almost 300 families consisting of both local and expatriates from Singapore, India, and Japan among others. The exhibitors were mainly international schools, preschools, and pre-university establishments. The latest 2015/2016 edition of the fair’s official publication, Education Destination Malaysia: Guide to International & Private Schools which was published in July, was also available for purchase at the fair. This annual publication includes a comprehensive directory of international schools in Malaysia,

Education

The 4th Private & International School Fair held in Johor attracted almost 300 families consisting of both local and expatriates articles by education experts, information on curricula as well as tips for parents on selecting a suitable school for their children. “There is an increasing demand for international education which means that there is a growing number of parents who recognise the benefits and

importance of a well-rounded and holistic education for their children. Our fairs serve as a platform to equip parents with the right information to help them find a suitable school,” said Nickie Yew, co-founder and director of Mint Communications and organiser of the fairs.

Visitors at the 4th PISF in Johor Mint Communications initiated the first ever PISF in Malaysia in 2012 and it’s now held annually in Penang and

Johor, and twice a year in Kuala Lumpur. The next fair will be held in Kuala Lumpur at the Mid Valley Exhibition Centre.

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DRILL streets

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.

Joanne Chung

General Manager

Monthly Drill

Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel

Born in Pearl Island, Penang in 1966, Joanne Chung began her career in 1986 at the Ken Air Incentive & Convention Planners, Kuala Lumpur. She then the joined hospitality industry as the Director of Sales in Shangri-La Hotel, Bangkok and joined Marriott International as the Director of Sales & Marketing in 2010 where she and her team successfully opened the first flagship of the Renaissance brand, Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa in Thailand. Her leadership prowess helped pave the way to winning the “Best Design Award” from the Royal Princess of Thailand. She also led the resort’s sales team through challenging economic conditions and improved the hotel’s business in every aspect. She has attained the Sales Leadership Award Renaissance Asia Pacific and Sales Leadership Award Renaissance Global. Joanne has been in Johor Bahru (JB) since June this year and is thrilled with the robust development in the southern city where the development of Iskandar Malaysia has positioned JB to become a hub for cultural and urban tourism.

Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel is the seventh Marriott property in Malaysia. How is the performance of the hotel in comparison to the other six? Early this year we won the REVPAR Index Excellence Award 2014 at the Global Leadership Regional Awards in Hanoi. I feel this is a clear and direct result of the hotel’s steady growth. I’m glad that it took less than a year for the Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel to ramp up to its fair share of performance. Who would have thought the first 5 star international lodging in Johor Bahru can do this well?

Placed in Permas Jaya at the crosshairs of Pasir Gudang, how has the hotel benefitted by the strategic location? We are truly blessed in terms of location and just minutes’ drive to Woodlands Checkpoint. Pasir Gudang area has kept us in business since May 2013 and our property is constantly packed with tired business travelers to oil and gas workers. I can say that our occupancy is growing despite the economic uncertainty.

What can Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel offer that other hotels can’t offer? Tell us your unique selling points Renaissance Hotel has strong name recognition. We anticipate immediate strong demand due to Renaissance’s exceptional reputation for defying business travel conventions for guests who crave unexpected experiences. Moreover, we are located within the 5 flagships zone of Iskandar Malaysia with great potential for further growth as a tourism destination and new commercial hub.

We noticed that you’ve actively replied to comments and feedback on TripAdvisor. com.my but how do you handle a difficult guest who simply refuses to accept your explanation? Thank you for observing this! I value every guest’s feedback on TripAdvisor. It took us couple of months to be ranked number 1 hotel in JB since the day we opened. Review sites and other social media have become essential tools for many travelers who are increasingly using them to share their customer experiences online. It can be tempting to respond harshly to criticism, but we always believe that it is best not to lose sight of the fact that our audience is wide,

as well as the individual reviewer. We believe that the vast majority of people recognise that not all guests raise reasonable concerns, and not everything will always be perfect. Some give us a lot of credit for offering a courteous and thoughtful explanation, especially when the criticism is unwarranted.

Quote Social media is often misunderstood and is deemed to be supplementary to traditional media At this digital age, do you think promotions on social media alone will suffice or are traditional advertising and promotional methods needed as well? Social media is often misunderstood and is deemed to be supplementary to traditional media. For us, social media provides the perfect opportunity to do within its real time nature. It is not only more cost-efficient than advertising, but it also offers great opportunities for innovative engagement with our guests. However, we still believe in traditional advertising, and we are not ditching it completely but just minimising it.

Tell us more about Marriott International’s Spirit to Serve social-responsibility and communityengagement initiatives in

Johor? We are committed to investing in the community through these initiatives. For example, in 2014, we provided lodging support to Sarawak Children’s Cancer Society’s Wishing Star Project. The Society has assisted more than 700 families since its inception in 2001, and this mission speaks to the hotel’s commitment to create a more compassionate community. We are the first hotel in JB to work closely with Kechara soup kitchen in providing quarterly food giveaway to the homeless and we are taking small steps towards more community engagement and enrichment. Recently, we have partnered with the local TV station to record the journey of Tunku Laksamana Johor, Tunku Jalil Ibni Sultan Ibrahim and his cancer foundation, Yayasan Kanser Tunku Laksamana Johor and there’ll be a special event in the pipeline soon.

Anything our readers should look out for in 2016 from Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel? There’ll be more to come in 2016! Global Day of Discovery (GDOD) for instance will let the guests and the local community to be involved in exclusive hotel events to experience hot spots for food, bars, nightlife and entertainment. Renaissance’s GDOD also marks the official launch of Evenings at Renaissance. Evenings at Renaissance kicks off with a signature Bar Ritual centred on local craft beverages, curated by the hotel bartender and local beverage experts. We’ll do it in a local flair and don’t be surprised to see Johor’s infamous Air Katira Mocktail at our hotel’s bar! The Bar Ritual is the signal that the 9 to 5 working day is over and it’s time to have a transition into an incredible evening of discovery. TI

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peggy loh

My johor stories

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

Carpark Woes at Hospital Sultanah Aminah

solution to the parking problems. With too many cars and too few spaces, patients and visitors often find it impossible to get a proper parking space. The carpark in front of the A & E department is notorious for haphazard parking, typically with vehicles parked on the curb and over the landscaped garden! Staff parking spilled over from the staff carpark into the public section where the problem is compounded by spaces perpetually occupied by vehicles that everyone suspects, were parked early in the morning by carowners who carpool or commute by public transport to work in Singapore. My friend said that every morning, the road into the hospital compound from Jalan Mahmoodiah was choked with cars queuing to collect their parking Signboard situated near the exit with instructions to pay the tickets at that parking ticket before exiting the hospital compound entry point into sitting in semi-darkness and one of them HSA. Cars backed up all the way to Jalan Mahmoodiah, often obstruct the vehicles handed me a carpark ticket. The A & E department, however, of staff and patients who were turning into was jam-packed with patients. The Triage the road to the Mahmoodiah outpatient staff assessed my friend’s condition, which clinic. Patients, who can only afford to pay did not look critical, and advised us to go home and return in the morning as the wait a nominal fee for consultation at the public for consultation was going to be long. We hospital, are hopping mad because they took their advice and when I retrieved my now have to pay parking fees that are being car to exit the carpark, the attendant asked clocked up by the hours spent in long waits in the hospital. for parking fees! As a HSA regular to collect I reasoned that we spent hardly a few minutes speaking to the Triage prescriptions or accompany either of my staff before we decided to leave and parents for their clinic consultations, I’m should be within the grace period. After familiar with the routine. We first queue conferring between themselves, the to collect a number to join the queue to carpark attendants agreed to waive the get the room number for consultation fees. This was how I discovered that HSA with the assigned doctor. After waiting to meet the doctor, patients would receive a was charging carpark fees. A few weeks later, I had a chat with prescription and they join another queue at my HSA doctor friend who confirmed that the pharmacy to pick up their drugs. There the hospital decided to implement parking are sometimes queues to wait for turns for fees after much deliberation. The parking a blood test or to take weight or answer situation was just getting impossible. questionnaires. Most patients are reluctant to pay Besides dealing with patients’ medical needs, the hospital administration had to the parking fees in the poorly designed cope with car-parking problems, not just carpark and end up feeling not only with patients, but also among hospital staff! physically sick but also frustrated by the Inconsiderate parking that traffic congestion within the carpark. I’m obstructed other drivers, caused tempers sure car-owners would be willing to pay to flare and even the recently implemented the parking charges if the hospital built a car-parking fees have not provided a viable multi-storey carpark and had more orderly o you know that Hospital Sultanah Aminah (HSA) is now charging parking fees for vehicles parked in the hospital compound? I made this startling discovery in the wee hours of the morning recently when I sent a friend involved in a motor accident, to the Accident & Emergency (A & E) department. It was past midnight and with the carpark understandably less crowded, I hoped to find a parking space quickly. But I was stopped by two carpark attendants

The queue of cars inching into a bottleneck to the exit, starts from the porch of the HSA polyclinic points. But these proved rather ineffective parking. I recently sent my mother to HSA because it’s quite impossible to read when for her eye check-up appointment at one was driving, taking a ticket and the the polyclinic and after dropping her off gantry arm was raised! The carpark operator should put at the porch, my car could hardly move because the queue was inching its way up signboards or posters with payment into a bottleneck to the exit. I spotted instructions at strategic spots inside the payment booth at the far end of the porch while the s i g n b o a rd with parking ticket payment instructions was situated under some trees, between the booth and the exit. From my vantage point, I observed that drivers, w h o Drivers leave their cars indiscriminately by the road to settle the realised too late payment at the payment booth before their cars can exit that they could not exit because their ticket was unpaid, the buildings to remind users about fee were causing further delay. They had no payment before retrieving cars. It’s a alternative but to leave their vehicles and learning process for everyone and this go to the payment booth to get their ticket information may be shared in conversations while waiting – and we certainly spend a paid first. Drivers in a similar predicament great deal of time waiting here. TI parked and left their cars indiscriminately along the road to get their tickets paid at the booth. It was a chaotic scene of tired, ill and frustrated vehicle owners trekking back to settle payments before they could drive out. The queue in front of me was not going to move within the 15-minute grace period and I did not want to risk reaching the exit only to discover that my ticket had exceeded the time limit. It was better to be safe than sorry so I made the decision to leave my stationery car and run across the porch to the booth. I asked the staff about the validity of my ticket as I only did a “drop-off” and pointed to the queue in the bottleneck that did not look like it was going to clear soon. One of the staff who appeared reluctant to validate my ticket, consulted with another and they finally decided to do it. I saw sheets of laminated paper, A bunting announcing the start of charging printed with payment instructions and for parking in HSA attached to the gantry arm at the entry

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Roaring Success at IM klik 2015 Workshop Interest

Photo taking got better for over 70 Iskandarians at IM klik 2015 Photography Workshop

Trainer Agilan Palani showing participants techniques that can be applied in the practical session

Video making workshop participants trying their hand at acting, directing and filming

ndrew Boey from Beyond Photography Academy in Kuala Lumpur and his dedicated team members guided photography enthusiasts in Johor Bahru to the ABCs of nicer pictures. Over 70 professional and amateur photographers turned up at the Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club on 10th October 2015 to get their techniques corrected. The photography

workshop also facilitated a short video making and editing session which will help participants to submit a better short video to the IM klik 2015 photography and short video competition. The second-year running event has now been extended to 10th November 2015 to encourage more submissions. Its theme ‘We are Iskandarians’, is expected to portray the many sides of lifestyle and culture in Iskandar Malaysia.

“It was a pleasure to hear Andrew going through the fundamentals in such a pleasant and humorous manner. Everything he said went straight in and stayed. I thank Iskandar Investment for sponsoring this workshop so that amateurs and professionals alike can benefit from such knowledge sharing,” said NorAzam Hussin who had just recently taken photography a tad serious.

Andrew Boey in action

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Johor Port Week 2015 T he Johor Port Authority (JPA) recently launched its annual Johor Port Week 2015 and the event was officiated by Yang Berhormat Dato’ Abdul Rahim Bin Ramli, Chairman of Johor Port Authority and Johor Port Authority of Tanjung Pelepas. Muhammad Razif Bin Ahmad, General Manager of JPA, remarked that this year, the Johor Port Week is coorganised by Port of Tanjung Pelepas and Johor Port Berhad. The event oversaw activities such as Ports of Treasure Hunt and Customer Day at Galleria@Kotaraya, Green Port Conference, Post GST Talk and a Forum of Port Facility and Services

presented by renowned speakers from the port Industry. Johor Port Week 2015 aims to promote various ports in Johor otherwise known as Malaysia’s Southern Gateways to the public as well as to promote their facilities and services to the port users. Agencies under the Ministry of Transport such as the Malaysian Road Transport Department, Department Civil Aviation (DCA), port agencies also cooperated and involved in the exhibition activities in an effort to promote their products and services to the public sphere. Apart from that, a Green Port

Conference 2015 was also organised for two days. The Conference was an initiative taken by JPA’s Port Center of Excellence (PCOE) aimed to provide exclusive platform to bring together top minds and practitioneres within various sectors to exchange information on sustainable environmental practice and in exploring key issues, challenges and best practice on the implementation of green port. Other activities organised during the Johor Port Week 2015 were religious talks by speakers such as Ustaz Roslan Mohamed, Ustaz Mohd Izhar Ariff and Ustaz Mohd Rifqi.

Taking a Laugh Out Live life to of Malaysian Politics the Fullest Interest

Veteran actor and journalist Kee Thuan Chye launches two books for your reading pleasure

Kluang MP Lee Chin Tong, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, author Kee Thuan Chye and Engage Chairperson Thomas Fann

By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

n a rare event, veteran actor and journalist Kee Thuan Chye came down to Johor to launch his two latest books titled, ‘Unbelievably Stupid’ and ‘Unbelievably Stupid Too’. For those of you who are unfamiliar, he was one of the uncles on Kopitiam sitcom. The book launch was held at the Engage Centre in Taman Molek, where over 40 guests waited eagerly to purchase the books, meet the author and hear a few words by the two invited guest speakers, Kluang MP Liew Chin Tong and former Bersih Chairperson, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan. Kee took the microphone after a short Q&A session by the guest speakers to express his gratitude and talk more about the books. “It’s good to be here, I’ve never launched a book here in the fortress state of UMNO and also the state where UMNO was born. It feels awesome. I

would like to thank Engage for hosting this event, giving me the opportunity to reach out to Johorians”, said Kee. The books are a collection of short articles that have been published in the media over the years. An eloquent and educated man, Kee has his way of calling out the politicians

with their nonsense, like a doctor with a scalpel, he cuts and dissects their mistakes with an air of satire and douses it with generous amounts of humour. “The books cover everything stupid that’s been said over the past few decades that is why it required a lot of research. I had to check the facts and double check them to make sure it’s accurate. I had to be very careful with the facts, mainly because I can be sued for libel or charged with sedition,” said Kee. Each book is divided into several sections and focuses on several prominent political figures including Rais Yatim, Adnan Mansor and Puad Zarkashi. Like all trending Malaysian satire, you will notice a good portion of his writing is about our Prime Minister. “I hope the readers will get a lot of laughs out of the comedy in the books and hope it provides comic relief to Malaysians, especially during these unstable, uncertain and distressing times,” added Kee. TI

or the month of October, the Johor Breast Cancer Support Group (BCSG) hosted several events as part of their ongoing effort to spread breast cancer awareness and healthy living to the local community. One of their events, the Pink Ribbon Yoga session was held at Laman Tembesu, Hutan Bandar, where a crowd of 60 women and several men gathered to do a little bit of yoga, catch up with friends and simply to have a good time. “This is the second event we are hosting this month. Today we are working with these lovely people, they are line dancers and fitness instructors and they are all volunteers.” “In the morning we are doing this yoga event, which is basically stretching and in the evening we are

doing a KPop line dancing event at Jalan Tan Hiok Nee. The idea again is to remind people that exercise is important to our health and our wellbeing,” said BCSG’s President Doris Boo. She explained that one cannot simply talk about breast cancer prevention, but the best way is to live a healthy lifestyle with an emphasis on exercise. What started out as a tea and coffee group in 2000 became a registered NGO in 2003. Now in its 11th year, the group has over 300 members where two thirds are breast cancer survivors and the rest are volunteers. The Breast Cancer Support group is located at 12 Jalan Ru, Taman Kebun Teh (Behind Sri Utama School), and look out for the pink ribbon outside. - by Amin Khairuddin TI

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UMNO Johor Launches ‘Think Tank’ Highlight

Bait al-Amanah sets to help change the party and the state for the benefit of Johorians

n a launch event held at Thistle Johor Bahru recently, Menteri Besar Dato’ Khaled Nordin accompanied by Defence Minister Tan Sri Hishammudin Hussien as well as Johor Bahru MP, Tan Sri Shahrir Samad, announced the formation of UMNO Johor’s very own ‘Think Tank’, aptly named Bait al-Amanah. Bait, in Arabic simply means house, and when you add ‘Amanah’ to it, the ‘House of Trust’ is born. The team led by Prof Madya Dr. Abdul Razak Ahmad, is set to strategise UMNO Johor’s reform and to reengineer the party’s relevance in today’s day and age. Speaking to an estimated crowd of 500 guests, including students, party members and the general public, Khaled said, “It is not a rebranding or a maintenance job, but a total overhaul and reform of the party, adding that it is not something that is wholly cosmetic or externally”. “Today we have gathered the young educated leaders in UMNO to explain the importance of this reform. These young leaders are the torch that will help brighten the future of the party,” said Khaled. He took the time to further elaborate

the party’s latest movement, the ‘Johor Civil Project’. In the last UMNO convention, Khaled proposed to the party president the idea that the party must take responsibility for its civil actions. “UMNO must not just be a social movement that is inclusive. UMNO must engage in direct and be serious in helping to confront and solve the everyday problems of society through charitable activities and social enterprise,” said Khaled. He explained that through this programme, the party has offered a donation to 62 Johorian students in UTM, saying it is part of their civil responsibilities and should be the culture within the party. Johor Bahru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Samad who commented in an earlier Q&A session believes it’s the next step in helping the citizens of the state. “I think as a political party, we cannot ignore the fact that we have to represent and take the views of the citizens into account, therefore, Bait al-Amanah will not just be a stand-alone organisation, it will engage and interact with civic groups, NGOs, other organisations.” “For a ‘Think Tank’ to function

The Green Programme

EM Sunrise Berhad (UEM Sunrise) the master developer of Nusajaya, had successfully organised a “Public Speaking & Debate Competition” for its PINTAR Adopted School students at the Bangunan Dato’ Jaafar Muhammad in Kota Iskandar, recently. The inaugural Public Speaking & Debate Competition was organised under the annual Green Programme introduced in 2010 for its PINTAR Adopted Schools and was participated by 60 students. The Competition is different compared to the previous competitions under the Green Programme series. Since its inception, the Green Programme activities evolved from Carbon Footprint Project, Mini Forest, Compose Bin Project, Nusajaya landmark sculpture from recycling items, to Mini Garden, as at last year. This year, in line with the paradigm shift of the Malaysia’s National Education Blueprint, UEM Sunrise highlighted the essentials of Higher Order Thinking Skills (“HOTS”) among the students.

The competition was divided into two categories – Public Speaking for primary schools and Debate for secondary schools. For the Public Speaking category, the students were required to speak on any topics related to green environment with advance preparations in five minutes. Meanwhile for the Debate category, the students were divided into proposition and opposition sides and members were allowed to express their opinions to support the given topic “Protecting the Environment is More Important than Economic Development”. The four-hour event showcased some spectacular presentation of talents and potentiality of the students in both primary and secondary schools. For the Public Speaking category, champion Raja Muhammad Izzudin Raja Ismail Shamshudin from SK Kampung Pulai, walked away with RM300, medal and a certificate of participation. The first and second runner ups received RM250 and RM200 cash prizes, medals and

certificates of participation which went to Saravanan A/L Murugan from SJK Tamil Gelang Patah and Siti Nurmiza Muhammad Yusuf from SK Kg Pulai respectively. Meanwhile, 13 consolation winners received RM100 cash prizes and a certificate of participation each. For the Debate category, all top three winners went to groups from SMK Gelang Patah. The champion bagged home a cash prize of RM600, medals and a certificate of participation. Meanwhile, Nur Wani Nadhirah Mohammad Shofian Shah from SMK Taman Nusa Jaya was the best speaker and took home a cash prize of RM200. UEM Sunrise’s Head of Corporate Communications, Nik Surina Suria Nik Abdullah said, “This competition is part of UEM Sunrise on-going quest to develop and engender an English-proficient community in all UEM Sunrise’s PINTAR schools in Nusajaya. We aspire to continue this programme in the coming years to support the HOTS initiatives implemented by the Ministry of Education”.

Tan Sri Shahrir Abdul Samad (third from left) Johor MB, Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin (third from right), and UMNO Vice President, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein during the seminar properly, it has to be related to the real world,” added Shahrir. The Johor Bahru MP feels that as a government, they must hear any issues

raised by the people and must take into consideration the needs of the population in order to function effectively. - by Amin Khairuddin and Maressa Esa TI

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NOVEMBER 15â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

JAMES BOND dANIEL CRAIG Returns as James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City

travel

go local STAYCATION @

PONDEROSA

NOV 2015 | Page 2

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

editor’s B note

y now most of my friends and family would have finished their shopping for Deepavali festival and some of them may be looking forward to taking a nice year-end holiday. The Sultan of Johor also has his birthday this month and apparently, we still have a public holiday this year to commemorate it but as of next year onwards the holiday has been replaced to March unless otherwise stated. What’s special on the Music front is that it’s time for Bieber to shine in a good way as his new single skyrockets to Number One. On the other hand, Ellie Goulding is coming out strong with her third studio album ‘Delirium’ which is a

Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

follow-up to her 2012’s ‘Halcyon’ album. Everyone wants to succeed in life and there are certain ways of getting it right. Hear it from the expert’s mouth in Rose’s motivation column. Exciting news is that - the moment we have been waiting for is here – 007 is back in action! Catch Danial Craig’s charms and stunts in the much awaited movie of the year - SPECTRE. As for the little ones, Disney brings you The Good Dinosaur this school holidays. So there is something for everyone to enjoy. We bring you a new location in our “Go local, Eat local, Stay local” series where it is time to explore Ponderosa Golf & Country Club. As

MUSIC UPDATES

Universal Music Singapore

Justin Bieber Justin Bieber’s New Single – ‘What Do You Mean?’ skyrockets to #1 on iTunes in over 75 countries and fourth studio album to be out soon

ustin Bieber’s brand new single, ‘What Do You Mean’ has conquered charts across the globe, reaching #1 on

iTunes in more than 75 countries shortly after its worldwide release. The arrival of ‘What Do You Mean’ caps a hugely successful viral 30 day Instagram countdown and Twitter lyric reveal campaign, garnering over a 100 million impressions. "It's been an amazing journey to write, record and deliver this record to my fans. I'm so glad people have participated in it, and

I hope they are receptive to it and love it as much as I do. This is only the first step in the journey for me. This album is so personal to me, there's so much of my heart and soul in it, and I can't wait to bring my fans along for the ride,” said Justin Bieber. ‘What Do You Mean’ is the first advance track from Justin’s eagerly awaited fourth studio album out on 13th November for RBMG / DEF JAM RECORDINGS.

Ellie Goulding’s ‘Delirium’ out this November

llie Goulding will release her third studio album ‘Delirium’ on 6th November on Polydor Records. ‘Delirium’ is the follow-up to 2012’s ‘Halcyon’, which cemented Goulding’s status as a global artist. The first taste of the album comes in new single ‘On My Mind’. ‘Delirium’ is the sound of an artist at the top of her game. “A part of me views this album as an experiment – to make a big pop album,” she said. “I made a conscious decision that I wanted it to be on another level.” It has been a whirlwind few years for the singer from Herefordshire. Since the release of her debut ‘Lights’ in 2010, she has sold over 20 million records, had two Number One albums, won two Brit Awards and had Vevo views and streams both in excess of one billion. This year’s ‘Love Me Like

You Do’ single, was a worldwide Number One hitting the top spot in 70 countries and breaking the record for the most streamed song in one week. ‘Delirium’ is an expansive pop album that reflects its globe-spanning creation. It was written and recorded in London, Herefordshire, Sweden and Los Angeles. Songs such as ‘Devotion’, ‘On My Mind’, ‘Don’t Panic’ and ‘Don’t Need Nobody’ are monumental anthems that retain a personal intimacy: epic tracks with a heart and soul. The album features 16 tracks, with an additional 6 on the deluxe version. The album feels like the culmination of all Goulding has experienced. It is the sound of someone taking the triumphs and heartbreaks and fears and joys and channeling them into something powerful and mesmerising.

TRACKLISTING 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16.

Intro (Delirium) Aftertaste Something In The Way You Move Keep On Dancin’ On My Mind Around U Codes Holding On For Life Love Me Like You Do Don’t Need Nobody Don’t Panic We Can’t Move To This Army Lost And Found Devotion Scream It Out

Deepavali is fast approaching, why don’t you treat your family to some tasty Indian-Chinese food at The Spice Kitchen for a difference. As always, for those wishing to share their fashion collection, travel tales, or like us to review your restaurant/hotel for a stay-cation, drop me an email at waves.lifestyle@gmail.com and be featured. For more news, do access www.theiskandarian.com The Iskandarian wishes all our Hindu readers a very Happy Deepavali!

Priya

NOV 2015 | Page 3

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

Why We Fail to Succeed? (pt I)

R Personal Motivator & Energy Coach yourpersonalmotivator BucketOfRoses

ecently I’ve been given a group of 30 employees to coach. Before I started coaching, I did a survey with them about their work and their ‘streetsmart’ knowledge about life. I insisted they use their intuition and emotions to answer all the questions. The answers gave me a brief idea on how the collective energy patterned on their skills, knowledge and personal growth. I utilised this information to guide them by shifting their mindset about their career, life and success. One of the questions sounds like this: If there are two persons who walk towards

you; one is holding a bucket of money and another is holding a bucket of experiences and both buckets have the same value. Which one of them would you greet first? The majority of them chose experiences over money and none of them focussed on the persons. Our conditioned need would want us to choose money over experiences and people. And that’s how we fail greatly. The mindset that money and status are the symbols of success cause us struggle because it implies ‘wanting’ rather than ‘living’. There are three ways to live your life and career successfully, without ‘wanting’, and money

is never on the ‘to-do’ list. Are you ready? The first core success is the connectedness between people. We are not referring to the connectedness between roles like employersemployees or husband-wife. Connectedness as core success is about healthy emotional connection with people around you. Emotions are the deepest part of the mind, and it is a powerful channel of energy. People enjoy love, recognition, and respect. When you connect with people from the higher state of emotion, they will help you BE your success because subconsciously they honour the love and joy you spread across the world.

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

MOVIES James Bond - SPECTRE

Source: Sony Pictures Malaysia

cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually in Rome, where he meets Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci), the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. (Jesper Christensen), who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of an assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot. As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns of a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks, played by Christoph Waltz.

Genre: Action Adventure Malaysia release date: 5th November 2015 Cast: Daniel Craig Christoph Waltz Léa Seydoux Naomie Harris Ben Whishaw David Bautista, Monica Bellucci and Ralph Fiennes as “M” Director: Sam Mendes Producer: Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli Written by: John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade

Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), the new head of the Centre for National Security, questions Bond’s actions and challenges the relevance of MI6, led by M (Ralph Fiennes). Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to help him seek out Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White

The Good Dinosaur “The Good Dinosaur” asks the question: What if the asteroid that forever changed life on Earth missed the planet completely and giant dinosaurs never became extinct? Pixar Animation Studios takes you on an epic journey into the world of dinosaurs where an Apatosaurus named Arlo makes an unlikely human friend. While traveling through a harsh and mysterious landscape, Arlo learns the power of confronting his fears and discovers what he is truly capable of.

Genre: Animation Release date: 25th November 2015 Cast: Raymond Ochoa, Jack Bright, Sam Elliott, Anna Paquin, A.J. Buckley, Steve Zahn, Frances McDormand, Jeffrey Wright and Marcus Scribner Director: Peter Sohn Producer: Denise Ream Screenplay by: Meg LeFauve

Source: Disney Studios Motions Pictures Malaysia

NOV 2015 | Page 4

The Iskandarian | WAVES Lifestyle

travel

go local STAYCATION @

PONDEROSA

Address

we proceeded to Cantina Sports Pub & Café for dinner and Latin dance session! Cantina serves Western food and they offer reasonably priced set lunches from Tuesday to Friday. There is also a “Cantina Ladies Card” priced at RM60 nett with value for money privileges. We had the opportunity to try a few signature dishes such as the “Golden Calamari Rings”, the “Grilled Moroccan style Chicken” served in mango lemon sauce, “Mixed Seafood Pasta” and the “Pan Grilled Salmon”. All the dishes come in good portions and prices are inclusive of GST. We were informed that there is a Social Dance Night happening every second-Friday of the month at the Cantina and we were lucky enough to be part of the Rumba & Rhythm Dance Workshop. You may call 07-354 9999 for more information. After learning a few steps, we decided to call it a night.

Day Two When you have an Olympic size swimming pool right under your reaffirms that you nose, you can’t help but take a are in a country-style dip in it. As for your children, lodge in America. there is a kid’s pool beside it. At It was magnificent Ponderosa, swimming lessons are in size and the offered to adults and children for m o d e r n f i n i s h i n g a fee and that is not all - there are and furnishings in scuba diving lessons taught by a wood gave it a nice professional! Diving course costs appeal. My little one RM1500 which includes the exam, was excited with the Take a dip in the Olympic size swimming pool space and they were license and equipment. You first learn in the confined waters at hotel to unload my bags. At the thoughtful to include a baby cot. After having a short rest, the Olympic size pool and then moment, you have to check in arrangements can and out at the Main Clubhouse be made to go to and then proceed to their Lodge the open waters at which is a short walk / drive. Pulau Tioman. This The Swimming pool and is something not Gym is located at the Lodge and offered elsewhere and after climbing a flight of stairs moreover, children you reach the Lodge lobby and between 10-14 years your room. We got a room facing old can also learn how the pool and the tennis courts as well as a view of the golf course. Rumba & Rhythm Dance Workshop at Cantina to scuba dive. To be continued… Stepping into the room itself

Ponderosa Golf & Country Club - NO. 3, Jalan Ponderosa 1, Taman Ponderosa, 81100 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

By Priya Manikam waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

tepping foot at Ponderosa Golf & Countr y Club (Ponderosa) would give you a feel of being whisked into America in the 1950s’. The name Ponderosa itself is derived from the once popular Bonanza series which our parents grew up watching and you will find several

namesakes as per the movie at this Country Club. Ponderosa is located at the emerging township of Taman Molek, Johor Bahru. Tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the city life, it is a perfect place to unwind and enjoy the available facilities. I had the pleasure to embark on a short family staycation here and am sharing my tales so you could plan your next getaway without burning a hole in your pocket!

Spacious country style room

Day One After my meet and greet session at the Main Clubhouse and reception, I was informed to park the car nearer to the

Calendar of Events JB, 1st Nov - Dec 1Malaysia Year End Sale

JB, 1st Nov 2015 Vocal Masterclass @ Huzza Music

JB, 2nd - 15th Nov 2015 JB Indigenous Festival @ Medini Mall

Spore, 5th Nov 2015 Nobel Prize Series S’pore 2015 @ Nanyang Technological Uni

JB, 6th - 8th Nov 2015 Johor Furniture Fair @Persada Johor

Spore, 6th Nov 2015 Global Chinese Music Awards @ Suntec S’pore

JB, 7th Nov 2015 Charity Run4Fund @Palm Resort Senai

10th Nov 2015 Deepavali

JB, 14th Nov 2015 Barcamp JB 2015 @Greenland Jade Palace

JB, 15th - 17th Nov 2015 MaGIC Social Enterprise Bootcamps @Johor Bahru

JB, 20th Nov 2015 Zombie Run @UTM

JB, 14th - 20th Nov 2015 Iskandar Learning Festival 2015

Spore, 21st Nov 2015 Prayana – A Music Journey @ Esplanade S’pore

Spore, 28th Nov 2015 Neon Lights @Fort Canning S’pore

Spore, 13th Nov 2015 ONE: Pride of Lions @Singapore Indoor Stadium

Block your dates for this month! If you need more information on the above mentioned events, drop us an email at: waves.lifestyle@gmail.com

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Invest for Good Times during Bad Times Highlight

Despite the negative impact on the current economy situation, hopes are still high to invest in Iskandar Malaysia

By Maressa Esa newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

skandar Malaysia had an inaugural ‘Invest Iskandar Malaysia 2015’ conference at PERSADA Johor International Convention Centre on 29th September 2015 that gathered stakeholders and investors to share progresses on developments and networkings in Iskandar Malaysia. “I am happy to announce t h at Iskandar M a l ays i a’s investments has secured up to 48% of target set for 2015 which sums to RM14.38 billion to achieving targeted RM30 billion in committed investments,” said Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) during the opening ceremony.

Chief Executive Officer of Performance and Management Delivery Unit (PEMANDU), Dato’ Sri Idris Jala also attended to officiate and deliver his ministerial keynote during the event. He urged investors to embrace the current downturn of economic situation as the stock prices dropped while opportunities are available. “Invest in bad times, innovate in good times. Brave investors would take this opportunity to extend their long term investments and execute countercyclical,”added Dato Sri Idris. Dato’ Sri Idris also added that future investments are expected to be derived from private sectors (92%) and less from public sectors (8%) for sustainability and generating more income. TI

(From left) Datuk Ismail Ibrahim and Dato’ Sri Idris Jala seen here with representatives of Forest City

University of Reading Malaysia enrol students for January 2016 Highlight

Students gets study opportunity in UK with a discounted price

fter two and a half years of development, one of the top 200 universities in the world, University of Reading (UoR), has finally opened its first overseas campus here in EduCity, Iskandar Malaysia with complete facilities and will enroll students for Foundation, Undergraduate and Post Graduate programmes starting January 2016. The university offers courses in business, finance, quantity surveying, real estate, science and psychology. It also comes with the opening of Henley Business School (HBS) which offers MBA. “We are delighted to say that any incoming students to enroll in University of Reading Malaysia will receive high quality education just as same as in the UK as we are offering best of both worlds. The students can also grab a chance to study in United Kingdom in their course programme,” said Professor Tony Downes, Provost and Chief Executive Officer of University of Reading Malaysia. “University of Reading Malaysia is currently offering courses at a highly discounted price which is half of the international student fees in the UK and including a year studying in its main campus will probably cost about

Sir David Bell (left) Vice-Chancellor of University of Reading and Professor Tony Downes, Provost and CEO of Univeristy of Reading Malaysia on the briefing of UoR Malaysia opening RM125,000. We understand that the Ringgit is declining and due to that, we have opened up the option to Malaysians studying in the UK campus to continue their studies here in Nusajaya if they are facing any financial constraints,” said Sir David Bell, Vice-Chancellor of University of Reading. The first year of operation at UoR will encompass 68 staffs and will strive to enroll 400 students. UoR is currently prospecting for Asian students especially from Indonesia

and Singapore. Alumnus of UoR were also part of the current second branch to look out for the market and create job opportunities for fresh graduates. UoR Malaysia is located on a 15-acre site consisting of two buildings with a central parkland space called ‘heartspace’ in between, all under one roof. Foundation intakes are enrolled in September this year and will receive registrations for Bachelor Masters programmess by January, March and September 2016. - by Maressa Esa TI

Quick Reads

Johor to benefit from 2016 Budget Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the 2016 Budget was good news for Johor, with an RM18 billion allocation for the Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (RAPID) in Pengerang, as well as other allocations. “This is expected to increase the development synergy in the area (Pengerang), thus bringing prosperity to the state and country,” said Khaled. Johor Petroleum Development Corp Bhd (JPDC), in a statement reacting to the announcement, said the allocation would help spur the development of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) and provide great benefit to the people, especially those in Johor. Among the highlights of the budget for Johor include the construction of a much needed hospital. “The construction of the Pasir Gudang Hospital comes at the right time due to increase in population in the area which is in urgent need of such a facility,” said Khaled. He added that the 2016 Budget addressed issues affecting all segments of society, including the economic situation of the middle-income group. “The Budget touched on all aspects of the people’s lives, not only of the low-income group but also middleincome earners who are faced with a downturn amidst a challenging global economy. “What’s important is it is an all-encompassing budget which will strengthen the country’s economy,” he said in a statement issued here today. Dato’ Khaled thanked Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak for listening to the pulse of the people, as many aspects of the Budget had a direct impact on the people’s lives.

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Local council aims to give back to the community Highlight

streets

Yayasan Penyayang will be the government’s official channel to improve the quality of life for Johorians

Dato Khaled Nordin passing a mock cheque to Yayasan Penyayang MPJBT

ohor Menteri Besar Dato’ Khaled Nordin recently announced that all thirteen Yayasan Penyayang foundations established by their respective local authorities (MP) are required to devise and implement a variety of programmes as well as activities that involve the communities in their respective areas as a move to improve their quality of life, especially with lowincome earners. “The foundation was launched by the state government in June last year with an aim to see all local authorities play a part in the state’s welfare, education, economy and society.” “The foundation is also to bridge the gap between us (the state government), the developed and underdeveloped areas and also between the rich and the poor,” said Khaled during the launch of Yayasan Penyayang Majlis Pembandaran Johor Baharu Tengah recently. Also present during the launch

(pic by: Hakim Malik)

was the Chairman of Local Housing and Government Datuk Abdul Latif Bandi, MPJBT Council President Dr. Badrul Hisham Kassim and the Chairman of Yayasan Penyayang Johor Baharu Tengah (MBJPT), Khairi Malek. Khaled also mentioned that the foundation will become a channel for the government to give aid to those who need it and for the government to reflect how it improves the lives of the community. “I hope to see Yayasan Penyayang MPJBT to always be ready to undertake the role in improving the quality of people’s lives. Trying to make the state and our society more independent and closer with each other, more resilient and to be cooperative when helping each other as well as to reduce the dependence on the government,” said Khaled. Yayasan Penyayang MPJBT received donations from several parties including Sunway Iskandar to help the foundation with its plans. - by Amin Khairuddin TI

Medini poised to become the CBD of Nusajaya Medini Iskandar Malaysia scaling up its office building development project with the launch of Medini 9

Highlight

edini Iskandar Malaysia is moving a step closer towards realising its vision of making Medini the Central Business District (CBD) of Nusajaya by holding its ground breaking ceremony for its first highrise office building known as Medini 9. Johor Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin officiated the ceremony held at Medini 9. “Medini is envisioned to become the premier growth location for local and multinational companies in this part of the region,” said Khaled. “Medini will be visible in the globalised world and it will become the catalyst we are looking for to propel the state into becoming a new economic powerhouse,” he added. Medini 9 is the third office building located within a cluster

development known as The Pulse. Positioned as a Premier Green Office Park, the office building designs at The Pulse will be efficient and complemented by green spaces, cafes, retail outlets and community gathering spaces all of which are amenities which will contribute to the liveability of Medini. Medini 9 is set to be completed by 2018 at a cost of RM 220million. Upon completion, the 21-storey tower will attract both domestic and foreign tenancy. The building is not for sale and will be only be available for lease with well managed mixed tenancy. “Medini 9 with net lettable space of about 380,000 square feet will be developed in accordance to the per formance standards established by the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) as a purpose built MSC Malaysia

Cybercentre. By doing so, the companies that satisfy the location criteria of the MSC Status to qualify for various incentives which include corporate tax exemption, foreign ownership and unlimited employment of foreign knowledge workers,” said Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Medini Iskandar Malaysia Sdn Bhd, Ir. Khairil Anwar Ahmad. Menteri Besar Dato’ Mohamed Khaled Nordin said he was pleased that many exciting developments are taking place in Johor which stands to create abundant employment opportunities as well as stimulate vigorous economic activities in the state. “By the year 2050, 75% of the population will be living in urban areas and we want to build cities that are sustainable and with smart characteristics,” said Khaled. - by Edey Suresh TI

Johor Menteri Besar Dato Mohamed Khaled Nordin signing the ceremonial plaque

Maiden route to Batam launched

o h o r D o m e s t i c Tra d e and Tourism Committee Chairman, Datuk Tee Siew Kiong officially launched the ferry route from Tanjung Belungkor Kota Tinggi to Batam, Indonesia by taking the state pressmen and trade delegates on the maiden voyage as part of the Explore Johor mission. Upon arrival, the 140-man delegates were welcomed by the Mayor of Batam Dr Ahmad Dahlan who was eager to synergise ideas with Tee on how to leverage on each other as pristine tourism destinations. “Five ferr y terminals

Interest

Maiden voyage from Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminial to Harbour Bay, Batam, Indonesia has been launched connecting people in two territories, namely Johor and Batam on a daily basis will be upgraded in the near future,” said Tee. He added that between January and August this year, about 460,000 passengers had been using the ferry services at the five terminals hence the urgent need to

upgrade the facilities was evident. The five ferry terminals in Johor are the Stulang Laut Ferry Terminal in Johor Bahru, Puteri Harbour Ferry Terminal in Nusajaya, Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal in Kota Tinggi, Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal and the Tanjung Pengelih Ferry Terminal in Pengerang.

Tourism EXCO Datuk Tee Siew Kiong officially launching the Tanjung Belungkor –Batam route

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IRDA Comments on Federal Budget Inclusive Budget facilitates Iskandar Malaysia’s development plan

Highlight

he inclusive 2016 Budget announcement by Prime Minister and Finance Minister Datuk Sri Mohd Najib Tun Abdul Razak, will provide a welcome relief to the Rakyat who are affected in the wake of the current challenging economic situation. Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) said this when commenting on the 2016 Budget and added that he is positive that the Budget will provide further boost to Iskandar Malaysia’s development as our Comprehensive Development Plan II is strategically aligned to the 11th Malaysia Plan that was announced in May 2015. “In the coming year, Iskandar Malaysia will continue to focus on sustainability and the allocations related to the Green Agenda in the Budget will lend support to Iskandar Malaysia in realizing its target for a Low Carbon Society,” said Datuk Ismail The Low Carbon Society initiative which started in 2013 has been showing encouraging response and participation, and is progressing well. The related efforts continue to attract global attention. Last year, Iskandar Malaysia received

the recognition from the United Nations for its Low Carbon initiatives when it was invited as one of the partnering cities or regions for the Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform (GEEAP), a flagship programme for the Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) initiative of the United Nations. In the pipeline for Iskandar Malaysia, more infrastructure is to be developed especially to improve the connectivity for the region. The Federal government’s strong support for development expenditure for high impact public infrastructure such as Bus Rapid Transit, network connectivity and effluent discharge system, will enable efficient and successful implementation of projects which will drive economic growth thus enhancing socio-economic wellbeing of the Rakyat. As a fast growing development region, Iskandar Malaysia offers many new jobs and opportunities, varying from lowskilled, semi-skilled to high-skilled jobs. Recently, IRDA was recognised as the best economic corridor partner by the Ministry of Education (MOE), for its contribution

in advancing the nation’s TVET (Technical and Vocational Education & Training) agenda. “Iskandar Malaysia is contented to be the pilot for new incentives to train and upskill new as well as existing talents. This may also relate to incentives to companies to undertake training and upskilling programmes for their employees,” said Datuk Ismail. IRDA also welcomes the Federal Government’s efforts in ensuring that affordable housing is being built at a faster pace to match the high demand from the middle income and youth segments. Datuk Ismail added that by 2025, it is estimated that 666,000 units of affordable housing are required in Iskandar Malaysia. “All of these will support Iskandar Malaysia’s drive to achieve sustainability in the economic, environment and social aspects; as it moves closer towards becoming a smart metropolis of international standing. “It is our mission to ensure that the inclusivity of Iskandar Malaysia will benefit the Rakyat not only in this region but nationwide as a

whole,” said Datuk Ismail. IRDA is also supportive of the high impact investment by Khazanah Nasional Berhad which include Iskandar Malaysia’s promoted sectors such as Tourism, Healthcare and Education. In the future, IRDA will continue to work together with Government agencies namely Malaysia Investment Development Authority (MIDA) for Electrical and Electronic, and Logistic sectors. In addition, IRDA is pleased with the various allocation for SMEs which will help to enhance and boost the business eco system for the promoted sectors in Iskandar Malaysia. With the

investment and development of RAPID Complex project in Pengerang, Johor, Iskandar Malaysia will also benefit from the economic spill-over effect especially in terms of job and business opportunities. He also expressed his gratitude to the Government for a Budget which takes into consideration the welfare of Malaysians from all walks of life and also the industry players and entrepreneurs.

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live

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Women and Education Rights

– Have We Done Enough? Dr. Haliza Zurah Dr. Haliza Zurah is a medical doctor of 8 years of experience hopes to assist the working mothers to balance work, life and emotion. As a representative of JIWA (Johor Intellectual Women Association) she will cover crucial issues involving working mothers and matters relating to women’s rights, education and more.

he education system has undergone major changes since Malaysia gained its independence and it is compulsory for children to attend school from the age of 5 until 17 years old. The education system is affordable and consists of elementary knowledge for basic living and is vital for the development of individual personality and identity. As a basic rule, people are analysed based on their profession hence to have a good and stable career, they need to start with education. In the first step to expand knowledge, one must be able to read and write. In Malaysia, 92% of women are now literate. With education, women are now independent and able to secure their future with careers. With this, they are able to enhance their social function and professional attitude. However, there is still a huge gap between urban and rural areas like for instance;

Sabah, Sarawak, Kelantan and Terengganu are lagging in infrastructure therefore the quality of education is compromised. Comprehensive teaching aids and teachers’ are lacking with low number of teachers for critical subjects in these rural areas. Mastery in languages especially English is also another problem among the students in the rural areas. This contributes to limitation in the social and career advancement when most professions and educational subjects use English as the medium. More work is needed to facilitate the improvement of the education quality and to bridge the gap. Physical approach aside, we need to eradicate the culture of dropouts among rural area students. Less than 90% of students in remote areas finish their secondary school and most of them are girls due to poverty. As a result, many young girls have to find jobs at an early age. The jobs available for this group is mostly in lower income with zero to minimal benefits. It is not uncommon for marriage at young age among these women. Women in rural areas form a large community and development needs to be focused on them as well. They need to realise that there are opportunities for better lives with good education. Financial problem is always the main issue. More colleges with affordable courses need to be established in the rural areas and the courses should provide knowledge and skills that are suitable for these women, enabling them to get professions with better pay. They should be available as part time with priority enrolment

for drop outs and young women with poor results in secondary school. Beatrice is a 19 years old Iban girl from Sarawak who is currently working in a restaurant as a waitress. She regrets quitting school and not sitting for SPM. She would like to attend college as she now realised the importance of education to improve her quality of life but there is no opportunity for her at the moment. Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women (CEDAW) has specified in article 10 on equality of education of all forms between men and women. Women have rights to obtain education and denial for education is a form of discrimination. We are still living in a traditional culture where males are the dominant gender and women home makers. Many ambitious young women had to bury their hopes and dreams because of this culture. Farah is a 32 years old woman who had an arranged marriage during her A-levels. She finished her A-levels and continued her degree in accounting. After having her degree and a child, she wanted to continue her Masters but was discouraged by her husband because she needed to take care of the family. This affects Farah’s development

as a knowledge seeker and also causes an emotional impediment as she feels inferior towards her peers who pursued higher studies. After CEDAW, Malaysia has introduced the National Action Plan for development of women. This helps to create policies to enhance the educational opportunities for women. Now there is increasing number of women graduates in entrepreneurship training, science and technology. When women are excluded from education, they will continue to live in poverty. Women are capable to help flourish the country economically and politically and women with education can help improve the social status of our country. Traditional gender roles must be reduced and we must encourage young women to get the education they deserve. Malaysian women needs to be in good standards and to achieve that, we need to start with education.

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work

SERVICE SOPs Applied OR Archived? Service

Dasan Thanam Divean

Teambuilding Do-able or Unthinkable?

once conducted a workshop where I broke the group into teams and gave them individual group tasks based on given case scenarios. Ultimately, they had to solve issues through creating workable strategies. 5 out of the 7 groups completed the tasks and gave satisfying results. The remaining 2 groups could not complete as they were unable to reach a consensus. I found out that there were conflicts in the groups as they had participants who were not team players with egos! So the question arises as to whether team building is an achievable notion or not. It has become a fad to include team building into training programmess, as it is believed to create a “side effect” where people can learn to work together productively. I conclude that (provided you do not have an individual who have personality problems that is resistant to cooperation), group cohesiveness can be learned and it’s definitely beneficial for the following reasons: • It facilitates better communication – The activities enable open communication among employees, and between employees and management, which in turn helps improve office relationships and the quality of work done.

Activities that require co-workers to work together to solve problems can improve the ability to think rationally and strategically. Thus when a problem arises they will know what they can do and effectively take charge when a real crisis occurs. • Breaks barriers – Team building increases the trust factor. Often in corporate settings, there is a ‘disconnect’ between the leadership team and employees because of a perceived gap between the two. Team building exercises give leadership the opportunity to be seen as a colleague rather than a boss, hence boosting employees’ morale. Team building can achieve all of the above, but subject to certain considerations. Here are some helpful tips: • Schedule the activity during work hours. Don’t disrupt your employees’ rest days, evenings and weekends. Do it on a work day and remember - Provide the food! • Consider team building by organising a charity event. People like to spend their time doing something to help others. In the process, they plan, prepare, and run the event together as a team. • Think of an activity that employees will

• Motivates employees – Team leadership and team building goes hand in hand. The more comfortable your employees are in expressing their ideas and opinions, the more confident they will become. This will motivate them to take on new challenges.

TEAMWORK • Promotes creativity – Taking a team outside of an office setting and exposing them to new experiences will force them to think out of the normal routine, igniting creativity and fresh ideas. These are great qualities to bring back to the office. • Develops problem-solving skills –

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collaborate and not compete. Some employees will concentrate only on ‘winning’ and will not learn from the experience. Get the staff to work together to solve a problem. Choose something that everyone can participate for fun e.g. a treasure hunt, a walk or run, or a trip. Get out of the 4-walls of an office to enable employees to interact with one another more freely, as it gives the impression that this is not “regular” work. Let staff know the purpose of the activity. Are you trying to develop a new company mission statement? Do you want to integrate new employees with the existing team, etc.? Gather constructive feedback from employees within 2 days after the event. It is useful when you plan your next group event. TI

Nice Location Nice Value Nice Size

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invest

Accumulating Wealth Tips & Tricks

Four Reasons Why Share Investment is an Excellent Business Model

ecently, a few friends shared that their businesses are struggling. The market has slowed down since the implementation of GST. The weakened Ringgit has effectively reduced consumers’ spending power, not to mention enterprises that import raw materials from overseas and the increase of toll fee. To prepare for a rainy day, they came to attend my investment course. Right after the class, they told me they were amazed by the wonderful business model of share investment. They appreciated so much because it’s very different from their businesses. Here is why: 1) You can start small To start running a café, you’ll easily need hundred thousand dollars just to renovate the shop, and that’s before buying any facilities and equipments. How about the rental, plus the salary of your chef and waitress? What if the business doesn’t turn out to be favourable? In share investment, you can start with a few hundred up to tens of millions of dollars. And you don’t have to pay startup cost for the business has been operational and profitable since years ago. All you need to do is to identify, analyse and qualify the companies that you want to invest in. 2) Easy to get out Let’s say if you’ve bought a company’s share and realised it’s not a good investment, you can always get out by selling the shares, and in three working days, you get your money back. Likewise, if your investment is working well and you’d like to take profit, you can cash in. On the other hand, if you want to wind up a café business, you’ll need to clear your inventories, settle your accounts and bills, dismiss your staff, not to mention the red tapes you’d have to deal with regulatory bodies. 3) Faster return In all businesses, it’d take time to bear fruit. Whether you’re planting oil palm, building a factory, developing houses or opening a saloon, it can easily take one to five years to start seeing some decent returns. But if you put money in an existing business (buying shares), the above hassles just don’t exist, because everything is already in place. If you buy undervalued

s nU

Tey Bin Yuen Binyuen is the founder of BY Enrich Resources and the author of ‘Life beyond the Comfort Zone’. He’ll be conducting a mini workshop ‘Retire early through Share Investment’ on 13 Nov 15. Collect this article to exchange a ticket worth RM20 for FREE. Reach his team at contact@teybinyuen.com

companies with good prospect, it’s likely to generate better earnings in the quarters or years to come. Hence, the share price would increase in a much shorter period of time, say, within one to two quarters, and conservatively, we’re talking about 20% return per year. 4) Leveraged income Most people start businesses in the pursuit of more time and an enjoyable life. But too often, they work in the business and as a result, they have less time. Why is it so? It’s because they trade time for money. In order to make money, they have to be personally involved and their effort cannot be leveraged. What if you’re a company shareholder and you have a team of competent management to look after the business for you? The money you park in the company is likely to grow because the business is expanding. In addition, if the company has a dividend policy, it’ll pay you dividends on regular basis. Bear in mind that your business is still running while you’re sleeping or enjoying your holidays. You have little worry as you’ve leveraged your time and money in the right way. Of course, you’re required to know if the company is doing well and make decisions based on their performance on whether you want to continue being their shareholder. It’d take experience and wisdom. In conclusion, while I’m convinced the above four reasons are true, I’m sure that there’s no free lunch in the world. In order to enjoy the benefits of this excellent business model, one would need to have the passion, patience and discipline to learn share investment. Ultimately, the dividend of your learning will pay. TI

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Adam’s Financial Journey Part Two - The College Years of Adam Previously, we’ve seen how Adam managed his finances in his part time job as a bank teller and in this issue; we are going to journey with Adam throughout his college years and learn some tips on managing our money whilst in college or university. That morning, Adam restlessly made his way to school to collect his STPM results. He finally picked up the courage to tear open his results slip and was overwhelmed that he scored straight “As”. He ran to the nearest public phone booth and called his parents to break the good news. He celebrated his achievement with the rest of his friends by splurging and “painting the town red”. His best friend Daniel did very well too and they intended to apply to the same university. That day, he blew his budget of RM10 per day for food but it was well-justified! Finally, he and Daniel managed to secure a place in Universiti Malaya to pursue an accountancy course. They did harbour the wish of going overseas to further their studies but as the costs were well beyond their means, they decided to do it locally. As Adam did not want to burden his parents further, he applied for a study loan under the National Higher Education Fund (PTPTN). The loan amounted to RM6,500 per year for a four-year programme which worked out to a total of RM26,000. This should be sufficient to cover for his fees, hostel accommodation and food. As he had an extra sum, Adam decided to start his first unit trust investment. He was told about the power of compound interest whilst working

in the bank and without wasting any more time, he started off with an initial investment of RM1,000 from his savings. He also learned from one of his ex-colleagues about the concept of “dollar-cost-averaging” and so, he contributed RM100 per month towards a regular savings plan. With a quick calculation, he estimated that he’d be able to save about RM7,000 by the time he graduates if his unit trust investment could give him an average return of 8%p.a. “This may be used for the down payment of my first car”, he thought to himself. On his first day of lecture, his professor talked about the most fundamental concept of accounting – Prudence. In accounting, the concept of Prudence states that “Profits are not recognised until a sale has been completed. In addition, a cautious view is taken for future problems and costs of the business, i.e. they are provided for in the accounts as soon as there is a reasonable chance that such costs will be incurred in the future.” Therefore, we should not be spending our future income (which is not guaranteed)

(Note: Study Loan of RM6,500 minus Tuition Fees, Hostel Food & Lodging of RM3,500 = Balance of RM3,000 p.a.)

to support our current lifestyle. In addition, we should always be prepared for the worst by providing for an emergency buffer. Another thing that struck him during his lecture was the need and importance of having a budget. His professor said that successful businesses manage their cash flow effectively and a budget ensures that. Adam remembered his own Monthly Budget and revised it as follows (refer to table). Adam realised from his budget that he’ll be short of RM300 every month. He wants to remain committed to his monthly savings of RM100 and give his parents RM50 each. His clothing and entertainment expenses are inevitable and he feels that RM200 per month is not too much. He also intends to make a trip home once a month and may travel out of town for excursions and holidays with his course mates. Moreover, he just received a mobile phone as a gift from his parents but he’ll have to bear his own telephone bills which he budgeted at RM50 per month. So, he’ll need to figure out how he’s going to meet the shortfall without going back to his parents.

Adam soon learned from his seniors that quite a number of undergraduates gave private tuitions to earn extra pocket money. He was pretty excited and sought the help of his seniors to make some recommendations. He was able to get three primary kids as his students and the going rate was RM30 per hour for each kid. This worked out to RM360 per month with just twelve hours of his time in a month. After covering the additional transportation costs to his students’ homes, he was able to take home RM300 net and he managed to balance his accounts! Adam was a very hardworking young man and occasionally, he will go out for supper and catch a movie or simply hangout, but he always kept his spending within his budget… until he met someone ‘special’. To be continued… Brought to you by:

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Tackling Human Rights - One Film at a Time Highlight

Providing a platform for social filmmakers to be seen and heard

By Amin Khairuddin newsdesk@theiskandarian.com

ow in its 13th year, the annual KOMAS FreedomFilmFest (FFF) is back on tour and for the first time there will be two separate screenings in Johor, first in JB and one in Muar. For those of you who are unfamiliar, KOMAS is a civil society organisation promoting democracy and equality through the use of creative media. In Johor, KOMAS has partnered with ENGAGE, a local NGO that aims to nurture a community of informed, engaged citizens to make their shared concerns part of the national agenda. Since 2003, the festival has always focused on basic human rights, and this year is no different. With the theme ‘Unseen, Unheard, Untold’, the festival aims to become a platform for new voices and to bring perspective on contemporary issues that are not prevalent within the public spheres. “FreedomFilmFest is the only platform for independent social filmmakers and the festival offers them a wider reach locally, regionally and internationally. It is also a meeting ground for filmmakers and their audience,” said Lai Mun Ong, the organising chairperson of FFF 2015 in Johor. For the screening in JB, ENGAGE is teaming up with Iskandar Malaysia Sustainability Communities Framework (IMSC) and Southern University College’s (SUC) Student Union and Film Art Society in organising the FFF 2015. “IMSC plays an important role in linking ENGAGE with SUC and support in publicity. It is a part of their continuous effort in engaging and linking up various communities in JB. As for SUC, they are sponsoring the venue for the JB screening and providing help with student volunteers and publicity,” said Lai. For both screenings in Johor, the festival will feature five productions by social

filmmakers from Malaysia and Singapore who have been awarded the FreedomFilmFest Grant of RM8000. Three of these filmmakers will be present at the JB screening for a Q&A session with the audience. “Sindiket”, “Memory As Resistant”, “Di Sebalik Runcit”, “Viral, Sial!” and “Untracing the Conspiracy” are the featured films for this Festival. Films: Sindiket A film by grant winner Nizam Adnan, this political documentary narrates the effects of ‘Projek IC’ towards the people of Sabah, when undocumented immigrants from the Philippines and Indonesia were allegedly given Malaysian Identity Cards to tip the voting scales in a certain favour. While many of us have forgotten the issue, it is a problem that is very much alive in the state of Sabah. Memory As Resistance G ra nt beneficiaries Chan Seong Foong and Victor Chin have produced a documentary telling the fight of the 100 year old Hakka community in Mantin, Negri Sembilan. The film shows their plight in saving their homes from being de-

molished for redevelopment through the eyes of 80-year-old Grandma Kong. The film also serves as an archive for the community’s oral history. Di S ebalik Runcit In this film, first time director J. Arrivu Jacob captures our attention to the problems faced by small business owners with the current rise of franchise stores, hypermarkets and the recent implementation of the Goods and Sales Tax (GST). The film explores the potential of ethical consumerism through a young woman who chooses to shop exclusively in small local businesses. Viral, Sial! David Buri produced the film ‘Viral, Sial!’ to investigate the cause of a public outcry earlier this year when his colleagues from BFM’s online video show, ‘Kupas’, released an episode criticising the Kelantan lawmakers for prioritising a hudud bill at the time when the state was still facing serious social and economic issues. This incident resulted in several death and rape threats against the show’s presenter, Aisyah Tajuddin. This film studies the issues of religious sensitivity, race

and gender that resulted in this storm. Untracing the Conspiracy

Jason Soo from Singapore who was also awarded the FreedomFilmFest grant produced a critically acclaimed piece off work entitled, ‘Untracing the Conspiracy’ which interviews several ex-detainees and political exiles who fell victim to Singapore’s Internal Security Act (ISA). Focusing on the first 30 days of their ordeal, these ex-detainees describe the different physical and psychological tortures. Screening details: Johor Venue: Southern University College, 4A Auditorium Hall, Level 4 Main Building, Jalan Selatan Utama, 81300, Skudai, Johor. Date: Saturday, 7 November 2015 Time: 1pm-6pm Tickets: RM10 per person, free for students with valid student IDs and for senior citizens above the age of 60. Muar Venue: Lotta Café, 100 Jalan Junid, 84000 Muar, Johor Date: Sunday, 8 November 2015 Time: 12pm-5pm Tickets: By donation Free for students with valid student IDs and for senior citizens above the age of 60.

Fun, Food & Great Prizes at Tiram Grand Carnival

Meet Upin and Ipin at Tiram Grand Carnival

t’s time to clear your calendars and check out the biggest carnival happening at the Tiram Indoor Water Park at Today’s Mall Ulu Tiram. Scheduled over the course of three days with several activities planned from fun and games, to music and food, you can

Michael Jackson impersonator is ready to strut his stuff bet there’s something for everyone in the family. The carnival marks the reopening of the Water Park and the mall’s major relaunch scheduled for December. Visitors will be able to indulge in the many delicacies being sold at the food bazaar and enjoy live

music provided by several buskers. There will also be several performances by local cartoon characters Upin and Ipin as well as Disney’s favourite couple, Mickey & Minnie Mouse. Expect clowns, magic shows and lucky draw prizes for everyone. Apart from repeating

attractions from last year’s carnival, there will be a Tamiya Mini 4WD and Photography competition for those interested. The Carnival is taking place from 28th – 30th November from 9am till late. Log on to www.todays-mall.com.my for more information.

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food review

Unique Indian-Chinese Cuisine at The Spice Kitchen Peggy Loh is a regular contributor to NST and The Malaysian Insider. She actively writes in her blog www. peggyloh.com about matters that are close to her heart. She can be reached at write2peggyloh@gmail.com

o you know that The Spice Kitchen serves unique flavours of Indian Chinese cuisine developed from a Chinese community in Kolkata (Calcutta)? When the Chinese could not find ingredients to cook their food, they modified their recipes with Indian spices and created a cuisine known as Indian Chinese. Now Chef Vinod Rai and his team are serving a menu of dishes believed to have originated from mainly Hakka Chinese who settled in Kolkata over a century ago. The team of chefs in The Spice Kitchen, hand-picked from Kolkata, are also skilled in preparing traditional Indian and Thai cuisines. Don’t be alarmed by the large pages of menu because sections are clearly marked for Chinese or Indian Seafood, Meats and Vegetables, Tandoor as well as Rice, Bread

Gobi Manchurian is the vegetarian version of Chicken Manchurian

Chef Vinod Rai heads the kitchen team in creating authentic Indian Chinese cuisine and a menu of Indian and Thai recipes

and Desserts. Just look for “All-time-favourite” popular items or flower icons for Chef’s recommendations. Start with everyone’s favourite, Gobi Manchurian; cauliflower florets coated in a delicious blend of garlic, ginger, chopped onions, green chillies, and garnished with coriander leaves. While Chicken and Fish Tikka

served with a side of mint sauce are distinctly Indian dishes, well-marinated Chicken Lollipop is a popular Indian Chinese appetiser. The Chinese influence is obvious in the choice of soups like Sweet Corn Soup, Manchow (Manchurian) Soup and Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup. This is a thick broth with ingredients like sliced chicken, mushrooms and vegetables that tastes slightly tangy and peppery. Although the Chilli Eggplant is spicy, but the crispy battered chunks of eggplant cooked in chilli and soya sauce, tastes just right with rice. Meanwhile, fragrant Mixed Fried Rice created with long-grain Basmati

rice fried with bits of seafood, chicken and egg, tastes surprisingly similar to Yong Chow fried rice! Rice and breads like garlic naan can be savoured with Indian gravies here like Palak Paneer, Chicken Butter Masala, Vegetable Korma and Pagla Lamb Bhuna. While the generous portion of Hyderabadi Lamb Briyani, served with a side of plain raita and lamb gravy, can be shared among diners who wish to save space to savour more food varieties. End on a sweet note with traditional desserts like Hot Gulab Jamun, Carrot Halwa or Mango Kulfi, an Indian ice-cream made from fresh cow’s milk and fresh mango. TI

Hyderabadi Lamb Briyani with plain raita and lamb gravy with a portion of Pagla Lamb Bhuna

Restaurant name: The Spice Kitchen (No pork or lard) Address: Wisma S P Setia, No. S3-0120, Jalan Indah 15, Bukit Indah, 81200 JB Tel. No: 607 – 237 3311 Hours: Open daily 11.30am to 11.00pm

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Cover: Ponderosa Woods Ponderosa Woods atrract buyers with strategic location and pg 29 essential amenities

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Dr. Daniele Gambero talks about the Southern Push

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Country Garden Receives Coveted Award Highlight

Industrial Properties in Demand in Johor The Star recently reported that MMC Corp Bhd announced the sale of three parcels of land measuring 188.74 acres in Senai, Johor to AME Group for RM370mil. The deal came at a time when most developers shy away from new purchases in the Iskandar Malaysia region. But it seems like there is an exception in the industrial property space. In the first quarter, the number of industrial transactions in Johor jumped 51.8% yearon-year while it added 16.1% quarter-on-quarter. AME Group, which has been in the industry for some 20 years, is known for the construction and development of industrial and commercial premises. Its flagship project is the industrial park project known as I-Park at Indahpura at Kulaijaya, which falls under Zone E of Iskandar Malaysia. N o t a b l y, Johor remains the country’s top investment destination for the manufacturing sector, attracting RM27bil of investments for the first half of 2015 compared to RM21bil for the whole of last year.

The Chairman of Country Garden Holdings Company Limited received Innovation Award in 2015 China’s Poverty Eradication Award

he State Council Poverty Alleviation Office of People’s Republic of China recently gave out the 2015 China’s Poverty Eradication Award. A total of ten awards were given during the ceremony and Yeung Kwok Keung, the Chairman of Country Garden Holdings Company Limited (CG) won the award for innovation. Yeung was also the only entrepreneur from Guangdong province, China to win t h e

vocational college in China in September 2014. The college planned to enroll a total number of 2,500 students where the selected students would be fully exempted from tuition fees. The total investment is RMB450 million, invested entirely by Guangdong Guoqiang Charity Fund. By establishing a vocational college, the founder hoped to sponsor students from poor families in order to help them escape from poverty, and offer opportunities for higher school education. In 2007, Yeung invested more than RMB70 million to recruit poor and retired soldiers for occupation training school in China. Besides that, he had also invested RMB260 million in 2002 to establish the Guo Hua’s memorial schools and in 1997, he founded the “Chung Ming Grants” to support the students to complete their studies. The students were required to sign the “moral contract” as a promise to return the grants to help others. Af ter China’s tragic earthquake in 2008, Yeung had sent more than 1500 students and teachers from Sichuan to

Guangdong for a year after their school was affected by the earthquake. Yeung, who was born in Shun De rural area, China, said that he was living a hard life in his childhood, and worked as a stonemason as his first job. Therefore, his life experience made him realise that education is the main factor that can lead to a better life and this is the reason why he is so concerned to contribute to the educational sector of the poor. “The philosophy implemented by Yeung in terms of poverty reduction for educational sector was unique and effectively works”, said the Vice President of China’s Foundation for Poverty Eradication. CG under its joint venture company Countr y G arden Pacificview Sdn Bhd (CGPV) is also focused and concerned in their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to the community, education and environment. Their CSR programmes aim to shape a prosperous future for the community through its conscience and social responsibilities.

Investment Corner

Bosch in Johor Bosch a global name synonym with technology and services has recently set up its office in Iskandar Malaysia. Simon Song, Managing Director of Bosch Malaysia, said, “Johor’s economic vibrancy continues to be a big attraction. “From its rapidly developing projects to the steady stream of both foreign and local investments, we recognise the state’s potential and are eager to seize these opportunities, starting with our latest office in Johor,” he added. The new office, located in Johor Bahru is installed with a unique “Experience Bosch” showroom that showcases the range of products and solutions tailored for the company’s customer base in the state. The premise will also be utilised to conduct trainings for customers and host events such as product launches.

momentous award. Since 1997, Yeung and his daughter Yang Huiyan, Vice Chairman of CG has invested more than RMB900 million for educational sector, which has currently benefited 41,875 people. I n November 2013, Yeung and Huiyan established Guangdong Guoqiang Charity Fund, which sponsors charity events in education and poverty alleviation. The chairman of CG also established the Guangdong Country Garden Vocational College, the only charitable

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

have many friends who are financially literate and while many don’t have formal training in Finance, they keep abreast with fundamental concepts by reading and attending seminars. One topic that comes up often is Insurance Savings Plans. They argue that this policy only gives slightly higher returns than Fixed Deposits and it’s thus better to invest elsewhere such as shares and Unit Trusts that can deliver double-digit returns in a good year. They are not wrong with their notion. With enough knowledge and a little luck, one can get fantastic returns in the

Insurance Savings Policies

stock market within a very short time. In fact, many people make a living by studying financial reports and/or charts on stock movement. However, not everyone is savvy enough to make these informed financial decisions. In fact, there are many more losers than winners in the stock market. Most don’t practice breaking their funds in tranches but instead invest the whole amount in one go. When market turbulence occurs, they lack fresh funds to average out their investments. Some have sound knowledge but lack start-up capital. Others simply don’t have the courage to invest despite having made the right pick. They only speak in hindsight on what they should have done, when the opportunity has long passed by. Discipline For me, the logic of placing funds in savings plans lies with the

discipline that it invokes on us. Let’s face it; we actually can save more than we really do. It’s the discipline that’s lacking. A savings plan thus plants the seed of “guilt” to ensure a systematic approach is carried out via a standing instruction. Once started, many are reluctant to alter this arrangement. One will be surprised that many successful business owners have these savings policies. These are very successful individuals in the industry they operate in. However, they chose to create a safety net for their retirement as many are comfortable with the guaranteed component of these plans. Their many years in business have only taught them that it’s never a sunny day, every day. Businesses can become redundant, obsolete or simply eaten up by a more savvy competitor. Worse yet, the entire business landscape can change due to a new law or politics.

Conclusion Ultimately, reflect on your saving habit over the last 3 years. Are you happy with the outcome? Is there anything that you regret spending on? What’s your plan for the next 3 years? Do you have a systematic savings approach? Do you have a numeric goal? If you can’t think of clear answers, it’s best you handcuff yourself voluntarily to a planned savings scheme. It does not have to be insurance based. It just needs to have consistent discipline on your part. Don’t worry about the returns or inflation. It’s the discipline that will carry you through. While it’s true that inflation eats away the value of money, it’s still as difficult to save RM1million today as it was during our parents’ time. The habit is thus more important than the rate of return. All the best in formulating your savings strategy and don’t delay till tomorrow what you can start today!

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Ponderosa Woods: Living the High Life with Lavish Amenities

Quick Reads

A lot of Demand from Chinese Investors

It recently came into attention that the Johor Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (JACCCI) is on the lookout for suitable land in the state to accommodate demand from Chinese investors. A p p a r e n t l y, Johor was particularly attractive to Chinese investors and for large scale industries from China to grow in Johor, there is a need for a bigger land area to facilitate

the demand. Moreover, during a recent signing of a MoU between JACCCI and the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCCI), the latter’s president said there are more than 200 Singaporean based companies that had set up their bases within Iskandar Malaysia region as it provides a conducive mobility and logistics environment for Singaporean investors.

Two New International Hotels in Iskandar Malaysia

here is shortage of residential enclaves in Iskandar Malaysia currently but very few can compare to the lavish amenities and lush lifestyle offered by Ponderosa Woods. Luxuriantly located in Taman Ponderosa, the development promises an exquisite lifestyle with exclusivity and extraordinary services being provided just minutes away. Nestled minutes away from Johor Bahru City Centre, Ponderosa Woods is conveniently developed next to Ponderosa Golf & Country Club. The Country Club offers an 18 hole golf course for enthusiasts and exclusive sports and recreational facilities. The unique selling proposition of Ponderosa Woods comes in the form of luxurious services which can be obtained from the country club to cater to the needs of the residents. Cleaning services and food catering is made easy with Ponderosa Golf & Country Club being literally situated

opposite the Ponderosa Woods enclave. Strategically placed in a thriving commercial and business environment, the residents of Ponderosa Woods need not worry about getting caught in the hustle and bustle of running around as their needs and wants can be fulfilled within minimal effort. Sited on 31 acres of land within one of the most coveted area in Johor Bahru, each home is designed and built based on stringent CO N Q UA S standards harnessing the core philosophy for high quality, comfort and safety giving each resident the impression of living under a canopy of serenity and security. The enclave has been purposely-developed for home owners to be at one with nature, reserving up to 40% of the total land area. Natural environment and architecture collaborate in the most harmonious way to create an alluring living space, and further enhanced

with multi-tier security for your total peace of mind at Ponderosa Woods. Designed to indulge your senses, an expanse of calming waters and soulsoothing landscape give you the freedom to relax and unwind the realm of your home. Setting the right standards, Ponderosa Woods give you high quality in the finishing of workmanship while bringing to you the most sophisticated interior with spacious layouts & exquisite finishes. The Gated and guarded walls come with perimeter fencing and CCTV surveillance. The guardhouse provides 24hour security with multitier technology in ensuring the safety of you and your family. Exclusive recreational park by the pond complete with outdoor exercise facilities and pavilion for more leisure activities make Ponserosa Woods the place where families grow closer and the place where best memories are made.

It was reported that Meliá Hotels International will add two new hotels to its Malaysian portfolio. The five-star Meliá Iskandar Malaysia (450 rooms) and four-star INNSIDE Iskandar Johor (350 rooms) hotels will be part of an urban development which includes a large shopping complex with office buildings and a convention centre. Rentak Tebrau Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Jerome Tan said this project will include the first five-star

hotel in Nusajaya and also the largest convention centre in Johor. “We are confident that Iskandar Malaysia will be an excellent long-term investment opportunity for investors in the region,” he added. The new hotels will occupy two adjacent buildings and will also have facilities such as restaurants, lounge, spa, fitness centre and swimming pool, complemented by the major shopping centre, the 150,000sq m convention centre and office buildings.

Eco World Hitting Target Eco World Development Group Bhd is optimistic of achieving its billion Ringgit sales target for its Iskandar Malaysia project by year-end. Thus far, Eco World has raked up RM2.37bil from its mixed development

projects launched nationwide, said its President/Chief Executive Officer, Datuk Chang Khim Wah. He said among the hot-pick projects for Eco World include Eco Tropics in Iskandar Malaysia.

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Property Investment Opinion

How to Sell Good Property in Bad Times

y primary objective of writing is for the industry to relook at the circumstances surrounding the downturn and how buyers view them as sellers. There are other related players in the industry such as law firms, valuation companies, banks, security, maintenance, design and lighting companies that are all stakeholders in the property market too. First of all, I’m from the investment buy-side and not an agent nor developer, and truly believe that in these bad times, companies and individuals will listen, or rather HAVE to listen. I will summarise my message in three points by abbreviating the points as the “ABC of Property Selling”. “A” - Analytical Selling In good times, the modus operandi of sellers has been “3P”, i.e. Push, Price and Pretend. When a boom story is

in play, they hire as many pushers as possible, talk price and pretend nothing bad will ever come out of buying whatever they are selling. Surely when bad times hit, pushers have nothing to add and so they drop out. Many agents switch industries. Many developers downsize and hunker down to paying bank interests, until the next upturn. The bad cycle continues certainly. I t ’s essential in understanding the prospects’ needs by applying deep analysis of the difficult situations. Is there an oversupply in Iskandar? Yes, but the government has stopped new developments in those overbuilt segments. Is there a credit bubble? Yes, but the banks have tightened the rules of lending. Is there an impending crash? Possibly, because buyers are mostly not engaged anymore. Is the weakening ringgit a bad thing? Not if you are borrowing. You can’t push for worse,

as I often say, hustle. You may only push in good times and exit before things crash. And good times don’t come that often. Nothing peeves buyers more than hustlers or, worse, opportunists which are too many. “B” - Best Proposition After understanding prospective needs, you need to pursue the single motivation of the buyer. This is often the hardest. Everyone has one main reason for buying. It could be monetary reward, diversification, and dreams of a bigger house, better location or one of a myriad of reasons. Which is the main reason? People buy either out of PAIN or GROWTH. Match your product proposition to that one big need. If you can’t find out the client’s main motivation, you need to either do more research or back off. Unless you know the main need, you cannot propose your

Best Proposition. It is important to conserve energy to fight the main battle or else everything is lost. “C” - Community Care Lastly, before and after sales, do you and your organisation really care about creating the Iskandar Malaysia community? Do you hold meet the buyers and past purchasers sessions without having a bunch of sales people again chasing down anyone who attends? Do you engage them to know their current concerns on resident associations, security, maintenance, sourcing of best solutions and amenities? Do you know them after they have moved in? Are you in contact with the buyers in non-selling scenarios? There is only one developer I have known in the last few months who passionately pursues for buyers in the long term dream to see Iskandar Malaysia thriving as a metropolis. They

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

organise golf events, tea sessions and general interests’ gatherings. Their sales people are friends of past purchasers; helping out in sourcing for designers, furniture and security matters. Without a doubt, they are also the most successful one in town. Remember: Buyers care for whom they buy from. If you aren’t caring for them, they won’t either.

Propernomy by Dr Daniele Opinion

Dr. Daniele Gambero REI Group

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

t all goes back to the numbers once again. Only ten years ago, the thought of owning a house in Seri Kembangan, Kajang or Bangi was almost unthinkable as it was considered too far, unpractical and very difficult to commute to and from. During those times, Cyberjaya too was considered not viable. Nowadays though, everyone seems to be gravitating towards the Southern corridor of growth, as it were - “pushed away” from Kuala Lumpur (KL) and Greater Klang Valley spurned by the escalating high cost of housing and living in the city centre. KL is becoming a smart city, and out of the six pillars of a smart city, four points deal directly with the daily issues of live revolving around the community or people, mobility, lifestyle and also the environment. Table 1 The Four Pillars We will talk about these four pillars in a minute but first, let’s take a look at the two remaining issues – that of governance and the economy. A decent economic performance in Malaysia the last five years, has allowed the Government to move further towards the set target of Wawasan 2020. During this time, an impressive number of new infrastructures

The Southern Push

were undertaken such as the extension of two LRT (light rail transit) lines and two new MRT (mass rapid transit) lines. Once completed, these transportation systems will allow people to commute easily from their respective suburban living areas to their various working places. Mobility and connectivity are two of the most important pillars for all developed and developing countries and Malaysia, with its 67% population below the age of 39 years, needs a proper network of public transportation and fast connectivity. These public works which are being constructed have been easing the decision that many have had to make to move towards the outskirts of the big city.

Table 1 We all live in a fast moving society which results in stress and tension – almost above the limit that one can take. Therefore, when it comes to the decision of purchasing a new house, besides the cost factor which is definitely pushing

everybody away from the developed central areas, the existence of a healthy environment that “suburban” developments are able to offer which include low density, minimal pollution and abundant green townships remain enticing. In other words, a much better environment as compared to the central developed areas is a key point in new townships that are located further away from the city centre. The Malaysian rakyat may voice out their concern that no affordable houses are available, but sometime it’s only matter of looking a bit further. Seri Kembangan, Kajang and Bangi are nowadays and will be even more in future well-connected with the beating heart of the Capital City and surely offer quality lifestyles at very affordable prices. Land cost in these areas has not yet touched the prohibitive values of KL. Therefore, this allows developers to offer low-density residential projects to those who are willing to travel a bit further in exchange for a larger house in a much cleaner and less polluted environment. Based on the two maps provided by Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd, it is very easy to see how the “Southern Push” has come about as a result of higher future connectivity. This is why so many developers today are rushing to build up their land bank in the southern corridor where the land price per sq ft of below RM30 will surely allow them to offer highly liveable townships. Bandar Seri Putra, where United Malayan Land Bhd (UMLand) has started developing a township almost 20 years ago, is now in the radar of prospective purchasers looking for 1,000 sq ft homes below the

threshold of RM500,000. Indeed, many more developers have been appearing on the stage. Table 2 From UMLand Bhd to UEM Sunrise, Eco World Development Group Bhd (Eco World) to SP Setia Bhd and Mah Sing Group Bhd to IOI Properties Group Bhd (IOIPG), all these prominent property developers are planning future residences and mixed use of developments for the up-andcoming 10 million population envisioned to blossom in Greater KL. This will generate, as per Table 4, a huge demand for new dwellings. In essence, Kajang, Bangi and Semenyih are going to become more and more popular as well as highly connected and liveable areas for future generations. Hopefully, responsible developers will look into the issue of liveability and really keep the density of their new townships at very low levels to ensure prosperous communities to thrive in the future.

Table 2

The Iskandarian ISSUE 39 | NOV 2015 Advertisement

Phase 4E

Double Storey Terrace 22’ x 90’

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MR92 22’ x 90’

MR93 22’ x 90’

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Columbia Asia

Newcastle University

Kota Iskandar

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● Developer’s License: 6737-75/10-2015/0734 (L) ● Advertising and Sales Permit No.: 6737-75/10-2015/0734 (P) ● Validity period : 19/10/2013 - 18/10/2015 ● Expected Date of Completion : September 2015 ● Plan Approval No : (21)dlm.MPJBT(JB) RP/8/24/2013 ● Building Plan Approving Authority : Majlis Perbandaran Johor Bahru Tengah (MPJBT) ● Tenure of Land : Leasehold 991 (Expired 04/09/2911) ● Land Encumbrances : Nil ● No. of Units : 69 units ● Price : MR92 RM795,000 (min), RM988,000 (max), MR93 RM750,000 (min), RM800,000 (max) ● Bumi Price : MR92 RM675,750 (min), RM720,800 (max), MR93 RM637,500 (min), RM834,700 (max) All plans, specifications and information contained herein are subject to change without notification as may be required by the authorities/engineer/ architect and the developer and cannot form part of any offer or contract.

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The Iskandarian ISSUE 39 | NOV 2015 Advertisement