i-City
i-city MSC One Stop Centre ,Jalan Multimedia 7/AJ,, shah alam, Selangor
Official Website (http://www.i-bhd.com/)

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MSC MALAYSIA Bill of Guarantees
MSC Malaysia-status companies located in i-City will enjoy the MSC Malaysia Bill of Guarantees.

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As part of its commitment to ensure the success of MSC Malaysia Status companies, the Malaysian Government promises to fulfill the following Bill of Guarantees:
1. Provide a world-class physical and information infrastructure.
2. Allow unrestricted employment of local and foreign knowledge workers.
3. Ensure freedom of ownership by exempting companies with MSC Malaysia Status from local ownership requirements.
4. Give the freedom to source capital globally for MSC Malaysia infrastructure, and the right to borrow funds globally.
5. Provide competitive financial incentives, including no income tax for up to 10 years or an investment tax allowance, and no duties on import of multimedia equipment.
6. Become a regional leader in intellectual property protection and cyberlaws.
7. Ensure no Internet censorship.
8. Provide globally competitive telecommunications tariffs.
9. Tender key MSC Malaysia infrastructure contracts to leading companies willing to use the MSC Malaysia as their regional hub.
10. Provide an effective one-stop agency – the Multimedia Development.

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nice project :)

Selangor to woo investments from IT, tourism firms
By Jeeva Arulampalam
August 4 2007


I-City and Sepang Gold Coast will help boost the state's foreign direct investments, says Selangor State Investment Centre chief executive officer

SELANGOR wants to attract investments from service-based firms due to stiff competition for manufacturers, a state official says.

According to Selangor State Investment Centre Bhd (SSIC) chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Mohd Jabar Ahmad Kembali, its two initiatives, I-City and Sepang Gold Coast, worth RM4 billion collectively, will help boost the state's foreign direct investments.
"The main focus of our service industry is the knowledge city (I-City) and the tourism-based industry.

"The I-City has drawn interests from many multinational corporations. We have also received suggestions to develop tourist locations, such as a theme park in Selangor, to attract tourists and house buyers," he said at a media briefing in Shah Alam yesterday.

SSIC's four main projects are I-City, Sepang Gold Coast, Selangor Science Park 2 and Pulau Indah Industrial Park.

In the first four months of the year, Selangor received RM2.1 billion of manufacturing investments.

Last year, it got RM9.6 billion in manufacturing investments, a 13 per cent increase from 2005.

I-City is a RM2 billion commercial development on a 29ha freehold site located along Federal Highway in Section 7, Shah Alam.

The five-year project, undertaken by ICT developer I-Berhad, comprises corporate offices, a shopping mall, a pedestrian street mall, shop offices, retail suites, hotels, service apartments and an innovation centre.

I-Berhad has tied up with Cisco to develop i-City's infrastructure and network services, while its joint-venture partner ServCorp will manage the Internet-based services.

"We currently have an early bird package whereby rental for knowledge-based companies will be RM1 per sq ft," said I-Berhad CEO Eu Hong Chew.

The Sepang Gold Coast is the responsibility of Sepang Goldcoast Sdn Bhd, a joint venture between Permodalan Negeri Selangor Bhd and Sepang Bay Sdn Bhd.

I-City Landed Shop Offices To Be Ready By End Of This Year
Updated : 03-08-2007


SHAH ALAM, Aug 3 (Bernama) -- I-City, the 28.8 ha ICT-enabled township in Section 7, here is progressing well with the landed shop offices under its first phase expected to be completed by the end of the year, said I-Bhd Chief Executive Officer Eu Hong Chew.

Work on the second phase of the RM2.0 billion project which will include retail offices and hotels has also started, he told reporters at a briefing on the latest development of the projects in Selangor organised by the Selangor State Investment Centre here Friday.

The project, to be developed in phases within five years will also feature various other attractions including shopping malls. As it is located near Sg Rasau, the company also intends to beautify the river and turn it into a waterfront as an added attraction, Eu said.

He said investors would also incur less start-up cost as I-City would be equipped with plug and play infrastructure and they will not have the need to buy switches or routers for their computer networks.

He also said not all the units in the project was for sale and some of them were for rent and that the company was offering RM1 per square feet in rent this month for the early birds.

On-Site Progress

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I-Bhd gets strong support for i-City project
By S.C. CHEAH

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Datuk Ch'ng Toh Eng (centre) being briefed by Datuk Lim Kim Hong (far right)
and Eu Hong Chew (far left) at the i-City project site in Shah Alam

I-BHD has roped in the support of Intel, Universiti Industri Selangor (UniSel), the Tourism Ministry as well as the Selangor state government for the proposed i-City, a RM1.5bil information and communication technology (ICT)-based commercial development in Shah Alam.

The Selangor state government is backing this development because I-Bhd is supporting its aim to take the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) concept to the next level, from merely focusing on the business community to creating a digital community.

Also, it is the first project of its kind by the private sector and on such a massive scale.

There was a flurry of activities last month that saw I-Bhd signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Intel on Sept 7 for the development of digital service infrastructure at i-City.

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i-City (http://www.i-digital.com.my/)
A 21st century ICT-powered commercial development in the heart of Malaysia's most dynamic State that is set to be a regional destination and the first of its kind in Southeast Asia.

Great project on great location!

Looks awesome.

I-Office to manage IP-based services in i-City
Tuesday August 7, 2007


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ServCorp chief information officer Marcus Moufarrige and
Datin Tey Siew Thuan sealing the partnership deal

KUALA LUMPUR: Office2, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ServCorp Ltd – a company listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, has entered into a joint venture (JV) agreement with I-R&D Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of I-Bhd, to provide managed IP-based services in i-City.

The partners have set up a JV company, I-Office Sdn Bhd, which has been given a concession by i-City to provide and manage the connectivity between all its tenants and the telcos.

I-Office will invest in the fibre optic network for the whole development and purchase for resale of the Metro-E high-speed connectivity from the various telcos.

I-Bhd executive director Datin Tey Siew Thuan said the JV was the first step in i-City's plan to accelerate the development from 10 years to within 5 years.

"There has always been two goals in the development of i-City – to have an alternative income stream from property development and to seek opportunities to extend our ICT business. While the joint venture will initially focus on i-City, we will eventually provide this managed network services to other property developments in the country," she said.

In Phase 1 of i-City, I-Office will invest RM3.5mil for the ICT infrastructure, equipment and services. It will eventually invest a total of RM75mil to provide these IP-based services.

The Sydney-based ServCorp will provide the entire I-City a true "plug and play" environment for voice, data and video services.

Shah Alam set to be most liveable knowledge city
Monday October 15, 2007
Property Talk: A weekly column by S.C. Cheah


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A model of the RM2bil i-City development
in Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor.

MOST city dwellers yearn to live and work in a city free from traffic jams and pollution with plenty of job opportunities, where the cost of living is low and lots of greenery.

In Malaysia, Ipoh would appeal to many retirees as property prices there are relatively cheaper with cost of living lower while Penang has retained some of its old world charm although the island is getting very congested.

However, for those wishing to be part of the K-economy in the country and where they may stand a better chance of finding jobs and still live in a fairly peaceful and green city, Shah Alam is the preferred city to live and work as many people are rather tired of the traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur or Petaling Jaya.

Just as Melbourne was once voted the “most liveable city” in the world, Shah Alam may in the near future be known as the “most liveable knowledge city” in Malaysia.

Shah Alam is still relatively peaceful with few high-rise buildings with plenty of greenery. However, the lack of entertainment like cinemas and shopping centres has given the city a laid-back image.

A recent market survey by Research Inc Asia showed that most Shah Alam residents would like to see their shops and restaurants open for longer houses as well as larger shopping centres and new cinemas.

The survey also noted that: “Shah Alam could potentially have 69% of its residents spending more time in their home city, if more leisure opportunities were available”.

Hence - the initiative by I-Bhd to develop the RM2bil i-City in Section 7, Shah Alam - is seen as an ambitious move but one that could help turn Shah Alam into a knowledge city.

The importance of this development can be seen from a recent study mission led by Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Mohd Noor to Shanghai to see what makes that city tick that might also help to shape the proposed Shah Alam ICT (information and communications technology) Zone where the freehold 72-acre i-City would be located.

The mayor also saw how China has managed to develop successful models in handling foreign direct investments within its socio-cultural context and this could also be adapted to suit Shah Alam.

Mazalan had said the Shanghai mission was also to source for possible ICT investments to Shah Alam from China.

“We are not just focusing on ICT investors from the west, we are also looking at China and the rest of Asia, as the ICT sector has become global. We want to make Shah Alam the Bangalore of Malaysia,” he added.

Bangalore is today one of Asia's fastest growing cosmopolitan city and is regarded as India's “Silicon Valley” boasting many scientific and research and development facilities.

Besides creating jobs for 50,000 knowledge workers, the ICT Zone will enable a transfer of skill sets and there will be increased economic activities for Shah Alam.

The value of properties will be enhanced and the Selangor state government and the Shah Alam City Council will also gain in terms of higher revenue.

There will also be an international stature for Shah Alam and Selangor will be able to maintain its position as the leading investment location in the country.

According to I-Bhd feedback from a group of investment bankers who were instrumental in linking i-City with foreign investors was that the proposed Shah Alam ICT Zone was in line with the requirements of these investors.

“We have accelerated i-City's development from the original 10-year period to within five years as suggested by Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

“We cannot rely on the local market demand for ICT offices rather we have to market i-City as a global office address to the international ICT community,” the company added.

For latest Bursa Malaysia indices, charts and other information click here

Overseas offers to replicate I-City
By Sharen Kaur Published: 2008/05/12, BusinessTimes


I-BERHAD, which is developing the I-City intelligent township that is envisaged to be Selangor's knowledge hub and in the league of the Dubai Internet City in the United Arab Emirates, has received offers from China and Vietnam to replicate the RM2 billion development.

Executive director and chief executive officer Datin Tey Siew Thuan said it has plans to redevelop I-City overseas, and possibly also in Penang, in three years.

"I-City is the concept of the future and the (Chinese and Vietnamese) investors are keen to have a similar model in their environment. We are studying the offers currently," Tey said.

I-City is the first technology-driven commercial development in Malaysia.

In uplifting the development, Tey said that I-Berhad will partner Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM), Maxis Communications Bhd and Time dotCom Bhd to offer high-speed broadband Internet services with uptime of 99.9 per cent, as per MSC requirement.

"We are tying up with established business partners to promote I-City. TM and Maxis are expected to come in by August and Time by 2009," said Tey.

I-City is offering fibre optics and Cisco network at its development. It has enlisted the expertise of Australian-listed ServCorp Ltd in June 2007 to provide the infrastructure and Internet Protocol or IP-based services.

Kompakar Inc Bhd has been appointed to manage its data centre, which would house the servers.

"I-City's entire area is connected with a giga-speed fibre-optics network that allows for complete connectivity and mobility, resulting in a true plug-and-play environment," said Tey, adding that it is the only commercial property in Malaysia with a last-mile fibre optics to the units network, and with a capacity up to 1Gbps, making it different from other cybercentres here.

The network supports a wide range of IP-based services and applications and has a super-broadband redundancy where a multi-telco environment exists, enabling owners and tenants of I-City to enjoy continuous uninterrupted broadband connections and simplicity of integrated billing system.

In addition, I-City has all the right components for a second-generation Internet development, known as Web 2.0, and redundant power through a second source of power supply from Klang.

Looks cool!

i-City gets top marks for facilities, services
Monday May 19, 2008 By S.C. Cheah, TheStar


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The first batch of three and five-storey MSC-status shop offices sold and
completed in i-City in Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor. Inset is Datuk Lim Kim
Hong.

AN international information technology (IT) player has described smart-community developer I-Bhd's RM2bil i-City as the “No 1 technology city in Asia”.

Office Squared Ltd (a subsidiary of Servcorp) said the proposed i-City was not just a technology park but was also a totally plug-and-play environment, offering true high-speed broadband.

Servcorp is the second largest serviced office provider in the world, currently managing over 9,000 clients in 13 countries.

Office Squared business development manager David Cross, who is in Kuala Lumpur to attend the 16th World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT) 2008 from May 18 to 22, said i-City is packed with world-class networking technologies, capacity that surpassed today's business needs.

“Its facilities and services, geared for the second generation Internet development called Web 2.0 out-performs other Asian technology parks built five or more years ago, thus making it the most advanced technology city in Asia,” he said.

He also described i-City as a “one-stop shop” where its advanced business communications were complemented by sophisticated productivity, collaboration and mobility tools that were available online.

“Users save capital costs and reduce the cost and resource demands for business operations, while maintaining high speed and high availability services and on-site support. They will enjoy astoundingly fast service implementation and avoid frustration of slow connections, blackouts and Telco disconnections,” he added.

I-Bhd chief innovation officer Ricky Lim said there were eight reasons for businesses to choose i-City: It has MSC Malaysia cybercentre status, fibre optics with Cisco network, super broadband with redundancy, Cisco Unified Communications with receptionist, Servcorp powered services, Tier 3+ data centre, 100% backup power supply and a shopping mall.

I-Bhd, whose shares are listed on the Bursa Malaysia main board, is showcasing i-City at WCIT 2008. About 2,500 participants from over 80 countries are attending the event billed as the “Olympics of ICT”.

The ICT-based i-City commercial township is master planned by world-renowned and award-winning American architect Jon A. Jerde.

“We are very pleased that i-City was recently awarded the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status. The development of this 72-acre freehold ICT-based premier commercial development in Section 7, Shah Alam, is a strategic fit in our corporate plans to make i-City an international world class techno-city using the latest in ICT technology,” said I-Bhd chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong.

Meanwhile, the first batch of 44 units of three and five-storey shop office in i-City have been sold and completed. Another 34 units of similar shop offices will be launched in July or August.

Wow am proud my city is gonna be the top

I-City's second phase draws foreign interest
By Zurinna Raja Adam, Published: 2008/05/21, BusinessTimes

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I-BERHAD, which is developing the I-City intelligent township in Shah Alam, Selangor, has received offers from interested foreign parties to buy office suites in the second phase of its project.

Targeted for completion in March next year, the second phase consists of 33 office suites. The total value of the project is RM2 billion.

"We received a lot of enquiries during the WCIT (World Congress on Information Technology) and we are in talks with a few parties right now," I-Berhad deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong said in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The first phase of the five-year project has been taken up and will be in operation by August.

I-City is being developed on a 22.8ha freehold site in Section 7.

The intelligent township will feature eight corporate towers, two luxury hotels, two blocks of 24-storey branded residences, three- to five-storey shop-offices and retail suites. It will also house a one million sq ft shopping mall and data and innovation centres.

I-City's technology partner is the Australia-based ServCorp Ltd.

ServCorp chief information officer Marcus Moufarrige said that complete mobility for the network offered at the site is possible through the 10Gps fibre-optic network linking all office network and world-class data centre facilities provided by both ServCorp and Cisco Systems.

"This makes I-City stand out more prominently as an intelligent township against others in the world," he said.

I-Bhd Open To New Ventures Although Focus Remains On I-City Project
July 12, 2008 15:22 PM

KUALA LUMPUR, July 12 (Bernama) -- While the focus right now will be on its technology-based i-City commercial township project, Bursa Main Board listed I-Bhd says it is open for any new ventures.

In fact, the company has been invited to invest in similar projects in countries such as Korea, Taiwan and even Mexico, its deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong said.

He said the interested parties viewed I-Bhd as not being merely a property developer but one that offers added value to its development with technology.

Lim said the company would continue to look out for landbanks locally especially in big cities as well as in overseas.

He said the I-City project would keep its plate full for the next six to 12 months.

The RM2 billion i-City project is the first private initiative to be awarded the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre status.

Located on a 28.8-hectare land in Section 7, Shah Alam, it recently completed the first phase development of 44 cybercentre office suites.

Speaking to Malaysian reporters on an I-City study tour to Sydney recently, Lim said I-Bhd also had a 0.4 hectare land at Jalan Kia Peng, earmarked for a luxury, serviced residential property to be known as "The Peak".

The company is currently in talks with several hotel operators including the Hilton group, Mariott and Starwood, to manage the property.

The project, to be funded by internally-generated funds, will house 104 units.

It is expected to be launched by year-end if market conditions are better with its completion due in three years.

-- BERNAMA

I-Berhad seeks foreign investors for mall project
By Vasantha Ganesan Published: 2008/07/09, BusinessTimes

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I-BERHAD (I-Bhd) is in talks with several foreign institutional investors to set up a joint venture to develop the shopping complex component of the i-City project's second phase in Shah Alam, Selangor.

I-Bhd hopes to set up a 70:30 joint venture (JV), with the foreign institution holding the majority, to build an international class shopping complex which has an estimated gross development value (GDV) of RM500 million.

"We will set up a JV and sell the land to the JV partner. We will then develop it together and let our partner manage the shopping complex," I-Bhd deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong said.

"We are looking at shopping centre partners who have the expertise in managing shopping centres for this joint venture," he said.

Lim, in a recent press conference in Sydney, Australia, said that I-Bhd could make an announcement on the development in the third quarter of 2008.

"The mall will have one million square feet gross lettable area which is comparable to the Mid Valley Mega Mall in Kuala Lumpur," he said.

i-City, Lim said, is creating an entire new community which is IT advanced and is a lifestyle hub. As such, a mall which services this community is required.

To be ready in 2011, the mall will cater to about 30,000 office population within the i-City township and 50,000 when the entire project is completed in 2012.

I-Bhd believes that the mall will be successful as there is no such shopping destination between Shah Alam and Klang. The catchment for the mall, based on a 15 km radius, is estimated to be around 1.5 million.

On the corporate towers within i-City, which are now at the planning stage, Lim said the company has received enquiries from institutional investors from Korea, the Middle East and Singapore.

"They are interested in buying either one tower or to manage it as a business park," he said.

looks lik a very nice project :)

I-Bhd takes intelligent city project to next level
Monday July 14, 2008, TheStar

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Lim Boon Siong (right) exchanging documents with Marcus Moufarrige

IF you were a new kid on the block but eager to show that you have what it takes to turn vision into reality, what would you do?

For I-Bhd, it got world renowned architect Jon Jerde to design its RM2bil i-City in Shah Alam, entered into strategic partnerships with Intel, Telekom Malaysia and Universiti Industri Selangor, won an MSC status for the freehold commercial township and positioned itself as an ICT-based developer.

It showed its sound finances by completing Phase 1 of its Cybercentre offices in i-City under a “build-then-sell” concept. A party is going to buy the offices en bloc while an international shopping centre operator is looking at developing the mall in i-City.

Come September, tenants will be moving into its 44 Cybercentre offices.

The public-listed company recently hosted a 20-member media study tour to Sydney to visit the offices of its latest partners, Servcorp (world's second largest managed serviced office operator) and Cisco (worldwide leader in networking).

The aim was to show the advanced technology to be offered by Servcorp and Cisco in i-City, dubbed the No. 1 Technology City in the region. It also showed the Concierge services, wireless 10mbps and the One Network technology powered by Cisco, to be provided in i-City.

After a six-day trip, I must say I was “blown away” not so much by riding a Harley-Davidson over the Sydney Harbour Bridge, sliding down a giant sand dune in Port Stephens, having lunch in the observation deck of Sydney Tower nor even dining in The Great Cask Hall of Hope Estate in Hunter Valley.

Indeed, all the five-star experience as part of I-Bhd's branding exercise, including jetting in the A380, dolphin watching or hand-feeding sharks, probably threw some of us off our feet.

What blew me over was the IT experience at Servcorp and Cisco that showcased cutting edge IT that can be applied to offices and the homes.

For example, at Servcorp, the media saw how its Concierge service could offer human and technical help to firms at a much affordable cost.

As I-Bhd chief innovation officer Ricky Lim said with i-City's MSC status, tenants could enjoy many benefits including super broadband with Gigabit connectivity, no import duties for multimedia equipment, 15 minutes emergency response, no restriction on recruitment of foreign workers, and 10-years tax exemption.

“We are also providing 100% power backup supply in 15 seconds. All buildings in i-City will be connected,” he said. It would also have an integrated data centre (under construction), online portal for one bill payment, concierge, plug-and-play services, redundant broadband and Cisco Unified Communications.

I-Bhd and Servcorp signed an agreement during the trip for Servcorp to provide the concierge service, the first of its kind in Malaysia.

The media was also shown Cisco's latest telepresence technology where reporters talked to a virtual life-size manager from Cisco Singapore in an identical boardroom as the one in Sydney.

We also visited Australia's most intelligent strata office building, the new 10,000 sq m, seven-level Nexus Norwest in Norwest Business Park. Developed by Capital Corp with Office Squared (a Servcorp subsidiary), it has an integrated managed network and advanced Protocol (IP) telephony system from Cisco.

Interviews with several tenants indicated a high level of satisfaction.

Bet Choice Corpo CEO Mark Morrissey praised the fast-speed broadband for his horse-betting business.

For Jacqui Gibbs, director of a small marketing firm, relocating her business from home in the city to Norwest enhanced her firm's image, saved her travelling expenses and time, enabled her to tap into a pool of clients in the business park and run her business more efficiently.

As Office Squared CEO Marcus Moufarrige said organisations could save 30% to 55% per-workstation costs by having a pre-installed infrastructure and a managed network.

This trip showed that real estate is not just brick and mortar but to compete, developers must differentiate and IT can add value to property and is the way to go.

“I-City is on track. We are creating a special niche by investing in technology that can add value to our property and benefit our tenants and purchasers,” said I-Bhd deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong.

Like Nexus Norwest, i-City is about doing business in a faster, cheaper and simpler way and relocating to a new growth suburb has its advantages.

The difference between the two is that Nexus Norwest is merely a third the size of i-City's Phase 1. The 72-acre i-City will be a connected “intelligent city” that will take the next generation of business space to another level.

Al Rajhi buying office suites in i-City for RM95m
Published: 2008/07/29

AL RAJHI Bank (Malaysia) is purchasing 36 units of i-City Cybercentre 1 Office Suites for RM95 million, marking its first property venture in the country.

The purchase accounted for 80 per cent of the units completed in the first phase of i-City, a RM2 billion integrated and sophisticated township on 72-acres of land in Section 7, Shah Alam, Selangor.

“The investment of Al Rajhi in i-City demonstrates its real value and an increasing interest among Middle Eastern companies in our property market,” I-Berhad director Eu Hong Chew said.

I-Berhad is the developer of i-City.

Speaking to reporters after the signing of a sales and purchase agreement between the company and Al Rajhi yesterday, he said the bank had already paid ten per cent of the purchase price.

The entire exercise involving the purchase is to be completed over the next two to three months.

The first phase of i-City comprises 44 units of cybercentre office suites totalling 300,000 square feet. I-Berhad will retain 20 per cent of the units for local information, communication and technology companies.

Eu said i-City, which is expected to take five years to complete, is the only commercial property in Malaysia with a “last-mile fibre optics to the units” network. It will have a capacity up to 10Gbps.

The network thus supports a wide range of Internet Protocol-based services and applications, making i-City an efficient place to work, play and live in.

Meanwhile, Al Rajhi chief executive officer Ahmed Rehman said the investment represented the bank’s first foray into real estate investments in the country. It was a strategic decision for the bank.

Al Rajhi Bank, headquartered in Saudi Arabia, is the largest Islamic banking group in the world with a network of more than 600 branches. — Bernama

I-Berhad aims to sell i-City office towers by year-end
By Sharen Kaur Published: 2008/07/30
BusinessTimes

PROPERTY developer I-Berhad is confident of selling off two office towers at its RM2 billion i-City intelligent township in Shah Alam by the end of this year, following its first en bloc sale on Wednesday.

Al Rajhi Bank (Malaysia) Bhd is buying 36 units of the i-City Cybercentre 1 office suites, one of the many components of i-City, for RM95 million.

"This is the first en bloc sale for i-City. We are in discussions with interested parties from Asia-Pacific and the Middle East and with serious buyers from South Korea and Australia.

"We are optimistic of closing one or two new deals by December," I-Berhad deputy chief officer Lim Boon Siong told Business Times after the signing of a mutual cooperation agreement with Kompakar Group in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

The signing was witnessed by Minister of Housing and Local Government Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan.

Lim said Al Rajhi has indicated that it would invest in other properties within i-City, but did not elaborate.

The 30.28ha i-City, which started in mid-2007, will feature 12 office towers, a 1 million-sq ft shopping mall, office suites, three data centres, a five-star and a boutique hotel, and two blocks of 24-storey residences.

The integrated development, which is envisaged to be Selangor's knowledge hub and in the league of the Dubai Internet City in the United Arab Emirates, will offer 7.5 million sq ft of built-up when completed in 2012.

For the hotels, Lim said the company was still talking to international hotel chains with strong roots in Malaysia to operate the properties.

They include Starwood, Hilton, Marriott and Accor.

"We are at the design and discussion stage now. We hope to finalise the details by year end and launch the hotels in the first half of 2009," Lim said, adding that it was also in talks with an international hospital group that wants to operate at i-City.

Lim also said the data centres are one of the key selling points for i-City.

"Ours is the first township in this region to have world-class Tier 4 ready data centres connected to the whole 30.28ha real estate via giga-speed fibre-optics network. This is one piece of the puzzle that will enhance i-City's value," Lim said.

Earlier, Kompakar chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Fikri Hussein told reporters that the company and I-Berhad will invest RM100 million to build and equip the data centres, which consists of a 3,500 sq ft hosting facility for the local small and medium enterprises, and two 70,000-sq ft Tier 4 ready data centres.

The hosting facility and the first data centre are already operating, while the second data centre will be ready by 2011.

i-City to offer world class data centres
Wednesday July 30, 2008, TheStar

KUALA LUMPUR: I-Bhd's i-City project in Shah Alam will be the first commercial development in Malaysia to boast of three world class data centres following a strategic alliance forged with Kompakar Inc Bhd, an integrated solutions provider, yesterday.

At the agreement signing, Kompakar chief executive officer Dr Ahmad Fikri Hussein said Kompakar had decided to become one of the anchor tenants in Selangor’s first digital city.

“We are investing and will be providing world class data centre service expertise in the design, set up, management and operation of the data centre equipment and facilities.”

I-Bhd deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong said I-Bhd planned to invest close to RM50mil in the data centres based on the company's business plan and projected demand.

The data centres comprise a 3,500 sq ft hosting facility catering to local small and medium enterprises and two 70,000 sq ft world-class Tier 4 purpose-built ready data centre catering to global information and communications technology companies.

Al Raji Bank (Malaysia) agreed Monday to purchase 36 units of i-City Cybercentre 1 office suites for RM95mil.

The purchase accounted for 80% of the units completed in the first phase of i-City, a RM2bil township on 72 acres in Section 7, Shah Alam.

On the balance units that I-Bhd said it would hold for local information and communications technology companies, director Eu Hong Chew said long-term investment had always been part of the company's commitment to nurture the information technology industry.

In terms of investor response, Lim said besides the Middle East, i-City had received tremendous response from Australia and South Korea, although talks were still at the preliminary stage.

i-City in Malaysia sold before it is built
Asia Property Report - July 31 - by News Desk

I-Bhd’s i-City project in Shah Alam, will be the first commercial development in Malaysia to boast of three world class data centres following strategic partnerships with Intel, Telekom Malaysia and Universiti Industry Selangor, won an MSC status for the freehold commercial township and positioned itself as an ICT-based developer.

The data centres comprise a 3,500 sq ft hosting facility catering to small and medium enterprises and two 70,000 sq ft world-class Tier 4 purpose-built ready data centres catering to global information and communications technology companies. Al Raji bank (Malaysia) agreed on Monday to purchase 36 units of i-City Cybercentre 1 office suites for RM95mil. The purchase accounted for 80% of the units completed in the first phase of i-City.

Like Nexus Norwest, Australia’s most intelligent strata office building, i-City is about doing business in a faster, cheaper and simpler way. The difference between the two is that Nexus Norwest is a third the size of i-City’s Phase 1.

Ricky Lim, I-Bhd chief innovation officer, said with i-City’s MSC status, tenants could enjoy many benefits including super broadband with Gigabit connectivity, no import duties for multimedia equipment, 15 minutes emergency response, no restriction on recruitment of foreign workers and 10-years’ tax exemption. I-Bhd is also providing 100% power backup supply in 15 seconds. All buildings in i-City will be connected.

Lim Boon Siong, I-Bhd deputy chief executive officer, adds: “I-City is on track. We are creating a special niche by investing in technology that can add value to our property and benefit our tenants and purchasers.”

AmBank to expand wireless services at i-City branch
Published: 2008/08/25 BusinessTimes

AMBANK (M) Bhd, which has 183 branches throughout the country, is planning to offer more convenience and cost-efficient banking services like wireless phone banking and wireless ATMs at its new branch in i-City, Shah Alam.

AmBank managing director for retail banking Mohamed Azmi Mahmood said the high technology branch will offer a full suite of both traditional and innovative financial products and services to fulfil the needs of i-City community.

"The cost of setting up this branch would be much higher than the conventional ones," Mohamed Azmi told reporters after signing a memorandum of understanding with I-Berhad on the smart partnership in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Also present was I-Berhad chief executive Datin Tey Siew Thuan and her deputy Lim Boon Siong.

This smart partnership will look into providing a new kind of banking experience for customers.

"i-City's infrastructure will help us test wireless phone banking, wireless ATMs before we roll these services out to other branches," he added.

i-City, a RM2 billion information communication technology (ICT) based premier commercial development in Shah Alam, Selangor will comprise cybercentre office suites, shopping malls, data centre, hotels, office towers and serviced residences.

In the next 12 months, AmBank plans to open another 10 new branches in the Klang Valley, Johor Baru, Penang, Kuching and Sabah.

Strong upside for I-City's first phase
- Property Times issue -
By P. Rajan

The shop-office units in the up-and-coming I-City development in Shah Alam, Selangor, may be able to give investors impressive yields of 10 per cent per annum or more once they are completed by the end of next year.

Expected to be launched for sale within the next few months, the units will be in two clusters, each flanking a unique 1,000ft pedestrian walkway known as CityWalk, which will be the heart and soul of the first phase of I-Bhd’s RM1.5 billion commercial venture.

“The freehold nature of the property, its location off the Federal Highway that will ensure easy access to major parts of the Klang Valley, the dearth of quality shop-offices in the area and the vibrant nature of the project itself should ensure brisk demand for the units once they are put on the market,” said property consultant Allan Soo of Regroup Associates.

While the selling price is not fixed yet, sources say it could be in the RM1.2 million to RM1.5 million range, which would translate into a yearly yield in the region of 10 per cent, even if based on a conservative monthly rental assumption of RM2psf.

According to a recent study on commercial space in Shah Alam undertaken by a property consultancy, rents in purpose-built offices such as Menara MRCB, Plaza Perangsang and Wisma MBSA are presently at the RM2.50psf level, with high occupancies attained.

“There is very strong interest in stratified office buildings and those that were launched recently, particularly in PJ, have sold well,” said executive director of I-Bhd, Monica Ong.

“Shopping centres are being well received too, with rents and occupancies growing more than 10 per cent.”

She explained that I-City will feature 200 shop-office units occupying 17.21 acres of the project’s 72-acre site, of which 80 units will be retained for lease by the company.

The remaining 120 units to be sold comprises 71 and 49 units on the western and eastern flanks of CityWalk respectively, and will be of four and six storeys with dimensions of 22ft by 75ft.

In total, the 200 units will accommodate close to one million square feet of nett built-up space.

More than just a commercial shop-office precinct, Ong said there will be a number of factors investors can bank on to make the place vibrant.

Among them is the company’s decision to retain the 80 shop-units for lease so it can be turned into a dynamic pedestrian mall modelled after Universal CityWalk in California.

With the target of attracting some 12 million visitors per year, the Shah Alam version of CityWalk will feature a RM40 million programmable sound-and-light system to change the ambience along the walkway to reflect different themes, thus making it a bright and exciting destination for both locals and tourists alike.

“CityWalk will be the only one of its kind in the region,” said Ong, adding that other features to support the business activities include the availability of basement car-parking with over 2,400 bays so “visitors won’t be faced with the perennial problem of finding parking”.

Also, in contrast to most shop-offices, I-City’s units will have lift access, implying that rentals on the upper floors can be fairly consistent.

Part of the crowd envisaged to flock to CityWalk will come from the immediate catchment area of Shah Alam itself, which the property consultancy report said has a population growth rate of four per cent per annum and a current size of 470,000.

“With an expected population of 590,000 by 2010, (the residents and workers in) Shah Alam are looking for a live-wire destination to patronise within their area and I-City aims to be it,” said Ong.

I-Berhad eyes double-digit profit growth
Published: 2008/10/23

PROPERTY developer I-Berhad aims to achieve double-digit growth in net profit by year-end, driven by its unique information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, said its director, Eu Hong Chew.

“These are the kind of services office users are looking for and they are market-driven,” Eu told reporters after the preview of its RM2.0 billion integrated commercial development, i-City, in Shah Alam today.

For the financial year ended December 31, 2007, the company recorded a pre-tax profit of RM700,000 on the back of RM1.631 million in revenue.

Eu said i-City was designed as a fully-integrated township, comprising a shopping mall, corporate towers and corporate offices, office suites, shop offices, office and retail suites, hotel, apartments, a data centre and an innovation centre.

“Concierge services are also provided in i-City, which is equipped with meeting rooms and event halls in order to cater to the needs of tenants.

“All meeting rooms and event halls are equipped with wireless broadband connection and state-of-art audio visual facilities,” he said. — Bernama

PNB To Be Selective In Stock Investments
October 23, 2008 19:59 PM

SHAH ALAM, Oct 23 (Bernama) -- Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), the country's largest fund management company, will be selective in looking for good stocks for its investment portfolio, said its president/group chief executive, Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman, Thursday.

"We are always in the market, whether when it is down or up because we are an investment house. We will be selective.

"If we feel there is an investment opportunity, we will definitely grab it because the fundamentals are still strong and we are not in financial crisis," he told reporters at the preview of i-City, I-Bhd's RM2.0 billion integrated commercial development here today. Also present was I-Bhd Chairman, Datuk Lim Kim Hong.

Hamad Kama Piah said although there were some effects from the global financial crisis on the local equity market, there were still a lot of opportunities.

"Whatever happens in the outside world will affect our market. If the market is down, we have to be selective in looking for good stocks for our portfolios," he said.

He said PNB was pleased with the development of i-City, which used unique information, communication and technology infrastructure.

"I hope with this development, as shareholder, we will get something in the future, and the partnership with the Australia's ServCorp Ltd will be benefical," he said.

On whether PNB would increase its stake in I-Berhad, he said there was no plans yet.

PNB currently holds about 18 percent in I-Bhd.

"We will see the long- and short-term opportunity and will seek advice on the matter," he said.

-- BERNAMA

i-Berhad expects RM2b township to drive profit
By Adeline Paul Raj Published: 2008/10/24

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/Friday/Nation/kama2.xml/Article/Current_News/BTIMES/Images/btgraph11/Ibhdlogo.jpg

I-BERHAD, a home appliances maker turned property developer, expects to see double-digit growth in its net profit this year.

Director Eu Hong Chew said this would be driven by its RM2 billion integrated commercial township in Shah Alam, known as i-City.

Last year, the company made a net profit of RM1.9 million.

"The main (profit) drivers will be the investment by Al Rajhi Bank as well as our tenancies," he told reporters after a media preview of i-City yesterday.

A few months ago, Saudi Arabia's Al Rajhi Bank, the world's largest Islamic banking group, paid RM95 million to buy some commercial space in the first phase of the township's development.

i-City, which spans 72 acres and has MSC Cybercentre status, has so far managed to attract 12 companies, including two multinationals, to take up tenancy since obtaining its certificate of fitness six weeks ago.

Another eight companies are expected to move in before the end of the year, said Eu.

These 20 companies would take up about 30 per cent to 40 per cent of the township's office space.

Eu said 100 per cent office tenancy would be possible by the middle of next year as there has been strong demand for space.

He pointed out that developments like i-City stand apart from others in that it is an information, communications and technology (ICT)-based township.

"These are the kind of services office users are looking for, and they are market-driven," he said.

He added that i-City, envisioned to be a digital city, is on track to be fully completed by 2015 as planned, with a shopping mall, an innovation centre, corporate office towers, serviced apartments and hotels.

Eu said the company does not expect to defer any launches and that its fiscal performance is unlikely to be affected by any economic slowdown next year.

I-Berhad is also keen to do joint venture developments with other landowners outside of the Klang Valley.

"We have been approached by two or three developers to see if we can bring the i-City concept to their developments," Eu said, adding that such plans are still at a preliminary stage.

i-City makes its debut
Saturday October 25, 2008
By JAYAGANDI JAYARAJ


http://www.thestar.com.my/archives/2008/10/25/central/m_08multimedia.jpg

Spanking new: A row of office buildings
at the phase 1A of the i-City.


THERE is a new landmark in the city that boasts a well-connected and fast, cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Located in Section 7, Shah Alam, along the Federal Highway, the i-City is a RM2bil integrated commercial development on 29 hectares of freehold land by I-Berhad.

Designed by award-winning architect Jon A. Jerde, it is a fully integrated township with amenities ranging from a shopping mall, corporate towers and corporate offices, office suites, shop offices, office and retail suites, hotels, service apartments and a data and innovation centre.

Currently, phase 1A of the ICT-based commercial township comprising 44 units of cyber office suites has been completed. The entire project is expected to take five years to complete.

The development was envisioned to be a Digital City.

It has obtained certification as a MSC Cyber Centre from the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, making its status similar to that of Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and the KL City Centre.

The area is connected with a giga-speed fibre-optics network that allows complete connectivity and mobility, resulting in a true plug-and-play environment with a network capacity up to 10gbps.

i-City chief innovative officer Ricky Lim said the development was a well-rounded structure that offered everything for the people who workedthere.

“We have offices, malls and residences with super broad band connectivity,” said Lim.

“The i-City is specially built for all knowledge-based businesses dealing with a lot of content and data.

“We just make the township very convenient and accessible by looking at every possible needs of the tenants, thus saving on travelling time, cost and more,” he said at the launch of the Concierge services at the townshipon Thursday.

The services and the network set-up is an agreement between I-Berhad and Australia’s ServCorp and their key services are reception greeting, call management, facilities management, customer service and support.

i-City Concierge is also equipped with meeting rooms and event halls to cater to the needs of the tenants and they are equipped with wireless broadband connection and state-of-the-art audio-visual facilities.

“The Concierge services concept offered in i-City is first of its kind in Asia, further stamping i-City as the premier technology city in this region,” he added.

Wind of fortune blowing for I-Bhd
by Chong Jin Hun, 24 Oct 2008 4:00 PM

http://www.theedgedaily.com/cms/storage/images/com.tms.cms.image.Image_2ddaa62c-cb73c03a-3bc1a100-2a44074e/1/Cover_I-City_inside.jpg

Lim (centre) and Hamad Kama Piah (right) look at a model of the i-City
development project as Serv-Corp Ltd Australia CEO Marcus Moufarriage
looks on

SHAH ALAM: The wind of fortune is blowing for I-Bhd as the company charts a new course in real estate and information and communication technology (ICT). Returns from its maiden property development in Shah Alam are expected to boost net profit by at least 10% in the current financial year ending Dec 31, 2008 (FY08).

I-Bhd, formerly known as Sanyo Industries (M) Sdn Bhd, began as an electrical home appliances manufacturer. Stiff competition from low-cost producers in China had prompted the company to think outside the box, which eventually led to I-Bhd's exit from the business.

In the second half of 2005, I-Bhd unveiled its intention to undertake its maiden property project - the RM2 billion i-City. The integrated commercial development sits on 28.8ha (72 acres) of freehold land in Shah Alam's Section 7.

"The journey we started three years ago is bearing fruit. We have nowhere to go but up," I-Bhd director Eu Hong Chew told reporters during a media visit to i-City's development site yesterday.

"We expect double-digit growth in net profit in 2008," Eu added.

I-Bhd's earnings declined in FY08's second quarter ended June. Net profit fell 4.4 % to RM525,000 from RM549,000 a year earlier while revenue was down 36% to RM475,000 from RM742,000. Going forward, property development will be the company's major revenue source.

i-City, a privately-funded five-year initiative, is due for completion by 2011. The future digital city includes a shopping mall, offices and hotels, besides apartments. So far, 44 cyber office suites have been completed and sold.

i-City was certified as an MSC Cybercentre by the government in May this year, placing the project on a par with Cyberjaya, KL Sentral and the Kuala Lumpur City Centre.

The corporate makeover of I-Bhd has received the thumbs-up from a major shareholder. Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) president and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said PNB was convinced of I-Bhd's new business model which combined the expertise of real estate development and ICT, hence differenting the firm from other property players in the country.

PNB is the second-largest shareholder with 17.15% in I-Bhd, after Sumurwang Sdn Bhd which holds 54.45%. "Good things will happen here (I-Bhd)," Hamad Kama Piah said during the visit to i-City yesterday.

He was non-committal when asked whether the state-owned fund manager planned to raise its stake in the property developer. "I have to get my advisers' (opinion). Our people will look at it," said the captain of PNB which manages some RM120 billion as of June this year.

Other property firms under PNB's stable include Island & Peninsular Bhd and Petaling Garden Bhd. PNB had taken both firms private in 2007.

I-Bhd fits strategically into PNB's portfolio as the developer could extend its ICT expertise to other real estate firms held by the fund manager.

Plans to make Shah Alam international Islamic banking hub
Tuesday October 28, 2008 By LAW KAI CHOW TheStar

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2008/10/28/business/b_01khalid.jpg

I-Bhd chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong (left), Menteri Besar Selangor Tan Sri
Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (centre) and Multimedia Development Corp Sdn Bhd
(MDeC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Halim Ali (right) at the launch of the i-City
International Park in Shah Alam on Monday. - Starpic by Raymond Ooi

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government plans to turn Shah Alam into an international Islamic banking and financial centre, in the wake of slower growth in the state’s manufacturing sector.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim said greater competition from lower labour cost countries had caused the state to make the services sector its leading engine of growth, with focus on information and communications technology (ICT), tourism and Islamic finance.

“We want Middle East investors seeking investment opportunity in Asia to consider Malaysia as the Islamic financial hub because we can fulfil their requirements in terms of technology and expertise in syariah-compliant banking infrastructure, accounting and legal framework.

“We will embark on the setting up of an Islamic banking and financial centre by the second half of next year if the world market volatility has subsided (by then),” he said after the launching of i-City International Park Shah Alam yesterday.

A RM2bil project by I-Bhd, i-City sits on 72-acre freehold land in Shah Alam with state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities such as super broadband with 20mbps speed, dual source of power supply and high performance integrated data centres. It has been endorsed as a MSC Malaysia Cybercentre, tourist destination and now an International Park.

The first phase of i-City, involving 44 office units, has been completed and sold with 50% bought by Al Rajhi, a Saudi Arabian banking group.

i-City has also attracted tenants from Britain and Singapore.

Local Government, Research and Studies Committee chairman Ronnie Liu said to qualify for International Park status, the development had to be of international class, in terms of buildings and ICT systems.

Meanwhile, Khalid announced that I-Bhd had committed a RM10mil fund for the next three years to work with the Selangor tourism unit to establish i-City and Shah Alam as “the focal point for ICT-related tourism destination.”

Tourism, Consumer Affairs and Environment Committee chairman Elizabeth Wong said the additional fund created a win-win situation because I-Bhd would be able to showcase its technology while the state government could attract investment and tourist into Selangor.

I-City A Magnet For Investors To Selangor - Khalid
October 27, 2008 18:34 PM

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SHAH ALAM, Oct 27 (Bernama) -- The I-City project in Section 7 here, will give Selangor a competitive edge in attracting investments, particularly in the highly-competitive service sector, said Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

The real-estate project, developed by I-Bhd, is equipped with a fibre optic network connecting the entire 28.8ha development.

Apart from data storage, the project also has other facilities including hotel, shopping centre, apartments, office space, shops and parks as well as 20 megabit per second broadband connection.

Abdul Khalid said the I-City, a MSC status company, was offering incentives to investors including tax reliefs from the federal government as well as other incentives offered by the state government.

The state government would also support I-City's expansion from an ICT park to an ICT zone in the future, he added.

The I-City would also give opportunities to technopreneurs to expand their business through the incubator facility here, he said at the launcing of the project, which is now known as the "I-City International Park Shah Alam".

Abdul Khalid he would also discuss with I-Bhd and other parties to make Shah Alam the country's Islamic finance and banking hub.

"This is to provide ample investment options to international companies," he said, adding that I-Bhd could play a role in providing the technology.

He said Selangor was positioning itself as an investment destination for investors from the East Asian region which had been looking for alternative amid ongoing slowdown in Europe and the United States.

"They also see Asia and Asean as a new growth centre," he said, adding that the plan to set up hub would be pursued during the second half of 2009.

The first phase of I-City, involving 44 office units had been completed and sold out with 50 per cent of them were bought by Al Rahji, a Saudi Arabian banking group.

I-City has also attracted tenants from the United Kingdom as well as Singapore.

-- BERNAMA

City & Country: Digital and leisure hub for ICT workers
27 Oct 2008: THEEDGEDAILY

I-Bhd, the developer of i-City in Shah Alam, certainly has something to shout about, now that the Selangor government has designated the 72-acre state-of-the-art ICT-based development the i-City International Park.

After achieving that status, the developer can now move full speed ahead to create what it envisions to be an international knowledge-based community within a cosmopolitan lifestyle environment.

As an international park, i-City would be an exclusive area in Shah Alam where entertainment and lifestyle outlets - such as cinemas and theatres, bowling alleys, family theme parks, as well as food and beverage lifestyle joints can operate while events such as fun fairs, fashion shows, music and film events can be held.

For those of you who may not be aware, there are no cinemas in Shah Alam, definitely no pubs and none of the usual nightlife you would expect, say, in the Kuala Lumpur city centre. This is because the state has certain restrictions on "entertainment". However, the Sultan of Selangor himself has endorsed the international park status for i-City, which will be launched by the Selangor Menteri Besar on Oct 27.

Located on prime freehold land in Section 7 along Federal Highway Route II, between Universiti Teknologi Mara's main campus and the Bukit Rajah Industrial Park, the commercial development - inspired by renowned architect Jon Jerde - is scheduled for completion in 2015. Developed on a build-then-sell concept, i-City will feature a smart shopping mall, office suites, corporate office towers, serviced apartments, an innovation centre and hotels.
The recent move by the state may also see a boost in real estate values in Shah Alam.

i-City is being developed as a joint venture (JV) between I-Bhd and land owner Sumurwang Sdn Bhd. In the JV signed in 2006, the Cybercentre Office Suites, the mall and the Innovation Centre, were valued at RM60 per sq ft (psf).

In July this year, the recently completed Cybercentre Office Suites 1 units were sold to Al Rajhi Bank at around RM460 psf. That was after the development received MSC (Multimedia Super Corridor) Cybercentre certification. Now, with the international park status, one would expect another hike in values.

"This is definitely a positive development and a boon for the property market in Shah Alam," says property consultant KGV-Lambert Smith Hampton Sdn Bhd director Anthony Chua.

"Right now, Shah Alam's city centre is made up of offices, government buildings and a few shopping centres, the operation hours of which are limited. There are hardly any shophouses, which limits the kind of commercial activities here. So, business activities are restricted," he says.

He adds that the zoning certainly bodes well for i-City in terms of growth potential in the long run although one may not see a steep rise in prices overnight considering the current economic climate.

"It is a freehold development situated right beside the Federal Highway, so it has visibility. The masterplan is based on an international architect's design and with this exclusive zone, things seem to look good for i-City," Chua adds.

I-Bhd believes in continuous development
Monday November 17, 2008

LIM Boon Siong, 35, the elder of two sons of I-Bhd executive chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong and its chief executive officer Datin Tey Siew Thuan has the entrepreneurial sprit of his parents and is a strong believer of continuous professional development.

Lim, who hails from Muar, Johor, graduated with a Bachelor of Business Administration (honours) from the Ivey Business School of the University of Western Ontario, Canada in 1994. He then obtained a Chartered Marketer Diploma and graduated from the Excellerate Business School for Entrepreneurs in Kuala Lumpur in 2000. He and his brother Ricky who is I-Bhd’s chief information officer, would attend international conferences to improve their knowledge and skills.

One of his earliest achievements in school was scoring eight distinctions in the SPM in 1989.

In recognition of his many achievements, he was the recipient of the Johnnie Walker “Walks of Inspiration” Award and Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year, Malaysia.

During his varsity days, Lim was actively involved in many extra-curricular activities including being a Malaysia-Indonesia-Singapore Students’ Association committee member. He helped to organise the largest annual dinner for the association that promoted the three Asean countries to the Canadian community.

Lim started his career in the corporate finance department of Amanah Merchant Bank (now known as Alliance Investment Bank) in Kuala Lumpur. He then left to become a senior manager with a leading investment company.

Frustrated with wearing thick glasses and contact lenses, he underwent LASIK vision correction procedure in Melbourne in 1998. Amazed by this simple 10-minute operation, he became passionate about bringing LASIK to Malaysia.

He started making his dream a reality by first sending patients to Australia for treatment and later founded VISTA Vision Specialist (VISTA), a LASIK centre in Malaysia in 1999.

Under his stewardship, VISTA has grown to become a major eye care player specialising in vision correction and cataract multifocal surgery. “The major similarity between VISTA and I-Bhd is our continuous focus on customer needs, listening to them and satisfying their needs in an awesome manner ,” said Lim, who is the incoming president of Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) for 2009/2010.

EO is a dynamic, global network of more than 6,600 business owners in 38 countries. Founded in 1987 by a group of young entrepreneurs, it is the catalyst that enables entrepreneurs to learn and grow from each other, leading to greater business success and also to enriched personal lives.

“Our parents were wise to ensure that we had a proper education until university level. Perhaps this explains why my younger brother and I have more approaches in handling things. Our education also allows us to utilise modern management styles like Blue Ocean Strategy, team handling and alignment, and strategic planning which complement the traditional approach,” he added.

Although not a technical person, he admits being a heavy user of IT products and gadgets (he owns a Macbook Air, iphone, and subscribes to 3G broadband on the move). “IT is the way to go and has proven to increase productivity and enhanced communication and alignment. I use skype video communication with my family while I am overseas. I can see and talk to my daughter and wife,” he added.

i-City comparable to global intelligent cities
Monday November 17, 2008

Not many people know that I-Bhd’s proposed RM2bil i-City in Shah Alam is managed by the group’s deputy CEO Lim Boon Siong and a professional team. StarBiz talks to Lim who describes himself as a “die hard entrepreneur”

WHILE many property developers are lying low and cutting back on launches in the face of a property market slowdown, I-Bhd is still making news for its most important and sole project, i-City intelligent city.

The former electrical appliance-maker turned information and communication technology (ICT)-based property developer has in less than two years forged strategic alliances with a slew of high-profile international and local partners.

They included ServCorp, CISCO, DataCraft, Intel, Telekom Malaysia, Kompakar, Universiti Industri Selangor, and lately AmBank, to provide this “No. 1 Technology City in Asia” state-of-the-art infrastructure and facilities from giga-speed fibre-optic network to smart banking services including full e-banking facilities.

“We are very pleased that i-City’s development is gaining momentum and becoming a global intelligent city comparable to other intelligent cities such as Dubai Internet City and Hong Kong Cyberport.

“The first phase of the development, comprising 300,000 sq ft of Cybercentre office suites has been completed in June this year and is ready for occupation,” said I-Bhd deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong, adding that many tenants had moved in and renovating their offices.

Among key tenants are Logica and Redhot Media from the Britain and Unified Communication from Singapore. Kompakar, a leading data centre operator listed in Bursa Malaysia will occupy the 50,000 sq ft Tier-4 Ready data centre by first quarter of 2009.

“Future phases would transform i-City into a fully integrated township, comprising a shopping mall, corporate towers and offices, Cybercentre office suites, innovation centre, hotels and serviced apartments. It will also house multiple high-performance data centres and a digital media hub,” he added.

I-Bhd’s team has worked tirelessly the past three year and gradually seeing their labour bearing fruit.

On Oct 27, i-City was accorded “International Park” status by the Selangor state government, a boost to its image as the choice base for global technology firms.

The Government certified the privately funded project as an MSC Malaysia Cybercentre last May.

Lim said with the MSC Malaysia Cybercentre and International Park status, i-City’s vision to be the world’s foremost global intelligent city has been realised and would draw MSC Malaysia tenants and multinational companies (MNC) to invest in Selangor and Malaysia.

“To-date I-Bhd has invested over RM120mil. Our one-stop Concierge managed by ServCorp has been operational since October.

“Rental of meeting rooms and events hall with super-broadband of 20Mbps is also available. Tenants and visitors now have access to wireless internet with speeds of up to 20Mbps until March 31, 2009 for free,” he said.

Lim said phase 1 of CISCO Connected Real Estate (one of the world’s largest connected real estate) had been put in action such as CCTV to the personal computers and IP telephony which incorporates state-of-the-art teleconferencing system.

“This integrated commercial development is planned for both work and play. Tenants can expect to reduce their operation cost by as much as 30% and they could work, learn and socialise in a safe and secure environment served by remote surveillance, smart car parking, information kiosks, sensory-activated light and sound multimedia displays along a 1,000-foot pedestrian walkway,” he said.

Lim said the project was on track with the next phase of Cybercentre office suites to be ready by Q3 next year.

“What is exciting is that we have received increasing enquiries on purpose-built office buildings from MNCs to consolidate their office space and shared services from this region,” Lim said.

When asked to confirm rumours that I-Bhd is negotiating with a foreign party to develop the shopping centre in i-City, Lim said talks had reached an advanced stage and “is on track”.

“We anticipate the mall to be operational by Q2 2012. We continue to receive anchor tenant interest in leasing space in the mall.

“One of them, GSC, has expressed interest to build a futuristic cinema in this mall,” he added.

While the Cybercentre office suites were funded internally, he said the group might also seek other funding options such as joint ventures.

i-City to be support hub for KLIA, Port Klang
19-11-2008: by Sharon Tan THEEDGEDAILY

SHAH ALAM: i-City can be a support hub for logistics companies serving Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Port Klang due to its strategic location, said Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat.

He hoped the facilities in I-City would be able to turn it into a competitive commercial logistics hub, particularly for the telecommunications sector.

i-City, which has been granted The Multimedia Super Corridor status, is a RM2 billion integrated commercial development on 28.8 hectares of freehold land in Section 7, Shah Alam.

The township features shopping mall, corporate towers and offices, office suites, shop offices, office and retail suites, hotels, apartments, a data centre and an innovation centre.

i-City, which is developed by I-Bhd, is connected by one fibre optic network and managed as one commercial complex via the Cisco Connected Real Estate (Cisco Cre) Platform.

Ong said if housing and real estate developers could combine competitiveness and innovative ideas, they would be able to attract clients.

Big plans for i-City
Friday November 21, 2008 TheStar

http://thestar.com.my/archives/2008/11/21/central/m_18teekeat.jpg

New: Lim (left) and Ong posing in front of the
Jalan Multimedia signboard after the naming ceremony.

SHAH Alam’s most advanced township, i-City, was honoured recently with the visit of two ministers.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat was the guest-of-honour at the official naming of the township’s main boulevard while Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi launched the International Islamic Hub in i-City.

I-City, developed by I-Berhad, is a RM2bil integrated commercial development on a 29ha site in Section 7, Shah Alam. I-Berhad chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong’s vision is to make it a digital city where the entire township is connected by one fibre optic network and managed as one commercial complex.

“The technology to make this vision a reality is the Cisco Connected Real Estate (CISCO CRE) platform. With this technology in place, all the buildings and offices within i-City can communicate with one another as well as with the global community via high speed Internet service,’’ Lim said.

Ong said the i-City management model had parallels to many agencies and GLCs under the Transport Ministry such as Port Klang and KLIA which manage large areas.

“In these organisations, it is recognised that the rapid evolution of the Internet into an ultra fast, powerful and borderless communication tool has transformed the course in which businesses are conducted.

These organisations have adopted Internet technology to better provide customer services. In many ways, they are no different than i-City in making use of the Internet as the technology platform.

”In the current economic climate, the i-City business model is one way to allow these agencies and GLCs to continue to invest in technology without creating additional burden on the shareholders and the Government”.

”Furthermore, as the i-City is near KLIA and Port Klang, i-City could be a support hub for the many logistics companies located there,’’ Ong added.

He said from his ministry’s perspective, such a centre would be good because it would enable many Malaysian logistics companies to compete cost effectively with the global players.

I-City also offers a campus environment where the communities gather, meet and interact. It is not only an MSC investment location for the international business community, but also an international cosmopolitan lifestyle centre. So far, there are 12 MSC tenants in i-City, and more are expected to move in by next year.

I-BHD Building a legacy
Saturday November 22, 2008 BY THEAN LEE CHENG TheStar

I-BHD executive chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong thinks he is building an intelligent city. He is doing that and more. He is building a legacy.

Lim likens i-City to Hong Kong’s Cyberport and to Dubai’s Internet City and Media, but on a very much smaller scale. His two boys, Boon Siong, 35, and Ricky, 31, are deputy CEO and chief innovation officer respectively, are helping him.

Lim, 58, has reached a stage in his life where financial returns are no longer the main driving force. He wants to make a contribution to society. The other force driving him is his interest in technology and innovation.

Lim is not the regular entrepreneur. In the 1970s, his corporate vehicle Sumurwang introduced Dreamland brand of mattresses. Dreamland Holdings Bhd subsquently diversified into the stainless steel industry in the early 1990s and was renamed Kanzen Bhd.

Sumurwang later divested Kanzen, took an interest in Sanyo Industries Malaysia Bhd, renamed it I-Bhd and brought out a plethora of “i” brand of digital products. In 2006, I-Bhd went into the property development sector. On the unrelated nature of his past ventures, Lim says the formula remains the same.

“The word today is ‘innovation’ and because we have gone into property development, I want innovation to play a bigger role in what we put up,” he says.

When he steered the company into property development several years ago, the plan was to ultimately have two revenue streams - property development and technology - independent of each other.

Says its director Eu Hong Chew: “In about five years, property development may contribute between 60% and 70% to the group and technology the rest. One of the ways would be to offer our IT services to other developers. This will provide us with an independent IT revenue stream. The idea is to take their IT services out of i-City into other projects.

Eu says as the economy becomes more challenging, companies will look towards technology, especially IT, to help control and manage their business. “Despite the current global slowdown, our broad business direction remains relatively unchanged,” says Eu.

Like KLCC, Sentral, Mid Valley City, Bandar Utama city centre, Lim is delighted that i-City has already been given MSC Cybercentre status. Phase one, comprising about 300,000 sq ft of office space, is officially open for leasing.

Phase two with 200,000 sq ft of office space in three and five-storey units will be ready in the third quarter of next year. This will be another en bloc sale. They are in talks with investors from the Middle East, Japan, S Korea and Singapore.

“When the customer moves in, all the network, telephone infrastructure will be ready,” he says.

The entire 72 acres will take be ready in 2015 and comprises a mall with cinema facilities, several office towers and a lake of about 40 acres and park, a hotel and a small number of residential development.

Work on the mall is expected to begin in the first quarter of next year and will take three years go complete.

Eu says when i-City was planned three to four years ago, they asked themselves: What does knowledge-based office workers want? Broadband, events hall, concierge, parks and supporting amenities like food and beverage, malls and retail and a well-managed entity came into mind.

With their joint-venture partners - Sydney-based ServCorp and US-based networking equipment supplier Cisco Systems Inc among two of them - Eu and his team began to package the space accordingly.

“We are not doing a regular office commercial project, we are targeting a category of clients who like the nice perks and facilities that come with space, greenery and conveniences,” he says.

A central data centre will house the computers instead of individual companies having their own server rooms. This will be ready in the first quarter of next year. ServCorp will manage the place and Cisco, its broadband element.

There have been a lot of behind-the-scene negotiations to get the local authorities approvals for entertainment, tourism and technology elements. Incidentally, there are no cinemas, pubs or other forms of entertainment in Shah Alam due to state restrictions so i-City will certainly transform the township.

Notwithstanding the global crunch, the office environment is moving towards a greater need for conveniences, which is why ServCop and Cisco have been brought in, says Eu. When the project was first launched three years ago, the gross development value was RM1.5bil. It is estimated to exceed RM2bil today.

I-Bhd will keep between 30% and 40% of the development for recurring income and sell the rest to institutional investors. The mall, all the car parks and office towers will be kept for recurring income.

“In order to comply with MSC requirements, we have to manage the place and as such, we might as well deal with as few authorities as possible, hence, the en bloc sale. That was how it all evolved two to three years ago.

“I-City will be on a very much smaller scale compared to the international intelligent cities in Dubai and Hong Kong. As for the MSC Cybercentres in Bandar Utama, Sentral and Mid Valley, these are developments which are about 10 years old. It was only subsequently that they were given MSC status. Unlike them, we are building I-City from ground zero,” says Eu.

I-Bhd may seal deal with CapitaLand in early 2009
By Vasantha Ganesan Published: 2008/12/15 BusinessTimes

I-BHD, (4251) developer of the i-City project in Shah Alam, may sign a definitive partnership agreement with Singapore's CapitaLand for a RM500 million shopping complex early next year.

The project, which forms part of i-City, is expected to be ready as scheduled by the end of 2011.

"We are still in discussion with one foreign party, but there has been no firm conclusion yet," I-Bhd's deputy chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong said when contacted by Business Times.

Lim, who had earlier been quoted as stating that an agreement will be reached in the third quarter of 2008, said that the parties are still fine-tuning details.

Although he declined to say who its foreign joint-venture partner is, CapitaLand Ltd on October 23 informed the Singapore stock exchange that it was in talks with I-Bhd.
Lim expects that the earliest possible time that a deal is likely to be sealed would be early next year.

I-Bhd hopes to form a 70:30 joint venture, with a foreign institution holding the majority, to build an international-class shopping complex.

Once the joint venture is set up, I-Bhd will sell the land to the joint-venture partner. The mall will then be developed together, while its partner will manage the shopping complex.

The mall, with one million sq ft of gross lettable area, would be comparable to the Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur.

i-City is creating an entire new community which is IT-advanced. As such, a mall is required.

The mall will cater to about 30,000 office population within i-City and 50,000 when the entire project is completed in 2012.

CapitaLand's interest in Malaysian shopping centres include Sungei Wang Plaza in Kuala Lumpur, Gurney Plaza in Penang and Mines Shopping Fair in Seri Kembangan, Selangor.

I-Berhad’s new proposal gets SC’s approval
Published: 2009/02/07

I-Berhad’s new proposal gets SC’s approval

THE Securities Commission (SC) has approved I-Berhad’s proposed revision for the utilisation of the remaining proceeds from the rights issue of shares and irredeemable convertible unsecured loan stocks of RM74 million for the development of I-City project.

I-Berhad's new management a mix of youth and experience
By Mustapha Kamil Published: 2009/02/11

http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/ibehad/Article/Current_News/BTIMES/Images/btgraph10/icity.jpg

I-Berhad,(4251) developer of the i-City project in Shah Alam yesterday announced several management changes, with founder Datuk Lim Kim Hong making way for a top management team comprising a mixture of youth and experience.

Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman, president and group chief executive of state-owned investment fund Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has been appointed as chairman of I-Berhad.

Lim's eldest son, Lim Boon Siong is chief executive officer (CEO) replacing Datin Tey Siew Thuan who has been appointed as executive director.

The elder Lim meanwhile has taken the role of deputy executive chairman.

He said Hamad Kama Piah's appointment was the start of a new era for the group as his vast corporate expertise will further spur I-Berhad's expansion plans.
"I believe that with his involvement and a strong foundation in place, I can stand back and play the role of an investor with confidence that the group will be able to meet future challenges," he said in a statement.

Boon Siong has an honours degree in Business Administration from the Ivey Business School, University of West Ontario, Canada. He joined I-Berhad as deputy CEO in 2008 and is a chartered marketer with over 10 years of corporate finance and business development experience.

While he manages the day-to-day operations, an exco comprising pioneering directors will focus on the strategic and corporate governance issues.

"Our succession plan has the balance of youthful energy and the wisdom and experience of the pioneering team. At the same time, we have also forged strategic alliances with leading global companies," Lim said.

Over the past two years, I-Berhad has managed to gain support from the various authorities for its mammoth i-City project.

The project, which is already a MSC Malaysia Cybercentre is also playing a central role in making Shah Alam an International Islamic Financial Centre.

It was recently conferred the International Park status by the Selangor state government, thus making it the only location in Shah Alam to have cinemas to support its cosmopolitan lifestyle environment.

i-City is a RM2 billion ICT-based premier integrated commercial development spanning a 72-acre site.

It has seen strong investor interest and is the only MSC Malaysia Cybercentre endorsed as a tourism destination.

Among its strategic alliances are with ServCorp of Australia and the Al-Rajhi Banking Group from Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, the group announced increased pre-tax profit and turnover for the year ended Dec 31, 2008.

Its turnover grew significantly to RM95.77 million from RM4.07 million a year ago. Its pre-tax profit was also higher at RM16.15 million compared to RM1.90 million in 2007, and earnings per share rose 13.07 sen to 14.40 sen per share.

At the same time, its total assets grew sharply by 38.4 per cent to RM232.22 million as at 31 December 2008. The I-Berhad board have recommended a final gross dividend of 5 per cent.

The company said several factors such as reinventing itself into a property and technology player and the successful completion and sale of i-City's first phase of Cybercentre Office Suites contributed to its improved financial performance.

It said 2009 promises to be an exciting year. There are plans to establish a designated bio-technology and research & development zones in i-City.

Other I-Berhad's development plans are a regional shopping mall with cineplex and also a luxurious residential development in the vicinity of KLCC.

I-Berhad may partner PNB firms in developing i-City
By Chong Pooi Koon
Published: 2009/03/17

I-BERHAD (4251), developer of the i-City project in Shah Alam, may work with companies under the Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) stable to enhance its development, its chairman said.

Chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman, who is also the president and chief executive officer of state-owned investment fund PNB, said I-Berhad wants to rope in more partners in the information technology area and may work with other PNB-owned companies.

"PNB is in many sectors. Some of those in the technology and property area can work with I-Berhad if there is good synergy. We'd want to see more profit for PNB ultimately," Hamad Kama Piah said in a press conference after I-Berhad's shareholder meeting in Shah Alam yesterday. PNB holds 18.5 per cent of I-Berhad.

I-Berhad started as a digital lifestyle products maker, but had three years ago launched i-City as part of plans to re-invent itself into a property developer that provides a digital working environment.
The RM2 billion commercial township has already forged strategic alliances with global leaders in the digital industry, such as Intel and Cisco, and has secured investments from ServCorp of Australia and Al-Rajhi Banking Group of Saudi Arabia.

The company made a record pre-tax profit of RM16 million last year and has over RM120 million in cash with zero borrowings. Its net tangible assets have increased to RM1.54 per share, chief executive officer Lim Boon Siong said, and there is still a substantial part of i-City to be developed.

Only a tenth of the available land has been developed and the first phase, which was launched three to four months ago, has seen good tenant response, Lim said.

The value of the remaining 90 per cent of land at i-City has tripled in value compared to its original cost, Lim said.

The development relies on high technology to help tenants save operation costs, while the syariah-compliant office suite in the first phase helps draw Islamic finance investors.

The two selling points will help the project in an economic downturn, he said, as more cost-conscious companies would prefer i-City while the Islamic finance players are more resilient in this crisis.

Now way like a new way!
http://****************/h22.html
Hardly anyone minds.

Large cash reserves put I-Bhd on strong footing
Tuesday March 17, 2009

SHAH ALAM: Property developer I-Bhd has the chance to grasp opportunities in view of its large cash reserves, said chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman.

“At a time when many companies are facing a credit squeeze, the group remains financially strong with RM120mil cash and no borrowings,” added Hamad, who is also CEO of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB).

Hamad, who was appointed I-Bhd chairman last month, said PNB was the major bumiputra shareholder with an 18% stake in the company,

Although I-Bhd was still small, he noted that it made a record pre-tax profit of RM16mil last year.

He observed that I-Bhd launched i-City three years ago as it re-invented itself from a digital lifestyle products manufacturer into a developer that provides a digital work environment.

“And today, the building blocks are all coming into place,” he told reporters after the company AGM at i-City here yesterday.

In another dimension of development, it is also planned for an International Islamic Financial Hub be set up in i-City.

“In line with this, our first phase of development, which is the Cybercentre 1 Office Suite, is syariah-compliant,” Hamad said.

The establishment of Islamic financial services is part of the national agenda in which i-City has a role to play. “There are many Malaysian companies, including those within the PNB group, which are looking at this sector and I believe there are many opportunities for I-Bhd to work with them to accelerate the i-City development,” Hamad said.

On the impact of the global recession, newly-appointed CEO Lim Boon Siong said I-Bhd was reviewing and adjusting the phases to be launched in view of that.

Even so, the company is sticking to its target to complete i-City, a project with a gross development value of RM2bil by 2015.

Lim, who was appointed CEO last month, said the first phase of i-City was completed just three to four months ago. Following completion of development, tenants are being sought for the offices.

“There are a lot of enquiries. Logica of Britain, for example, is already here,” he said. AmBank Bhd has also signed up.

Signing tenancies for the rest would take longer, which was not unusual at this time, he added.

In a joint venture with the Al Rajhi banking group, 80% of i-City’s phase one was sold to the Middle Eastern group for RM95mil in July last year.

Eu Hong Chew, a non-executive director, said i-City was developed to cater to the knowledge economy and was positioned to uniquely serve such companies with multi-telco and high-speed Internet facilities.

I-City project could be a model for other locations
Saturday March 28, 2009

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_BWQmSsODfo8/Sc4jgkneECI/AAAAAAAAFY0/lY8Y-Sy2vpA/s400/pic2.jpg

Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman (left) and Datuk Lim Kim Hong. Hamad
says i-Bhd has acquired knowledge in developing properties with state-of-the
art facilities amd it's good to learn more about it.

The intelligent business park project that I-Bhd is developing in Shah Alam can be constructed along similar lines by the company. It has the expertise and financial resources to do so.

It has made early tracks in establishing a record in this field which is now held back by the global recession. A successful completion of its RM2bil i-City will set it on the road to other states. Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) CEO Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah is convinced I-Bhd has developed expertise in this niche.

Hamad, who became I-Bhd’s non-executive chairman in February, says: “The i-City project could be a model for other locations and be replicated in other states, from an opportunity point of view.”

To a question on joining a company that’s small for the scale of PNB, he told StarBizWeek recently that it’s not a matter of small or big.

“It has acquired knowledge in developing properties with state-of-the-art facilities and it’s good to learn more about it,” he adds.

i-City boasts multi-telecommunications facilities and high-speed Internet access at a speed of 10 megabits per second (Mbps), which is 10 times the speed of Telekom Malaysia Bhd’s Streamyx service of 1Mbps or less.

The high-speed broadband will be useful for workers of companies in the information technology (IT), animation arts, law, architecture and banking sectors for which i-City is designed for.

In addition to the interest in i-City, Hamad says PNB has been associated with I-Bhd deputy chairman and controlling shareholder Datuk Lim Kim Hong for several decades.

In the 1980s and 1990s, this association was in Dreamland Holdings Bhd where both Lim and PNB were substantial shareholders. Lim sold his controlling stake in Dreamland some years ago. During his watch, Dreamland produced steady profits and dividends, attributes that attract PNB.

Lim, through his family-owned company Sumurwang Sdn Bhd, owns 58% of I-Bhd while PNB owns 18%.

In a re-entry into the corporate sector, Lim bought a controlling stake in Neico Industries Bhd which manufactured Sanyo electrical appliances. Neico was renamed I-Bhd but, after an unsuccessful attempt to expand the electrical appliances business, this division was phased out in 2007.

Its sole business now is its i-City project and a lot of cash.

I-Bhd has net cash of RM120mil, which exceeds the company’s total market value of RM89mil on Thursday.

The i-City project may need RM60mil of that for working capital but the rest of the development cost can be met by other means.

Eu Hong Chew, a director, says I-Bhd can tap a combination of some borrowings, internally-generated profits and capital injections by joint-venture partners.

In a joint venture with the Al Rajhi banking group, for instance, 80% of i-City’s phase one was sold to that group for RM95mil last year, with I-Bhd retaining the balance.

The company has used just 10% of the land for phase one, which leaves most of the rest of the 72-acre i-City to be developed.

While I-Bhd is cash-rich, it is not asset-rich in land as the i-City land was bought and is owned by parent company Sumurwang.

Eu says there is a supportive arrangement with Sumurwang such that I-Bhd pays for the land only as and when each parcel is developed. It is thus an asset-light business model.

In the development, I-Bhd follows a build-and-sell model. It does not sell prior to construction “and it doesn’t even have to borrow to build,” he adds.

I-Berhad's data hub likely to get 2nd anchor tenant
By Goh Thean EuPublished: 2009/04/10

I-Berhad (4251), the developer of i-City in Shah Alam, is confident of signing up another data centre anchor tenant for its Data Centre Park by year-end.

The Data Centre Park, launched yesterday, will have four buildings with a combined floor space of 200,000 sq ft - one of the country's largest data space providers in a single location.

One of the buildings is completed and will have Kompakar Inc Bhd as its first anchor tenant.

I-Berhad is in talks with other data centre operators, both local and foreign, to occupy the other buildings upon completion. A data centre is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems.
"We are quite confident to sign up one more operator as anchor tenant this year. International companies are looking at Malaysia as a data centre location," I-Berhad chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said after the launch by Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Datuk Dr Maximus Johnity Ongkili in Shah Alam yesterday.

I-Berhad statistics show that data centre capacity is expected to grow 68 per cent by 2013 in Southeast Asia, and demand for data centre services in Malaysia is forecast to be worth more than US$150 million (RM543 million).

Each data centre building in the project will take about two years to complete and the developer expects to take another six years before the entire Data Centre Park is fully constructed.

In his speech, the minister said many of the facilities and services in i-City had surpassed criteria set by the Multimedia Development Corp.

"In fact, we are looking at how i-City can be the benchmark for future cyber centres in the country," he said.

i-City is a RM2 billion integrated commercial development on 29ha of freehold land along Federal Highway in Section 7, Shah Alam. The entire development is expected to be completed by 2015.

For the year ended December 2008, the company recorded a pre-tax profit of RM16 million, with more than RM120 million cash and zero borrowings.

For the year ended December 31 2008, I-Berhad will be paying a final dividend of 5 per cent less tax on May 15 2009.

i-Bhd unveils data centre park in i-City
Friday April 10, 2009

PETALING JAYA: I-Bhd’s i-City set another milestone with the launch of Data Centre Park, one of the largest data centre space providers in a single location in Malaysia, yesterday.

Speaking at the launch of the Data Centre Park, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said data centres represented one of the fastest growing segments in Malaysia’s information and communications technology industry.

“Demand for data centre services in Malaysia is forecast to be worth more than US$150mil. Data centre capacity in the region is forecast to increase by 68% by 2013,” he said, adding that the private sector was encouraged to participate actively in the government initiative on cybercentre development.

The RM2bil i-City in Shah Alam received MSC Cybercentre status last May.

Ongkili said companies operating in i-City would be able to reduce their cost of operations by 33% because of its technology infrastructure and office services.

“In fact, we are looking at how i-City can be the benchmark for future cybercentres in the country,” he said.

Designed for data centre service providers and large organisations planning to build their own data centre buildings, the park has the capacity to host up to four centres with a combined floor space of 200,000 sq ft.

Kompakar, Malaysia’s leading data centre provider, will be the operator.

i-City will need 50,000 k-workers
Tuesday April 14, 2009
By STEVEN PATRICK

http://star-techcentral.com/archives/2009/4/14/technology/icity%20p13%20online.jpg

KEY TO THE FUTURE: (l-r) Kompakar Inc Bhd executive chairman Tunku Datuk
Seri Shahabuddin handing over the keys of the first DataCentrePark building
block in i-City to i-Berhad chairman Tan Sri Datuk Hamad Kama Piah Che
Othman. With them is Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr
Maximus Ongkili.

SHAH ALAM: The just launched i-City cybercentre here will need 50,000 knowledge workers by 2015 when the entire RM2bil commercial *development project is completed.

William Chau, chief technology officer for i-Berhad which is the *developer, said the knowledge *workers will be required for everything from software *development to datacentre *management.

He believes the nation’s talent pool for knowledge workers will be more than enough to satisfy the needs of i-City.

Nearby is Universiti Teknologi Mara and Universiti Selangor, which will help provide the knowledge workers needed, Chau said at the launch of i-City’s datacentre, known as DataCentrePark, last week.

i-City is being built as an intelligent city from the bottom up, and will be a hub for businesses savvy in utilising technology in their operations. i-Berhad intends the technologies to be as ubiquitous as water and electricity (see In.Tech, Aug 26, 2008).

Its Shah Alam location is *surrounded by mature communities such as Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya and Klang, which are IT savvy. Also, its high-tech facilities have already attracted several foreign companies.

“Among them is a British systems-integration company, called Logica, which has placed its disaster recovery centre here,” Chau said.

Future is here

Phase One of i-City, comprising about 300,000sq ft, is open for leasing.

“The datacentre occupies 200,000sq ft of that space, making it one of the largest in a single location in the *country,” said Chau, adding that most datacentres are usually 300sq ft.

Two companies have signed on for i-City’s datacentre services and several others are in negotiations, announced i-Berhad at the event.

i-Berhad partner, ICT (information and communications technology) solutions provider Kompakar Inc Bhd, is managing Data Centre Park, which is scheduled to go live in June.

Phase Two of i-City, with its 200,000sq ft of office space, will be completed by the third quarter of this year.

The entire project takes up 72 acres and will comprise a shopping mall with cinemas, several office towers, a 40-acre lake and park, as well as a hotel and residential apartments.

i-City structures will be linked via fibre-optic network, that will provide telecommunications facilities and high-speed Internet access with speeds of 10 megabits per second — 10 times what is currently available in the country.

i-Berhad said companies in i-City will be able to lower operating costs by 33%, thanks to the various technologies that will be in place, such as state-of-the-art intelligent-building systems.

I-Berhad upbeat on new revenue
By Sharen KaurPublished: 2009/06/17

I-BERHAD (4251), developer of the RM2 billion i-City project in Shah Alam, Selangor, will have a new income stream starting next year that will improve its revenue and net profit, a top official said.

Already the company is expecting revenue to improve this year, mainly because it has, in the past six months, leased 300,000 sq ft of office space in i-City, an MSC Malaysia Cybercentre.

By December, I-Berhad will complete and lease an additional 200,000 sq ft of office space, its director Eu Hong Chew said.

In the past, I-Berhad's income was mainly from property sales. It posted a net profit of RM15.3 million on revenue of RM95.8 million last year.
Chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said I-Berhad, in partnership with Australia's Servcorp, will offer its managed office system, a digital technology solution that has been the tackling point for i-City, to developers involved in commercial projects.

Initially, I-Berhad and Servcorp, through i-Office 2 Sdn Bhd, their 35:65 joint-venture firm, will offer the technology to developers in Malaysia. It may branch out to Southeast Asia in a few years and target high-end residential developments, too.

Hamad added that i-Office will invest RM100 million over the next 10 years in information technology infrastructure, equipment and services in i-City for the roll-out plan.

"We will roll out the services beginning the first quarter of 2009. When fully operational, I-Berhad will have another revenue stream to complement the one from property development," he said at the launch in Shah Alam yesterday by Housing and Local government Minister Datuk Kong Cho Ha.

Under the plan, i-Office will deploy an IP-based open network platform in i-City that allows building technologies such as heating ventilation and air-conditioning and CCTVs, among others, to be integrated with traditional IP-based communications systems on a common network platform.

"When tenants relocate to i-City, they would be offered a range of built-in facilities and services, enabling them to lower their operational costs by 33 per cent. The same goes to tenants in other developments, which have applied our technology," said Hamad, who is also the president and chief executive officer of state-owned investment fund Permodalan Nasional Bhd.

I-Bhd to offer IT solutions to others
By RACHAEL KAM
June 17th, 2009

http://biz.thestar.com.my/archives/2009/6/17/business/b_04hamad.jpg

From left: Eu Hong Chew, Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman and Datuk
Seri Kong Cho Ha looking at a model of i-City after the launch of the iO2
system Tuesday.

SHAH ALAM: I-Bhd, the developer of i-City commercial project, is looking to offer its digital technology solutions to other developments in the region.

Speaking at the launch of the I-Office Squared (iO2) system yesterday, chairman Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said this would be a technology-based income for the company.

“I-Bhd will have another revenue stream to complement the one from property development when this roll-out is fully operational,” he said.

The system was launched by Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha.

Hamad said tenants at i-City would be offered a range of built-in facilities and services that would enable them to lower operational costs.

I-Bhd has teamed up with Cisco and Australia-based Servcorp to set up a joint-venture, i-Office2 Sdn Bhd, to provide managed services to i-City and other property projects in the country.

The iO2 is a multi-tenant managed service system. The key tenant service offerings include high-speed Internet access, IP telephony and unified communications, wireless/mobility solutions, network and physical security and control over their office environments.

I-Bhd CEO Eu Hong Chew said the company would focus on local markets for its technology solutions services before venturing into other countries in the region.

“We will probably have the first roll out of the iO2 system beyond i-City by early next year,” he told StarBiz in a phone interview.

He said I-Bhd was looking to either invest and provide its solutions to projects undertaken by other developers or license the products to them.

MBSA to relax rules to attract foreign investments
Stories by SALINA KHALID
June 24th, 2009

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Already open: The first phase of the i-City project has been completed.

THE Shah Alam City Council (MBSA) is going easy on its strict rules on entertainment outlets in the city as part of efforts to attract foreign investors to the knowledge-based i-City development project.

With such a policy in place, Shah Alam residents may, within the next few years, see the city’s first cinema with the approval for the facilities having been granted.

The cinema is part of the final phase of the i-City, which comprises a shopping mall and a citywalk which are scheduled to be completed in 2015. The intelligent centre is located at Section 7 of the state capital.

“We are making an exemption for the i-City to encourage international companies and franchisors to invest in the intelligent centre,” Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Md Noor said.

“But they still have to adhere to the existing rules and regulations, especially on the operating hours,” he said.

According to Mazalan, the i-City had been conferred the International Park status by the Selangor government in October last year, allowing it to operate entertainment and lifestyle outlets such as cinemas and theatres, bowling alleys, family theme parks, restaurant and clubs.

He said although the International Park status also allowed restaurants in the i-City to sell liquor, this was not an automatic blanket maxim but subject to approval by the MBSA.

“In principle, we are going easy on the ruling for them, but it does not mean that it is automatic permission. The operators still have to apply for permits and we will look into their cases to make sure that they abide to the guidelines,” he said.

Mazalan said he hoped that the move would serve as a catalyst in boosting the development in the state capital.

“We hope the i-City, with its modern infrastructure and high-tech facilities, will function effectively as the city’s knowledged-based centre,” he said.

“We want the i-City to be an icon for the city and hopefully will be emulated in other areas of the city,” he said.

Shah Alam, with about 90% its population being Muslims, has always been strict on the entertainment outlets, with cinemas, pubs and snooker centres being banned.

But the city is a beautiful place to live, with its many natural parks and a handsome lake too. Traffic chaos is also almost unheard of in this garden city of orchids.

Having a cinema and other modern high-tech facilities in the i-City will complement the other cultural and recreational elements available in Shah Alam.

Residents and visitors can enjoy regular cultural activities at the Laman Budaya and soon watch theatre performances at the Shah Alam Royale Theatre.

“We are also processing applications from karaoke centres, so the residents will soon be able to enjoy that too,” Mazalan said.

Allowing the cinema to operate in the city has received mixed responses and reactions from the Shah Alam residents. Even the city councillors are split on the matter.

While some people agree with relaxing the rules, others feel that the city should maintain its sober identity, with no entertainment outlets.

“All the while we did not have any such outlets and this is what the residents want. Having such facilities would not make Shah Alam any better and might even result in negative influences and impacts, especially among our youths,” said Datin Nor’ini Md Top, a councillor in charge of Section 7.

“So I do feel that we should stick to the the status quo - no cinema,” she said.

Nor’ini said the MBSA should not make an exception to the i-City centre as other similar developments would also demand to be given similar concessions.

She felt that the authority should not bend the rules just to encourage more foreign investors to come and start their business at the i-City.

“Why do we have to sacrifice our own culture and ethics just for the sake of encouraging foreign investors?

“Unless the operator could ensure that they would only conduct constructive and educating activities, I believe we should stand by what the residents want,” Nor’ini said.

Councillor Ang Leng Kiat said the MBSA would have to make sure that the i-City operators provide healthy activities for the people.

Ang said it was only fair to seek the views of the residents on what they wanted.

“We are serving the people and if they want a cinema, then they should have it,” he said.

“But we have to make sure that the cinema operator adhere to our rules and regulations,” Ang said.

Adnan Jamburi said that relaxing the rules would be a boost the development and property value in the city.

He said the move would bring in foreign investors to the city, which was needed especially during the current economic slowdown.

Police To Start Safety Plans For I-City Early
July 07, 2009 21:13 PM

SHAH ALAM, July 7 (Bernama) -- Selangor police hope to implement an advance plan to ensure the safety of residents and workers at the upcoming I-City development in Section 7 here.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the city, being developed on a 29-hectare site, complete with information and communication technology, will have about 50,000 residents when completed in 2015.

He added that since work on a 2.4-hectare site from the total area of the project, expected to be cost RM2 billion, had already started with about 200 workers on site, safety measures need to be introduced early.

"We need to start planning from now since we were made to understand that a site has been allocated to build a police station within the city," he told reporters after being briefed of the project during his visit to the site here Tuesday.

He said the exact location of the I-City police station and how it will be build, would be discussed with the developer, I-Bhd.

Khalid in welcoming the initiative by the developer to provide facilities, said the funds to build the police station will be the responsibility of the Federal government.

He added that I-Bhd deputy chief executive chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong had informed him that they (I-Bhd) would donate a van to be used as a temporary mobile police station.

To ensure safety at the I-City site, police will beef up patrol in the area and connect the closed circuit television (CCTV) that had been installed at the site to the Shah Alam police station, he said.

Khalid said once the project was completed, police hope to introduce a "Community Policing" programme that will allow residents to assist the police in combating crime.

The I-City project when completed will be equipped with fiber optic cables, a data centre, office blocks, recreation area, restaurants and a park for workers and visitors.

-- BERNAMA

I-City Mall
> http://www.saa.com.my

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New police station to serve i-City
Friday July 10, 2009

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Strategic alliance: Selangor Police Chief Deputy Commissioner of Police Datuk
Khalid Abu Bakar (front row, third from left) and IBerhad deputy executive
chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong (in suit).

TENANTS and visitors to Malaysia’s premier digital city in Section 7, Shah Alam, will be conducting their business with an added sense of security.

The Shah Alam police is planning a new police station at the western boundary of i-City, which will enable them to respond to calls within a minute and offer 24-hour patrol.

Other safety services, such as ambulance and fire brigade, will respond within 15 minutes of any call from i-City.

In the interim, the security measures planned by the police include linking the current CCTV surveillance in i-City to the Shah Alam police station.

Apart from having patrols from i-City, the police also plans to train i-City in-house security staff.

In today’s competitive environ-ment, a safe and secure zone is an additional competitive edge for i-City, and the strategic alliance with the Polis DiRaja Malaysia (PDRM) is an important feature in ensuring i-City can compete to attract international investors to Malaysia.

The digital city is designed to be managed as one large complex with a controlled tenant mix.

There is CCTV surveillance as well as patrolling guards.

The Concierge in i-City serves both as a meeting point and a one-stop centre.

From a master planning perspective, i-City is bordered on three sides by either a river or housing.

Only the western border is open, but there is a 30.5m-wide (100ft-wide) buffer between this boundary and the main MBSA road.

The site is accessed by a main boulevard with only two entry points, so although it is not a gated community, the development easy security controls.

The project caters for two communities — the knowledge workers and the tourists.

In line with this, there are two major components in the development, i.e. the managed offices and the tourism components.

The office component comprises the MSC cybercentre offices, office towers, data centres and the related infrastructure, while the tourism component comprises the shopping mall, citywalk and media hub.

However, both the knowledge workers and tourists will have many similar requirements.

First, there is a need for i-City to operate round the clock seven days a week as many of the operations have international linkages.

Furthermore, as a tourism destination, i-City has to operate all year round and till late into the night.

Secondly, both the offices and tourism components cater for the international community, for which cosmopolitan outlets and other entertainment facilities like cinemas are integral to their lifestyle.

Then, there is the atmosphere of the place.

Thus within i-City, both the workforce and visitors would want a safe and comfortable environment, both in terms of personal safety and the security of their assets.

And, even more importantly, for i-City Data Centre Park, the operations not only require restricted access but have also to be secured against info-security risks.

The development’s infrastructure is based on the Cisco Connected Real Estate solutions. Cisco is the leading network services in the world from both the technology and data security perspectives.

Shah Alam set to be most liveable knowledge city
Monday October 15, 2007
Property Talk: A weekly column by S.C. Cheah

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MOST city dwellers yearn to live and work in a city free from traffic jams and pollution with plenty of job opportunities, where the cost of living is low and lots of greenery.

In Malaysia, Ipoh would appeal to many retirees as property prices there are relatively cheaper with cost of living lower while Penang has retained some of its old world charm although the island is getting very congested.

However, for those wishing to be part of the K-economy in the country and where they may stand a better chance of finding jobs and still live in a fairly peaceful and green city, Shah Alam is the preferred city to live and work as many people are rather tired of the traffic jams in Kuala Lumpur or Petaling Jaya.

Just as Melbourne was once voted the “most liveable city” in the world, Shah Alam may in the near future be known as the “most liveable knowledge city” in Malaysia.

Shah Alam is still relatively peaceful with few high-rise buildings with plenty of greenery. However, the lack of entertainment like cinemas and shopping centres has given the city a laid-back image.

A recent market survey by Research Inc Asia showed that most Shah Alam residents would like to see their shops and restaurants open for longer houses as well as larger shopping centres and new cinemas.

The survey also noted that: “Shah Alam could potentially have 69% of its residents spending more time in their home city, if more leisure opportunities were available”.

Hence - the initiative by I-Bhd to develop the RM2bil i-City in Section 7, Shah Alam - is seen as an ambitious move but one that could help turn Shah Alam into a knowledge city.

The importance of this development can be seen from a recent study mission led by Shah Alam mayor Mazalan Mohd Noor to Shanghai to see what makes that city tick that might also help to shape the proposed Shah Alam ICT (information and communications technology) Zone where the freehold 72-acre i-City would be located.

The mayor also saw how China has managed to develop successful models in handling foreign direct investments within its socio-cultural context and this could also be adapted to suit Shah Alam.

Mazalan had said the Shanghai mission was also to source for possible ICT investments to Shah Alam from China.

“We are not just focusing on ICT investors from the west, we are also looking at China and the rest of Asia, as the ICT sector has become global. We want to make Shah Alam the Bangalore of Malaysia,” he added.

Bangalore is today one of Asia's fastest growing cosmopolitan city and is regarded as India's “Silicon Valley” boasting many scientific and research and development facilities.

Besides creating jobs for 50,000 knowledge workers, the ICT Zone will enable a transfer of skill sets and there will be increased economic activities for Shah Alam.

The value of properties will be enhanced and the Selangor state government and the Shah Alam City Council will also gain in terms of higher revenue.

There will also be an international stature for Shah Alam and Selangor will be able to maintain its position as the leading investment location in the country.

According to I-Bhd feedback from a group of investment bankers who were instrumental in linking i-City with foreign investors was that the proposed Shah Alam ICT Zone was in line with the requirements of these investors.

“We have accelerated i-City's development from the original 10-year period to within five years as suggested by Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

“We cannot rely on the local market demand for ICT offices rather we have to market i-City as a global office address to the international ICT community,” the company added.

For latest Bursa Malaysia indices, charts and other information click here

On-Site Progress

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i-City Shah Alam
by okkut

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by okkut

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I-city Office Space to Let at Shah Alam
Shah Alam, Selangor

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I-City Mall
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Selangor talking to Silicon Valley players
November 11, 2009

SHAH ALAM: The Selangor government is in discussion with Silicone Valley in California to further develop the state’s I-City project here.

Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim revealed this during the tabling of the state’s 2010 Budget at the State Assembly yesterday.

According to Khalid, the discussion with the Silicon Valley parties revolved around the implementation of the “plug and play” system for I-City.

“The RM2bil I-City project will be the nation’s first digital community,” he said.

On another matter, Khalid told the assembly that it would be best for Malaysia to establish an Independent Grants Commission like that in Canada and Australia, where financial distribution was not based on political affiliation but developmental needs.

He said although Selangor gave the Federal Government RM16bil annually, the state received only RM408.26mil for development this year.

UPDATE:

i-City Main Entrance

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Development of i-City enters 2nd phase this year
By Rupinder Singh Published: 2010/01/28

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THE second phase of I-Berhad's (4251) integrated commercial development in Shah Alam, Selangor, is expected to kick off later this year, its top executive said.

Chief executive officer Eu Hong Chew said the phase covering 3.64ha has a gross development value (GDV) of over RM150 million.

It will offer between 300,000 sq ft and 400,000 sq ft of office space. The construction cost will be between RM30 million and RM40 million and completion is due in 2013.

"The idea behind phase two will be to support (a) technopreneur campus concept," Eu told reporters after a visit by former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to i-City yesterday.

i-City is a 29ha RM2 billion project that boasts broadband speed of 20Mbps, with fibre optics network and a back-up power supply.
The first phase, comprising 6.1ha of land with 500,000 sq ft of office space, is now 60 per cent occupied.

I-Bhd plans to complete the Cybercentre office suites, also known as CityWalk South, during the second phase.

It plans to build office towers and a one million sq ft shopping mall in future phases as well.

According to Eu, i-City aims to attract Silicon Valley based companies that are looking to expand overseas.

Apart from i-City having a technologically advanced state-of-the-art infrastructure, the Selangor state government also will focus on other elements of the Silicon Valley-like ecosystem.

This includes developing the entrepreneurial talent pool, organising programmes to connect entrepreneurs with venture capital partners and getting universities to play a higher level of support for industries.

"They have the business model and technology but may not be relevant in this market. So, they are looking for joint venture partners to localise for them so that when they go for an initial public offering their value will be higher," he said.

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Information Ministry To Promote I-City
February 01, 2010 23:42 PM

SHAH ALAM, Feb 1 (Bernama) -- Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM) will soon air a special documentary to promote i-City, the 29-hectare digital township here, as a new tourist destination.

Information Communication and Culture Deputy Minister Senator Heng Seai Kie said the special programme to be aired through RTM's Galeri Perdana programme, was also to facilitate the development and promotion of the country's information and communication technology (ICT) industry.

"Apart from promoting i-City as a new tourist destination, we will inform the locals and foreigners that i-City is also a preferred spot in terms of festive decorations, which are done in line with the 1Malaysia concept," she said after attending the special press preview of i-City's Chinese New Year Oriental Digital Lights Festival showcase, here Monday night.

Heng said there were many opportunities for i-City to work together with various agencies under the ministry to promote the tourism industry and to support the development of the multimedia industry in Malaysia.

"I would like to state that i-City is an ideal model for the ministry if ever we (ministry) plan to centralise all the agencies and departments in one location.

"I think there are opportunities for the ministry to work closely with i-City to see how we can learn from its experience and even possibly tap into its infrastructure and facilities."

She said i-City which aimed to be a world-class cybercentre, would be the first privately-initiated MSC (multimedia super corridor) cybercentre to be established in Shah Alam, the Selangor state capital, after the then Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced in December 2006 that the entire Klang Valley would be part of the MSC.

Asked on the national-level Chinese New Year open house this year, Heng said Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim would announce the date, time and venue for the event after the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

-- BERNAMA

i-City gets required licences from MCMC
Published: 2010/02/03

DIGITAL city, i-City, has received the required licences from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) that would allow it to operate as a telco-neutral development.

The licences were presented to the developer of i-City by Deputy Minister of Information, Communication and Culture Senator Heng Seai Kie.

The Government established MCMC under the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture to oversee the regulatory framework for the convergence of telecommunication, broadcasting and online activities, and therefore as the first networked development in the country, i-City naturally comes under the purview of MCMC.

"When i-City development plans were first presented to MCMC a few years ago, we were very supportive as we have a Malaysian developer that is leading the way to implement many of the ideas and concepts that MCMC were set up to regulate. I would like to congratulate i-City for what they have achieved," Heng said.

He commended i-City as a development that has provided the right infrastructure, facilities and services for digital storage and digital distribution, including in the plans to promote i-City as a tourism destination, working on digital lights and digital content.

i-City is a 28.8ha commercial development in Shah Alam where digital technology has been integrated into the fabric of the development, designating i-City as both a MSC Cybercentre as well as a tourism destination.

Under its charter as a MSC Malaysia Cybercentre, i-City needed to be a telco neutral zone. To implement this, it has invested in its own last mile infrastructure

The whole i-City hosts a large Cisco network with both high speed as well as redundant broadband