ISKANDAR DEVELOPMENT REGION | Johor ( Southern Johor ) | General News & Updates

[fritz_kaktus]

You need to look at GDP per capita... Then it's a different picture.

Originally Posted by Irwin

China cities and SEA Capitals [2005 GDP(nominal) rank]

City 2005 GDP(nominal)(billion us$)
Hong Kong 177.7
Singapore 117.9(100% of Singapore)
Shanghai 114.2
Beijing 85.1
Bangkok 64.1(38% of Thailand)
Guangzhou 63.9
Shenzhen 61.5
Suzhou 50.3
Tianjin 45.7
Jakarta 45.0(16.3% of Indonesia)
Kuala Lumpur43.6(30% of Malaysia)
Chongqing 38.3
Hangzhou 36.4
Wuxi 35.01
Qingdao 33.6
Ningbo 31.0
Manila 30.3(31% of Philippines)
Nanjing 29.8
Foshan 29.7
Chengdu 29.6

Even KL is not comparable to Shenzen in term of GDP. I don't think that JB will be on par with Shenzen in the next 15 years.

[jansej]

Danga Bay to have exclusive Oakwood serviced apartments

THE Iskandar Development Region will see its first serviced apartments in the Oakwood Residence Johor (ORJ).

KST is a project development vehicle of the South Johor Investment Corporation Berhad (SJIC), which was established by the government to develop an integrated waterfront city spanning 1,560ha in Iskandar.

SJIC holds a 51.2 per cent stake in KST; Danga Bay Holdings 36.5 per cent; and Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor 12.3 per cent.

The project comprises a podium and three tower blocks of 22 to 40 storeys. Oakwood Residence Johor will occupy one of the three towers.

The 22-storey building consists of 235 serviced apartment units at Danga Bay.

The other two 40-storey blocks of residential towers known as Tower A and B, will feature fully-equipped kitchens, broadband-internet connectivity and 32-inch LCD screens.

The construction of the three towers is set to start in April.

KST and Oakwood Asia Pacific Pte Ltd inked a letter of intent on the project on Monday.

Based on the letter of intent, the two parties will enter into a management agreement, offshore technical service and marketing agreement and trademark licence agreement.

It is also intended for Oakwood to provide complete project oversight and management services, including pre-opening supervision and the daily management, leasing and the maintenance of the project.

KST director Arlida Ariff and Oakwood Asia Pacific's managing director P.G. Mathew signed on behalf of their organisations.

Arlida said KST was happy to have Oakwood as a partner.

"At KST, we are looking forward to rolling out developments in Danga Bay this year.

"We foresee that Iskandar will grow to be a regional destination and will be an important market for the region with continuous influx of global visitors seeking to either set up their businesses or existing operations.

"Being a luxury brand and located at Danga Bay, Oakwood Residence Johor will provide international travellers an alternative to four and five-star hotels," she added.

Danga Bay is in the centre of the South Economic Belt Zone in Iskandar.

The development is planned to be a self-contained city within a city with world-class infrastructures and facilities.

Mathew said Oakwood Residence Johor would set new standards of serviced accommodation in the state.

It will be positioned to cater to the short and extended stay needs of executives from multinational corporations and expatriates relocating to the city.

The price of each unit starts from RM900,000.

Oakwood Worldwide has nearly 30,000 residences throughout Asia, North America and Europe.

Oakwood Asia Pacific manages serviced apartments in China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Thailand.

Nineteen extra properties are scheduled to open within the next two years across Asia Pacific.

[mrkallai]

Originally Posted by Irwin

From my friend study in UTM skudai.

.
No la.Its Not true..ur fren just making fun with you

[rizalhakim]

Khazanah seeks more investors for Iskandar

JOHOR BARU: Khazanah Nasional Bhd wants to attract more investors from China, India, Indonesia and Singapore to Iskandar Malaysia.

Managing director Datuk Azman Mokhtar said currently, Middle Eastern investors made up the majority of investments in Iskandar, formerly known as the Iskandar Development Region (IDR).

“Everybody is welcome to invest here regardless of where they come from and we’ll always treat investors with the utmost respect,” Azman told StarBiz after attending the fourth Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) meeting chaired by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi yesterday.

Abdullah and Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman are co-chairmen of IRDA.


Azman said Middle Eastern investors were attracted to Iskandar for its conducive investment environment.

“We never limit ourselves to investors from certain countries or regions and it so happens that Arab investors are coming here,” he added.

Earlier, at a press conference Abdullah said Iskandar had to date secured total investments valued at RM33bil, representing 70% of the RM47bil target by 2010.

Meanwhile, Ghani told StarBiz that the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for the Iskandar development would meet next month.

Asked if Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz would take over from former minister Datuk Seri Effendi Norwawi, Ghani said Abdullah would make an announcement soon.

The meeting will be the first after the 12th general election.

Ghani also said the state government would no longer use the terms low and medium cost houses in Iskandar region to better reflect the improvement in public housing.

He said 40% of the property development projects by the private developers in the region would be allocated for public housing scheme.

The allocation of RM200mil under the Ninth Malaysia Plan is for the construction of 2,000 houses in the first phase with a minimum built-up of 850-900 sq ft per unit from the present 650 sq ft.

By The Star (by Zazali Musa)

[rizalhakim]

UEM Land in talks with S'pore property firms
Published: 2008/04/15


The involvement of Singapore firms will boost investor confidence in the Iskandar project, says UEM Land managing director

SINGAPORE: Malaysian state property developer UEM Land is in talks with Singapore property firms about joint projects in a US$105 billion industrial and tourism zone in the country’s south, right next to Singapore.

“We are in various stages of discussion with Singapore interests,” UEM Land managing director Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim said on the sidelines of an real estate conference and exhibition in Singapore.

He said Malaysia has recognised the importance of Singaporean participation in the project.

The involvement of Singapore firms — in particular those linked to the government — would boost investor confidence in the Iskandar Malaysia project since the area is next to the country, he said. UEM is developing one of the five zones within Iskandar.

“Since the first quarter of this year, interest from Singapore has grown from just visits to something on the table.”

Malaysia announced in 2006 plans to set aside 2,200 sq km (850 sq miles) of land in Johor for a special economic zone that would provide residents and companies in neighbouring Singapore with land for leisure and industry.

Singapore developers have, however, stayed away from the project even though some companies have bought factory and logistics sites in the area. - Reuters

[ethan]

Tokyo Disneyland eyes new facility in Asia: chairman

The operator of Tokyo Disneyland said Tuesday it was considering opening a new facility in Southeast Asia as fans flocked to the theme park on its 25th anniversary.

Oriental Land Co. chairman Toshio Kagami said the company wanted to operate a new leisure facility other than a theme park in Japan.

"Maybe we will start with Southeast Asia," he told reporters here as Mickey and friends marked a quarter century in Japan.

Some 15,000 fans queued up before the gate opened on the anniversary, according to the operator, which runs the park under a licence from Disney Enterprises, Inc.

Many visitors, including children clad in Disney-character costumes, dashed towards their favourite attractions.

Tokyo Disneyland opened in the suburbs of the Japanese capital on April 15, 1983 as the first Disney theme park outside the United States.

Built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay dubbed "Maihama" -- a Japanese take on Florida's Miami Beach -- the resort has sprawled out to include hotels, a shopping mall, an aqua park and soon a permanent Cirque du Soleil.

An Oriental Land spokesman said no firms plans had been drawn up for another facility.

Hong Kong hosts a Disneyland, but government figures released in December showed that visitor numbers at the park fell by about 23 percent in its second year.

The number of visitors to Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea, the water park that opened in 2001, has stood at about 25 million in recent years, up from 9.9 million people in Disneyland's first year.

Since 1983, a total of 436 million people have visited the two parks that sit next to the megalopolis.

But with Japan's population ageing and shrinking, analysts say the theme park's future does not look entirely rosy.

In an effort to woo senior citizens, it launched a cut-rate annual pass for visitors aged 60 or older in March.

The Oriental Land group's revenue from theme parks was 289.1 billion yen (2.86 billion dollars) in the year to March 2007 -- a far cry from the performances of other overseas Disneylands.




.............Is this the one on Nusajaya????????

[Vince]

I don't think it is a good idea to have Disney in Nusajaya. How can you have a world-class theme park to be hosted by a sub-standard city? Nusajaya is not even much of anything yet. And Johor bahru? Forget it. Get the pot holes on the roads fixed first before even dreaming of anything bigger. Disney knows that having the theme park in Johor is suicidal, at least not in our current socio economical or political climate. Sorry to say this, but I don't think we are ready yet. Makes more sense to have it located somewhere closer to cosmopolitan KL where the population is much higher and where the tourists flock to.

[rizalhakim]

UEM Land, S'pore firms in talks on Iskandar projects
Published: 2008/04/16


SINGAPORE: Property developer UEM Land Sdn Bhd is in talks with Singapore real estate firms about joint projects in a US$105 billion (about RM332 billion) industrial and tourism zone in south Malaysia, right next to the island republic.


Malaysia unveiled a blueprint in 2006 to transform the southern tip of Johor into a regional economic zone for industry, logistics, trade and leisure.


"We are in various stages of discussion with Singapore interests," UEM Land managing director Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim said in an interview on the sidelines of a real estate event in Singapore.


He said that the involvement of Singapore firms, in particular those linked to the government, would boost investor confidence in the Iskandar Malaysia project, just a few minutes drive across the narrow causeway linking the two countries.


Singapore developers that are part-owned by state investors Temasek include CapitaLand and Keppel Land.


UEM Land is the flagship property company of the UEM Group, formerly called United Engineers Malaysia Bhd, which is in turn owned by state investment company Khazanah Nasional Bhd.


Under a revamp of the group announced earlier this year, UEM will list on Bursa Malaysia in September by taking over the listing status of UEM World, which last year reported a fourfold rise in net profit to RM939 million.


Wan Abdullah said UEM Land aimed to be a regional developer with projects in neighbouring countries by 2010, but its immediate priority was to develop its 9,713ha Nusajaya project in Iskandar Malaysia.





"There are opportunities today, but the board feels we should not divert our attention ... but we definitely have the desire to be a global developer," he said.


Malaysia announced in 2006 plans to set aside 2,200 sq km in Johor for a special economic zone that will provide residents and companies in neighbouring Singapore with land for leisure and industry.


Covering an area three times the size of Singapore, Iskandar Malaysia has attracted Middle Eastern investors, including Dubai World, as well as multinational companies such as General Electric. - Reuters

[rizalhakim]

Iskandar Malaysia terima 70% pelaburan

SINGAPURA 16 April - Projek pembangunan di Johor yang akan menjadikannya hab ekonomi serantau (Iskandar Malaysia) telah menerima 70 peratus sasaran pelaburan awal yang ditetapkan walaupun terdapat masalah kewangan global, kata pegawai Malaysia.

Pengarah Urusan Khazanah Nasional Bhd., Azman Mokhtar berkata, Malaysia telah memperoleh komitmen pelaburan berjumlah RM33 bilion untuk projek di Johor itu.

Jumlah itu adalah 70 peratus daripada pelaburan bernilai RM47 bilion yang disasarkan untuk pro- jek Iskandar Malaysia pada 2010, kata Azman.

''Secara ringkas, kami berada pada landasan yang betul,'' kata Azman kepada pemberita di sini, sambil menambah 'kami sebenarnya telah menerima (pelaburan) kira-kira 70 peratus' daripada yang disasarkan.

[rizalhakim]

MPC to develop RM1.5bil expo centre
By S.C. Cheah

SINGAPORE: Malaysia Pacific Corp Bhd (MPC) will be developing the Asia-Pacific Trade & Expo City (APTEC), billed as the largest trade, exposition and distribution centre in the region at its flagship RM6.3bil Lakehill Resort City, in Johor.

Costing RM1.2bil to RM1.5bil, APTEC will have a four million sq ft complex on 23.5 acres and will be the anchor and key attraction for the proposed freehold Lakehill Resort City near the Port of Pasir Gudang.


Bill Ch'ng

It will comprise a permanent global trade and expo centre showcasing wholesale consumer products, a shopping mall, two serviced apartment towers, a three-star hotel and office suites.

MPC chief executive officer Bill Ch’ng said APTEC would serve as a catalyst in the development of Iskandar Malaysia into a regional and distribution hub, targeting Asia-Pacific’s population of 800 million.

“We aim to recreate in Malaysia a success story even better than that of Shenzhen-Hong Kong, with a similar strategic partnership for Iskandar Malaysia-Singapore synergy,” he said at Cityscape Asia 2008 on Monday.

This was the first time that MPC showcased the 484-acre Lakehill Resort City (part of MPCB’s 905-acre Nusa Damai at the eastern zone of Iskandar Malaysia) to the foreign investment and property market at the three-day business-to-business real estate exhibition.

Ch’ng said Iskandar Malaysia and Singapore had the potential to forge the same synergistic advantage as “Shenzhen and Hong Kong”, which achieved economic success under their partnership arrangement.

APTEC is to generate over 50,000 direct jobs and more than 200,000 indirect employment opportunities in the supporting services and businesses, such as new products, manufacturing, financial services, banking and logistics.

“We are confident APTEC will be a platform for greater regional collaboration between Asean countries. It will also boost the influx of domestic and foreign investments into Iskandar Malaysia, thus bringing greater socio-economic benefits to Iskandar Malaysia and Singapore,” Ch'ng said, adding that some parties had expressed interest in taking direct equities in Lakehill Resort City and APTEC.

He said APTEC would be a “state-of-the-art” international wholesale business and trade city under one roof, offering business networking, family outing, merchandising, tourist shopping and a variety of entertainment experiences, unseen anywhere in Asia or the world.

APTEC, he said, would showcase a wide variety of mass consumer products, such as garments, souvenirs and high-tech electronics goods from China, India and Asean countries, providing competitive pricing and comparable quality options for buyers.

Lakehill Resort City’s other selling propositions include a factory outlet with a Wild West theme, Nusa Paradise commercial entertainment centre, Heritage and Cultural Village with lakeside amphitheatre, man-made beach, musical fountains and uniquely Malaysian gondolas, Lakeside Platinum Residences, Lakehill Medical & Healthcare Specialist Centre for health tourism, a golf village, 6-star resort and a Real Rock Cafe.

The development has also applied for the international residency scheme whereby foreigners buying a home could qualify for the Malaysia My Second Home visa status.

check out their website 4 dis cool project http://www.lakehillresortcity.com/main.html

[rizalhakim]

5 firma taman tema minat melabur
Oleh Johan Afandi

SEKURANG-KURANGNYA lima syarikat pengendali taman tema antarabangsa berminat untuk melabur dalam pembangunan taman tema Iskandar Malaysia seluas 880 hektar di kawasan Nusajaya di Norde 1, yang bakal menyaksikan pelaburan bernilai berbilion ringgit.

Pengarah Urusan Khazanah Nasional Bhd, Datuk Azman Mokhtar, berkata lima syarikat terbabit kecuali Universal Studio yang sudah membuat pelaburan di Sentosa, Singapura, mempunyai kepakaran dan diiktiraf di peringkat antarabangsa.

Bagaimanapun, katanya, belum ada sebarang perjanjian dengan mana-mana syarikat termasuk Disney bagi mengendalikan taman tema berkenaan kerana rundingan masih berjalan.



“Rundingan masih dijalankan, jadi belum ada sebarang keputusan syarikat mana yang akan melabur di kawasan berkenaan,” katanya sambil menjelaskan tiada syarikat tempatan yang akan terbabit dalam pembangunan berkenaan.

Beliau mengulas laporan akhbar kelmarin, bahawa Disney terpilih membangunkan taman tema di Iskandar Malaysia, ketika ditemui di Pameran Hartanah Asia (Cityscape) 2008 di Singapura, kelmarin.

Azman menambah, taman tema berkenaan adalah projek penting dalam Iskandar Malaysia dan ia boleh dikatakan pemangkin kepada pembangunan wilayah terbabit.

“Kawasannya luas dan sudah tentu bukan saja membabitkan taman tema, tetapi juga pelbagai bentuk pembangunan lain,” katanya.

Sementara itu, Azman berkata, beberapa syarikat gergasi Singapura juga mula melabur di Iskandar Malaysia khususnya, di Norde 1 dan ia membuktikan wilayah berkenaan turut menerima pelaburan daripada negara jiran berkenaan.

[rizalhakim]

Big show by Johor builders at Singapore expo
Property Talk
By S.C. CHEAH

THE Cityscape Asia 2008 held at the Suntec City convention centre in Singapore saw the “big boys” in Johor making their presence felt at the international property investment and development exhibition from April 15 to 17.

They included the 1,840-acre Danga Bay integrated waterfront project, Mulpha's 1,765-acre Leisure Farm Resort, Bandar Raya Developments Bhd's 1,400-acre Permas Jaya, Country View Group's 1,100-acre Taman Universiti and UEM Land's Bandar Nusajaya, the key driver of Iskandar Malaysia.

SP Setia, with several successful projects in Johor, was also there to exhibit among others, its latest project, the Setia EcoCity, the premier commercial and business hub in Bandar Nusajaya, the gateway into Iskandar Malaysia.


An artist’s impression of the Asia Pacific Trade and Exhibition City

They all took up large booths.

However, a new development that stole the show was Malaysia Pacific Corp Bhd's (MPC) Lakehill Resort City near Pasir Gudang in Iskandar Malaysia.

Many curious visitors, including foreigners, were seen crowding around the large model of Lakehill Resort City.

MPC staff had their hands full briefing the visitors on this 484-acre resort township, which is part of MPC's 905-acre freehold Nusa Damai, at the eastern zone of Iskandar Malaysia – a 2,217 sq km special economic zone covering the logistic triangle of Senai Airport (north), Tanjung Pelepas Port (south west) and Johor Port in Pasir Gudang (south east).

Developed by Lakehill Resort Development Sdn Bhd, an MPC subsidiary, it will take about eight years to complete and will have a gross development value of about RM6bil.

What sets this project apart from the rest is that instead of merely selling houses, MPC is trying to make Lakehill Resort City a trading, distribution, entertainment, shopping and tourism hub that would bring in lots of investors to Iskandar Malaysia and boost trade and economic activities for Johor and the country.

The centrepiece is the Asia Pacific Trade & Expo City (APTEC) where MPC will help manage, among other things, the sourcing and distribution of goods from around the region, particularly from China, India and Asean countries.

Critics may view it as putting too many “goodies” on a single plate, but MPC chief executive officer Bill Ch'ng, with his vast experience as a “turnaround wizard”, political and business contacts in China and Hong Kong, is confident that his vision of creating another “Shenzhen-Hong Kong” economic miracle in Malaysia would be a reality.


The man-made beach at the proposed RM6bil Lakehill Resort City

Ch'ng is a visionary and he is going to bring much excitement to the Johor property market with his innovative concepts and designs. For example, he is creating a kind of timeshared living by having a four-villa cluster sharing a swimming pool in the centre. It would be ideal for extended/large families, each owning a villa or for company use.

Besides APTEC, the resort township will also have the following components:

Heritage and Cultural Village: It will be a one-stop tourism hub, where 13 pavilions will exhibit the unique arts, crafts and various types of cuisines offered in each state in Malaysia. There will be alfresco international dining along the waterfront restaurants, bistros and cafes. Diners will be treated to weekly musical fountain shows at the Emerald Lake. A special attraction will be 13 traditionally handcrafted Malaysian-styled gondolas, each representing the 13 states' cultures.

Lakehill Regency Lake: This enclave will have the 6-star Lakehill All-Suites Resort & Convention Hotel, Lakehill Medical & Healthcare Specialist Centre, Lakehill Platinum Residences, Lakehill Power Resort Club and Lakehill Golf Village.

The resort club's membership will be open to buyers of Lakehill Resort City homes and by invitation only. It will have a fine dining club with a large spa and rejuvenation centre.

The Platinum Residences will be a luxury retirement home with 24-hour room service and nursing care upon request and will be manned by a team of doctors and nurses.

There will be some putting greens and driving range for private practice. It will complement the existing 54-hole Tanjung Puteri Golf Course and the 18-hole Octville Golf & Country Club, just 20 minutes away.

Nusa Paradis: This will be the lifestyle entertainment centre showcasing international restaurants, amusement park, dance clubs, karaoke and quaint shopping outlets. It is designed to be a vehicle free zone and hand-drawn rickshaws and trishaw rides will be offered to visitors. The theme is comparable to Universal Studios.

Factory Outlet: Visitors can view thematic buildings in this “cowboy town” and drop in at the sheriff's office and enjoy stagecoach rides. It will be a shoppers' “paradise” as branded goods will be sold at discounted price. Off-season fashion products and electronics goods from APTEC will also be sold here.

Real Rock Cafe: This is another “happening place” where the young as well as young at heart can meet over a cup of cappuccino while enjoying the view below from a five-storey, three-acre rock formation. Visitors can take a bubble lift or climb a rocky pathway passing by a man-made waterfall.

Lakehill Commercial Training Centre: It will be the first of its kind in Malaysia where specialised courses in tourism, hotel management, food and beverage services, business management, retail, health and beauty therapy and other vocational training will be conducted and serve as a source for special skilled workforce for the Lakehill Resort City's staffing needs.

[rizalhakim]

Singapore favours subway rail link to Johor

SINGAPORE: Singapore said yesterday it welcomed a suggestion by Malaysia to connect the city-state’s subway system to Johor.

“The link should not be a difficult one and it will bring immediate advantages to both sides,” Singapore Foreign Minister George Yeo told local reporters, according to transcripts released by his ministry.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Datuk Rais Yatim had earlier asked Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to consider connecting the city-state’s urban rail network to the Iskandar Malaysia special economic zone.

To be developed over 20 years, Malaysia hopes the 2,200 sq km (850 sq mile) zone in Johor would be able to generate jobs and investments in projects catering to companies and individuals in wealthy but land-scarce Singapore.

The two countries are separated by a narrow strip of water and connected by two bridges.

Singapore’s subway network is managed by SMRT Corp and ComfortDelGro, both of which are government-linked companies.

By Reuters

[rizalhakim]

Putrajaya Perdana confident of big jobs

KUALA LUMPUR: Putrajaya Perdana Bhd is confident of securing this year at least 20% of the total RM2bil projects it has tendered for.

Chief executive officer Wie Hock Kiong said the amount represented only Malaysia-based construction projects that comprised retail offices and condominiums for the Government and private sector.

“Later this year, supported by our new major shareholder Swan Symphony Sdn Bhd, we are looking forward to bidding for projects in Iskandar Malaysia and Abu Dhabi,” he said after the company AGM yesterday.

Swan Symphony, which holds 49.13% in Putrajaya Perdana, will open the door for the construction company to expand its wings to lucrative Middle East and Iskandar Malaysia markets.

This is because Swan Symphony is a 51%-owned subsidiary of Abu Dhabi Kuwait Malaysia Investment Corp.

Wie said the company was in the midst of setting up a branch office in Abu Dhabi that would be ready by the next quarter.

Some of the projects Putrajaya Perdana can bid for in the Middle East are the US$27bil Saadiyat Island Development and the “zero carbon, zero-waste and car-free” city being planned by the Abu Dhabi government.

The company, with assistance from Swan Symphony, has signed a memorandum of understanding with Abu Dhabi-based Aldar Properties PJSC to undertake the construction, design and consultancy works of node 1 of Iskandar Malaysia.

Additionally, Putrajaya Perdana will continue to focus on the construction of energy-efficient building.

Currently, Putrajaya Perdana's order book stands at RM2.2bil, of which half has been completed.

The outstanding RM1.1bil will last the company more than 18 months.

On the rising raw materials costs, Wie said the company was trying its best to mitigate the impact through hedging and securing flexible contracts for its future projects.

“The prices of steel bars and cement have moved up significantly and going forward, we are proposing a sharing of the fluctuating raw materials costs with customers for our new tenders,” he said.

For the nine months ended Dec 31, 2007, Putrajaya Perdana reported a pre-tax profit of RM37.9mil on revenue of RM336.1mil.

Last year, the company changed its financial year-end to Dec 31 from March 31 previously.

[rizalhakim]

Turnaround guru takes helm at MPC
Stories By S.C. CHEAH

MALAYSIA Pacific Corp Bhd (MPC) is poised for exciting times now that “turnaround guru” Bill Ch'ng is helming the public-listed company.

Ch'ng, who is MPC chief executive officer, is the man behind the RM6bil Lakehill Resort City, near Pasir Gudang in Johor. This ambitious 484-acre freehold development, part of MPC's 905-acre Nusa Damai, is within Iskandar Malaysia and would have more than 60,000 people when completed in eight years..


“This piece of land was approved for medium low-cost housing and the original intention was to cut the hill and fill the lake. I have instead retained the hill and lake and changed the whole concept. I have also increased the number of mixed units from 8,000 to 12,000 commercial and housing units,” Ch'ng told StarBiz at the CityscapeAsia 2008 in Singapore recently.

Ch'ng said he had introduced some new concepts, one of which was to turn the area around a lake into a one-stop tourism hub complete with pavilions where each state's unique arts and crafts could be exhibited and visitors could also savour the various types of cuisines offered in Malaysia.

Visitors and residents could also ride 13 types of gondolas, each symbolising the 13 states' cultures in Malaysia, and they would be steered by local costumed boys.

The resort township will not only have bungalows, court-linked houses, terrace and town houses, apartments and serviced condominiums but also a host of other unique features such as a food and entertainment area known as Nusa Paradis and even a medical and healthcare specialist centre.

However, the main attraction is the Asia-Pacific Trade & Expo City (APTEC) with a planned four million sq ft built-up area on 23.5 acres. APTEC will have a permanent global “show city” of wholesale consumer products, shopping mall, a three-star hotel, office suites and two serviced apartments. It will offer business networking, family outing, merchandising, shopping and a variety of entertainment experiences.

Off-season and overrun products can be taken to the adjacent Cowboy-themed “The Factory Outlet” to be sold at a discount. “It will be the biggest factory outlet in the region where people can shop for off-season branded goods at a lower price. They can save on VAT (value added tax) here.”

Ch'ng believes that the RM1.5bil APTEC could be a catalyst for the future growth of Johor and Singapore and the Iskandar Malaysia and Singapore synergy would mirror the success of the Shenzhen-Hong Kong strategic partnership.

When he visited Shenzhen in 1984, it was a mere fishing village with a population of less than 100,000 but today it has some 12 million people and is one of the fastest growing cities in China.

“We've a neighbour (Singapore) that is rich and willing to invest here. However, how come our neighbour, which knows us so well, is not investing (much). It does not jive,” he said, adding that Malaysian companies should invest in Malaysia and not “run away.”

In order to attract investors, there must be more incentives properly packaged to woo them, he said. “It is important that we must also look at the investment models of other countries and try to do better than them,” he said, adding that state governments being the biggest land owners should unlock the value of their land.

Ch'ng envisaged that tourists to Singapore would stop over at Lakehill Resort City to enjoy its many amenities, including doing business at APTEC.

Besides helping to source for products and services initially from China, India and Asean countries, APTEC could also enable local traders to showcase their products and distribute them. Imported goods can be stored at the warehouses in the Pasir Gudang Free Trade Zone.

“We want to help the SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) and create a new breed of entrepreneurs. We will have a training school to conduct a variety of courses,” he added.

[rizalhakim]

NMPSB, Columbia Asia meterai perjanjian beli tanah

KUALA LUMPUR 27 April - UEM Land Berhad mengumumkan anak syarikatnya Nusajaya Medical Park Sdn. Bhd. (NMPSB) telah memeterai perjanjian pembelian tanah bernilai RM4.8 juta dengan Columbia Asia Sdn. Bhd.

UEM dalam kenyataan di sini berkata, perjanjian itu akan membolehkan Columbia Asia yang merupakan syarikat penyedia kemudahan kesihatan, membeli tanah seluas 1.08 hektar di Nusajaya daripada NMPSB.

Perjanjian tersebut ditandatangani oleh Pengarah Urusan UEM Land, Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim dan Pengerusi Columbia Asia Group of Companies, Rick Evans pertengahan bulan ini.

Pembelian tanah tersebut bertujuan untuk membangunkan hospital yang dilengkapi dengan 70 katil di Nusajaya, yang telah dijenamakan sebagai 'Afiat Healthpark', kata kenyataan itu.

"Apabila siap pada tahun 2010, hospital seluas 70,000 kaki persegi itu akan dilengkapi makmal dan perkhidmatan diagnostik, rawatan pesakit luar dan dalam, serta kemudahan lain," katanya.

[rizalhakim]

RM4.5b projects in the works
By Sharen Kaur
Published: 2008/05/03



Pelangi's projects in Johor Baru include the RM600 million Pelangi Junction commercial centre, the RM3.5 billion Taman Pelangi Indah 2 township and an eco-tourism resort near Desaru


PELANGI Bhd, a unit of fund manager Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), will launch projects in Johor Baru, worth some RM4.5 billion, over the next 18 months.

Among the projects are Pelangi Junction, a commercial development with serviced apartments and retail and office lots, worth RM600 million. It will be marketed mainly to Singaporean investors, chief executive officer Azmar Talib said.

"It is our vision to develop an international-quality product in Johor and market it in Singapore to capture the international market there. We hope to launch it by the third quarter," Azmar told Business Times in Kuala Lumpur.

He said that Pelangi Junction would be Johor's latest full-fledged commercial centre, equipped with high-end serviced apartments which the state has not seen built in the last 10 years.

Another project, to be launched early next year, is a township called Taman Pelangi Indah 2 (TP2), next to Taman Pelangi Indah 1 (TP1).

TP2, sprawling over 400ha and worth some RM3.5 billion, will comprise residential as well as commercial units.

"We have land allocated for hospitals and institutions. TP2 is going to be an exciting landmark project for us," Azmar said.

Pelangi also has another 400ha near Desaru, earmarked for an eco-tourism resort.

It has been approached by Arab and Singaporean investors keen to jointly develop the land.

"The land has been partly used. We haven't decided when we are going to launch the eco-tourism project, but we are interested to work with the foreign parties to develop the area," Azmar said.

Pelangi's existing townships include TP1, Taman Pelangi, Taman Perling and Taman Rinting, built some 10 to 20 years ago.

Collectively, the four townships will have 16,000 commercial and residential units. Pelangi needs another seven years to fully develop them.

Azmar said that Pelangi will launch several phases within the existing townships this year.

Another project is D' Serambi in Taman Perling, a premium product which will consist of 121 terrace houses priced from RM400,000 each. It will be launched this month.

Under TP1, the company will launch the second phase of Tiara Pelangi comprising semi-detached homes worth RM30 million.

It will also launch Lakeview Residences in TP1, which are single-storey terrace homes with up-market designs, worth RM10 million.

In addition, Pelangi has plans to branch out to Kuala Lumpur where it is scouting for land that fits in with its business strategy, Azmar said.

"We want to enhance the property development and investment divisions. We have a five-year business plan and hope to launch some properties in Kuala Lumpur."

Azmar said Pelangi is keen to collaborate with developers in Kuala Lumpur as well as Johor to move away from holding too many pockets of land on its own.

[cooolboi]

Originally Posted by fritz_kaktus

You need to look at GDP per capita... Then it's a different picture.

Originally Posted by Irwin
China cities and SEA Capitals [2005 GDP(nominal) rank]

City 2005 GDP(nominal)(billion us$)
Hong Kong 177.7
Singapore 117.9(100% of Singapore)
Shanghai 114.2
Beijing 85.1
Bangkok 64.1(38% of Thailand)
Guangzhou 63.9
Shenzhen 61.5
Suzhou 50.3
Tianjin 45.7
Jakarta 45.0(16.3% of Indonesia)
Kuala Lumpur43.6(30% of Malaysia)
Chongqing 38.3
Hangzhou 36.4
Wuxi 35.01
Qingdao 33.6
Ningbo 31.0
Manila 30.3(31% of Philippines)
Nanjing 29.8
Foshan 29.7
Chengdu 29.6

Even KL is not comparable to Shenzen in term of GDP. I don't think that JB will be on par with Shenzen in the next 15 years.

Absolutely impossible. Dont ever dream about it.

[pedang]

Positioning Iskandar Malaysia On Middle East Investment Map


KUWAIT CITY, April 30 (Bernama) -- One-on-one discussions are being held with potential investors from Kuwait and others attending the ongoing Fourth World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) here in further efforts to put Iskandar Malaysia on the investment map of Middle East countries.

Iskandar Development Region Authority (IDRA) managing director Datuk Ikmal Hijaz Hashim said Middle East nations which may be looking for channels to park their excess liquidity following soaring oil prices should consider investing in the economic development region in southern Malaysia.

"Iskandar Malaysia and Malaysia itself are good investment propositions from which they will reap long-term benefits," he said on the sidelines of a dialogue on infrastructure and real estate development in conjunction with the three-day forum which ends Thursday.

Of the targeted US$14.9 billion worth of investments for Iskandar Malaysia by 2010, about US$10.4 billion (or 70 percent) has been secured to date, Ikhmal Hijaz said during his presentation.

"We are on track," he said, expressing confidence that the target will be achieved but at the same time mindful of the current global economic environment.

The development corridor has attracted initial investments of US$1.2 billion (RM4.2 billion) from four Middle East companies, including from Kuwait.

Noting that about 26 local and foreign developers have already come on board, Ikhmal Hijaz said that the cost of doing business in Iskandar Malaysia is still low compared to that in Singapore or even Kuala Lumpur.

When completed in 20 years, it will become a landmark development with top-class lifestyle and leisure enclaves and is expected to create about 800,000 new jobs.

Covering 2,217 square kilometres, Iskandar Malaysia is nearly three times the size of Singapore. It is an ambitious plan aimed at making the region bigger than China's Shenzen, which has benefited greatly from Hong Kong.

On concerns over safety and security in Iskandar Malaysia, Ikmal Hijaz said IDRA will engage a consultant soon in an effort to prepare a security blueprint to make the region safe not only for investors but also locals.

"Their study will be ready in four months before being forwarded to our board of directors for further action," he said, adding that those involved may look at the London Metropolitan Police model for pointers.

On the involvement of controversial American oil and gas company Halliburton in Iskandar Malaysia, Ikmal Hijaz said: "We are happy to have them there."

Queried on concerns raised over the ethics of having a company like Halliburton, which has been accused of unlawfully receiving special treatment for work in Iraq as well as fraud and overcharging, in the development region, he said: "Whose ethics are you referring to Which value judgment are you using "If they bring investment and create jobs, we don't see any ethical questions about that... I think we should be open."

Halliburton has opened a RM200 million manufacturing centre in Iskandar Malaysia.

Spanning 20,000 square metres in Johor Technology Park, the facility performs procurement and customer service activities as well as engineering, machining and product assembly primarily for customers in the Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa and Europe.

-- BERNAMA

[rizalhakim]

Private hospital for Iskandar Malaysia


JOHOR BARU: A private hospital will be built at Afiat Healthpark in Nusajaya, which is within Iskandar Malaysia.

The 70-bed hospital is expected to begin operations in 2010.

It will be equipped with laboratory and diagnostic services, outpatient and inpatient services, and ample parking facilities.

The project is a joint venture between Nusajaya Medical Park (NMPSB) – a subsidiary of UEM Land – and Columbia Asia.

A sale and purchase agreement was signed on April 14 between UEM Land managing director Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim and Columbia Asia Group of Companies chairman Rick Evans.


Pact sealed: Wan Abdullah (left) exchanging documents with Evans after signing the sale and purchase agreement in Johor Baru recently.

Under the terms, Columbia Asia shall purchase more than 1ha from NMPSB for a total consideration if RM4.818mil.

Wan Abdullah said the project was to be carried out in view of the tremendous potential and growth prospects of Iskandar Malaysia (formerly known as Iskandar Development Region).

“Afiat Healthpark is intended to meet the under-served healthcare needs of the community in Nusajaya.

“We are confident that the hospital will cater to demand for better healthcare services and facilities,” he said.

The hospital will be part of the first phase of Afiat Healthpark, which will include a private specialist clinic and health-screening centre.

The second phase will comprise a dialysis and rehabilitation centre, a nursing college and a traditional and complementary medicine academy.

Afiat Healthpark is located on the northern part of Nusajaya, which houses Johor's new administrative centre.

Other developments in the area are Puteri Harbour (a waterfront precinct), an education city, an international destination resort with theme parks, and residential and commercial blocks.