Awesome Johor Bahru! 3

[rizalhakim]

Anger over delays in JB-Singapore service
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH


JOHOR BARU: Frequent delays in the train service from Danga City Mall to Singapore have left many commuters irate.

Several felt that although the service was convenient, given the ample parking bays nearby, the delays were unacceptable.

One complainant, retiree Ong Gim Thian, 60, said although he drove into Singapore during the weekends, he found the lanes at the CIQ very narrow.


Amirul: Malaysians working in Singapore find it hard because of the delays.
“It was the first time I took the train and thought it would save me time. But it arrived very late,” he said.

The train reached its destination at 11.30am although it was scheduled to arrive at 9.27am.

Ong said that KTMB should ensure its trains arrived according to schedule as this would encourage more people to use the service.

The service which started on Jan 1 involves eight trains making five trips daily between 5.30am and 8.08pm from Johor.

Trains from Singapore ply the route between 5.35am and 10pm.

Another commuter, British expatriate Amirul Azlan said he believed more Singaporeans would take advantage of the service compared to Malaysians.

“I waited two hours for the train. If it was going to be late, they should have told us,” he said.

Retiree Baharuddin Harun, 58, said the mall and KTMB needed to fix the problem if they wanted more people to use the service.

“Many shops at the mall are closed. If the shops were open, passengers waiting for late trains could do some shopping,” he said.

Meanwhile, KTMB marketing manager Mohd Noordin Kimi said the trains used for the service were express trains and not shuttle trains.

“They come from places like Kelantan, Butterworth and Kuala Lumpur and the journeys are long with stops on the way,” he said.

Mohd Noordin said that KTMB hoped to increase the number of trains between Singapore and Kluang in February and was upgrading tracks from Gemas to Johor in a new project.

Hopefully, the journey would be shorter and the trains be more punctual, he said.

[rizalhakim]

JB CyberCity

[nazrey]

Extra trains to ease commuting to S'pore
By : Syed Umar Ariff
The New Straits times 3 Janauary 2009



[Photo: Straits Times - The new seven-storey Danga City Mall (above) is one
of JB's biggest malls and will have its own train stop (next picture). Malayan
Railways will from Monday run eight daily trips to and from the mall, which is
five minutes from JB's town centre. -- ST PHOTOS: DESMOND FOO.]

JOHOR BARU: Two additional train services tailored for Malaysians working in Singapore will begin on Monday , after a dry-run of the service yesterday.

The service, which will be provided by Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad as part of its daily train shuttle schedule, is aimed at easing traffic congestion along the Malaysia-Singapore Causeway, where more than 60,000 vehicles ply the route daily.

With the added services, there will now be 10 train services plying back and forth between the city and Singapore.

Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the first train service would depart at 5.35am from Kempas Baru, Johor, and reach Tanjung Pagar, Singapore about 7am.

The last service will depart at 10pm from Singapore.

"Judging from the time the train is scheduled to depart, it will be a convenient ride for Malaysians working in Singapore, rather than enduring the daily jam on the Causeway," he said after launching one of the new train services at Danga City Mall.

The mall in Jalan Tun Razak is the first shopping complex in the south to have its own train platform.

The promotional fares for the new train services are S$3 (RM7.35) from Singapore and RM3 from Johor Baru.

On average, there will be four coaches per train with a capacity of up to 200 commuters. The journey includes Customs and Immigration clearance.

The earliest train from Singapore is Ekspres Lambaian Timur, which departs from Tanjung Pagar at 5.35am and is estimated to arrive at Danga City Mall at 6.20am.

The second train, Ekspres Rakyat will depart at 7.40am and arrive at 8.34am.

[nazrey]

Johor Baru's newest mall gets own train station
DIANA OTHMAN
The New Stats times - 4 January 2009

KTMB will from tomorrow run eight daily trips from Singapore to Danga City Mall, which is five minutes from Johor Baru’s town centre, writes DIANA OTHMAN.

THE newest mall in Johor Baru, five minutes from the town centre, has been given its own train station for Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad trains originating in Singapore.

Danga City Mall is a seven-storey shopping centre with 92,900 square metres of floor space.

Metrojaya department store is its anchor tenant. The mall has a bowling arcade, eateries and clothing outlets among its 500 shop units.

Singaporean shoppers who make regular visits to the city have thus far favoured the City Square mall and shops in the heart of the town.

Now, KTMB will give these shoppers an option. It will take 90 minutes to get to Danga City Mall, including the time needed to clear immigration checks at the border.

KTMB will from tomorrow run eight daily trips to and from Danga City Mall: four departing from its Tanjong Pagar station in Johor Baru and four returning.

This month, promotional tickets will go for S$3 (RM7) for a single trip to the mall and RM3 to return here.

KTMB trains can carry about 200 passengers on each run, but can take up to 1,000 per trip by adding carriages.

Johor's Tourism and Domestic Trade Committee chairman Hoo Seong Chang said on Friday that KTMB's new service would improve transportation between Singapore and Johor.

"It will be more convenient for travellers to have another travel option to JB."

Besides taking KTMB trains or driving their own cars, Singaporeans get to Johor Baru by buses and taxis.

Hoo added that KTMB's services would also give trade and investment in other sectors a boost

Danga City Mall is part of Johor's goal to turn Danga Bay into a tourist magnet.

Hotels and places of interest like fishing wharfs and Lego-land Malaysia theme park are planned for the area.

Danga City Mall is also being developed into a transport hub where bus tours of the city, car rentals and transport to other parts of Malaysia will be available.

Singaporean Marzuin Marzudi, 28, a logistics executive who drives to Johor to shop at least twice a month, said she might take the train.

"It sounds more convenient as the train stops at the shopping areas. This is good news for those who don't drive, too."

About 10 million travellers entered Malaysia from Singapore between January to September, seven million of them Singaporeans. -- ST

[nazrey]

Originally Posted by rizalhakim

Danga City Mall

[argory]

The other side of JB's skyline - Tebrau area skyscrapers.


Stulang Laut

[nazrey]

Great pics....!!!

[rizalhakim]

KTMB should buck up
Syed Umar Ariff
MY three friends and I took the KTM shuttle service from Johor Baru's Danga City Mall to Tanjong Pagar, Singapore recently.


Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad must improve its overall services so that it can attract more commuters.

Yeah, who hasn't, right?

Anyway, since many of us were not frequent commuters to Singapore, an island devoid of chewing gums, the four of us gave it a try.

We were "amused" by the ticketing system. It is nothing short of the old school.


Instead of getting them from a ticket-vending machine like the ones placed at the KTMB Komuter stations, we got a pen-scribbled piece of paper which the KTMB guy, who operates the ticketing counter said would cover all four of us.

There was no computerised ticketing system like the ones at cineplexes. This is not what I had expected as I thought the ticketing system in Iskandar Malaysia would be modernised.

Anyway, it was just a train ride. There's nothing to shout about. I should not expect too much. It is not like the train is rocket-propelled or has stewardess to cater to our whims, which is of course not a bad idea at all.

If there were KTMB stewardesses cat-walking from coach to coach offering drinks and tit-bits I would spend more money on the shuttle train service.

So there were we, calmly fused to our seats while munching a handful of Pagoda Menglembu groundnuts.

The coach facilities need to be improved. Some of the flip tables at the back of each seat, need to be changed. One of the flip tables was tied in with a raffia string.

The train ride was not too bad.

However, we noticed that the tracks were not fenced. This is important to keep people or drunks from the tracks.

There are some wooden houses near the mall. We saw children playing on the tracks before boarding the train.

Children should be kept away from these tracks. To avoid any untoward incidents, KTMB should have safety measures in place.

Accidents involving trains are not alien to Malaysians. A simple row of fences with guards just to keep railway jaywalkers away would suffice.

In the meantime the trip to Singapore was breezy, though we spent some considerable amount of time queuing at the Woodlands Immigration checkpoint.

It took us about an hour and 15 minutes to reach Singapore.

And of course, it is quite rare to get a welcoming smile from the Singaporean immigration staff while they verify the passport.

Maybe they are not appointed as "little ambassadors" to attract tourists like their Malaysian counterparts. Or maybe they are just bored stamping passports.

Their scrutinising gaze at my passport picture almost made me want to scream.

I kept my cool and went with the flow. I didn't want to get myself hauled up.

After spending some of our hard-earned cash in the republic, we realised that we had missed the last train home.

So, we took a bus instead that evening. It was much faster than the train service.

If KTMB plans to attract more commuters, it should improve its image first before embarking on a journey to boost the state and country's tourism industry.

It doesn't bode well if people keep comparing us to our neighbours, right?

[dengilo]

Adoi what else is new with KTM!!!!What is their managment thinking ,nothing has been done thru the years ,this is trully a golden route money machine!!What is it that they dont understand???It doesnt have to be a super geduper train to service this route !!!Just be on time is that so much to ask?Until the new CIQ sort it self out what perfect time to promote this route to the public.Given the choice if i am going to singapore i rather stay in a hotel in JB and just take the train to tanjung pagar!30 minutes max to cover that distance unless the singapore is imposing a speed limit to the trains there i dont see why it cant be done!!Remember the railbus some 12 years ago when they cant get spare parts that the end of it .Well done KTM "kalau tak mau" jangan bikinlah like melepas batuk di tangga!!!

[rizalhakim]

Daiman scaling back launcheS
By ZAZALI MUSA


JOHOR BARU: Daiman Development Bhd is scaling back on new products and launches this year as the local property market cools down.

General manager Siah Chin Leong expected most local developers to adopt a similar move as they were not willing to take any business risk.

Hopefully, the unemployment rate in Malaysia would not rise as this would affect the whole market since the disposal income would be vastly reduced, he said.


City skyscrapers in Singapore. Daiman is considering a foray into the republic’s property market — AFP

Siah said developers in Johor were already facing a tough time and most had experienced a 40% decline in sales in the past two months.

“Everybody, including developers, is pessimistic. They don’t know what lies ahead in the next two years,’’ he said in an interview with StarBiz.

Siah said Daiman would be launching 87 double-storey cluster houses and 26 double-storey semi-detached houses in Taman Gaya in the fourth quarter of its financial year ending June 30 (FY09).

The company is currently building 132 double-storey cluster houses and only a few units are still unsold.

It also just started building 120 single-storey terrace houses with an average selling price of RM158,000 unit and 60 double-storey shop offices at RM398,000 per unit at Taman Daiman Jaya.

“We are looking at RM130mil gross development value (GDV) for the 425 units and they will keep us busy for the next two years,’’ said Siah.

Daiman has three major on-going projects - Taman Gaya along the Tebrau corridor, Taman Daiman Jaya in Kota Tinggi and Taman Perindustrian Murni in Senai.

Taman Gaya will take six to seven years to complete and Taman Daiman Jaya, between 15 and 18 years.

Both projects have so far contributed RM428mil in sales turnover.

About 40% of its industrial lots and factories in Taman Perindustrian Murni have been sold and contributed RM12.09mil at the end of FY08.

Daiman has leased out some of its factories which are fetching an annual yield of 6% to 7%.

Siah said despite a slowdown in the local property market, there was encouraging response to high-end properties.

Daiman was targeting professionals, senior executives, extended families and those looking for bigger houses, he said.

“These buyers are willing to pay more for their houses provided they are located within gated and guarded precincts,’’ he said.

Daiman was on the lookout for land in Nusajaya as the area would be the main growth centre in Iskandar Malaysia, Siah said, adding that its focus here would be high-end houses.

He said Daiman had over the past few years been looking for land in the Klang Valley but so far the land viewed was not feasible.

The company is also considering venturing into Singapore as demand for private properties there was still good due to the influx of wealthy buyers from worldwide to the republic.

Last April, the company’s wholly-owned overseas subsidiary Caversham Universal Ltd subscribed to 70% equity in CNES Property Pty Ltd for A$875,000.

Australia-based CNES was incorporated in February 2008 and its principal activity is property development. It plans to build some bungalows in Perth.

“We are very cautious when expanding overseas but if it is a sound investment, Daiman will definitely explore the possibility,’’ Siah said.

Daiman has some 36 years experience in the property sector in Johor and had net cash of RM74.22mil at the end of FY08.

For FY08, it recorded RM114.46mil in revenue while the pre-tax profit was RM36.43mil. That compared with RM99.81mil and RM37.99mil respectively in FY07.

[pynshi91]

check this out!

http://www.southkey.com.my/mainpage.html

[nazrey]

Kota Southkey
http://www.southkey.com.my/kotasouthKEY.html

[nazrey]

[Vince]

Good find Nazrey! This is the kind of development which should be warmly embraced both by the authorities as well as private sector! Not only is it an integrated urban development, it is already surrounded by existing residential areas which would contribute to its growth and development. The high density built-up is perfect for the implementation of a good transit system linking it to the rest of Johor Bahru Furthermore, this area is only 20-minute drive from JB's current CBD.

For those of you who are not familiar with JB, this site is currently a military camp: Kem Mejidee. The federal government/Johor government would have made quite a neat chunk of change when private developers take over. The area is flanked by Taman Sentosa (south), Taman Melodies (west). Perfect location as the Tebrau Highway is just next to it too.

[rizalhakim]

Originally Posted by nazrey

Kota Southkey
http://www.southkey.com.my/kotasouthKEY.html

wow dats hot....

[rizalhakim]

Strategic location the selling point for Taman Laguna
By ZAZALI MUSA


JOHOR BARU: Selangor-based Nusa Utama Sdn Bhd is banking on the strategic location of its Taman Laguna @ Sg Danga scheme in Danga Zone as the main selling point of the project.

An added attraction was that Danga Zone was slated for upscale property development in Iskandar Malaysia, said director Soon Hoe Chuan.

Overlooking the Straits of Johor on a 30.756ha site, Taman Laguna occupied the last plot available for residential development near Sungai Danga, he told StarBiz.

“More people are looking for properties in the Nusajaya area as it will be the key growth centre in Iskandar region,’’ Soon said.

He said the project was easily accessible from the Johor Baru city via the Perling Interchange and just a few kilometres to Singapore via the Second Link crossing.


Soon Hoe Chuan at a show house in Taman Laguna @ Sg Danga

Soon said the scheme would get a further boost with a new 30.6km coastal highway linking the Johor State New Administrative Centre (JSNAC) and the city.

The six-lane highway, for which construction would soon start, is expected to ease traffic flow between the city centre and JSNAC in Nusajaya.

Taman Laguna was started at the end of 2006, offering double-storey super-link houses with lot sizes of 26ft by 80ft and 28ft by 90ft, and prices ranging from RM273,955 to RM568,300.

Phase one comprising 110 units was sold out and completed. The owners are expected to move in soon.

This is Nusa Utama’s second project in Johor. Its first was the 31.97ha Taman Nusa Perintis in Gelang Patah that started in 1999 and was completed in 2004 with a gross development value (GDV) of RM220mil.

Soon said Taman Laguna would be completed in the next eight to nine years comprising 500 double-storey terrace houses with a total GDV of RM270mil.

“We decided to introduce bigger houses as buyers of landed properties here prefer bigger built-up areas and smaller land space,’’ he said.

[rizalhakim]

Shopping haven in Iskandar Malaysia
By ZAZALI MUSA


Competition in the retail sector is getting intense

THE retail sector in Iskandar Malaysia is in for exciting times with more investments and new players expected to enter the market in the future.

Southern region representative of the Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management (PPK), Jenny Chan, said competition in the sector had become more intense in recent years.

Five new shopping complexes and hypermarkets were opened in the second half of 2008 in Iskandar Malaysia. They are Tesco Extra Plentong, Sutera Mall, Danga City Mall, Tesco Tebrau City and AEON Bukit Indah.

This year will see the opening of Ikea Tebrau City, Tesco Bukit Indah and Komtar (now undergoing upgrading works). KSL City, Hilltop Nusajaya and Ponderosa Mall@Taman Impian Emas will open in 2010.


In the pipeline are Nusajaya shopping mall and the expansion of IOI Mall II at the existing IOI Bandar Putra Kulai by IOI Properties Bhd, but the opening dates have not been decided.

“Competition is good, as it helps raise the standard in the sector and consumers too can look forward to having more choices in terms of products and pricing,” Chan said.

She said existing complexes must upgrade in terms of physical set-up and product offerings in view of more new players coming into the market.

In the past, Johor Baru was not seen as offering much choice in the retail segment; even its denizens went to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore to shop.

However, Chan disagreed that shopping was actually localised and said most of the times, residents would shop locally unless they happened to be outside their residential area.

The retail sector in Iskandar Malaysia has transformed tremendously over the past 10 years and now the denizens are spoilt for choice when it comes to retail therapy.


The atrium of Johor Baru City Square shopping centre

There are more than 25 shopping complexes and hypermarkets within Iskandar Malaysia.

The shopping complexes and hypermarkets here are popular among Singaporeans due to the strong Singapore dollar and they do not mind the daily traffic congestion at the causeway.

Soon, Iskandar Malaysia will also have the Malaysian Premium Outlet (MPO) centre, to be built on 20ha in the Asiatic Indahpura Kulaijaya township.

The project is a joint venture between Asiatic Land Development Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asiatic Development Bhd and a member of the Genting group, and US-based Simon Property Group Inc’s division, Chelsea Property Group.

It is reported that the MPO would be Chelsea’s first premium outlet in South-East Asia, offering international branded items at discounted prices.

Chelsea Property is the world’s largest owner, developer and operator of upscale outlet centres with 38 outlets in the United States, six in Japan, and one each in South Korea and Mexico.

“Prospects for the retail sector in Iskandar Malaysia are good as the stakeholders want to transform south Johor into a retail hub in the southern region,” Chan said.

Iskandar Malaysia covers 2,216.3 sq km within the southern most part of Johor covering Johor Baru, Senai-Kulai, Gelang Patah-Pontian and Pasir Gudang-Tanjung Langsat.

Chan said suburban Johor Baru had a lot of choices in terms of shopping now, probably more than the city centre as growth was spilling over into the suburban areas.

Johor Baru is the fourth most populated city in Malaysia with a population of 876,000 (2006 census) while the district has a population of 1.73 million and the Singapore-Johor Baru conurbation 6.49 million, which is one of the highest in South-East Asia. The population growth rate is also among the highest in Malaysia.

Under the Iskandar Malaysia master plan, Johor Baru is expected to grow into a large urban area with over three million residents by 2025, second only to the Klang Valley.

“Retailers here are anticipating a slowdown this year, but PKK believes that sometimes a slowdown is an opportunity for them to re-strategise to emerge even stronger when the economy recovers,” Chan said.

[rizalhakim]

news on other cities in Johor

Segamat to be upgraded
SEGAMAT will have better roads, culverts and drains, thanks to the RM11.5 million allocation from the Housing Ministry and the Johor state government.


About RM500,000 will be spent to spruce up the Segamat Multipurpose Hall.
Segamat district officer Burhan Amin said the allocation would be used to build and upgrade roads in the district.

A total of RM500,000 would also be spent to spruce up the Segamat multipurpose hall, which included the installation of air-conditioners and repairing the hall.

Burhan said there would also be new stalls in several areas along the Segamat-Kuantan highway.


"To reduce snatch thefts in the housing estates, the local council will put up lights which we hope the relevant authorities will subsidise by paying part of the electricity bills.

"The local council will bear most of the expenses but the most important thing is that the residents in Segamat feel safe and comfortable," he said.

"We also have a RM1 million allocation to beautify and upgrade areas along Gemas-Segamat," he added.

[rizalhakim]

news on other cities in Johor

Petroleum hub project in Pontian
Azida Shaharuddin

PONTIAN is set to experience a rapid development process once the petroleum storage and processing hub project there is completed within the next few years.


State executive councillor Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil (right) launching the Permas Kecil-Kukup development plan. With him is Pontian district officer Mislan Karmani.
Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the state government had also earmarked the district for other national-level projects similar to those already in place, such as the Port of Tanjong Pelepas and the electricity plant in Tanjong Bin.

He said efforts were being made to draw in foreign investors, particularly from China, to further boost the petroleum-related economic activities in the district.

"We want Pontian to be a major petroleum hub and for this, we had allocated 800ha as an industrial zone in Tanjong Bin.


"Reclamation work at the estuary of Sungai Pulai is also in progress for the construction of the petroleum storage and processing hub project."

Ghani's speech was read by state executive councillor in charge of public utility Datuk Ahmad Zahri Jamil at the launch of the Permas Kecil-Kukup development plan in Pontian recently.

Also present was Pontian district officer Mislan Karmani, who is also the Pontian Municipal Council president.

Ghani said the petroleum industry being developed in the district would employ eco-friendly technologies to ensure a sustainable economic environment.

"The development in this district will have the dual purpose of adding value to the industrial sector as well as ensuring residents of Pontian receive a better portion in the distribution of wealth among the districts in the state."

Ghani also commended the Pontian Municipal Council for drafting the development plan which he described as comprehensive and vital to the future development of the affected areas.

The plan covers an area of 535ha, including Serkat and Air Masin which are part of the Iskandar Malaysia development corridor.

[rizalhakim]

JB Bazz opens
By MOHD FARHAAN SHAH


JOHOR BARU: The Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) hopes to revive the city centre and give traders a lift with the opening of a bazaar named JB Bazz.

It features a night market, an area for selling clothing and souvenirs, lots for van traders, a pasar tani and a car boot sales venue.


Bustling: People buying food at JB Bazz in Jalan Segget.

Traders in the city had lamented that their businesses were affected by the change in traffic flow since the opening of the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex in Bukit Cagar on Dec 16 last year,

MBJB licences and vendors director Abdul Aziz Ithnin said that RM1.2mil was spent on preparing the site to provide a conducive trading environment.

He said that infrastructure upgrading had been carried out in Jalan Wong Ah Fook, Jalan Segget, Jalan Datuk Onn and Jalan Syed Mufti.

MBJB has also improved lighting systems and the surface of roads, created more parking spaces and increased security patrols by enforcement officials.

Abdul Aziz said that vendors, small traders and members of the public interested in operate at JB Bazz would be charged RM5, through a coupon system, each time they operated at the bazaar.

The council, however, is allowing traders to operate for free until the middle of the month.

He said that art and culture shows had been planned along Segget Walk to attract more people to the bazaar.

Abdul Aziz said that MBJB had advised owners of business premises in the city to operate for longer hours as business in the bazaar would be carried out every night from 6pm to midnight.

Car boot sales and the pasar tani would be held on weekends from 7.30am to 12pm.

Those interested in participating can get further information from Faridah Yusuf at 07 228 2591 or Mohd Najib Salleh at 07-227 6281.