Proton Saga, Proton Shares, Proton Iriz, DRB-Hicom shares

Many years ago, my sister bought her first car, a Proton Saga. (Pic). Suddenly, there were many of these on the road instead of the previous model which had been sold far longer than my primary, secondary and Degree years combined. I drove my sister’s car. It felt much more firmer and everything seemed intact. Oh yeah, my sister is driving the same Saga today. It has the same power window if you wanted to know. Then, I remember one really good advice. If you must buy shares, buy one which you understands. At that time, Proton shares were very cheap. RM1.50 / one share. I bought 5,000 and told a few of my friends. Every single one of them laughed at me. It is ok, I am always used to these laughters anyway. At the price that I was buying into, and the sales of Proton Saga, I believe it was undervalued. Somehow, he who laughs the last laughs the loudest. I sold off all the 5,000 units at RM4. That was one of the best buys I had with the share market.

Recently, Proton Iriz was launched. From the reviews, from the number of bookings, I think it should sell pretty well. I seriously think if they are willing to improve, they deserve a chance. Just like when they retired the ‘extremely old’ Iswara for that Saga BLM which my sister bought. However, this time, Proton is no longer a listed company by itself. It is part of DRB-HICOM Bhd. After doing some calculations, I concluded that I should buy some DRB-Hicom shares and would hope that Proton Iriz would be another game changer. Yes, again, I bought 5,000 units. I told only one friend this time and this friend said I may be right. Actually, I have been right for the past 4 shares that I told him I bought.

Anyway, I hate speculation, thus I would normally do my calculation and ready to hold up to 2 years. I have never bought any shares with the thinking that I would earn some huge money over a short period of time. I do not believe anyone can be lucky all the time. My reasoning is simple, ‘buy what you know.’ Analysts would have numbers from the company concerned and they do their analysis based on that. For me, besides the analysis, I use my eyes and ears too. We shall see in the near future if my analysis is right again for the second time for Proton. Oh yeah, I love property the most but some of my portfolios are firmly in stocks and I seldom read what the analysts said about the stock market. I also do not buy the bluechips that everyone buys. As usual, buy undervalued stocks. Not one which everyone is trying to speculate about. My portfolio?
Read here.

written on 3 Oct 2014

Next suggested article:
5 properties, 6 Months, Profits from stocks

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Proud because one can still work at 77?  Depends on role and start planning!

Someone shared a status on FB and said that his relative, an elderly man at at the age of 77 was still healthy enough to keep working in Singapore. (a repetitive daily job for 8 hours) I just wanted to say that I have every intention to continue working until the day I say bye-bye. However, it should be for interest and not because I needed the money. For example, writing in leading independent property blog; kopiandproperty.com is definitely something I am glad to do. Perhaps by then some readers could tell me that they have been reading my blog for over 30 years? Haha..

The role should also be for variety, for the society perhaps and even for the benefit of the younger generation and not a repetitive kind of work every second, minute hour and day after day for years. This is the reason why it’s important to invest in property and preferably to have 3 by the time we retire. A small one for own stay, a bigger one to sell and use the proceeds and a popular one to continue collecting rental. Basically, we could even sell all three and just leave the money in the bank for continuous FD interest on a monthly basis.

These days, instead of daily, weekly or monthly salary, the economists say we should look at living wage instead. In other words, the salary should be enough for us to also spend it on something beneficial to our lives like socialising and not just enough to buy us food and shelter. This should be the same case for the elderly. They have contributed to the society for such a long time that when it’s time for them to retire, they should be allowed to ONLY do things they love.

Let’s understand there’s a real difference with interest vs repetitive jobs (every minute, hour, day and years!) yeah. As a son, I would hate it if my parents have to continue doing repetitive work everyday when there are already old enough to just enjoy what they like to do!

This is why its important for all stakeholders, including the government to ensure the elderly has a quality life after they decide to retire. This is also why it’s important for everyone to have financial awareness because the truth is, savings is no longer enough. In fact, whether it’s EPF (Malaysia) or CPF (Singapore), it will not be enough to sustain our lifestyle before we stopped working. Main reason is because everyone is living longer. MUCH LONGER. By 2040, Singaporeans will live to over 85! In
1999, the life expectancy was just 77.6 years.
  Malaysia’s median life expectancy is 74 for men and 78 for women. If we retire at 56, the men needs to have money to last another 18 years (216 months!) and the women for 22 years (264 months)! Even if we need just RM3,000 per month, that’s an extra RM650k for men and RM800k for women! Okay, we can reduce this as a couple. 😛  Start thinking and start doing. Investing on a monthly basis helps too.
(Here’s one option which is low maintenance fee)
Regretting when the day arrive may be too late.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 or
Sign Up for free
 to get daily updates about the property market. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

written on 1 March 2019

Next suggested article:
How ready are we? How much do we have? Retiring without worry

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Are you FASHION enough? PSP En Vogue @ ICE Gallery, Pantai Sentral Park

I was invited to a fashion event this weekend called PSP En Vogue, a unique fashion and style event at the ICE Gallery at Pantai Sentral Park. Unfortunately I could not make it but since this is pretty interesting, you may want to take a look. Following would be the introduction of the event.

Meet
Fairuz Ramdan
, awarded Most Promising Designer of the Industry 2013 at the The Mercedes-Benz -Stylo F1 Fashion Grand Prix 2013 and Malaysian Official Designers’ Association (MODA);

Fern Chua
, founder of batik celebrating label FERN and winner of Fashion Pitch 2013 by MyCreative Ventures in Malaysia; and Xavier Mah and Alfred Hor from
XALF
, Malaysia’s luxury bespoke footwear label combining traditional craftsmanship with bohemian vibes and high-society aesthetics.

All designers will display their latest work and you will be able to chat to them in more detail about them, their labels and their career and get a glimpse of the latest fashion trends in Malaysia as well as buy pieces from their collections directly at the gallery.

Dive even deeper into the world of fashion by joining us for
Are you FASHION enough?
 at 2:30pm, a fashion talk with celebrity stylist and fashion critic
Zaihani Zain
 who will share her insights into her life and work as a true fashionista.

Date : 26 June 2016 (Sun)

Time : 2pm-4pm

Venue : ICE Gallery (No 2, Jalan Pantai Sentral 1, Pantai Sentral, 59200 Kuala Lumpur)

Dresscode : Smart Casual

Kindly confirm your attendance before 23rd June 2016 (Thursday) to

Xavier Mah – xavier@xaviermah.my
or

Pascal Kleine – pascal.kleine@xaviermah.my

03-2298 7200

Cheers.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


PTMP: Reclamation alone is RM7 – RM8 billion

Yes, RM7- 8 billion is the estimation given for the reclamation of the two islands measuring 3,400 acres. Read here for the plan earlier:
Penang is getting bigger, 3398 acres or even bigger?

 This is as per SRS consortium, the Gamuda Bhd-led project delivery partner for Penang Transport Master Plan (PTMP). It’s project manager said the reclamation is to finance the RM27 billion PTMP and is expected to take off in 2018 once all approvals have been obtained. Another 800-acre island was also identified for future reclamation in future based on the state’s needs. In fact, the next thing on the agenda is a detailed environmental impact assessments for the road and rail-based public transportation segments, reclamation, and also feasibility studies. This would cost between RM300 million to RM400 million and would be borne by the state. Nope, this amount is definitely not going to be paid with cash.

Gamuda Engineering Sdn Bhd’s executive director,
Szeto
 Wai Loong said that these two islands would have a total of 15 percent green space, 5km beach stretch, 25km coastal park, a 30 km-long waterfront, sheltered pedestrian walkways, and designated bicycle lanes. As for the currently popular lifestyle of a city within a city, these islands would also have MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) centre, sports arena, museum, and performing arts centre. Meanwhile, according to the Penang State Local Government, Traffic Management and Flood Mitigation committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow, the PTMP would be funded by the proposed sale of reclaimed lands currently known as the South Reclamation Scheme.

As informed in an earlier report, the new Penang International Airport would also be built there. This ensures more space for industry expansion and having rooms to connect Penang to the world via air. As per reported also, the PTMP includes a proposed light rail transit from Komtar to Bayan Lepas, monorail from Komtar to Air Itam and Tanjung Bungah, e-bus across the North Channel, bus rapid transits on the mainland, and a 20km “spine road” connecting Tanjung Bungah to Penang International Airport, and Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway with tunnels through the hills. These plans are sure to get objections somehow and I think the state government just have to continue to be as transparent and upfront as possible. Keep announcing more details please. Happy anticipating Penangites.

written on 2 Dec 2015

Next suggested article:
Penang: PTMP, new airport, catalyst till 2050

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Public Message: MCO Do and Don’ts.

From The Star yeah. Please follow closely.

Order Food lah.
Help the restaurants. This is not the time to keep cooking new recipes every day, every meal too.

Stay home lah.
 Reduce the possibility of getting infected and infecting people.

Do not bring your kids out please.
Cases involving children is low but they could still infect every one else if they are COVID-19 positive.

Do not sneak out and visit friends please.
 There is really no need to endanger yourself, your loved ones and your friends and their loved ones. We can keep saying why enforcement is not strict enough but WHY ARE YOU SNEAKING OUT?

Love news like this and more?
Sign up for daily investment news updates.
 Alternatively, Follow me on
 Telegram here
.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Sign up for KopiWeekly. (only once per week of property, finance, investment news and more)

Next suggested article:
Revenge travel after COVID-19. Would you?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Public Park in Battersea London, let’s take a stroll.

When I was in Perth few months ago, the thing I love most about the city are the parks. There were so many of them, there was one within every neighbourhood and most of them are clean and with a cooling temperature, it was amazingly relaxing. I saw something similar when I saw an article about the public park in Battersea project, London. Yes, this is definitely a Malaysian project in one of the property capitals of the world. It looks nice and I told my wife that should we visit London again, we should take a stroll. Not owning a unit there is okay, the public park is for all to share anyway.

The public park is due to open in phases from 2017. The designer is LDA Design. The size of the park is six acres and this is basically something which was committed to the public. It features a large event lawns, terraced river gardens and form a highly flexible, multi-programmable space for use throughout the year. (I would love to see what it can be used for during winter)  The 42-acre Battersea project site is being developed by a consortium comprising SP Setia Bhd, Sime Darby Bhd and Employees Provident Fund. Of course there has been many who has protested to the project as well. Some blaming the developers for building homes which are way too expensive for Londoners to buy. Read here:
Battersea: As usual, just blame the foreigners

I do not own a unit but I happen to know of one friend who has actually bought a unit in the first phase. I think when the time comes, I will somehow reconnect with the friend and perhaps visit him if we happens to be in London when I visit London again. Who knows there may be a cafe serving teh tarik there? I am quite sure it would be a great hit even though Londoners have their Earl Grey and Breakfast Tea….. Happy visiting when the time comes.

written on 11 June 2015

Next suggested article:
Eco World – London – RM11.9 Billion

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Publika Mall, Small enough and busy enough for me.

Within 4 weeks, today was my 4th visit to Publika Mall, Mont Kiara. Oh, of course I did not just visit one mall. Within the same period, I have also visited the following malls too. Berjaya Times Square, Pavillion Mall, AEON, AEON Big, Ipoh’s new Ipoh Parade and a few others too. You can see I love visiting malls because I think window shopping is good for the sights and mind. In my 4th visit today, I think I know why I like Publika Mall. It’s small enough and yet, it’s busy enough. Today, I visit,ed the smallish MPH book fair, the one row property showcase as well as the Ben’s Independent Grocer (BIG) supermarket. The MPH book fair was just not big enough, the one row property showcase was not comprehensive enough and the BIG supermarket had everything under the sky, especially the more premium items. I also like the many cafes within BIG too.

Ok, so, the MPH fair was too small but it allowed me to also browse Ace Hardware which was good. The one row property show showed me that my understanding about the property market is still true, it’s really slow. First of all, not sure if it is due to Sunday but the developers’ staffs were all chit-chatting with each other and more than half of the projects I have seen before. One of it, even my wife has seen before. She asked, ‘did we see this in a Penang property fair over 1 year ago?’ I said YES. Haha. Then, it was the month of September and San Francisco had a buy one free one promo. Okay, I seldom go San Francisco. I feel their coffee is equivalent to Starbucks but below Coffee Bean. Thus, it’s still Starbucks for me. Today, however, it was RM10 for one vanilla latte and one BIG cup of Hot Vanilla. With the nice air-conditioned cafe environment, my wife and baby likes it too.

So, yes, this has now become a new favourite for me ever since a close friend asked me to meet her there for a cup of coffee. From my home in Damansara Damai, it took me less than 15 minutes to arrive. Parking is also very affordable. Rm2 for 3 hours. I just paid RM8 the other day for Pavillion and I was there only for about the same duration. Sorry, I did not enjoy Pavillion as much. Perhaps I am just not rich enough for the branded stuffs. Oh yeah, the Penang Yam Rice in the food court is as close to the one in Penang that I like. In fact I think it’s just like it. RM10.50 per set and I told my wife, if we were to eat in Penang, it’s almost the same price because in Penang, the egg and the taufu is ala-carte basis. Here, it is part of the set.

Before I moved to my current place, I go Paradigm mall at least once per week. These days, it’s Publika and yes, I would be back again next week. There is a Luxury Property Fair. Who cares whether I can afford or not, I just want to take a look. Oh yeah, today, when I stopped by a booth where there were landed properties which was expensive and condo which was cheaper, the sales immediately told me about the condos. Haha. Ok, I think she was accurate in her assessment but I will be there again, soon.

Oh yeah, I do love the properties in the vicinity and the roads too. I think its neat and well designed. To those who are staying in this area, congratulations if you bought it early. For those who bought later after it appreciated, I salute you as you are capable enough to do so. 🙂

written on 7th Sept 2014

Next suggested article:
Setia City Mall, a mall I like, more than Paradigm Mall.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Puchong’s CBD, Five (5) LRT stations within minutes away and Mah Sing.

My relative would be happy. My wife’s best friend would be happy. In fact many people would be happy because they like Puchong. Mah Sing is planning for a RM9.3 Billion project there. it would be an integrated development is Mah Sing’s largest integrated mixed development in Malaysia. Total size is pretty huge, 35.9ha (3.9 million sf) in Puchong’s Central Business District (CBD). Another 69ha right next to the 35.9ha would be under a ‘first right of refusal’. In other words, Mah Sing will be able to buy first and if other buyers would like to buy, Mah Sing has to agree first. The land belongs to Huges Development Snd Bhd. The product to be built would be one for the mass market of youngsters and upgraders who wanted to stay within the CBD area. In fact the area is surrounded by FIVE (5) LRT stations within a 2km radius once the current LRT extension project is completed in 2016. Land is leasehold and is just south of Sunway City and has IOI Mall, Tesco and Giant hypermarkets as well as the latest Setia Walk. As usual, Puchong is already considered a matured neighbourhood and high population density.

I like IOI Mall, especially the MNG for men inside it. Personally however, I have always felt that Puchong is very ‘packed’ and due to the many different developers, it meant that the developments are not an integrated one. You build what you want and I build what I want. However, I like integrated developments, especially one by an established developer. I think if it can work, it has to be helmed by bigger developers with deeper pockets. I think that’s the reason why Huges Development is selling the land to Mah Sing instead of developing it by themselves. Look at the successful projects and you would notice that these days, without an integrated approach, it would not be attractive to home buyers of today. Everyone wanted to have everything as nearby as possible and not jam all the way just to reach the nearest malls or have a cup of latte with friends.

Since my relatives likes Puchong and my wife’s best friend is buying Puchong, I think I will go take a look once a firm plan is up from Mah Sing and open to public. They say, for investment, never do it without understanding the full picture. My first choice would always be the Sungai Buloh and nearby (less than 5 minutes) area because this is where I feel is still just starting to grow. However, this may still potentially take many years. Oh yeah, if you like established neighbourhoods and more matured neighbourhood and also a feeling that the shop lots are also cleaner and more livelier, Puchong is definitely much better than Damansara Damai. There’s just no comparison. Go take a look next year I think. This year might be too soon for anything to be done even if it is Mah Sing.

written on 30th Aug 2014

Next suggested article:
5 Reasons why I like Kelana Puteri, today.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Let’s fly to Pulau Pangkor (duty-free island)

In case you did not know, Pulau Pangkor is also having duty-free status now. It’s effective since 1st January 2020. Yes, it’s now possible to buy all the liquor you like just like how we have been doing when we go to Pulau Langkawi previously. Usually people would drive there but some may say the journey is just too long?

One needs to drive over 3 hours to arrive at the Marina Island jetty where you could then take the ferry to Pulau Pangkor. So, this has been one reason why many may not think of Pulau Pangkor as the first choice and may prefer to fly to Langkawi instead. Me too, even if I am Perakian from Ipoh and I have a condo in Manjung.

There is now another way yeah. Fly to Pulau Pangkor from Subang Airport. News below.

Article in nst.com.my
   Pulau Pangkor’s short takeoff and landing port (STOLports) today welcomed the inaugural flight KI6357 by SKS Airways from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport or Subang Airport. It was witnessed by the Perak chief minister Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad and Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) chairman Datuk Seri DiRaja Dr Zambry Abd Kadir (former Menteri Besar of Perak)

MAHB said that the DAILY flight between Subang Airport and Pulau Pangkor would start from January 26, 2022, onwards, using the DHC6-Twin-Otter aircraft, which can accommodate up to 19 passengers on board.

Zambry said, “Islands in Malaysia are already renowned for their natural tourist attractions, and the tourism demand for them is strong. The start of commercial flight operations will provide the necessary connectivity to attract more international tourists to the island.” Do read the article in full here:
Article in nst.com.my

19 passengers ONLY?

Yes, it’s just 19 passengers but if this is FULL every flight, of course the number of flights will increase. There’s really no need to rush things. By the way, 19 passenger staying a few nights would mean that by the 3rd night, there are already 57 tourists in Pulau Pangkor. If each spends just RM500, that’s still RM28,500 into Pulau Pangkor yeah. That’s why all these must start and not wait.

Do make Pulau Pangkor another destination for you yeah. Thank you on behalf of Perak. 🙂

Property News Malaysia?
Sign up for daily investment news updates (FREE since Nov 2013 and FOREVER).
 Alternatively, Follow me on
 Telegram here
.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
3 Timing when it comes to property investment

Header Image Source:
https://pangkorislandtourism.com/shops/

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Punish anyone who ‘fakes’ their vaccination certificate and those who sold them too

I repeat this.  Anyone can have their RIGHT not to get vaccinated. However it is MY RIGHT to only dine-in and shop at places where only the unvaccinated are allowed entry.  So, please be reminded of your right which should NOT be more important than my right. Based on examples from most countries with high vaccinations numbers, I am RIGHT and you (the ones who refuse to be vaccinated) are not.

Authorities MUST be strict

If anyone DARES to buy this fake certificate and anyone DARES to sell, please punish both sides and put a stop to this right from the beginning. No point in advise, advise and advise now. In fact enough reminders, enough medias have reported and in fact these unvaccinated people knows, else why are they trying to buy the certificate? The lives of many Malaysians are at stake.

The below is a very good image from
 TheStar.com.my on this vaccinate certificates.

Image source:
thestar.com.my

Yes, I would like to enjoy a latte in a cafe but maybe next week

It has been a long time since I last visited my favourite cafe(s). So long until I could not remember when was the date. At the moment, I do not yet feel comfortable to dine-in but next week, if there’s an opportunity, I would like to have a latte in a cafe. I do hope that cafe WILL CHECK my Vaccination Certificate thoroughly and properly. Thank you everyone for keeping Malaysia safe. Everyone of us need to play a part too.

Love news like this and more?
Sign up for daily investment news updates.
 Alternatively, Follow me on
 Telegram here
.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Sign up for KopiWeekly. (only once per week of property, finance, investment news and more)

Next suggested article:
92% of infected were not vaccinated

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


230 purchasers owed RM38 million and future guaranteed rentals.

Another case of buyers ‘losing’ money in their investments. This happened in Kota Kinabalu but could have happened anywhere in Peninsular Malaysia. A developer who developed and managed a mall did not pay the rentals to the buyers who bought the units on a leaseback basis. The mall is Oceanus, located in a good location along the scenic waterfront in Kota Kinabalu. Remember, there are an estimated number of
over 190 malls within Greater Kuala Lumpur alone by 2021
  As per reported
in propertyhunter.com.my

there are more than 230 purchasers of Kota Kinabalu who are owed rentals amounting up to RM38 million as well as future guaranteed rentals. This group of buyers have engaged a team of lawyers to represent them for the recovery of the outstanding.

According to the article, Sunsea Development is the developer of the Kota Kinabalu Waterfront Project, comprising of Phase 1; Oceanus Mall, the Marriot Hotel and Pelagos Designer Suites and Phase 2; UNCHR Market – which is yet to be launched – in a joint venture with DBKK Holdings Sdn Bhd, who is the owner of the land. The commercial units in Oceanus Mall were sold on a leaseback basis wherein Sunsea Pavilion Sdn Bhd entered into tenancy agreements with the purchasers. To date, the developer owes purchasers a staggering RM38,787,344.74 in unpaid rental as of 31 December 2017. The buyers call themselves the Oceanus 5.0 and is represented by Datuk CK Tan. The group’s objective is to reach out to political leaders to find solutions to the issue, including the recovery of investors’ money and future rentals.

Tan shared the facts of the case. “In 2016 we met with Datuk Mayor and briefed him on the late rental payment. We emphasised that Phase 2 of the Project (UNCHR Market) should not be assigned or even commence without settling all the outstanding rental payment for Phase 1 purchasers.” However sometime late in 2017 or early 2018, the group believed that DBKK gave its consent to Sunsea Development to assign Phase 2 of the development to one Sunsea Development (Sinsuran) Sdn Bhd, a company of which Sunsea Development Sdn Bhd is a shareholder. It was also learned that soon after the assignment of Phase 2, Sunsea Development Sdn Bhd was wound up by the High Court of Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur. According to Property Hunter, Sunsea Development Sdn Bhd was unreachable to comment at the time while the management of Oceanus was also unavailable at the time of reporting. Property Hunter will continue to make contact and keep you up to date on this matter as it develops.
Please refer to the full article here.

It’s important to understand that regardless of the location, the management of the mall is extremely important. There are many good names in mall management. It is also important that the local authorities play a more pro-active part because if they did not, then it’s much easier for developers to shirk from their responsibilities. As for buyers, it’s important for all of us to understand what we are buying. A mall must be extremely popular for the retail lots to be earning lots of money and the cycle should be okay. In this case, the location is the main attraction. I have been there just two months ago and the view is nice. In the future though, there is no guarantee that the mall would continue to be popular if there are too many malls being opened in the vicinity yeah. It’s always a risk that everyone needs to be aware of. Happy following this news report by Property Hunter.

written on 19 May 2018

Next suggested article:

Q3 recovery for Sabah property. Launching value lowest since 2013

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Purchasing power dropped 16.7% over a decade.

Purchasing power dropped.

Many people say “money is getting smaller.” What they meant is that for the same amount of money, we could buy fewer things. Or for the same amount of money, the size of the things we buy has also gotten smaller. Well, in one word, this is inflation. My mother told me she used to pay just 10 sen for a bowl of laksa. WOW. Haha. By the way, if we think this happens only in Malaysia, please do ask the older Singaporeans of Australians what was the price of food when they were younger versus today. They would share a similar story yeah. Just look at the house prices for a club if you like to know more. As for our purchasing power in general, here’s one latest report.

My comments are in purple.

Article in themalaysianreserve.com
  Department of Statistics Malaysia (DoSM) Chief statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin shared that on average Malaysia’s purchasing power had declined 16.7%.
(This meant that the value of money is smaller)
 However, our purchasing power is higher for communication and clothing and footwear. In other words, communication and clothing and footwear are cheaper today versus 10 years ago.
(As someone who owns over 30 pairs of shoes, I can safely say I agree. My shoes are cheaper nowadays versus long time ago. Today, there’s a lot more bigger discounts)

However, we lost a lot of purchasing power in these items: “Meanwhile, the alcoholic beverages and tobacco group recorded the highest decrease in purchasing power by 40.6%, followed by the food and beverages (F&B) (25.8%) and restaurants and hotels (24.5%).”

Sorry to those who loves to drink alcohol and smoke cigarettes. It’s so much more expensive for you. This is the same as food… and hotels…
 Do read this full article here:
Article in themalaysianreserve.com

Staying focus on being ahead of inflation is key

If inflation is 3.5% per year and our salary is increasing by 5% per year, I think we are almost doing okay. However, the focus must be on how to earn a higher income every year because only then would we be better off versus 10 years ago. Investment is one such way. Learn to invest into stocks. Start with property investment with our own home. When our investment returns are higher than inflation, we can be sure that we are not worried with all these reports about lower purchasing power. As for what we could focus on, well here are some steps:
It is in this order: salary – savings – invest. Which stage are you in now?

At the same time, read kopiandproperty.com for lots of tips and information about investment and property news too because we are not affiliated to any property developer, real estate agency (we do not even have REN tag) and we do not sell any courses too. Thank you for sharing and reading.

Love to be updated of investment news?
Sign up for KopiWeekly. (once per week for property, finance, investment news and more)

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
Why so many people buy used car?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Waterfront with view of Singapore, interested?

RM880 psf is not considered exceptionally high if it is nearby KLCC. However, mention Iskandar and everyone would look at you disbelievingly. RM880 psf, today? Are you out of your mind? There are way too many condos there already. Furthermore this is a luxuriuous one, who would be staying there? Why not buy in Singapore instead? Even Sentosa’s prices has come down a lot from its high few years ago. Well, Sentosa prices are still way above what is considered affordable today. A new waterfront project called Southern marina Residences in Puteri Harbour seems to be doing good enough under current circumstances.

Total number of units for the two tower blocks is 456 and according to PPB Group Bhd’s managing director, 50% were already taken up with 80% Malaysian buyers, 20% Singaporeans, mainland Chinese and Hong Kongers. In fact they are not waiting and has already started work on the two blocks which would be completed by 2018. Just three years away. Looking at the current negative sentiment, 50% take-up rate is considered healthy and if they can continue to sell slowly during the construction period and can reaches 70% perhaps next year, then it’s a home run already.

Why are some developments continue to do well even during slowdowns? Don’t believe? Just look some of the branded ones, especially in the hotspots? E&O in Penang. Desa Parkcity in KL. Answer is also because of location. If the location is indeed very attractive and it’s not easily available in future, the project will continue to sell IF the prices are deemed to be acceptable. My good friend was so ecstatic to be able to get a newly launched unit for RM700 psf. I did not tell her that I would prefer to get a secondary one for rental instead. Those who can still buy during negative times are definitely ‘stronger’ ones and not many would dare to flip during such times.

A branded developer helps tremendously, especially when the project is a huge mixed development and the current phase being sold is Phase 1. Come on, it’s better to buy Phase 1 compared to the final phase if everything happens according to plan. It meant Phase 1 buyers would earn the continuous appreciation with subsequent launches. This is unless the subsequent phases all fail, then everyone suffers, not just the first batch buyers. For most of the really big brands, if they have a total gross development value (GDV) of RM10 billion throughout Malaysia, it will not be running away from a RM500 million GDV project.

I have no interest to buy that seafront property overlooking Singapore even if I can afford. It’s just not me at all. Looking at Singapore everyday? Haha. Same reasoning as my rejection of buying a condo just so that I can look at Petronas Twin Towers everyday. I was not even willing to pay RM8,000 extra for swimming pool view when I bought my first condo! Haha. Do not worry, I am not considered majority. Many would always love the awesome feeling of having a spectacular view and the praises from friends who come visiting. Happy buying whatever you desire.

written on 29 June 2015

next suggested article:
Malaysia – Singapore. Not just one new bridge. Few bridges please.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Sunway wins 2 gold and 1 Bronze at Putra Brand Awards 2018

Press Release:
SUNWAY WINS 2 GOLD AND 1 BRONZE AT PUTRA BRAND AWARD 2018 FOR PROPERTY, EDUCATION AND ENTERTAINMENT

Sunway scores hat-trick for the second time in 2018; Group previously named Best Employers in Aon Best Employers Award 2018

Kuala Lumpur, 28 October
– It was an extraordinary year for Sunway Group (Sunway) as it scored its second hat-trick at the Putra Brand Awards 2018 held at the Majestic KL last Friday.

Sunway Property and Sunway University won Gold for the Award’s property and education categories respectively while Sunway Lagoon took home Bronze in the entertainment category.

Earlier in September, Sunway also bagged three wins at the Aon Best Employers Awards with Sunway Building Materials Group, Sunway Hotel Georgetown and Sunway Shared Services.

The Putra Brand Awards is one of the most prestigious brand recognitions in the country and is deemed as the closest reflection of consumer brand affinity. This year, the awards celebrated its largest brand research sample, conducting more than 7,000 interviews through an
advanced global online research methodology.

Sunway Group Deputy Chairman, Tan Sri Datuk Seri Razman Hashim said, “We are very delighted to know that consumers out there voted for our brand. We are very thankful for the confidence and trust of the public as well as our dedicated 16,000 team who had contributed greatly in making Sunway the reputable brand it is today.”

Putra Brand Awards is organised by the Association of Accredited Advertising Agents Malaysia (4As) and it is the only award in Malaysia endorsed by the Malaysian External Trade Development Corp (MATRADE), and is supported by the  Malaysian Advertisers Association (MAA) and the Media Specialists Association (MSA) and the Malaysian Digital Association.

Malaysia’s Award-Winning Brands

Sunway Education Group
Director for Branding & Corporate Communications, Patrick Joseph McVeigh, received the award on behalf of Sunway Education Group;

Sunway Berhad Deputy Managing Director of Property Development Division, Malaysia, Lum Tuck Ming received the award on behalf of Sunway Property; while General Manager of Sunway Lagoon Sean Choo received the award on behalf of Sunway Lagoon.

Sunway Property
 has built, and now owns and operates the award-winning townships and developments of Sunway City, Sunway City Ipoh, Sunway Iskandar, Sunway Damansara, Sunway Velocity and is currently building Sunway Valley City in Penang. The “master community developer”
is one of the most well-reputed developers in Malaysia having won multiple
Federation Internationale des Administrateurs de Bien-Conselis Immobiliers (FIABCI) awards and has been recognised by the Building and Construction Authority Singapore and Green Building Index for its sustainable practices. Sunway Property has been awarded in the Putra Brand Awards for seven consecutive years.

Sunway University
 is a leading university, and is owned and governed by the largest social enterprise for education in Malaysia, the not-for-profit Jeffrey Cheah Foundation. The education institute has consistently achieved an excellent rating (Tier 5) in the Malaysian Qualifications Agency (MQA) Rating System for Institutions of Higher Learning (SETARA) in 2009, 2011 and 2013. Sunway University has been ranked five-star by QS World and No.1 in Asia for the categories of teaching, employability and facilities. This year is the fourth time Sunway Education Group is recognised at the Putra Brand Awards.

Sunway Lagoon
 is a world-class attraction which has Asia’s 1
st
 Nickelodeon-themed land, water park, amusement park, wildlife park, extreme park and scream park. The Asia’s Best Attraction also ranked 13th in the list of the world’s top 20 waterparks worldwide by AECOM in association with the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA). Recently, the theme park also garnered the Going Places Reader’s Choice Awards 2017 in the Best Theme Park category; The BrandLaureate Award in the Nation Branding Awards 2017 – 2018 and the Reader’s Digest Trusted Brand Award 2018 in the Theme Park / Family Attraction category. Sunway Lagoon was also honoured with the Ctrip China Traveler’s Top Spot 2017 Awards as the Most Family-Friendly Overseas Scenic Spot. Sunway Lagoon has been recognised in Putra Brand Awards since 2014.

— end of press release —

Next suggested article:
Profit after tax and minority interest is up for Sunway

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Putrajaya monorail? Feasibility study?

Most of my friends have never been to Putrajaya for a ‘vacation.’ I say vacation because
Putrajaya is like a city which is faraway
 and everyone believe there are other more exciting places. Perhaps they are right but there are certainly lots to see and do there. Some of the stuffs? Here:
Things to do in Putrajaya.
 My general manager cycles there with his family once every few weeks. Recently, he did more than 15km because he was also playing Pokemon Go with his daughter. He said, it’s just so relaxing and the roads are friendlier to cyclists compared to his home in Cheras. Think about Cheras, the roads, the cars and cycling? Too risky, right.

Beyond just those relaxing activities, where public transportation is concerned, an article in
freemalaysiatoday.com
 piqued my interest. It said that MMC Corporation Berhad (MMC) has submitted a proposal to the Economic Council (EC) to revive the Putrajaya Monorail project which had ‘died’ in 2014. Potentially, it can be completed by 2021, just in time to complement the completion of MRT 2 (Sg Buloh-Putrajaya). The deciding agency?
Economic Planning Unit
 and other agencies. This was also mentioned, “For a start, the monorail station at Putrajaya Sentral will integrate with the first station of MRT 2, with seamless connection via an 84m skybridge.”

Before anyone with Putrajaya properties shout to the world about the potential capital appreciation, do note that Monorail wise, it’s normally within Putrajaya itself. The connectivity from Putrajaya to other areas and even to
KL city centre would have to be via the MRT line.

However, with monorail, it also meant that the Putrajaya MRT station would have more feeder connections and thus it will be much more busier and more connected to areas further away from the MRT station. I support any new developments for public transport as long as it is an initiative which can pay for itself or used by a huge number of people. Else, let’s focus on cheaper ways to connect people to stations. For example, on-time and high frequency feeder buses. (with air-con please).  Happy ‘vacationing’ in Putrajaya. I wonder when’s my next trip. I think end Nov is possible.

written on 27 Sept 2016

Next suggested article:
MRT Line 2, Sungai Buloh – Serdang – Putrajaya (SSP) updates

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Q1 2014 – 6.2% – Domestic demand plus net exports

It was an extremely healthy growth by any standard. 6.2% for Q1 2014 for Malaysia. In fact, the consensus by a poll of 22 economists by Bloomberg showed the expectation to be 5.7%. In the last quarter of 2013, the growth was 5.1%. Bank Negara governor, Tan Sri Zeti Aziz said that the first quarter growth was ‘exceptional and very encouraging’ For the year of 2014, Bank Negara expects Malaysia’s economy to grow between 4.5 – 5.5%. This growth is due to recovery in trade sector as well as a resilient domestic demand and thus the investment activities remained robust.

For Q1, private consumption growth is strong, at 7.1%, supported by stable employment conditions and continued wage growth while private investments grew a robust 14.1%. However, there is a contraction in public-sector investment. Services sector went up 6.6% while manufacturing sector grew 6.8% due to the strong performance in export. As expected, construction grew 18.9% due to the residential sub sector. it’s not easy to find contractors these days. Just ask any smaller developers and you would know.

Though transactions continue to decrease, when we look at encouraging numbers such as these, it means that demand is going to be strong moving forward and current slowdown is almost certainly due to uncertainty and the way too high prices in some areas. Look at any projects which are priced below RM500,000 and happen to be in an area deemend acceptable, it will be sold out. Latest one being Midfields 2 which is said to be in an area which is 8 minutes away from mid Valley but only during NON-PEAK hours. Anyway, I think majority of all areas in KL  are like that, so it’s not something unusual.

written on 18 May 2014

Next suggested article:
Klang Valley office supply is still considered ok – C H Williams Talhar & Wong

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Q1 Property Market Malaysia: Negative or Positive?

Malaysia’s Q1 Property snapshot. What’s up and down? What’s bad and good?

Hot from the oven yeah. Perhaps we start with the not so great news first? The 5 states with the highest number of residential overhang is as below. In (bracket) would be the total residential units sold in Q1 2020.

Johor leads, followed by Perak. While Selangor and Kuala Lumpur is next, the situation is different.  Need a bit of good news?

#1: Johor – 5,468 units (813 units)

#2: Perak – 4,919 units (5,344 units)

#3: Selangor – 4,844 units (11,202 units)

#4: Penang – 3,043 units (2,748 units)

#5: Kuala Lumpur – 2,586 units (2,421 units)

Look closely to understand why I added in the total residential units sold within the same quarter yeah. For example, Selangor has a total overhang units of 4,844 as at Q1 2020 BUT every quarter, total transacted units was more than 2 times the current overhang. Briefly, if the overhang properties were made more attractive, it could be quickly sold… So, I leave it to you to guess why some of these units remain under the overhang category yeah.

Kuala Lumpur residential overhang numbers is meanwhile almost the same as total transacted which meant that if we annualise the total transactions using the same number, then total transacted units are 4 times higher than the overhang number. This is why every time someone talks about how bad the overhang situation is, I tell them it’s best to understand the numbers based on states instead.

Let’s now look into the SUPPLY side (below image). Specifically, look under Residential. Overhang numbers are dropping by close to 10%. This is good news. The Unsold Under Construction is down by 12.4%.  In other words, after some units are completed, there are fewer additions into this category. This is positive to help in changing the negative sentiment about overhang. However, it’s not necessarily a good news yeah. Especially if market suddenly turns around and there’s not enough supply.

Moving further, if we look at unsold but not constructed, this is also showing a significant downtrend. It has dropped by 17%. Again this may seem like a good news for the market since this meant that as long as the current overhang continues to decline, the actual overhang number will continue to decline. Supply has slowed significantly… If you are thinking of property investment, perhaps best to start viewing units yeah.

Image source:
http://napic.jpph.gov.my/portal

Happy understanding that
sentiment is due to the market. (earlier article about sentiment here)
Current negative sentiment is because of a high overhang number. Meanwhile below market value properties could only be found by doing research and due diligence. Cheers.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 or
Sign Up for free
 to get daily updates about the property market. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
Too early to know if property prices would be falling

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Q3 2018 – Malaysia’s new tallest building opens for business. :)

Do you believe that tall commercial buildings are usually completed when an economic downturn is coming? Personally, I do not believe such a prediction or study. I only believe that sometimes, it’s just plain unlucky that the tallest building was completed during an onset of a economic downturn. However, as long as the builder has some financial reserves to keep up its maintenance, guess which building will be the fastest to enjoy the growth when the economy starts booming again. However this tallest buildings versus a downturn is quite a famous thought and there’s even a name for it. ‘Skyscraper Index.’
Read a brief about in in Wikipedia.
As for the direction of the
Malaysian economy, here’s one recent article.

The report came from three different international rating agencies which by the way, happened to be the only most famous three in the world today.

Now for the most awesome news perhaps?
Petronas Twin Tower will STILL be the TALLEST TWIN TOWERs
 in the world but it will be surpassed as the tallest building in Malaysia by The Exchange 106. This new commercial building is set within the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) which is also the new International Financial District in the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur. In fact, as it stands today, it is already 450 metres and this is only 2 metres away from taking over the title of tallest building in Malaysia from Petronas Twin Towers. The super tall Exchange 106 is owned and developed by Mulia Property Development Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the renowned Mulia Group of Indonesia.
It is Indonesia’s largest commercial property developer.
 It has close to three million sq ft lettable area and is the group’s maiden project in Malaysia.

The Exchange 106’s construction is on track to be completed by the second quarter of 2018, with tenants expected to move in by the third quarter of 2018. Total floors would be 106 and 8 basement levels.  The overall height is 492.3 metres and it will be tallest in South East Asia and will be top 15 tallest in the world. Beyond just its height, it will have Green Building Index (GBI) certification and MSC status. It will also offer some of the latest in-building technology including high performance insulated glass, energy efficient MEP systems with Star rating, 100 per cent LED lighting and state-of-the-art lift technologies. Mulia Group did not disclose any percentage but said that it has already secured leases of substantial spaces.
Do read more about all their other exceptional features yeah.
Happy following.

written on 21 Dec 2017

Next suggested article:
Bandar Malaysia: Only Fortune 500 companies need apply (need not be from the U.S.)

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Q3 Higher profits (marginally) for IJM Corp – property and infrastructure

Is the property market in a crisis? Common question from many. Besides looking
at the banks’ set of results (earlier article here)
we could also look at the results from listed property developers. For the developers which are not listed, it’s hard to gauge but most of the prominent developers are listed. When the market slows so much and no one buys, it’s reflected in their results. By the way, transactions did not slow starting from 2018. It has been slowing down since end 2012. 😛  Generally, the listed developers have been reporting a positive set of numbers. Not super profits but no super losses too. Here’s one latest one for IJM Corp Berhad.

Article in TheMalaysianReserve
 IJM Corp Bhd’s net profit for 3Q18 was RM93.42 million which was higher than the RM93.39 million posted a year ago, boosted by property and infrastructure development. For nine months, IJM’s profit was 45.8% lower from RM328.79 million over the same duration from the previous year. A decline was also seen in overall revenue by 7.6% yearly from RM4.61 billion. The group said its current financial year is expected to be taxing and because of issues such as affordability, property overhang, rising costs of living and tight financial agreements, the local property will continue to be challenging. Given the tough operation environment domestically and overseas, IJM is expecting lower performances from both its industry and plantation divisions.
Article in TheMalaysianReserve
 for reference.

If we want to know if the property market is in a crisis, do not ask anyone. Different people will give us different answers and most of the time, biased towards what they intend to achieve. Looking at audited results meanwhile allows us to make our own conclusions. We can be biased too of course. All listed companies must release their results on a quarterly basis. For the banks, look at their earnings as well as the Non-Performing Loan (NPL). If profits are great but NPLs are on the way up, we could already see the market turning for the worse; people and businesses are defaulting on their loans for example. Another way to keep track is to keep following kopiandproperty.com too. 😛 Happy believing!

LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 or
Sign Up for free
 to get daily updates about the property market.

News article summarised by Dina Batrisyia. Article written and edited by Charles.

Article written on 28 Feb 2019

Next suggested article:
Property investment: My A.I. is better than your A.I

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Q3 recovery for Sabah property market. Launching value lowest since 2013

According to SHAREDA’s President Mr Chew Sang Hai, the value of new property project launches in 2017 reached its lowest record since 2013. There was a total of only RM1.5 billion launches in 2018. Reasons include developers encountering difficulty in sourcing for business finances and seek for alternative end financing for property buyers. He is however a confident man. He said, “We are confident that the market would recover in the 3rd quarter of 2018 due to better economy parameter and the aftermath of the General Election would also stabilize the confidence in the market.”
Full report in propertyhunter.com.my here.
In 2016, total new launches amounted to RM2.96 billion while in 2012 it was RM7 billion which was the highest ever. He shared that even the RM1.5 billion in 2017 was because of Sinaland’s Elemen and Hap Seng Properties’ Kingfisher Inanam and Putatan.

A positive note may be that 80 percent of the launches are below RM400,000. Market forces at work here and developers have to follow. (When we look at even the Greater KL property market, something similar is also happening. Developers are all pushing towards the affordable segment) Chew also shared “Property investment is a medium type of business. People would not be encouraged to buy or invest in times of uncertainty – in this case, before the election. We will definitely see a positive grow after the election.” He also shared that when there are more property launches, people may gain higher confidence. It is expected that the property market would remain stagnant and anticipates to recover in the second half of 2018 due to several factors from palm oil, oil and gas and tourism industries and the infrastructure developments in the State.

Many Malaysian friends (Peninsular ones) have NEVER visited Sabah. I visit Sabah nothing less than once every quarter. My recent visit was during the Chinese New Year and my next visit is in May 2018. It has world class diving sites, superb beaches, you can climb
the EASY Mount Kinabalu and

it has a capital city called Kota Kinabalu with an airport which is BUSIER than even Penang International Airport. (Many people do not know this until today). Oh yeah, even the Chinese (China) loves it too for many reasons.
Here’s one latest article about them.
Taking a long term view meant that Sabah or at least Kota Kinabalu as a start is a must visit place for property investment. I regard Kota Kinabalu as one of the primary property market in Malaysia and this meant that it is on the same level as Greater KL, Iskandar JB and Penang. Happy travelling first and investing later.

written on 21 March 2018

Next suggested article:

KKIA too popular. Expand, definitely. New site, my wish personally

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Q4 2015: Good FDI performance to continue

Reported in Business Times. From January 2015 to September 2015, total Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) into Malaysia is actually higher than the same period in 2014. (YES, this is despite the Ringgit kept depreciating while the economy is still chugging along). The FDI was up by over 5.8 percent FDI inflows rose by more than 5.8 per cent to RM27 billion, compared with RM25.6 billion in the corresponding period last year. Q4 would show a promising end to 2015 as there are currently a total of 140 proposals for manufacturing projects and 87 proposals for services projects with an estimated total of RM14.2 billion. Of course, not all of these would materialise but I think it’s clear that Malaysia remains an attractive destination for many overseas investors. Perhaps the current Ringgit’s value is an extra incentive too.

Actually, Malaysia is doing well via-a-vis there countries. We are still competitive. read here:
Sweet 18 is definitely a good ranking against the world

The two most important sectors that everyone should pay attention to is manufacturing and services. Sorry, nothing to do with politics or even one company which is famous for all reasons. Read here:

Malaysia economy? Always watch ‘Services’ and ‘Manufacturing’

Where FDI is concerned, the manufacturing sector received the largest amount of FDI in the January-September period this year at RM11.2 billion, or 41.4 per cent, of the total FDI. Yes, this should allay some of the fears that manufacturing in Malaysia is no longer competitive and that everyone is shifting to China which is totally untrue. Read here:
Osram and the massive RM4.67 Billion Kulim investment

The few states where the most approved investments went to include Johor, Sarawak, Malacca, Selangor and Penang. These states received 76.6 percent of all the projects. The FDIs for 2015 thus far came from Hong Kong, Japan, the United States, Singapore and China.

If we are thinking of property investments, it pays to also understand if our country is still growing forward or backwards. It would be better if we are also able to pinpoint some states and then read more about them. As usual, if we fail to notice the opportunities within, it’s definitely okay if we were able to identify good opportunities elsewhere. Just remember to take actions because majority of the people I know would always tell me how and where to invest but is still adopting a wait-and-see attitude all these while. Any manufacturing investment takes time to materialise as even the decision itself would have taken much longer than few months to decide. The building of the plant would take another few years. This is where opportunities are. Just do not wait until the plant is completed and people have started working there that we said, ‘Oh no, I should have bought the properties nearby earlier.’ Happy reading and investing.

written on 18 Nov 2015

Next suggested article:
Honestly, what is job security today?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Press Release by Green Venture Capital – Qi City Construction Kicks Off

Press Release by Green Venture Capital for
Qi City in Bandar Meru, Ipoh, Perak.

PETALING JAYA, 1
st
 February 2017:
 Green Venture Capital (GVC) has commenced work on the Qi City development undertaken in Bandar Meru Raya, near Ipoh. The RM1.2 billion project, spread across 26 acres, is a mixed residential and commercial edu-city development and the first-of-its-kind fully integrated education hub in the country.

The Qi City ground breaking ceremony last year was officiated by the Menteri Besar of Perak, Y.A.B. Dato’ Seri DiRaja Dr. Zambry bin Abdul Kadir, Executive Chairman of QI Group, Dato’ Sri Vijay Eswaran, the Chairman of GVC, Tan Sri Megat Najmuddin Megat Khas and Chairman of the Board of China Energy Hua Ren Industrial Investment Co Ltd, Mr. Wang Wei in September. The project is expected to be completed within three years.

GVC, a subsidiary of Wawasan QI Properties (WQIP), has appointed China Energy Hua Ren Industrial Investment Co Ltd, a China based entity, as the turnkey contractor of this mixed development project.

Touted to be a much sought-after property in Perak’s only master plan township, Qi City will comprise an 840-bedded teaching hospital, three condominium blocks with a total of 768 units, a lifestyle mall, a convention centre to cater for up to 1,500 people and 460 units of hotel suites, and the Quest International University Perak (QIUP) campus which is a subsidiary of WQIP.

WQIP was incorporated in 2006 and has since been managing the QI Group’s property investment activities in Malaysia and abroad. Currently, the Group’s portfolio features five hotels and two resorts, including Prana Beach villas, Prana Resort Nandana, and Patong Beach Resort suites in Thailand, the Asia Leisure Hotel in Sri Lanka, and the Dogan Hotel in Turkey. It also has 167 acres of beach-front land for development in Kuala Rompin, Pahang.

“Buying a property from us means buying into a unique product-mix based on market demand. We have managed and built high-quality hotel, resorts, and other property including the design and renovation works of our very own QI Tower in PJ8. Today, we are making another milestone with Qi City, building a contemporary, innovative and environmentally sustainable development,” said Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of WQIP, Chandragesan Suppiah.  “Qi City is an exclusive development with its lifestyle mall serving about 8,000 to 10,000 people daily, comprising of staff members of the hospital, university students, as well as hospital patients and visitors. This will also undoubtedly create a demand for the condo units there,” added Chandragesan.

The three blocks of 25-storey (including two levels of parking) condominiums will offer 768 units for sale. Their built-ups will range from 780 to 1,338 sq ft while the 18 penthouses will be around 2,121 sq ft in size.

“Upon completion of the condominiums and the hotel suites, buyers can expect high returns on their investments. The 460 units of hotel suites will not only be able to accommodate medical tourism but also provide accommodation for parents visiting students at the campus. Also, the state government is expecting about two million tourists annually to Bandar Meru Raya. The major impact is the completion of the Animation Theme Park and the upcoming Water Park development, which undoubtedly will be a bonus for the hotel suites.

“With the successful completion of this development by 2020, Qi City promises investors superior returns.   It will generate favourable investment gains by unlocking the embedded value within its various components. The main sales launch is expected in June. However, we may start the soft launch sometime in April,” he noted.

In addition to being located in close proximity to the central business district of Bandar Meru Raya and key government offices, other landmarks that surround the development of Qi City include a private international school, a hyper market and a business hotel.

— End of Press Release —

Suggested article:
Ipoh and SingaporeFood, entertainment and accessibility, that’s Ipoh

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Property Outlook for 2020 and Beyond: Quality Homes in Malaysia. Do not miss this.

Productive Time, Productive Us.

I think it’s so important for us to always spend our time productively these days. Especially when there are events where the invited panelists are experts in their fields and where the new knowledge will make us a much more informed person. This coming Saturday (15th Aug) at 11am, tune in here for this FREE Online Talk Show. It will also be
LIVE in kopiandproperty.com FB page yeah. (click here)

Quality Homes, what do we really mean?

Is this just the things we could see and touch when we get the keys to our unit for the very first time? Is this also the structural aspects? The fact that homes should be made to last a very, very long time? Who sets all these standards, how are all these standards set? Who maintains these standards? How do developers build quality units so that they have satisfied customers and they continue to build more homes for more people? We will discuss all these and more.

Experts and the experienced host

We have Mr. Muhammad Faizal Abd Hamid from CIDB Malaysia. CIDB is the Construction Industry Development Board of Malaysia. This is their mission for all of us here in Malaysia. “Regulate, develop and facilitate the construction industry by applying professionalism in producing a productive, sustainable and quality construction environment.

The next expert panel is Dato’ Ir Teh Kean Ming who is the Managing Director of JKG Land Berhad. JKG Land’s vision for the benefit of their buyers is as follows: “To be a respected developer renowned for realising sustainable living environments that offer distinct benefits and to deliver on our promises with integrity.”

The host is the experienced Azlan Jais from Malaysian Property.
Get to know him here.

FREE giveaways for listeners

Official poster as below. In fact, there are FREE GIVEAWAYS too. click to enlarge the poster to learn how to win yeah.

See you and do say Hi yeah. I will be listening in too.

Love to be updated of investment news?
Sign up for KopiWeekly. (once per week for property, finance, investment news and more)

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
Start strong. Your Property Investment Steps

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Quarantine-free travel between KLIA and Changi. (Yes, that’s Malaysia and Singapore)

I have just published this article earlier about
International travel restrictions update for a few countries including Malaysia.
 Then, I read the announcement that I could soon be flying into Singapore if I wanted to. Yes, I am fully vaccinated with Astra-Zeneca Covid-19 vaccines since July. Yes, I was that first batch of Malaysians who managed to register in 5 minutes for 2 persons because everyone preferred to listen to rumours and refused to understand that majority of UK people were vaccinated with Astra-Zeneca even before Malaysia got their Astra-Zeneca doses.

Please do read the joint announcement as below.

Article in malaymail.com
   In a joint statement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob and Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced that a Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) would be launched between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and Changi Airport on November 29. This means that both countries will allow quarantine-free travel between both countries if the individuals are already fully innoculated.

This quarantine-free travel will begin 29th November 2021. What will happen is that any traveller will just need to take Covid-19 tests versus serving mandatory quarantine like currently.  As for travel across land links, this is still being discussed.  Please do read the article in full here:
Article in malaymail.com

If air is allowed, land is definitely on the way

I know, air-travel means the number is limited. Land travel means we are talking about hundreds of thousands of people everyday. So, definitely it will require a much longer discussion and the need for tighter SOPs. Yes, I do think that the number of travellers would quickly go back close to normal as soon as the agreement is reached between Malaysia and Singapore.

Happy anticipating.

Property News Malaysia?
Sign up for daily investment news updates (FREE since Nov 2013 and FOREVER).
 Alternatively, Follow me on
 Telegram here
.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
Malaysia property market. Recovering or Discovering?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Quarantine free travel between Singapore and Indonesia starts

Why travel between countries need to restart?

Without any travel, there are no demand for flights, followed by accommodation, followed by tourism revenues and support for employment which will in turn also drive up the consumption of goods and services. Of course when this keep moving, more businesses will do well. Indirectly, the property market will also get the support it needs too.

The prediction for international travel is not so rosy. It ranges from 2024 or later for the international travel to go back to pre-COVID-19.  Even for Asia, this was the prediction about tourism which is definitely part of international travel too.
Fitch Ratings says Asia Pacific tourism recovery will be slow. I disagree (click to read)

Whether it’s good or bad, are we ready and prepared?

Well, a coin always have both sides. We can choose to see the positive side or the negative side yeah. If recovery is slow, are there opportunities to tap in the mean time? If recovery is fast, are we prepared already to ride the recovery? Actions are everything yeah, whatever we believe.

Now we have another positive development between the biggest and the most economically advanced country here in ASEAN; Indonesia and Singapore.

Article in themalaysiareserve.com
  Quarantine-free travel has restarted between Singapore and the nearby Indonesian islands of Batam and Bintan starting 24th January 2021.  This travel bubble arrangement is opened to fully-vaccinated and insured visitors. This arrangement covers people traveling by sea between Singapore and Nongsapura Ferry Terminal in Batam and Bintan Telani Port.

Before Covid-19 pandemic started, Batam and Bintan were popular weekend getaways for Singapore residents. Since then, the overseas visitors to the two Indonesian islands dropped by 86% back in 2020. Please do read the full article here:
Article in themalaysiareserve.com

Living with or without Covid-19?

Someone mentioned that Malaysia should just have lockdowns and ensure the Covid-19 cases drop down to negligible levels prior to reopening the economy. Erm… by then, is there still an economy to reopen? Economically speaking, did anyone read about all those predictions about SMEs closing down because of lockdowns? Not every business can pivot to online and truth is, buying online may NOT be supporting the local economy at all.

We need to continue to manage Covid-19 and live with it in our midst for some time to come. If there are clusters, lockdown should be implemented for that area / neighbourhood. We need to balance this because when livelihood is affected, then lives will be affected too.

Hopefully, we continue to contain the current numbers and within ASEAN we should have more travel bubbles too. Perhaps even an ASEAN travel bubble when situation allows. I look forward to that and is likely to be one of the people who will travel to some other countries when it is allowed. Happy anticipating.

Property News Malaysia?
Sign up for daily investment news updates (FREE since Nov 2013 and FOREVER).
 Alternatively, Follow me on
 Telegram here
.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 to get daily updates about the property market beyond kopiandproperty.com articles. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
Everyone should HATE property investment because of these 4 reasons

Image by
Jason Goh
 from
Pixabay

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings

How important is it to buy a property from a property developer where the shareholders are famous tycoons? Actually, I do not think many use this as a key reason when they buy. An established property developer would be able to charge a premium because of their track record or even successful branding campaigns. I think it’s best to buy objectively instead, though. The key advantage of having a tycoon however would be that the development or developer should have no shortage of funds to complete the project on time. We can perhaps define these projects as safer and thus low-risk. Of course, if the tycoon himself has a unit within the development and we want to be near him, then buying a unit may be a good option. Haha.

Reported in The Star today (22nd Jan 2016), Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd (IWH) may have new shareholders in the form of parties linked to tycoon Tan Sri Quek Leng Chan. It said the party was looking at acquiring a 20 percent stake in Credence Resources Sdn Bhd, which owns a 60% stake in IWH. The remaining 40% in IWH is held by Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor, an investment arm of the state government. Recently, it was announced that IWH would be the master developer of
Bandar Malaysia
 together with China-based China Railway Engineering Corp (CREC). Note this statement, “The interest expressed is still in preliminary stages with the due diligence being done.”

In Johor, IWH is known as the master developer of the 4,300-acre Danga Bay waterfront city in Johor. IWH has also partnered 11 other developers for projects along an 8km coastal stretch of Danga Bay. Total Gross Development Value (GDV) for these projects is estimated to be RM125 billion over a period of 10-15 years. As of now, perception for Iskandar is related to one word, ‘oversupply.’ Is it truly that bad?  Read here for an
Expert Series with Khalil Adis
 focused on Iskandar. To those who firmly believe Iskandar is for the long term and the fact that Singapore would have to continue growing, it’s time to take a drive. Buying can be later but understanding should be done instead of just listening to news.

written on 21 Apr 2016

Next suggested article:
The ageing Singaporean population equation and Iskandar

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Question. When will I get to buy THAT property at THE price I want?

From the day I started
kopiandproperty.com
 which was in November 2013 until today, this question has never failed to continuously pop up every time someone (usually first timer) thinks about property investment and after waiting for some time, the bad news come and they will ask this question again. “When will property prices be falling?” “Will property prices be dropping since it’s now a buyers’ market?”

Guys ah, buyers’ market is what the buyers’ say or what the owners say? If it’s what the buyers say, then I can safely tell you the owners will look at the buyer and tell them to continue saying and waiting. If that’s what the owners say, then the next question is, what is the motivation for the owner to sell at a lower price… Are they moving to another country? (nope, they cannot travel currently).

Are they selling because they lost their jobs? Iif they lose their jobs, they may have savings and they may still be able to pay their mortgage for a while. Wait a minute, they do NOT need to pay till October 2020 due to the BNM moratorium… (Earlier article here:
Moratorium on Loans for 6 months
 So, are we now saying that we just need to wait till October 2020 and we will get properties at lower prices then? I have no idea, just to wait together with all of you.

Well, perhaps another reason, they just want to sell. For now reason, somehow. Let’s just say they just want to get rid of the property today but they have no reasons and they even wanted to sell lower than the market price. FINE. If that’s their preference, then yes, property price for this last group of people who must sell and does not mind selling lower will be sold at a lower price, that’s for sure.

Question. How many people whom we know within our circle of friends who are within this last group? Many? (wow, you are lucky). None? Then, we are not going to have access to these properties. Their (the sellers) families would be the first to know. Their close friends would be the second to know. Their real estate agent would be the third to know.  Assuming after all these three groups knew about the great deal and yet still chose to do nothing, then this property listing will now become a public listing.

Can we now assume when it goes to the public, surely no one would want it.  So, we will get it?  Sorry yeah, if the properties happened to be within some popular areas, you will face lots of competition from many to buy that particular property. There are many Malaysians who love properties and have you ever seen what happens when there’s any clearance sale of some popular brands WITH LIMITED UNITS which were too expensive and is now being sold at 40% off? Let’s be realistic, the queue will definitely be longer than the current supermarket queue during our Movement Control Order (MCO).

Hope this answers the curiosity why even after waiting for some time, that property in a popular area at a very good price below the market somehow never appear in front of me. I know, the question will appear again in the very near future. Well, I can answer again loh.  Happy researching and find good deals. Do not just wait and do nothing. Nothing happens. We do our best and lady luck may just shine on us. Cheers.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 or
Sign Up for free
 to get daily updates about the property market. Else,
follow me on Twitter here.

Next suggested article:
When the mind is not ready for property

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Four Questions to Choosing the Right Condo Property for You

It’s a good time to buy property. As
Global Property Guide
 notes, Malaysia’s housing market still remains slow but is forecasted to gain strength later this year. And as you know, lower prices means a better investment. Before you can go through with the purchase of a condominium, it’s always best to check and double check that you’ve covered your bases.

By asking yourself a few basic questions and understanding what they entail, you’ll be ready to make the final considerations and take that decidedly brave leap into the world of condominium ownership. This is an especially exciting time for first-time owners, as choosing your first condo for both living and possibly investment is a huge step in life. But even among those who have been buying and selling condos for years, it’s never too late to ask yourself whether you’re getting the best deal you could be getting.

#1. Have You Surrounded Yourself with Experts?

While especially critical for
first-time buyers
, getting a real estate consultant to inform you on the further ins and outs of the market is generally a good idea. Like any large financial decision, buying a condominium needs to be a very strategic decision. If you’re lacking the necessary knowledge and information to make the right call, however, you could be left with a subpar deal.

Getting a realtor or a real estate consultant on your side is one step, but having a lawyer who knows the details and considerations that need to be made when it comes to property laws and condo contracts is a huge boon as well. Condominium ownership works differently from other kinds of ownership, especially house or apartment ownership. Before you consider putting your name on the deed for a condominium unit, you need to understand what kind of legal risk and liability you’ll have to carry as a result of your purchase.

Once you’re certain that you’ve spoken with the best and brightest around on the topic of condominium pricing and the like, you’re well on your way to the next critical question on your way to your very own condo unit.

#2. Are You Exploring Your Options Thoroughly?

There’s never such a thing as looking around too much. Looking won’t cost you (much), especially not if you do it online through a real estate directory such as
Property Guru
. If, for example, you fixate yourself on a property by the ocean, you may miss the newest
OUG Parklane
 offer, which in retrospect would have been a much more attractive deal had you caught it. Keeping your eye on the market and stretching your views far and wide over what’s available within your city and province is a must when you’re trying to score the best deal.

High-rise, low-rise, stocked with many amenities or simply a few, located on a luxurious beachfront property or in the middle of the business district – condominiums find themselves in many different parts of the city, at various price points and with varying perks. You may love the beach, but as
SFGate
 notes, beachfront properties are always far more expensive. Instead, consider a property a few blocks away from the coast. Don’t fall victim to the sort of buyer’s tunnel vision that could end up costing you a greater opportunity – in short, don’t get emotionally attached to the idea of any one property before having even lived in it.

#3. Have You Gotten Pre-Approval for a Loan?

Before seeking to buy a condo – or really, any form of property – it’s best to go to your bank or lender and discuss getting pre-approved for a loan. Pre-approval will be able to give you a realistic idea of how much you can afford, giving you a concrete price range with which to work. This beats finding a condominium first and getting a loan later. While your dream condo might await you, your bank may not be willing to loan you that much – or they might charge you a mortgage rate that will put you under too much stress.

If you decide to buy a new and as of yet unfinished condo unit, getting a loan could help you save up and pay off the first few months of the loan before ever having to pay for it and step foot in your new abode.

#4. What Perks Can You Expect To See?

The reason many people choose condominiums over other forms of housing is that, simply put, there’s more to do. From community pools to fitness gyms, a tennis court and even restaurants on the ground floor, the right condos with the right amenities can create a community that makes a slightly more expensive condo well worth its costs. Consider how much you would save by taking advantage of a condo’s perks, instead of going for a condominium with as little amenities as possible.

Once you’ve made your decisions, it’s just a matter of following through and putting your name on that dotted line – and presto! You own a condo unit!

posted on 30th March 2016

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Someone must have bought it earlier, else how could that someone be ‘rich’ today?

Someone told me that if someone bought a property in 2008, that someone would be rich today. He said that all these people were very lucky because they bought earlier. This is because the property price in 2008 is still much lower than today even though the property market has slowed since 2013. I thank that someone for his prediction for all the someones who bought a property in 2008.

Well, what about those who bought even earlier? Say in 2004? Would they be rich too? Well, perhaps nothing too spectacular happened between 2004 – 2006 for the property market but they would still be rich, right? I mean comparing the prices in 2004 versus today. Looking back further, what about those who bought even earlier!? Like my parents’ semi-detached landed single storey in Ipoh for RM85,000? It was bought in 1990 I think.

In 2016, my brother bought the same single-storey semi-dee just a few units away from my parents’ home 2 years ago for RM540,000. In 2017, the home right opposite my parents double-storey semi-detached and extensively renovated was put into the market for RM1 million. It has not been sold but even assuming that the home is later sold at RM800,000 meant that they are selling at a price which is way higher than the price they paid for a very long time ago.

As we can see, there is no end to this assumption because if we look even further, in 1970, the homes may be even cheaper! If I remember correctly, my two late grandfathers’ homes (one in Sitiawan and another in Teluk Intan) was less than RM20,000! My parents’ first super huge semi-detached home in Teluk Intan was only RM35,000. Today, it’s easily 10 times more.  We can revisit all these ‘someone bought some property earlier and therefore that someone is rich today’ many more times, depending on our age but seriously, we have not learnt from history?

I know, someone famous said a home is a liability unless it gives us positive returns and it does not even belong to us until we have fully paid our home loan from the bank. However, all these ‘someone bought earlier’ stories have also started with liability!  Well, unless if they bought the homes with cash. If they had bought the home with cash and they are staying in it, then they would have used up a huge chunk of their money which could have been invested in some other potential assets.

Chicken and egg story yeah. Perhaps I just wait for the next someone got rich story in 2026. Hopefully at the time, I could also be that someone who sold a property and got good returns instead of someone who did not buy any and complained that those who bought earlier were just lucky… Happy looking back.

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 or
Sign Up for free
 to get daily updates about the property market.

written on 7 April 2018   edited 25 Jan 2020.

Next suggested article:
How much would a less popular area appreciate?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Short queue, long queue or even no queues, matter not.

A few days ago, a colleague shared a photo of people queuing up for an about to be launched high-rise. He remarked, ‘Sure or not. Nowadays still got queue? Must be the developer pay for these people to queue. Some so young, don’t look like can afford.” I told him that how long the queue or how short the queue is not the main issue. The main issue is whether that particular property is worth buying or not. If the majority is right, then why are only the minority rich? By the way, the reason why
hotspot become hotspot
 is also because way too many people wants to crowd and pay ever higher prices for them. So, do we follow? Haha.

During lunch today, another colleague shared with me about one particular third-tier city in China in which her friend was working in. Just a few years ago, every new project launch would be full of people and the queue would be extremely long. Needless to say some even got into fights over the queuing spots. Today, many of the developments in this particular city is empty because the whole development was
purchased by INVESTORS
 and not for own stay. I think it’s going to be a long long road to recovery for these kind of purchase, if at all.

Due diligence must be done objectively
. It’s not based on queues alone. In fact these days, I think people are definitely more rational. Perhaps even paranoid over parting with their hard earned money for a new high-rise. Ms. Olivia Lim, the CEO of
88home.co
was telling me just the other day that I seem to be writing less about bad news and more about good news. I told her that when we look at the whole market today, the situation is pretty bad but it’s still in the black. Unless unemployment rate rises, bank’s non-performing loan starts to spike or Starbucks patrons decreases, times are really not that bad. Sentiment is negative, granted.
Buyers are available
 but extremely cautious and uncertain. I will continue to share good news based on facts and stats. As for bad news, log on to Facebook. Don’t look for queues when we buy a property. Look for all the WHYs……instead.

written on 6 Sept 2016

Next suggested article:
Finally,people are getting more rational and objective?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Queue started at 5am and 800 booking within 5 hours?

Look at the photo. Read the sentences. At a time when everyone is so negative and think Malaysia is becoming the next Greece, this happened. According to the report, there were a few thousand people during the launch. Okay, I am not the developer so I cannot say for sure if the total bookings really exceeded 800 units. However, if you refer to the PTLM Facebook page, you would notice that there are even photos of people sleeping at the venue of the property launch because they arrived at 5am! Yes, it’s like the years of 2009 – 2012 all over again. Or perhaps it is still the same, just that people will only queue for very attractive projects?

Some details about the project? It’s called Arc Central. This phase 1 is called Liberty and will be part of the masterplanned and combined 88-acre Ampang Heights development. It’s just 10 minutes drive via AKLEH to Kuala Lumpur city centre. The Liberty development comprised of three blocks of studio office home office (SOHO) with each suite measuring 450 sq ft. All units come with one carpark bay. The total units number 1,631 suites and also 19 units of retail shop offices at the ground level which will be leased-only by the developer. Facilities include a 50-metre Olympic-length swimming pool, multi-million ringgit greenscapes and waterscapes, a 5,000 sq ft gymnasium, jogging track, squash court, tennis court and more. All units come fully-furnished and will be in move-in condition in the next 42 months. Net price starting from just RM299,000 onwards.

Hey, really near to my office but 450 sq ft meant it will not fit my family. Perhaps for the many office workers who’s from outside KL and needs a nearby place instead of driving an hour everyday, this can be a choice. Need not worry about renovation and small size meant little need to do lots of cleaning and washing. Haha. The typical younger generation of today right? If you fit the description above, it’s time to take a closer look. After all, considering the 800 units booked is true, it meant that there are still units available. Plus as usual, loan approval is not likely to be 100 percent these days. Happy reading and buying.

written on 25 Oct 2015

Next suggested article:
Affordability and availability in Johor’s Bangsar?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Quill City Mall? Create more attractions, waiting for more condos.

Let me share three things about Quill City Mall. I visit this mall at least once a week as it is within walking distance from where I work. Secondly, my colleagues predicted this mall would have closed down within a year of opening. (They still think it will close down even though it has been over 2 years after their predictions). Third is that our Employees Provident Fund (EPF) has decided not to proceed with its acquisition of this mall as per reported in
TheStar here.
I do not think Quill City Mall is doing too badly currently. During lunch time on weekdays, it is still welcoming many office workers. If you arrive at KFC at 1230 noon, chances are you would have to queue up. I just did 2 weeks ago.

However, if you were to ask if they  would become very popular in the near future, I think it’s tougher. There are just too many malls surrounding it. Sunway Putra Mall which is less than 2km away is more appealing to me if I intend to drive instead of walk. If I were to take the monorail instead, then Pavillion, Bukit Bintang or even KLCC is also less than 2km away. Yes, competitions are very ‘branded’ while some of my friends in KL does not even know where Quill City Mall is. Okay, there’s even the refurnished Maju Junction with Parkson as its anchor. It has a decent food court; comfortable and affordable handpicked with people every lunch time. Maju Junction and Quill City Mall can be said to be attracting similar  ‘walking’ crowds. Fortunately for Quill City Mall, when it comes to shopping I prefer AEON over Parkson. (I have loyalty cards for both though). Slightly further away would be SOGO shopping mall which is full of people all the time. My colleagues love to shop there due to the many different sales happening every week.

What can help all these malls which are nearby to one another? Well, my close friend who’s a sales manager with a public listed company told me that her project in the vicinity has at least 10 different competing developments within a 5km radius from one another. Perhaps if all these projects are filled with residents, we may see more crowd. It would also help tremendously for every mall to really think what can help to attract certain crowds on a daily basis. Paradigm Mall has many events lined up every month and this helps tremendously in attracting family crowds during weekends too. I would prefer all these malls to continue to open because I love the food court in Maju Junction but I like AEON in Quill City Mall. Talk about torn between two favourites. Happy shopping yeah.

written on 2 Jan 2017

Next suggested article:
Freeze licenses for new shopping malls? Well….

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Quill City Mall, my FAVOURITE mall even before it opens

For those who are not familiar with Jalan Sultan Ismail or Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman or perhaps Tune Hotel, KL you would not know much about Quill City Mall. Quill City Mall will be open towards the end of 2014. As per reported in The Star, it has achieved an occupancy rate of 70% and is aiming towards 80-85% before the mall opens. This is an important milestone because its buyer, EPF will only buy the mall if it achieves 70% tenancy before it opens. The mall is at this moment, 98% complete.

Actually, can KL sustain more malls? Who would be visiting Quill City Mall? If you are working nearby, you would know that once it opens, it is within walking distance of many office buildings of banks, insurance companies and many more. The only disadvantage I can see might be the effect it will give to Maju Junction which even today is not fully occupied as yet and in terms of visitors, it is nowhere called as ‘packed’. Besides this, Quill City Mall is has a monorail station right next to it, the Medan Tuanku Station. This will definitely help a lot in attracting more visitors especially those who are within the monorail loop.

This mall has a total lettable area of 800,000 square feet. In comparison, Paradigm Mall by WCT has a total lettable area of 700,000. Tropicana Mall has a total lettable area of 450,000. You can thus see that Quill City Mall is considered a big neighbourhood mall and it is even only about 25% smaller than Suria KLCC. Size aside, the design and the brands available are very important as well. For those who followed me, you would know that while Paradigm Mall was right next to my previous home, I liked Setia City Mall more despite it being 30 minutes away. Quill City Mall however already have a brand I like; AEON. To me, this represents a good brand and AEON has many supporters through its loyalty card programme which is always free every year because the points accumulation are easy and there are lots of promotions / sales throughout the year.

I await the opening and would gladly walk over during lunch time.

written on 19 June 2014

Next suggested article:
New mall; DPulze, Cyberjaya.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Quill City Mall opening on 18th October

When I first read the news, I thought, it’s impossible. How could they open on 18th October. I pass by Quill City Mall every morning when I go to work. There were so many things which looked incomplete. Today when I pass by, I saw H&M fully stocked up! Everything was already arranged in their racks. Remember I wrote about this few months back? Here:
 Quill City Mall, my FAVOURITE mall even before it opens
 Well, it’s within walking distance. Of course it’s going to my favourite mall. It’s official launch is said to be in 2015. I think this 18th October can be called ‘soft-launch’. As for those who are asking would this mall be successful, it has three things in its favour.

Connectivity. Right beside the Monorail Station of Medan Tuanku. Thus it is within the monorail network, something which many other malls have enjoyed. Now, it’s the turn of Quill City Mall.

Crowd. There are many office buildings nearby. There are many hotels nearby. It’s very jammed to drive out and taking monorail to other malls meant precious wasted time. Come on, minutes of walking meant 45 minutes to do lots of other things in the mall including even shopping, my favourite word.

Anchor tenant. It has AEON Jusco. In other words, varieties are already assured. My personal rank is that AEON Jusco is higher than Giant, Tesco or even Econsave even if Jusco is very slightly more expensive most of the time. I like that their racks are not arranged so close together like other supermarkets. Of course, the fact that I can continue to use my membership card to shop and save meant this is a value added point for me.

Who are the tenants? From their website, following is the long list of new names and old names. Starbucks, GSC, Kluang Station, Food Junction, H&M, Best, Manhattan Fish Market, Original Classic, Sushi King, Red Lobster, beyond Veggie, Life Springs, The Chicken Rice Shop, Poh Kong, Switch, Coffee Bean, Rockport, L’occitane, Scholl, Hush Puppies, House of Leather, Ogawa, Samsung, Baskin Robbins, Thai Odyssey, A-Look, A-Saloon, Miko, Pancake House, SK, AWG, Xixili, Teh Tarik Place, Bossini, Cheetah, Komonoya, Happi Kiddo, Royal Sporting House, VANS, JKids, Mediviron, Heritage Hub, Echolac, Obermain, STAR Living, WatchShoppe, Ramen Ten, Travelforall.  What a long list and of course, more to come I guess since they would definitely have retail carts etc.

I am not in KL on weekend of 19th but rest assured, will be paying a visit to it on 20th October.

written on 14 Oct 2014

Next suggested article:
IOI City Mall, New Tenants and Opening Nov 2014!

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Unlicensed real estate office raided by BOVAEP.

I have always used the services of a licensed real estate professional for my real estate investments and I will continue to do so. I feel more assured, these professionals have helped me a lot in my property investment journey and I personally know so many of them who are working very hard to earn their living. Let’s face it, these people are taking a huge risk because selling or renting out properties is not easy at all.

However, it’s not an easy job for The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP) to control the many unlicensed brokers who were also offering their services but without the need to follow the stipulated rules and regulations from BOVAEP. There was a raid conducted by BOVEAP with assistance from the police recently.

Article in edgeprop.my
  The Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (BOVAEP) and the police conducted a joint raid on a real estate cooperative firm’s office in Puncak Alam, Selangor.  BOVAEP board member Ishak Ismail said, “We have received a large number of complaints from the public that this firm has been appointing illegal brokers to sell housing projects on behalf of property developers and perhaps, members of the public.”

According to Act 242 or the Valuers, Appraisers and Estate Agents Act (1981), a real estate agent must obtain a licence or permission from BOVAEP before doing so. He said the cooperative has engaged some 2,400 real estate agents and is involved in selling a number of housing projects nationwide. He said, “Therefore, we came here to inspect the relevant documents (that a legal real estate agency should have) to determine if there is any wrongdoing in pursuant to the Act.”
Article in edgeprop.my

Please LIKE
kopiandproperty.com FB page
 or
Sign Up for free
 to get daily updates about the property market.

Next suggested article:
Lower foreign buyer threshold loved by agents

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...