SIJORI. Haha. What’s this?

Do you know what is SIJORI? I do not, until I read an article written by Sharon Chen of Bloomberg. SIJORI meant Singapore + Johor + Riau. In one sentence, she said that for Singapore to continue to grow, it will need to rely on both Johor (Iskandar) and Riau (Indonesia). These two places will help Singapore to maintain it’s role as a global city. One example given was of a Malaysian who was working in Singapore and stays in Johor and said that he does not mind to leave his house at 6:45am to be at his office on time. He stays in a much bigger two storey house instead of the usual HDB flat.

Today, the only reason why Malaysians who work in Singapore is not staying in Johor is because of time. Yes, it is just time because all the other reasons like crime, cleanliness, exchange rate are all secondary. Think objectively, even if you earn S$5,000 in Singapore, you are still not going to lead an amazing life. You better save your money so that you can live a very good life in Iskandar. Instead of renting the smallest room in a HDB flat for S$700, you can be paying installment for a good condo easily and have a higher end Segment C car here in Malaysia which you can drive every weekend, perhaps on and off into Singapore and show off to your Singaporean friends.

However, if the time portion can be solved. For example, instead of 1.5 to 2 hours, what about just 30 minutes even during office hours. That is much lesser time that one end MRT to the other end in Singapore. As soon as this happens, that’s what I call huge demand for properties in Iskandar. Without that, I think it will be tough. How much more demand you may ask. The median income in Singapore is just S$3,250 per person in 2013. This solution of reducing the time needed solves two huge issues. Firstly would be to ensure the property prices in Singapore do not continue to increase and make it almost impossible for majority of anyone to buy a place. Secondly, it ensures Singapore continues to grow and yet the cost efficiency continue to rise instead of decreasing due to too much demand versus supply. Ok, third one would be to ensure Iskandar which has received so much attention and funds succeeds.

written on 6 June 2014

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RM3 billion target by Sime Darby Property with new launches

As a company, Sime Darby is well known as a palm oil producer not just within Malaysia but in the world. As per reported in Nikkei Asia Review recently, Sime Darby is the world’s largest palm oil producer by acreage. For the period of July – December 2015, it’s property arm contributed 5 percent of Sime Darby’s total revenue and this would then become 16.5 percent of its profit before tax! Seriously, I think its property arm should receive more attention.

Reported in a few medias recently, Sime Darby Property would be targeting RM3 billion for this fiscal year. It will be launching many new launches as well as new phases of existing projects. It’s managing director, Jauhari Hamidi said that Sime Darby would be launching properties at price levels which will gain lots of attention from buyers. It is looking to launch 18 new projects within the next few months. The projects include the second phase of the Elmina Valley and Quarza Residence in Kuala Lumpur. It also has a few projects in Ara Damansara.

The second phase of Elmina Valley is priced from RM600,000 to RM700,000 and the demand should be good as its first phase was 95 percent sold within the first day of launch previously. It will also be concentrating in its projects in Negeri Sembilan. Among them,
Nilai Impian
,
Chemara Hills
 and
Bandar Ainsdale
. I looked through all these three projects. I think they are worth some further consideration, especially if we believe quality family life would have to be supplemented by bigger sized homes as well as a conducive environment. If you would like to know more, the link is here:
Lifestyle at 9

It’s always wiser to buy a property only after we understand more about what we are buying. Distance used to be something we always put as priority but as traffic jams become worse, duration may be a better bet instead.
It’s the duration, not the distance ok

Sometimes, we may fall for a fancy brochure or a very good looking sales person. Truth is, nothing beats really walking around the place that we would be staying for a very long time. Happy deciding and searching.

written on 14 Apr 2016

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Sime Darby’s 4,388ha of Labu land and High Speed Rail

Have you read negative news for the High Speed Rail (HSR) recently? if you have not, I think you have not read enough. Haha. Yes, there has been many negative news and reports but on a personal note, I want HSR to succeed. I think this is another catalyst for continuous economy growth development for both countries. We will only know in 2026 though. Let me share another positive note for a top developer in Malaysia; Sime Darby.

Reported in a few medias, many developers are already eyeing the
High Speed Rail KL – Singapore
 as a catalyst to their property developments. Especially developers with lands within the route. One of them is Sime Darby with huge tracts of land in Negri Sembilan and Johor. It announced recently that it has started talking to MyHSR Corp – the project delivery company on the development potential of its land surrounding the proposed stations in Labu, Seremban and Pagoh.

In a report by JP Morgan, it named the following developers who will benefit from the HSR project. Yes, these can also be the stocks that we buy should we believe the HSR will help them realise a higher value for their developments around the HSR. The list include Sime Darby, UEM Sunrise Bhd, Sunway Bhd, Eco World Development,
Mah Sing Group
, SP Setia Bhd, Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd, Eastern & Oriental Bhd,
IOI Properties,
 and Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd. One particular one would be Sime Darby as it has 4,388 ha. There is a possibility that one of the site for the planned HSR stations could be within its Labu (Seremban) land. Anyway, nothing is certain until the agreement is inked for the HSR end of 2016. These land owners may also be selling or buying other tracts of land too. Happy following.

written on 17 Aug 2016

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Press Release: Sime Darby launches Elmina Green

The following is a press release by Sime Darby Property.

— start —

Sime Darby Property launches Elmina Green

ARA DAMANSARA, 11 October 2017
 – Sime Darby Property is launching the first phase of Elmina Green on 14 October 2017 (Saturday), the latest residential development at the award-winning City of Elmina.

The development comprises 187 units of 20’ x 70’ double storey terrace homes with a built up area from 2,001 sq ft and above. All homes feature an open-plan floor layout that combines the living, dining and kitchen areas to optimise the usage of space and for ease of movement, making it an ideal home for multigenerational living.

Offering freehold ownership, prices start from RM683,888 before Bumiputera discount and early signing rebate, with completion slated for October 2019.

The homes are fitted with sustainability and wellness features, such as the usage of stone wool insulation materials to provide a pleasant interior temperature. They also have large windows to allow ample natural light and better air ventilation.

In addition, low volatile organic compound (VOC) paint is used, to eradicate the release of toxic materials and other chemicals into the environment.

As added protection, security grilles are pre-installed with the home. The security grilles are designed to blend in with the home’s overall architecture. A basic home alarm system is also included.

Residents will enjoy access to an expansive 21-acre lake park and 5 acres of communal green space, for recreational and social activities. The development is also linked to jogging and cycling tracks, for a healthy lifestyle in a secure environment. The neighbourhood is also designed with cul-de-sacs for a safe and pedestrian friendly environment. Endangered forest tree species are also planted within the township to encourage biodiversity.

Sime Darby Property General Manager Appollo Leong
said, “We are proud to launch the first phase of Elmina Green, another outstanding residential development at the City of Elmina. We are confident of Elmina Green phase 1 repeating the success of other hot-selling developments offered by the township as it presents the same high quality workmanship, design and value.”

“As developers in a modern and discerning property market, Sime Darby Property strives to be the leading developer of communities, neighbourhoods and homes with great value, meaning and emotional attachment. We extended this spirit once again in the development of Elmina Green phase 1.”

The estimated gross development value (GDV) for Elmina Green phase 1 is RM380 million. The development is located within the new Elmina Green precinct at the City of Elmina, a 5,000 acre freehold mixed development with an estimated total GDV of RM24.6 billion.

Elmina Green phase 1 is strategically located at the centre of the Guthrie corridor, in the vicinity of matured townships such as Damansara, Klang, Subang Jaya and Shah Alam. Surrounding amenities include public and private schools, hospitals, retail and recreational facilities.

The City of Elmina includes townships of Denai Alam, Bukit Subang, Elmina East and Elmina West. Located along the Guthrie Corridor Expressway, the City of Elmina offers seamless inter-connectivity and accessibility. Among City of Elmina’s features are the 300-acre Elmina Central Park and 90 kilometres cycling and jogging track; one of the longest tracks in the country.

The City of Elmina is planned and developed in line with specifications set out by Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey, an internationally recognised standard that measures liveability.

— end —

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Sime Darby Property achieved RM2 billion sales in 2020. FY21 target is RM2.4 billion.

Press Release:
SIME DARBY PROPERTY’S FY2020 SALES ACHIEVEMENT OF RM2.0 BILLION EXCEEDS TARGET

Targeting Sales of RM2.4 Billion on the back of New Launches of RM2.5 Billion for FY2021

ARA DAMANSARA, 25 FEBRUARY 2021 –
Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “the Group”) posted revenue of RM2.1 billion and a Loss Before Interest and Tax (“LBIT”) of RM509.9 million for its full financial year ended 31 December 2020 in a market impacted by COVID-19.

Full year results also reflected asset impairment cost including the already announced impairment loss from the Battersea Power Station project, as well as write-down/write-off of inventories and provisions totalling RM620.3 million.

Excluding these impairments arising from COVID-19, Sime Darby Property was on target to post a Profit Before Interest and Tax (“PBIT”) of
RM110.4 million
 for the full financial year ended 31 December 2020.

Fourth quarter revenue ending 31 December 2020, was pegged at RM705.2 million, 19% higher compared to the preceding quarter, with 95% of revenue arising from the Group’s Property Development division. This increase in revenue was due to higher property sales and on-site development activities such as KL East, KLGCC Resort, Taman Melawati, City of Elmina, Bandar Bukit Raja, Serenia City, Bandar Ainsdale, Nilai Utama and Senada Residences.

The quarter-on-quarter results also improved with LBIT narrowing down by 84.4% to RM53.3 million as compared to RM342.3 million in the preceding quarter on the back of lower impairments.

Excluding the write-down/write-off of inventories and provisions totalling RM93.4 million for the current quarter and RM436.6 million for the preceding quarter, the Group would have registered a PBIT of
RM40.1 million
 and
RM94.3 million
 for the respective quarters. Group performance was also impacted by the various Movement Control Orders which affected sales and marketing activities.

Higher sales achieved while navigating challenges in 2020.

The Group achieved total sales of
RM2.0 billion
,
43%
 higher than the revised sales target of RM1.4 billion. About 36% of the total sales were generated in the fourth quarter itself, facilitated by the historically low Overnight Policy Rate (“OPR”) environment, as well as the re-introduction of the Home Ownership Campaign in June 2020.

The Group also successfully opened its first fully-owned retail mall, KL East Mall in November 2020 with over 200,000 visitors in the opening week.

“We have always put the customer first, which underpins our brand legacy. This has continued to drive our sales in a tough COVID-19 impacted economy, helping us beat our target by notching up RM2.0 billion in sales,” said Sime Darby Property Group Managing Director, Dato’ Azmir Merican.

He said that launches undertaken in FY2020 has seen a record average take-up of
88%
for new launches which underlines the Group’s strategy of having the right product mix at the right price points in well-located townships.

“In navigating the new environment, we varied our campaign methods by not just focusing on our products but also the importance of our communities through the #BERSAMA campaign, creating a sense of unison as well as celebrating everyday unsung heroes and frontliners.” said Azmir.

2021 outlook and launch plans.

The property market will continue to experience pressures arising from uncertain market sentiment accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic; the temporary closures and economic limitations imposed to stem the spread of the virus have affected the Group’s performance in segments like retail and leisure (malls, golf courses, convention centre).

Sime Darby Property nevertheless has set a higher sales target of
RM2.4 billion
, as compared to 2020. For 2021, the Group will launch projects with a Gross Development Value (GDV) of approximately
RM2.5 billion
; this includes a product mix of both landed and high-rise residentials, as well as industrial and commercial offerings.

“Our focus now is to restore the Group’s profitability and achieve our ambitious sales target for 2021. We have identified areas where we can further harness business opportunities amidst the ongoing pandemic, are stepping up our customer experience efforts to meet customers’ needs for homes with the right price and sales experiences that are safe and convenient,” Azmir added.

Key launches in 2021 under the Industrial & Logistics segment include Stage 1 of Elmina Business Park comprising 303 industrial units and 78 commercial units with a GDV of
RM1.26 billion
 in the second quarter of the year. The Group will also expand product offerings to include its first multi-tenant ready built warehouse with a GDV of
RM530 million
 in Bandar Bukit Raja Industrial Gateway.

Under the residential segment, the Group will in March unveil the luxury high-rise Jendela Residences located in the flagship KLGCC Resort township, with a GDV of approximately
RM900 million
.

This will be the first of the Group’s residential high-rise projects to be launched in 2021, which will diversify Sime Darby Property’s residential product mix.

The Group’s financial position remains resilient, underpinned by cash balances of RM801.8 million, healthy unbilled sales of RM1.58 billion and low net gearing ratio of 0.28 times as at 31 December 2020, as well as bookings of RM0.8 billion as at 14 February 2021.

Sime Darby Property will be hosting its fourth quarter results briefing tomorrow (26 February) at 11.30am. Please refer to the attached PDF for a step-by-step guide to access the virtual briefing.

— end of press release —

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Press Release: Sime Darby Property Cements its Lead in the Property Industry with Another Impressive Achievement at BCI Asia Awards

Sime Darby Property was honoured as one of the top 10 developer in Malaysia;

The award recognises the Company’s efforts to increase positive social and environmental impacts through its developments.

ARA DAMANSARA, 24 JUNE 2023: Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “Company”) maintains its impressive success, securing yet another accolade as one of Malaysia’s Top 10 Developers at the esteemed BCI Asia Awards 2023.

Securing its 11th title at the annual awards, Sime Darby Property’s fantastic achievement showcases the company’s unwavering commitment to delivering exceptional quality and upholding rigorous sustainable practices throughout its real estate projects.

Sime Darby Property’s Group Managing Director, Dato’ Azmir Merican said: “Sime Darby Property’s ability to showcase creativity, quality, and sustainability has played a pivotal role in distinguishing itself and earning this prestigious accolade.” He added: “We firmly believe that our developments and townships should not only endure the test of time but also make a positivesocial and environmental impact.”

Sime Darby Property is dedicated to crafting spaces that combine functional design and thoughtful
layouts, aiming to elevate the quality of living for both its valued customers and the communities it serves. This year’s submission included Detached Factories I & Twin Factories III, Twin Factories II, Ilham Residences 2, and Elmina Green 6 in the City of Elmina; Nadira 1 and The Detached Factories in Bandar Bukit Raja; Serenia Aqila in Serenia City; XME Business Park in Nilai Impian and Park One in Melawati.

Organised by BCI Central, the annual BCI Asia Awards gives recognition to developers and architecture firms that have built and designed the greatest volume of buildings in Asian markets including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The Top 10 Developers award specifically recognises the 10 leading design and development enterprises with the greatest contribution to the built environment in the prior year, by the extent of their sustainability and confirmed local green building ratings.

Dato’ Azmir said: “These accolades further strengthen our commitment to building sustainable townships and shaping prospects, reflecting our purpose as a Value Multiplier for People, Businesses, Economies, and the Planet. Our dedication extends beyond property development, as we move to foster vibrant and enduring communities that enhance lives for generations to come.”

He added: “We thank BCI Central for recognising our efforts as we continue to keep pushing the envelope within the nation’s property industry and beyond. We are further spurred to keep delivering livability and sustainability for the benefit of our stakeholders.” Separately, Sime Darby Property won Gold for the Best Use of Data category and Silver for Best Performance Marketing Campaign, at the MDA d Awards 2023 held last night which paid tribute to talents, agencies, brands, publishers and digital service providers that embrace and pioneer the use of digital technologies, creating an impact on the future of businesses and lives of consumers.

-END-

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Sime Darby Property, Eastern & Oriental, Elmina West

City of Elmina is a project by Sime Darby. This is a project which Sime Darby said in its website that you will get to know your neighbours by their names. This is also the place where you spend your weekend outdoors and get back the right life balance that you have missed. Here is where you get back the essence of good life within an integrated and sustainable township. This is a huge development which is not likely to be fully completed within the next 10 years. Thus, some help would be great. Oh yeah, the cheapest property here is the double storey link house which is priced slightly below RM800,000.

Eastern & Oriental Bhd (E&O) who develops one of the highest priced project in Penang had bought a piece of 55ha freehold land in Elmina West for RM239.8 million.  This will see the land being developed into a ‘wellness and liveable city’ with an estimated baseline GDV of RM1.5 billion. Really does seem like a great deal for both parties. The great part about the deal is, if the baseline GDV is higher than RM1.5 billion, the proceeds will be shared 80:20 between E&O and Sime Darby Property.

As per the location map, The City of Elmina is well connected and can be accessed from several major highways. In fact this will be further enhanced with the proposed new Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway providing linkages to areas such as Subang, Kota Damansara and Mutiara Damansara, expected for completion in 2019.

As usual, this project would only be favoured by people who does not mind slightly out of the usual popular areas. Of course, if you have been reading my blog, you would know that I like places which are slightly further away instead of the usual few places which everyone loves. There’s just no way that you would be able to afford the same size, facilities, space for the price being offered today by Elmina. Don’t ask me if I am getting one, I have just completed moving for the 8th time within the past 16 years. If I tell my wife we are moving again, I think I better move by myself.

written on 6 July 2014

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Sime Darby Property achieves RM3.1 billion sales (35% above target!)

Press Release —
Sime Darby Property beats sales target, reports improved profit for 2019

Group achieves sales of RM3.1 billion, 35 percent higher than target

Ara Damansara, 26 February 2020
– Sime Darby Property Berhad has exceeded its sales target for 2019, achieving total sales of RM3.1 billion for the year, 35 percent higher than its target of RM2.3 billion.

Sime Darby Property launched 2,917 units with a combined gross development value (GDV) of RM2.3 billion in the year. Total unbilled sales was RM1.6 billion as at 31 December 2019.

The Group reported an improved net profit of RM598.5 million for the year, mainly due to higher contributions from its core business of property development and one- off gains.

Revenue for 2019 rose 30.0 percent to RM3.2 billion compared with RM2.4 billion in the same period a year ago. The Group registered one-off gains of RM245.5 million from the disposal of properties.

Full year segment review

The Property Development segment continued to be the major contributor with results of RM416.9 million for the year ended 31 December 2019, an improvement of 597.6 percent. The results also included gains of RM138.2 million from compulsory acquisition and non-strategic land sales.

Excluding these one-offs, the segment results improved 33.2 percent, driven by higher sales and development activities in Denai Alam, Bukit Jelutong, Nilai Utama, Bandar Bukit Raja, Serenia City, Putra Heights, KLGCC Resort and Cantara Residences.

The Group’s share of losses from joint ventures and associates increased to RM31.4 million as against RM26.8 million in the same period a year ago. This was mainly due to higher marketing expenses incurred by Battersea and lower share of profit from PJ Midtown. Losses in 2018 included the share of RM12.0 million impairment in the Sime Darby Sunrise joint venture.

Profit for the Property Investment segment fell to RM5.0 million from RM54.4 million in 2018. The strong performance in 2018 was mainly due to the higher contribution from concession arrangement.

The Group’s share of result in Sime Darby CapitaLand (Melawati Mall) Sdn Bhd has improved to a profitable position from a loss of RM1.2 million a year ago, thanks to a better occupancy rate of 86 percent versus 81 percent in the previous year.

Outlook for FY2020

The property market is expected to remain soft in 2020 due to the prevailing overhang situation and expiry of the Home Ownership Campaign at the end of last year. The market could weaken further due to the impact of the Covid-19 virus outbreak which may affect consumer sentiment. The government’s plan to unveil a stimulus package to mitigate the adverse economic impact should contribute towards maintaining investor confidence and market sentiment.

The Group will focus on growing its core development business despite the challenges. It will continue to offer properties within the affordable and mid-range price points in strategic locations.

The Group will also continue to monetise low-yielding assets to unlock value and channel the capital into business opportunities with better returns. It will expand further into industrial and logistic developments to increase recurring income.

Sime Darby Property expects its results for the financial year ending 31 December 2020 to be satisfactory.

— end of press release —

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Sime Darby Property is World’s Best with Gold and Silver Wins at the2023 FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards in Florida, USA

Press Release: Sime Darby Property is World’s Best with Gold and Silver Wins at the 2023 FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards in Florida, USA

City of Elmina was crowned World Gold winner in the Masterplan category while Cantara
Residences earned the World Silver award in the Residential Mid-Rise category;

ARA DAMANSARA / MIAMI, 10 JUNE 2023: Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “Company”) has taken its winning streak to the international stage with two major wins at the 2023 FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards held in Florida, United States.

This outstanding achievement serves as a testament to the Company’s credibility and establishes Sime Darby Property as a formidable force in the global property market. Its City of Elmina was named the World Gold winner in the Masterplan category for its holistic design that demonstrates how nature can coexist with a well-planned development; while Cantara Residences, a family-oriented residential  development located in the renowned township of Ara Damansara was bestowed with the World Silver award for the Residential Mid-Rise category.

Organised by Fédération Internationale des Administrateurs de Bien-Conselis Immobiliers (‘FIABCI”), the FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards recognise projects that best demonstrate excellence throughout all real estate disciplines that went into their construction.

“Sime Darby Property is on a journey of discovery to explore concepts that push the boundaries in the world of property development. We are proud to be recognised by esteemed industry experts, validating the path we have chosen,” said Sime Darby Property’s Group Managing Director, Dato’ Azmir Merican.
He added: “It is a remarkable accomplishment for the Company to receive these awards on an international scale. We will remain dedicated to keep innovating and stay adaptable to the industry’s megatrends, while striving to raise the bar in the industry.”

The award-winning City of Elmina was designed for multi-generational living with a green-inspired community. The masterplan incorporates all facets of life based on the ‘eight pillars of wellness’ as a guiding principle and is in line with Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey’s evaluation of liveability around the world. The 6,500-acre City of Elmina has expansive parklands that are supported by the 2,700-acre Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve and is planned with a 90km interconnected jogging and cycling track as well as a 300-acre Central Park that has hosted numerous sizable community celebrations and events.

Cantara Residences, which consists of four towers housing 888 serviced residences and 13 Green Building Index (GBI) Gold-certified retail units, sets a new standard for sustainable and connected living. The development is noted for its 168-meter-long, unique double-story ‘Living Sky Bridge’ which is classified in the Malaysia Book of Records as “The Longest Residential Sky Bridge” in the nation.

Cantara Residences also includes 3.2 acres of shared facilities situated amid a refreshing urban forest, which has helped to expand the number of greeneries by 200% since the start of development. Sime Darby Property remains steadfast in its commitment to multiply value for all stakeholders, persistently driving innovation to forge sustainable communities. “These accolades reinforce our dedication to constructing enduring townships and futures, embodying our purpose as a Value Multiplier for People, Businesses, Economies, and the Planet. Our focus extends beyond property development as we strive to cultivate sustainable communities that enrich lives for generations to come,” said Dato’ Azmir. He added: “We thank FIABCI for acknowledging our potential and look forward to constantly delivering liveability and sustainability for the benefit of our stakeholders.”

– END –

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Press release by Sime Darby Property: “New Edge” of Subang Jaya!

I like Subang Jaya. I think it is growing and well, it has the convenience of everything, including even an airport. I stayed there for many years and even met my wife there. She was from Sunway College (yes, still a college then) and I joined INTI College (not the current tall building but just a 3-storey school building I think. She stayed in SS15 and I stayed in SS14. We walk to Subang Parade every weekend. Those were the times. Subang Jaya has changed and I think there are today many more amenities too. There is now another residential choice from Sime Darby Property. It’s called Lot 15. Their Press Release below.

— start —

Sime Darby Property launches the ‘New Edge’ of Subang Jaya!

Freehold serviced apartment at the most strategic location in Subang Jaya

SUBANG JAYA, 16 November 2017
 – Sime Darby Property is officially launching its highly anticipated development, Lot 15, located in Subang Jaya City Centre (SJCC) on 18 – 19 November 2017 (Saturday and Sunday) at its SJCC gallery in Wisma Consplant 2, Subang Jaya.

Lot 15 is a serviced apartment that comprises two 20-storey residential towers with a total of 361 residential units and three levels of retail units. The development covers an area of 2.227 acres, with a total GDV of RM269.2 million. The development offers freehold ownership, and aims to fulfil the needs of first time home buyers and young professionals, as well as investors.

Prices range from RM 593,888 to RM 1,009,888 before 5% Bumiputera discount and 5% sales rebate, with built up areas from 624 sq ft to 1,001 sq ft and unit types ranging from 1+1 to 2+1 bedrooms.

Sime Darby Property is also offering, among others, free legal fees on SPA & disbursement, free loan legal fees & disbursement and free maintenance fees for 12 months. A special additional discount of up to 3% is available for Sime Darby Property PRIME members.

The public is invited to attend the launch which will be held at the SJCC Gallery from 10am – 6pm, to experience the showcase of Subang Jaya’s newest residential property nestled in the self-contained, bustling and affluent urban centre of Subang Jaya City Centre (SJCC). Sales representatives will be present to accept bookings and attend to enquiries.

There will be exciting activities available for the public, including musical performances, a food fest and couture creations that reflect the spirit of Subang Jaya.

Lot 15 is designed with rooms facing outwards, with views maximised by large wall-to-wall windows. The incorporation of deep reinforced concrete (RC) ledges along the windows provide shade from the sun.

Side by side living and dining areas allow for flexible space utilisation, with ample natural light and ventilation. Selected units fitted with bay windows enjoy accentuated views and a feeling of spaciousness. All units are designed with a 1:1 bedroom to bathroom ratio.

Facilities include a floating pavilion, adult swimming pool, jacuzzi, children’s pool, multipurpose hall and deck, gymnasium, sauna room, BBQ area, playground, prayer room, changing rooms and common washrooms. Each tower offers 3 sky gardens and a rooftop edible herb garden with a spectacular view on level 30, perfect for gatherings with family and friends.

Sime Darby Property Managing Director Dato’ Sri Amrin Awaluddin
 said, “The time has come for us to deliver a fresh, new edge to Subang Jaya through Lot 15, a high rise development within the planned urban centre of Subang Jaya City Centre that will regenerate the mature township of Subang Jaya. The development concept for Lot 15 caters to urbanites looking for an interconnected development where commuting is seamless.

“After more than 40 years, Subang Jaya continues to be a vibrant township and model sustainable community. It is a benchmark for other township developments in the country and a testimony of our expertise in developing sustainable townships and communities.”

Lot 15 is a Transit Adjacent Development (TAD), an interconnected development with facilities and amenities within close reach. It is within walking distance from the Subang Jaya LRT station and is easily accessible from/to major highways namely the Federal Highway, New Pantai Expressway (NPE), Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS).

— end —

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Dato’ Azmir Merican appointed as Sime Darby Property Group Managing Director

Press Release:
DATO’ AZMIR MERICAN APPOINTED GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR OF SIME DARBY PROPERTY

ARA DAMANSARA, 28 JANUARY 2020 –
Sime Darby Property Berhad today announced that its Board of Directors has appointed Dato’ Azmir Merican Azmi Merican as the Group Managing Director effective April 22, 2020.

Dato’ Azmir brings a wealth of experience from his background in financial advisory and as a senior business leader. He is currently the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of UEM Edgenta Berhad, one of the largest asset management and infrastructure solutions companies in Asia with operations in six countries.

Dato’ Azmir started his career as an investment analyst and later as a manager in the financial & corporate advisory arm of PricewaterhouseCoopers. He subsequently worked with CIMB Investment Bank and thereafter, joined AWC Berhad as its Group Chief Executive/Managing Director.

In 2012, Dato’ Azmir joined the UEM Group as the Group Chief Operating Officer, Business Units, before taking the helm at UEM Edgenta. At UEM Edgenta, Dato’ Azmir led its ongoing transformation into a technology-based company servicing the healthcare, property and infrastructure sectors.

“Dato’ Azmir’s appointment reinforces the Board’s commitment to ensuring Sime Darby Property’s leadership in the industry and towards creating sustainable, long term value for its stakeholders. We would like to welcome Dato’ Azmir to Sime Darby Property and look forward to working closely with him,” said Tan Sri Dr. Zeti Akhtar Aziz, Chairman of Sime Darby Property.

Dato’ Wan Hashimi Albakri will continue in his current role as Acting Group Chief Executive Officer until Dato’ Azmir’s effective appointment date. Subsequently, Dato’ Wan will resume the role of Chief Operating Officer, Township Development.

— end of press release —

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Press Release: Sime Darby Property Reimagines the Future of Malaysian Homes Through ‘Concept Home 2030 Competition

Open architectural design ideas competition in partnership with Malaysian Institute of  Architects to discover future home design concepts;

– Concept Home 2030 aims to reimagine sustainable building, living, & home ownership of the  future through design, construction, technology & lifestyle; and to share the concept with the  people today.

ARA DAMANSARA, 25 AUGUST 2021
– Imagine the quintessential Malaysian terrace home. Now  break the mould. Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “Company”) is ready to  reinvent the run-of-the-mill terrace homes to fit the future, with a complete overhaul from the  inception of the idea, to how these houses are designed and built to suit homeowners’ every need.

2020 was the year homes became more important than ever as a global disruption changed the  way we live. However, the mainstay of Malaysian homes, the terrace house, has barely changed  over the decades. Sime Darby Property intends to seize the opportunity to envision life in the future  by reimagining how we will live.

To make the vision a reality, Sime Darby Property is pleased to announce the ‘Concept Home 2030  Competition’ (“Competition”) in partnership with Malaysian Institute of Architects (“
Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia”
or “PAM”). The Competition invites corporate architects registered with PAM to  reimagine the potential Malaysian style of living in 2030 and articulate their vision of the future ready terrace home by stepping outside the box to produce ideas that will truly make a dynamic  shift in how we live, and for Sime Darby Property to bring the future to Malaysians.

It is not about merely designing a house with a green façade that is buildable tomorrow, participating  architects are encouraged to push the boundaries with futuristic and inspirational ideas to disrupt  the way we design, develop and build people-centric homes via construction tech, property tech  and design tech for sustainable communities & townships of the future. From building materials and  methods in the construction phase, to sustainable living features beyond the walls of the home,  these envisioned terrace homes are premised on conceptual and advanced technology of a  Concept Home.

The Concept Home should aim to have highly flexible space utilisation and customisable features  to cater to multiple members to work and learn from home at any given time. The home should be  expandable based on human needs and on modular fundamentals that truly redefine community,  rather than just individual homes.

Sime Darby Property’s Group Managing Director, Dato’ Azmir Merican said, “The principles of ‘form  follows function’, has served our society for generations. To shape the future of how we live, we  must discover trailblazing ideas from visionaries of the built realm. The biggest challenge to solve  for Malaysian terrace home designs today is for it to be built and function efficiently with versatile  space which allows diverse functions and use. The future is calling for these ideas today.

We must respond to disruptions and concerns from the past few decades, especially ones related  to climate change, home ownership, material scarcity, as well as evolving lifestyles. Through this  Competition, we want to see the vision of tomorrow’s homes inbuilt with sophisticated technology  and features that can improve quality of life and enable more productivity”.

The Competition encourages participants to address upcoming mega trends and future home  predictions, while finding new ways of designing, building, and innovating homes to close the  existing gaps in the market. Sime Darby Property’s history in revolutionising home design and  bringing new ideas before its time was conceptualised over a decade ago through its ‘Idea House’  – a ‘carbon-neutral concept dwelling’ for sustainable housing which was the first of such a concept  in Southeast Asia. Elements from the Idea House concept have been adapted in its more recent  residential home products, specifically in City of Elmina, Shah Alam.

Today, Sime Darby Property is taking this further and in search of disruptive concepts to build  prototypes that will challenge the norm, adapt to ever-changing trends, reinvent the terrace home  from all aspects of technology, sustainability, modularity and future lifestyles to say the least, and  reimagine how these new home ideas fit into a future community.

“The peak is yet to come for the property industry, and our Concept Home 2030 vision will drive us  towards bigger things to come. We are pleased to partner with PAM in this Competition, as well as  open to collaborate with other market and technology players to bring best innovation and solutions  to infuse future homes with technology and Artificial Intelligence for the home to be able to think for  itself and its occupants. Join Sime Darby Property in a journey to the future as we develop the next generation living experience and we urge the industry to accelerate innovation in developing future  homes and townships of tomorrow, together”, said Dato’ Azmir.

PAM President, Datuk Ar. Ezumi Harzani bin Ismail said, “Through this design ideas competition,  we expect to see innovative ideas that will change the future trend, bringing in new interactive  technologies that allow people to communicate with their homes and houses that are responsive to  the environment based on the needs and desires of Malaysian modern living”.

The Competition invites participation from architects registered with PAM, starting from 16 August  2021 and involve multiple stages before results are announced in January 2022. Entries will be  judged by a distinguished panel of adjudicators consisting of Sime Darby Property and PAM  representatives. The competition winner will win RM100,000 plus prospective commission of  executing a virtual or physical showcase project with Sime Darby Property, while second and third  placed winners will take home RM75,000 and RM50,000 respectively. Beyond the top three  winners, the competition will also award two Honorary Mention prizes and a ‘People’s Choice  Award’ in which public voting will be online for Malaysians to vote for their favourite submissions.

For more information on the competition and submission details, visit
http://www.pam.org.my.&nbsp
;

-END OF PRESS RELEASE
–

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Media Release:  Sime Darby Property’s Fully Taken-Up Ilham Residence 3 (Stage 1)  Proves that the City of Elmina is a Definite Must-Have Address

Sime Darby Property’s Fully Taken-Up Ilham Residence 3 (Stage 1)  Proves that the City of Elmina is a Definite Must-Have Address

– The Lifestyle Homes are perfect for growing families who appreciate living close to nature; – The Urban Twinhomes is City of Elmina’s first single-storey living concept.

ARA DAMANSARA, 24 MARCH 2023
– Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or  “Company”) premiered two new concept homes in the City of Elmina to overwhelming response, proving yet again that the Company delivers what the market demands. All 69 Lifestyle Homes  and 62 Urban Twinhomes units of Ilham Residence 3 (Stage 1) were taken-up at the early bird  preview earlier this month, denoting strong interest in this final landed gated and guarded precinct  within the exclusive Elmina East neighbourhood.

Sime Darby Property’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Datuk Lai Shu Wei said that the  fantastic response is a testament to the homebuyers trust in the Sime Darby Property brand as  well as in the Company’s capabilities to fulfil their needs. “We are happy that our newly introduced  Ilham Residence 3 products are well received showing that the City of Elmina is a definite must

have address. As a pioneering property developer, we will continue to leverage on our strategic  locations to provide homes with well-curated designs, practical layouts and good amenities in  excellent neighbourhoods, in line with our Purpose to be a Value Multiplier for People,  Businesses, Economies, and the Planet,” he added.

The two-storey 20’ x 70’ Lifestyle Homes have four bedrooms and four bathrooms and built-ups  starting from 1,944 sq. ft. Priced from RM901,888, these are perfect for growing families looking  for larger living spaces whereby the kitchen, living and dining area are connected as one large  area, allowing buyers greater flexibility in planning their lifestyle needs.

Other distinctive features include skylight roofs which enhance the overall ambience by allowing  natural sunlight and promote better comfort. The enclosed inner courtyard offers a flexible area  for indoor planting while the private backyard garden encourages residents to practise the ‘garden  to table’ living concept by growing their own produce.

The all-new 36’ x 70’ Urban Twinhomes introduces a single-floor living concept to provide greater  mobility, visibility and convenience to homeowners. With built-ups from 1,150 sq. ft. and price starting from RM582,888, the Urban Twinhomes was an instant hit among homebuyers. Featuring  three bedrooms and two bathrooms, as well as a distinctive brick wall at the front façade for  privacy and noise reduction, the ground floor unit boasts dual courtyard features that attract  natural light and promote a greener lifestyle, while the upper floor unit has a balcony for improved  ventilation and connection to the outdoors.

Residents of Ilham Residence 3 will get to enjoy over 20 curated facilities designed for all  generations including a unique barnhouse inspired playground, multi-purpose hall and balanced  fitness and wellness facilities such as a tai chi lawn and reflexology path. Residents can also  unplug from the hectic city life and reconnect with nature by jogging or cycling along the Elmina  Twin Lakes and Elmina Wildlife Park.

For added peace of mind, Ilham Residence 3 comes equipped with comprehensive security  systems with round-the-clock monitoring, as well as Signature Fittings such as an integrated  parcel and letter box, weatherproof power outlets and one-year free high-speed internet. To  encourage sustainable living, each home comes with solar PV panels (2kW) that serve to reduce  carbon footprint and improve electrical savings.

Getting to Ilham Residence 3 is easy via the Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE), Damansara Shah Alam Highway (DASH), Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR), New Klang  Valley Expressway (NKVE) and North-South Expressway (NSE). The development is also near to the Subang Airport, several educational and medical facilities, as well as the recently completed  neighbourhood commercial centre, TEMU. For those who missed out on Stage 1 units, Stage 2  of Ilham Residence 3 is open for bookings this weekend. For more information visit
http://www.simedarbyproperty.com/city-of-elmina/ilham-residence-3/&nbsp
;

–
END OF PRESS RELEASE

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Press Release: First Phase of Sime Darby Property’s Elmina Green Seven 100% Taken-Up by Eager Homebuyers

– The newest addition to the City of Elmina’s Signature Series was well received by the market, with all 56 units of the first phase taken-up upon the official launch;

– Elmina Green Seven homes offer purchasers maximum flexibility and practicality with a 24ft-wide living experience and a generous backyard garden.

ARA DAMANSARA, 7 JUNE 2023: Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “Company”) continues to elevate homeownership and liveability in the master-planned City of Elmina with the unveiling of the highly-anticipated Elmina Green Seven. The first freehold superlink residences making up a part of the Elmina Green precinct was well received by the market, with all 56 units of the first phase taken-up upon the official launch.

With prices starting from RM1,032,888, the newest addition to the City of Elmina’s Signature Series is designed to accommodate multiple generations under one roof without compromising comfort and well being. Its spacious lot size of 24’ x 80’ and a 12-ft backyard garden serve as a useful extension of the home or for residents to bring their landscaping ideas to life.

Sime Darby Property’s Chief Marketing and Sales Officer, Datuk Lai Shu Wei said the introduction of Elmina Green Seven is a testament to the tenacity of Malaysia’s leading property developer in creating products that meet the evolutionary demand for space and comfort, while offering a modern lifestyle that is close to nature. “Today, more homebuyers are opting for homes that not only allow for a high quality of life but can last for a lifetime. With Elmina Green Seven, we are introducing homes that integrate comfort, accessibility and versatility, set amid the breathtaking nature in our multi-award winning township. Of course, we are also proud to meet the market’s growing expectations and preferences with our innovative offerings. Whether you’re searching for a place to live, play or explore, you will find everything you need in Elmina Green Seven,” he added.

Elmina Green Seven enters the property market with 316 units in two variants, each catering to different lifestyle needs. Type 3 offers maximum flexibility with its generous built-up size of 2,363 sq. ft., four bedrooms and four en-suite bathrooms, whereas Type 4 offers maximum practicality with a floor plan of 2,477 sq. ft., 4+1 bedrooms and five en-suite bathrooms.

The homes also come with City of Elmina’s signature Fittings Plus+ features, which include an outdoor water filter, water booster pump, instant water heater, air conditioning power point and piping for selected rooms, as well as metal security grilles.

True to the verity that good places are convenient, future residents get to enjoy easy access to various amenities, facilities, destinations and services. From a children’s playground, picnic area, fitness station and reflexology path, to tennis, basketball, and multipurpose courts, there is something for everyone at Elmina Green Seven.
The neighbourhood is in close proximity to the Elmina City Centre, which will house the upcoming Elmina Lakeside Mall and Education Hub, among others. Just a short jog or bike ride away are the lush 21-acre Sakura Lake Park and the 8-acre Infinity Lake. Beyond the township, it is equally convenient for residents to head to nearby urban centres including Kota Damansara and Petaling Jaya.

The City of Elmina is a wellness-oriented township that serves to enhance the general wellbeing of its residents, all of whom have access to a variety of natural gardens and parks including the 300-acre Elmina Central Park, which promotes physical and mental wellness. The township is also home to Malaysia’s first Inclusive Playground for children with and without disabilities. In addition to its comprehensive lifestyle offerings, the City of Elmina offers unparalleled connectivity via the Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway (“DASH”).

-END-

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Press Release:
Sime Darby Property is synonymous with quality

The most awarded property developer with 13 High QLASSIC Achievement Awards from CIDB Malaysia

ARA DAMANSARA, 21 August 2018
– Sime Darby Property once again emerged as a major winner at the Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) Malaysia’s annual QLASSIC Award 2018, by taking home 13 High QLASSIC Achievement Awards for exemplary quality of its developments.

Sime Darby Property was presented with top honours for its projects in Bukit Jelutong, Elmina East, Bandar Bukit Raja, Saujana Impian, USJ Heights, Bandar Ainsdale, Nilai Impian, Chemara Hills and Bandar Universiti Pagoh. The awarded projects comprise a mix of residential and commercial developments.

Sime Darby Property was also the most awarded developer at the event, bagging 13 out of 37 awards. The company also received four special awards; three special awards were given for Best QLASSIC Achievement Awards in the Residential and Non-Residential categories and Best of the Best QLASSIC Achievement Award.

Sime Darby Property Chief Operating Officer
for
Township
 Operations
, Dato’ Wan Hashimi Albakri
 said, “Sime Darby Property is synonymous with quality and this is reinforced by the number of top awards presented to us by CIDB Malaysia. We would like to thank CIDB Malaysia for the recognition and we will continue to set the highest standards for the benefit of our customers and stakeholders”.

“Our QLASSIC results have shown tremendous improvements year-on-year and we are pleased to see the reduction in defects in many of our projects. All Sime Darby Property projects are subjected to our own stringent internal assessments before undergoing the QLASSIC quality assessments in the final stages. We take quality seriously and go the extra mile to deliver products that make our customers happy.”

The Quality Assessment System in Construction (QLASSIC) is a system or method to measure and evaluate the workmanship quality of a building construction work based on the Construction Industry Standard (CIS 7:2014). QLASSIC enables the quality of workmanship between construction projects to be objectively compared through a scoring system.

According to CIDB Malaysia, QLASSIC assessments are carried out through site inspection and is based on the principles of first time inspection. Rectification works conducted after an assessment will not be re-assessed. The objective of this principle is to encourage the contractor to “Do Things Right the First Time and Every Time”.

Updates on Sime Darby Property activities and developments can be found on
simedarbyproperty.com
, Facebook (
facebook.com/SimeDarbyProperty
), Instagram (
instagram.com/SimeDarbyProperty
) and the Sime Darby Property Mobile App (available for download via the App Store and Google Play).

— end of press release —

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Sime Darby recognised in its sustainability focus by Dow Jones

Press Release: Sime Darby Property is recognised on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices

The one and only Malaysian real estate company recognised for corporate sustainability leadership in the Emerging Markets

ARA DAMANSARA, 18 September 2018
– Sime Darby Property Bhd has been recognised as an index component of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI), as announced by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM, the investment specialist that focuses exclusively on sustainability investing.

Sime Darby Property received a commendable sustainability score to be qualified as an index constituent in Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index.  The Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index comprises emerging-market sustainability leaders as identified by RobecoSAM. It aims to represent the top 10% of the largest 800 companies in 20 emerging markets, based on long-term economic, environmental and social criteria.

The company was the only real estate industry player from Malaysia to be included in the index alongside other property players from the Philippines, Thailand, South Africa and Chile.

Sustainability is an important agenda for Sime Darby Property. The company’s initial focus on operational efficiency was strengthened by Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) efforts and subsequently, this was expanded to embed sustainability into its business practices.

Dato’ Sri Amrin Awaluddin,

Sime Darby Property Group Managing Director
said, “This is a truly great honour for the Sime Darby Property team. Over the years, we have proven our commitment to sustainability by embedding sustainability practices as part of our business value chain.  This is an important milestone in our sustainability journey and we could not have achieved this without the support of our employees and stakeholders.”

As a developer of large scale developments and townships, Sime Darby Property delivers impactful townships that last for generations, while minimising any negative impacts on the environment.

Sime Darby Property’s business practices and management approaches also promote the ten principles of the United Nations Global Compact, which include the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Manjit Jus, Head of ESG Ratings, RobecoSAM
 said, “I congratulate Sime Darby Property Berhad for being included in the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index. Companies that compete for a coveted place in the DJSI challenge themselves to continuously improve their sustainability practices and we are pleased to see that the number of companies that commit to achieving measurable positive impacts continues to rise.”

Created jointly by S&P Dow Jones Indices and RobecoSAM, the DJSI combine the experience of an established index provider with the expertise of a sustainability specialist in Sustainability Investing to select the most sustainable companies from across 60 industries. The indices serve as benchmarks for investors who integrate sustainability considerations into their portfolios, and provide an effective engagement platform for investors who wish to encourage companies to improve their corporate sustainability practices.*

— end of press release —

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Sime Darby’s affordable housing project in City of Elmina

My first apartment was only 700 sq ft and it comes with 3 rooms. Actually, it’s pretty liveable and I stayed with my wife, my sister and my brother-in law for many years before moving to a bigger condominium. However, where size is concerned, it’s always good to buy as big as we could afford. These days, most of the affordable projects are slightly below 900 sq ft in size. If you are still looking / waiting for an affordable apartment which is bigger than 850 sq ft, there’s another upcoming choice by Sime Darby Property Bhd. It is developing Harmoni 1 which is located within the City of Elmina in Shah Alam. It will be complemented by shop offices. Total gross development value for the whole project is RM155 million. The price will range from RM200,000 to RM250,000. Yes, considered affordable but location is not exactly a popular one when compared to the usual names. The actual location of City of Elmina? Please refer to Google Map image. It is definitely nearer to Sungai Buloh than to KLCC’s Jalan Ampang. Still interested? Read on.

Two prototypes for the project would be completed by middle 2017 before starting the project in Q3 2017. If you qualify, it’s time to register with the Selangor Housing and Property Board. The qualified buyers list would then be forwarded to Sime Darby Property. Now for the EXTRA. Its managing director Datuk Jauhari Hamidi said the project would be the first of its kind in Malaysia to adopt the Divergent Dwelling Design (D3) concept. The total completion period for construction is about 24 months compared to 36-42 months using the conventional concept. D3 involves pre-fabrication and mass production of components for residential units that enable cost-saving, higher product quality, reduction of on-site labour and minimised wastage. Yes, pre-fabrication should be great because once all the components are ready, we only need to assemble them. Something like Lego.

Have you seen some videos about the potential of these pre-cast / fabricated construction?
Here’s one where a hotel was completed within 15 days.
It’s 30 storeys by the way. We have yet to see this go big in a meaningful way yet. Let’s see if Sime Darby’s project can be a catalyst for many more to come? I think if it’s really where quality meets affordability, it should be the norm in future. Happy waiting to view the prototypes within a few months time.

written on 25 Jan 2017

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RM508 million Simmtech factory will be ready by 1Q 2022. (that’s soon!)

Buying land versus the total gross development value (GDV)

When property developers buy a piece of land, the price they are willing to pay would probably be around 10% of the total gross development value. In other words, if it’s a RM20 million land, the property development they will develop may be RM200 million. This is 10x the land cost.

When Simmtech decided that they will build a RM508 million, surely they are not expecting a sales turnover of just RM508 million. It is surely way way way higher than that.

Surely they are not going to build a factory to operate it for one or two years. It’s definitely going to be for many many many years too. Just look at Intel Malaysia for example. They came to Penang in 1972. They are still here today.

Surely they are thinking of the world market for their products and not just for local consumption.
Malaysia is a top 25 largest trading nation.
(Read here) So, we can definitely export a lot more to the world.

This is why when it’s a RM508 million factory, they will definitely be here for a long time. They will hire many people and they will also pay them well so that they could attract and retain talents too. This is why the demand for properties would also continue to happen too.

Article in edgeprop.my

 Simmtech, a South Korea-based manufacturer of printed circuit board and packaging substrate for semiconductors has said that its new facilitiy’s construction is on track and scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2022 (1Q22).

The new factory is anticipated to create more than 1,000 high-skilled jobs in engineering, manufacturing and quality management by the first half of 2022 (1H22). Simmtech Southeast Asia managing director Jeffery Chun said, “With synergistic support from federal government agencies, especially the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) and state government agencies, our greenfield project is chartering at lightning speed to ramp up capacity to our major customers in this region.” Please do read the full article here:
Article in edgeprop.my

Can buy the properties nearby the factory?

If you are working there, then it’s indeed a great buy versus staying in the island and then spending 2 hours on travel daily…

If you intend to buy and then rent to people working there, just need to be savvy that there if your targeted tenant is from island side, they may choose to stay in the island side and if they intend to rent, it may just be a room or a small sized-apartment but not a big condo or a landed and then stay alone….

If your targeted tenant is from mainland side, then rest assured, they will stay at where they stay most probably. They really do not need to spend extra just to stay closer to the factory by 10-20 minutes? In fact, some of these potential employees may already be staying and working in the mainland side and the factory they are working could even be nearby Simmtech too.

If your targeted tenant is from out of Penang, then you need to know who are these people and target them accordingly yeah. Most probably, they will ask their colleagues for some tips on where to stay, so you should have friends working in Simmtech so that you also have this opportunity and advantage. Hope I have answered a short question but some careful considerations.

If we are buying to wait for capital appreciation, then we will need to look at the overall scene and must not just rely on one factory called Simmtech yeah. Happy deciding.

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Simply booking and cancelling affordable units? Barred for One (1) Year.

When you book a unit of affordable housing and cancelling them when you have been offered one, would anything happen to you? For example, PR1MA? Well, nothing would happen to you here in Malaysia but in Singapore, there is a provision where these booking and cancellations would cause you to be barred from buying any new BTO (Built to Order) flats for one year. According to Singapore’s National Development Minister, Khaw Boon Wan this is to stop buyers from frivolous bookings and thus causing genuine flat buyers to lose out due to their behaviour. I think this is a very good measure and should be considered for any buyers of affordable units in Malaysia. The reason? Well, I know of some who are saying, ‘book first lar, cancel later’. Oh yeah, how many of these buyers were barred? 3,500 of them!

Besides that, it was also revealed that Housing Development Board (HDB)’s resale flats are 31 percent more expensive than new BTO ones in the suburbs. FYI, suburbs typically meant newer areas in Singapore. In Singapore, development is extremely well planned and every inch of land is used to its fullest. While many say they are efficient, I think it also have to do with the amount of land they possess. Look at how you use your money when you have a lot versus when you have just RM10 and you still have to eat two meals before your next paycheck arrives. Familiar with this situation?

Coming back to the property prices, especially the HDB flats, the sellers have become more aware that if they were to sell, they would have to sell lower. Not that they would be suffering losses because the prices has been increasing fora few years. The expectation is that the prices would continue to inch downwards for 2014. According to PropNex Realty chief executive officer Mohamed Ismail, he expects prices to soften 6 to 7 per cent for this full year. Next year, the Singaporean government would build less BTO units! Haha. They can even predict this in advance. Singapore government’s cooling measures are already working.

What about Malaysia’s? Well, transactions wise, it seems to have worked but prices wise, not yet. Perhaps the pressure on the sellers are just not high because the prices they paid could have been much lower and thus even the mortgage repayments would not trouble them as much. I would believe though that if transactions continue to be slow, sooner or later, prices would have to inch downwards. Especially those which are 1,000sf but is already priced at RM1 million or higher. I do not believe that there are many buyers in the market who are looking or even can afford these units. Let’s see how resilient this high end to luxury segment is for a few more months.

written on 4 Nov 2014

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Simply buying? Or only think of popular areas?

I know the mantra of location, location and location. I think this was a term coined quite some time back, at least over 15 years ago because when I bought my first property investment book, this was already a term used by many. Of course, these days, another term is becoming more famous; TOD (Transit Oriented Development). I have personally called it the ‘
Accessibility Popularity
‘ Anyway, the term used is secondary. The knowledge is primary. Understanding that new public transport stops would start to enhance many new and less popular areas. Understand also that many are still thinking ot he more traditional areas and only fewer more adventurous ones are starting to accept less popular areas. Finally, understand also that when there are lesser demand, the prices tend to be lower too.

Sometimes, it is because the area is really bad (for whatever reasons we dislike or hate) but sometimes it is because the area has not yet been discovered by everyone. Shouldn’t we be the ones discovering them before majority?
Buy what others did not think, see, view, yet

For those who have read kopiandproperty.com for sometime, I coined the term
‘Location Supply Scarcity.’
  This basically tells us that when a location is favoured by many, the prices would go up simply because the supply within that location cannot suddenly increase or has already peaked but demand will keep coming due to
popularity of the particular area.
 This will happen even if within just 10 minutes away there are by far lower priced homes. Haha. Do note that there is nothing wrong to love a popular area, I think it should always be safe. However, just don’t think too much about prices doubling because the prices of today are indeed very high. In the stock market, it’s called fully-valued or even over-valued. More often than not, these fully-valued or over-valued stocks are also the known blue-chips. So, buying blue-chip stocks can hardly be a wrong decision.

The great thing about
property investment today
 is that there are so many resources available. From thousands of property listings to reviews and even rumours. Let’s not forget the weekly free property seminars / workshops and fairs where we can compare properties side by side. Property news are a prominent feature of many property sites and even the usual media outlets. Even our lunch mates can be a great resource as they may be sharing with us the area they are staying, the good the bad and the ugly. What should we be doing? Do not buy without knowing and understanding. Buying the wrong property regardless of good or bad times would still ‘cripple’ our ability to invest for many years. My proposal?
Buy to stay first, invest later
. Buy those we like not those we believe others may like. Happy investing.

written on 18 Dec 2016

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Simply increase price? I have decided.

This morning when I was having my breakfast, my mother said that the noodle that we were having has increased its price. My wife said these hawkers would continue to increase their prices because the consumers are willing to just accept it. It increased the price of the plain noodle from RM3 to RM3.20 It does seem like a 6% increase but has anyone ever bought a pack of the usual 500gm noodle from the hypermarket before? Assuming this 500gm noodle can be used for just 3 bowls of noodles, the increase by the hawker is totally unacceptable. I have decided not to eat his noodles anymore. I will eat the curry meet instead which has maintained the price thus far. Too bad, I am alone.

I remember when the price of sugar went up by 20 cents, the restaurants said that they have to increase the price of their drinks. Again, 20 cent is for 1kg of sugar. I am not sure how many cups of drinks can be made with this BUT an increase of 10 cent for the drinks was quickly accepted by all the consumers. Seems funny that we continue to complain and yet we can accept the increase easily? Of course, for the drinks, I would normally accept because I go Starbucks on a weekly basis and it would have been very stupid of me to complain the 20 cents up for 5 days and I can save RM1 but one cup of Starbucks would have set me back more than RM10, even if I have the Starbucks mug for the RM2 rebate.

Just a while ago, I was at a Starbucks at a low end hypermarket. The Starbucks was full and I even had to queue to purchase my usual latte. Fortunately, as soon as I decided to drink it elsewhere, one couple got up and I took their table. As soon as I sat down, two aunties who sat right beside me were complaining about GST. Both of them said the prices are now up by 6% or higher. The irony is, both of them were drinking Starbucks too. As my latte is the second cheapest option after Americano, I could see both their drinks are higher priced because they have got cream on top. Sometimes our actions are just so funny. I wish both of them the best in handling GST and Starbucks. On second thought, perhaps I was wrong. GST to them might have been Go Starbucks Today.

I have decided that for food, if the price is unreasonable, I will not step into the shop. I have also decided to influence my friends about places where the food is grossly expensive. I have also decided to be price loyal instead of brand loyal because I found out that even just changing washing powders would save me many times more than the 6% GST. I have never bought any cotton T-shirt for more than RM30 for many years already and for long sleeve shirts, I would only buy if the quality meets my expectations and yet it’s priced below RM50. If there are none, I would just wait for discounts. Seriously, GST is here to stay. We can continue to complain without the right actions or we can take real and concrete steps to mitigate it. Cheers.

written on 5 Apr 2015

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Simply spending way too much, dear Malaysians.

Actually, we do not need a research on the topic of whether Malaysians are saving enough. Just look at how they are spending their money would already allow us to predict the outcome. Just a few days ago, a guy called the Melody FM and proudly announced to all listeners that he changes phone every time a new model is launched. Wow.. looks very promising? Today, when I was in Bangsar South and I overheard a guy asking a lady from AMBANK if he could
qualify for personal loan
. He wanted RM10,000. I do hope he is taking that personal loan to start a business which will provide him sufficient returns to return the money he was borrowing. Else, he is in deep trouble.

The Star had an article quoting the study of Khazanah Research Institute. In brief, the study said that Malaysians are borrowing too much and not saving enough. Full article?
Read it here.
 Short summary? Household debt versus gross domestic product has reached 89.1% in 2015. (Yes, this is really very high). Most debts were to FINANCE house purchases. (Of course, because the amount is by far larger than car or handphone purchase.  Average life expectancy is now at 77.4 years. (YES, if we do retire at 60, we need to ensure our money can last at least 17.4 years!!)

It also shared that only 10.8 percent of Malaysian households can withstand financial shocks such as unemployment, physical impairment, death, divorce and changes in interest rates or financial markets. Meanwhile Bank Negara’s “Financial Inclusion and Capability Study”, found only 6% of Malaysians can survive more than six months, and 18% up to three months, after losing their main source of income. On an overall basis,
household balance sheet
 is still healthy, as some households continue to accumulate more financial assets than debt.

Do not look at other Malaysians, especially those who are not saving enough. Look at Malaysians who are not just saving but also investing. It’s time we rethink our strategy. A very simply start is to jot down all the expenses that we could remember that was UNNECESSARY for the past 30 days. Use that number x 2 (because there are things we forgot we spent on) and then x 12 (one year). We will now get a number which we could have saved and once we have this number imagine what could we have gotten from it if we
had invested it instead
…. Cheers fellow Malaysians.

written on 9 Sept 2016

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City of Elmina driving revenues for Sime Darby Property

Media release: SIME DARBY PROPERTY REGISTERS REVENUE OF RM476.7 MILLION IN Q12020

ARA DAMANSARA, 21 MAY 2020 – Sime Darby Property Berhad (“Sime Darby Property” or “the Company”), released its first quarter results today which saw the Company registering a revenue of RM476.7 million and profit after tax and minority interests (“PATAMI”) of RM14.2 million for the quarter under review.

First quarter period review
During the quarter, the Company’s revenue continued to be driven by contribution from its Property Development segment, which recorded a revenue of RM440.7 million and constituted 92.4% of the total revenue. This was mainly derived from the City of Elmina and Bandar Bukit Raja townships as well as land sale.

For the quarter under review, the Company launched 583 units in Elmina East, its flagship township. This consists of 513 units of landed linked homes priced from RM578,000 onwards and 70 units of 2-storey and 3-storey commercial shops priced from RM1.39 million onwards. The Company has witnessed positive responses from prospective buyers where the take-up rates were encouraging.

Additionally, development projects that performed better in the current quarter compared to the corresponding period during the previous year include Elmina West, Subang Jaya City Centre, Ara Damansara and Nilai Utama township.

The segment recorded a decline in the current quarter’s property sales of both landed and high-rise units compared to the corresponding period of the previous year. This is mainly arising from weak consumer sentiment and the expiration of the Home Ownership Campaign (“HOC”) on 31 December 2019. On-site construction activities were halted for 14 days in the current quarter, resulting in delays in the delivery of projects.

For the Property Development segment, the Company has made a provision of RM10.8 million for, among others, liquidated and ascertained damages. The corresponding period of the previous year also recorded a one-off gain totalling RM203.4 million from the disposal of Darby Park Executive Suites in Singapore.

Total unbilled sales for the Property Development segment stood at RM1.5 billion as at 31 March 2020. Total bookings of RM912 million have been secured and the Company remains focused on converting it into signed sales and will continue driving new leads.

Way forward and outlook
Bank Negara Malaysia has revised Malaysia’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) projection to between -2.0% and 0.5% in 2020, weighed down by the output loss arising from the pandemic, Movement Control Order (“MCO”) and the collapse in petroleum price. The already weakened domestic property market prior to COVID-19 would continue to be affected by the ensuing global uncertainties and external developments.

However, the impact to the property sector may be partially cushioned by the massive fiscal stimulus amounting to 2% of GDP and the reduction of the Overnight Policy Rate for the third time this year by 50 basis points, bringing the benchmark interest rate to 2.0%.These policy actions are expected to support the domestic economic activities.

The Company’s immediate priorities for the year will be on cashflow management, active marketing and sales campaigns, inventory management, and cost reduction. We will prioritise key projects that deliver value to the stakeholders and focus on launching products that are priced competitively, in meeting customers’ needs.

In line with the Government’s incremental lifting of the MCO, the Company is in the midst of commencing construction works. Construction sites will be activated in phases, in compliance with relevant regulatory requirements. Strict operating guidelines including the social distancing etiquette have been adopted to ensure seamless operations. The Company, as a leading industry player will work in tandem with the Ministry of Housing & Local Government as well as other relevant agencies on industry matters, including the securing of Extension of Time (EOT) for the handover of ongoing projects.

“Moving forward, the Company will streamline its efforts to promote the right product launches as well as improve on processes and systems. This would enable us to become more agile and adaptable to respond to the fast-paced challenges of these current times,” said Group Managing Director Dato’ Azmir Merican.

He further added, “We will also prioritise our areas of focus to what will make a difference for 2020, in particular strengthening our resilience against the global and domestic macroeconomic headwinds and the market uncertainties brought by the pandemic, which i unprecedented in its magnitude”.

The Company foresees that the coming months in the current financial year will be adversely affected by the spillover effects of the pandemic on consumers’ purchasing power thereby resulting in a moderation of property sales. Sime Darby Property will continue to monitor the situation and will revise our financial targets, including announcement of latest sales estimates, once there is more clarity of the situation.

In weathering the storm, the Company remains confident in its financial position, as reflected by its strong track record and a robust balance sheet. As at 31 March 2020, unbilled sales in hand remained at a healthy RM1.5 billion, coupled with a targeted pipeline of new launches.

The Company’s bank balances also stood at RM925.5 million with solid cashflow from operations at RM120.5 million, while its net gearing ratio remained low at 0.26x.

— end of press release —

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Singapore beats both China and Hong Kong in buying overseas real estate

Singapore is ASEAN’s largest financial market, without any doubt. However, compared to China or even Hong Kong, it is still smaller. Nevertheless this does not stop it from beating both China and Hong Kong in investing overseas. According to Real Capital Analytics (RCA), Within the first 9 months of 2014, Singapore entities invested US$9.8 billion versus China’s US$8.4 billion and Hong Kong’s US$7.3 billion. The major reason stated was due to the lack of action in its own domestic property market. Just like many other markets which has implemented strict cooling measures, the Singaporean property market has been on a downtrend both in transactions and prices. Transactions are expected to half while prices has been declining for the past 4 quarters. The investment overseas is 300% higher compared to the same period of last year. in property values have caused residential prices to fall for four straight quarters, the longest period of declines since 2009.

As reported in Bloomberg, something which is unusual is also happening in Singapore. The local developers are more vocal in saying that the cooling measures has ‘killed’ the market. Ho Bee Land’s executive director Desmond Woon said that developers face a difficult time in Singapore because their margins have been squeezed by the government measures in the property market. It’s extremely tough to do property development. Some of the measures include a cap of debt on borrower’s income at 60% and higher stamp duties on home purchases. Foreigners meanwhile have to pay 15% additional taxes on top of the usual stamp duty rate of about 3%. Should anyone sell their properties within the first year, they will be levied an additional 16%. Even if you are a seasoned investor, not many would be able to get any return at all and most probably a huge loss if you buy and sell within the first year.

It is said that the appetite for risk is now higher as these overseas investments are venturing into markets which may potentially offer higher returns versus home. While I think it is a serious risk but if the whole market is not moving and you happen to be a property developer, what else can you do? Developing in other emerging markets? Those would carry even higher risks! Capital flights happen fastest in these smaller and newer markets compared to the more matured ones like London, New York or even Australia’s property market. Oh yeah, many have predicted that the next crisis would happen in 2015, from early 2015 all the way to end of 2015 but majority are pointing to 2015. Read here:
Next crisis is looming – PM of 6th largest economy in the world
 Buying in Iskandar may not be the best option either because it’s way too close and inter-related to Singapore’s own property market. In fact the returns may take longer time because while Iskandar is facing a potential oversupply, the US economy is said to be turning around positively.

written on 3 Dec 2014

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If Singapore eases cooling measures, what about Malaysia?

Reported in propertyguru.com.sg under the property news section, Donald Han, Managing Director of Chesterton Singapore said that the current cooling measures in Singapore could be eased as early as second half of 2016. The trigger would be the continuous fall in private home prices. He said that the easing would start as soon as price drops around 15 percent. This would already cause property owners to slip into negative equity. As per the The Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) residential price index, the price has already dropped 8 percent from the peak in Q3 2013. The “9th cooling” measure is the rising interest rates which are already happening.

He predicted that a “A reduction in the ABSD (Additional Buyer’s Stamp Duty) is most likely, but a reduction in the SSD (Seller’s Stamp Duty) could also materialise, should there be higher instances of mortgagee sales. The TDSR (Total Debt Servicing Ratio) is unlikely to be removed, however.” He said that even with the easing and demand from PRs, the prices would continue its downtrend till 2018. New sales of 7,000 to 8,000 units are likely to be norm and there are 24,000 units of unsold stocks to be cleared in 3 years.

I think Han is only predicting because he is not from the Singaporean government. However, as we always love to see Singapore as being much more pro-active than Malaysia, do you believe that the cooling measures implemented thus far would be eased? If we base this on the numbers shown thus far where prices are concerned, I think the cooling measures are still going to be in place. Transactions have been dropping but prices have not really moved in tandem. I personally think perhaps the more affordable and smaller units being built and sold today would slowly push the average property prices downwards.

The cooling measures have achieved its objective; slowing transactions and property prices rising too fast. Even the Singapore government did not put up cooling measures to push prices back to the levels many years ago. That’s not a wise thing to do. Let’s keep tracking what Singapore does next in terms of cooling measures. Happy buying if you are still looking for your first home.

written on 14 Dec 2015

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Singapore has started easing cooling measures….

Every few weeks, there would be some news about Singapore’s cooling measures. The question of whether relaxation should start or would it still be maintained. Just two weeks ago, this was what the CEO of Capitaldn Ltd said
Cooling measures in SG? One more year at least says Capitaland Ltd
 Then on 10th March, there was a joint statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Finance, Ministry of National Development and Monetary Authority of Singapore on relaxation of cooling measures in Singapore. Here’s one article from StraitsTimes:
Singapore eases some property cooling measures.
 What has happened is that the sellers who sell from year 4 onwards no longer need to pay any stamp duty. Secondly, the rate was also lowered by 4 percent across the board. Instead of 16 percent, it will now be 12 percent for buyers who sell within 1 year. This goes on until the more than 2 but less than 3 years which has been reduced from 8 percent to just 4 percent. Do note that this is stamp duty. In other words, the percentage is based on the selling price and not on the property gains derived from the sale. For Malaysia, just 3 months back, this would be the view of analysts.
Analysts on Budget 2017: Cooling measures unlikely to be lifted

There was also an exemption for a small group of borrowers where Total Debt Servicing Ratio (TDSR) was concerned. TDSR of 60 percent is currently required for bank borrowings. In brief, the total loan obligations must NOT exceed 60 percent, else the loan application will not be approved. This is a parting statement for the all other current cooling measures.  The Singapore Government said the bulk of current property measures “remain necessary to promote a sustainable residential property market and financial prudence among households.”

Relaxation of more of the cooling measures would be positive for the property market. However, this is not a sign that the economy is doing better. In fact, it may be due to the slowing down of economic growth and thus some support to the market is now needed. Singapore’s GDP growth for 2017 is estimated to be at 1.5 percent in a survey by the Monetary Authority of Singapore just three months back. Read
StraitsTimes article here.
 Unemployment rate is going to be low still, at around 2 percent. Read
Businesstimes article here.
 When people have jobs, they will still spend and definitely buy properties. This is a positive point. Happy following.

written on 11 Mar 2017

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Singapore: Easing of cooling by end 2015 – DBS

To those who have been following Singapore’s property market news, it has not been that awesome. Prices have fallen, especially for the luxury ones but it included even those HDB flats too. Developers are really shouting and crying out loud that they are facing huge pressure without government support. The support they needed would be of course for the easing of property market cooling measures. In fact some said these must be done sooner than later. read here:
Singapore property, prices continuously declining into 2015

Well, in an article in PropertyGuru.com.sg, it does seem that the Singaporean government has also realised this and may take some preliminary actions. However, it may not be sudden or very soon. Singapore’s largest banking group, DBS said that they believe these easing would only happen by end of 2015. The reason is because while there has been slight drops, the property prices remain high and it may yet meet what the government expected. The pressure to act would begin towards end of the year when the supply completion is increased. A total of 50,900 new housing is forecasted to swarm the market thus pushing for a better balance between supply and demand.

Another reason would also be because of the increase in interest rates of between 1.5 to 2.0 percent. In Singapore, this is considered very significant. If the Singaporean government does act, this marks the success of the cooling measures first introduced in 2009. In fact some reports pointed out that there has been 8 rounds of such cooling measures! Read more here:
http://www.ezproperty.sg/singapore-property-cooling-measures

I consider this as good news for the market. It meant the property bubble expected previously may no longer happen. Nope, I do not consider this as a positive news for Iskandar. Of course, if bubble did burst, it would cause more harm in terms of sentiment. Happy reading.

written on 12 Apr 2015

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Singapore fund favours Hong Kong property assets for now

Recently I shared something I read about Hong Kong’s property market. It’s not doing well actually. Read here:
Hong Kong property market? Dropping in price and transactions
  Well, as they say value appears once prices have dropped low enough to re-enter the market. SC Capital Partners, a Singapore private equity real estate firm said that Hong Kong’s recent price declines have made Hong Kong property attractive versus Singapore’s own property market. It’s founder Suchad Chiaranussati said he expects current cooling measures by the Singapore government to continue until end of 2017. Thus, Hong Kong offers more value with current declines.

He added, “The big correction in prices has already happened in Hong Kong” According to data compiled by Centaline Property Agency Ltd, Hong Kong housing prices have dropped about 13 per cent from a peak in September 2015. The reasons include a rising supply of homes, higher short-term interest rates and slowing growth in China. SC Capital’s views are not shared by Kyle Bass, the hedge-fund manager who told told a Las Vegas conference that Hong Kong’s property market is in “free fall.”
(Briefly, free fall means there’s no certainty when the decline would stop)
. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. also predicted a 20 per cent decline in home prices. The full article is
here
.

To those who believe SC Capital’s predictions, well, Hong Kong property prices are still extremely expensive. Take a look at some latest prices in the image. Look at the size and the actual price. These are in New Territories. They are definitely cheaper than those usual areas we hear in Hong Kong TVB dramas. Perhaps even Australia or London is a cheaper alternative? Happy following.

written on 11 May 2016

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Singapore investors MUST be top in Iskandar, always

Have you ever wondered who is the top investor in Iskandar. Actually, it was never Singapore in the beginning. In fact, Iskandar was thought of as just another potential white elephant then. However, today, Singapore is the top investor in Iskandar. The question, why must Singapore be the top and if Singapore is not the top, should you be worried. Iskandar is right next to Singapore. In distance, it is much nearer than even my home in Damansara Damai to my office in the city centre. In duration, during jams, it may take 2 hours according to a few of my friends. If there’s no jam? Less than half an hour, even including the immigration checkpoints.

Today, Singapore is still growing despite the fact that it is already considered a developed city state. To continue this growth, it needs to boost its productivity. To have a manufacturing plant within Singapore is not going to be cost effective no matter how many machines you have because the electricity is more expensive and the land cost is exorbitant. This has yet to include the salary in S$. If you have an existing factory, you can still try but building a new one or add capacity? Singapore is not even the second choice. Iskandar can provide this option.

Singapore wants to continue growing as a magnet for talents. However, can every company afford to let their talents stay in condominiums with rentals of S$8,000? Or should they be lowering the standard and let them stay in apartments or even HDB flats? I seriously think if that decision is necessary, perhaps even Horizon Hills in Iskandar is many times more suitable than the older apartments or HDB flats without much of the creature comfort facilities like even a simple swimming pool.

In Malaysia, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed, said the joint-venture project between UEM Sunrise Bhd and Ascendas Pte Ltd is a great driver for more spin-off activities and win-win partnership between Malaysia and Singapore. In Singapore, Trade and Industry Minister, Lim Hng Kiang said that with Iskandar, it contributes not only to better cooperation but also the integration of both economies.

Thus, for years to come, Singapore MUST be top investor in Iskandar because if it is not, I seriously think Iskandar may not be attracting the right investors from the right country. Okay, perhaps China can beat them easily due to the sheer size of their population and investments but do remember that despite China being such a huge investor, Malaysians with our small Ringgit is still the one buying the most homes in Singapore. I think you know the reason why. Happy investing but be cautious of the potential oversupply in the medium term unless Iskandar gets even more attractive than currently.

written on 17 June 2014

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