A thoughtful family-sized condo in Kuchai Lama – The Riyang @ Happy Garden

Recently, the CEO of Suntrack, a boutique developer gave me a one-hour presentation about his project;
The Riyang @ Happy Garden.
 I think it could have easily been 2 hours because he was very hands-on and answered all my questions immediately. I would rate his presentation one of the best from a CEO of a property developer. Seriously. I even asked him if he majored in philosophy and he laughed it off. The reason I say so was because he was telling based on WHY concept instead of WHAT’s available. If we are a buyer and we go to a presentation, it’s boring to have the presenter saying this, “Ín my condo, I have this, this, this and that.” If it is just telling about the features, the presenter could have just given me the brochure and I could read it too. Let me tell you my review for The Riyang as someone with a lovely wife who cooks nearly daily and two energetic kids who has unlimited energy levels somehow.

In terms of age, my daughter is 4 and my son is 2 this year. Both of them love the playground and the swimming pool and everytime we travel, the hotels I book should have these two features. In The Riyang, the playground is shaded. This a well-thought out design. the kids could run around without the sun shining down on them and the parents worrying too much that they fall sick. In condos where the playground is not shaded or even landed properties where the playground is out in the open, the usual time that the kids are allowed to run around would be 530pm, when the sun is no longer ‘threatening’. By 6pm, they needed to go home to shower because dinner would be ready by 7. If the family is eating at some malls nearby, then the time to play at the playground would be even more limited. The CEO explained that he has kids and he would love to have his kids running around within a safe compound and not to worry too much about the sun.

Speaking of my two young toddlers, safety is of utmost important. The Riyang’s swimming pool is raised by 450mm as a child safety feature. It looks inviting too. I have never allowed both of them to swim or play by themselves in the swimming pool but the safety feature is really necessary because precautions are always better. With these two, the shaded playground the swimming pool which includes a separate kids pool’, I think the requirements for my two kids are met.

We have shaded playgrounds, then what about shaded balconies? Balconies in condominiums are usually shaded, no doubt. The Riyang has a deep balcony design which serves as a complete sun shade to all the units up till 2pm. This meant a cooler unit because the total time that the sun would shine directly into the unit would only be a maximum of 3 hours. As someone who has rented a unit with direct sunlight, I can safely tell you that this is a very thoughtful design. This deeper balcony design shows outside the building too, as curves which enhanced the overall aesthetics of The Riyang. The balconies are also wide enough for a small table and two chairs for me to enjoy a cup of coffee with a visiting friend too.

Do you like the feeling of being welcomed home? Specifically a 200 feet driveway of carefully planted trees and plants which also serves as a garden for you and family? These days, when I view any development at all, whether landed or high-rise, the greenery component to me is vital. The reason is very simple. Well planted trees and plants would continue to add that extra into a development even as it ages and the wall paint needs a new makeover. Do take a look at the image which was shown at the scale model at the showroom. I think this can serve as a reminder of how your ‘welcome home’ pathway cum garden may look like in the future.

If you have also noticed that I have not really started about the unit itself, you are right. After staying in high-rise units for the past 16 years, I think it’s important to get all the complementary stuffs right. Our unit may be awesome but if the drive into the car park is a hassle; narrow car park ramps or too many turns just to park our car, then it has destroyed a lot of the attractiveness of living in a family-oriented condominium unit.

How many times have we been to our friend’s place and we did not really like the guard post or the garden or the swimming pool or even the rusty gym but we love their unit because they have invested a fortune on their renovations? Please do not spend a fortune on the renovations and fix even those things which a developer should have provided well in advance. These are just some of the things I noticed at The Riyang. They provide owners with generous amounts of plug points to multi-split air-conditioning units and hidden water heater tanks and even CAT6 cables for future IPTVs, just a few of the things that the owner of a unit in The Riyang would have. For a full list, just scroll all the way to the end of this article.

The Riyang has also just 212 family-oriented units (low density)
and it has 5 lifts serving 8 units per floor. This reduces the waiting time tremendously. Still remember your trip to some hotel and the waiting time for the lift took ‘forever?’ It is also designed to be wheelchair friendly too which saves a lot of hassle and trouble. This is something which has been lacking in many condominiums as their target was usually younger couples. For family-oriented condos, I think we should also anticipate that we have older folks too.

Now, let’s start talking about the unit itself. The unit has high ceilings and all the units have good ventilation and natural lighting. Remember when we visit some condos where the corridors are long and dark? That’s because the developers maximize the number of units they could build on one straight line instead of building one unit and leaving some space for natural lights to come in. The Riyang starts from just RM550 per sq ft but I think it’s generous with the available space. Let me be honest, this is definitely not the best condominium project that I have visited but at RM550 per sq ft and 11km from the city centre (KLCC park), it is certainly within the top few.

Do look at some photos which I have taken. Not with iPhone or Huawei but with my trusted OPPO R9S. (Yes, I changed my phone…). The photos would show some of the potential designs that you have in mind. Yes, the space is well designed. I have a wide living hall and if you have a daughter who needs her own room, The Riyang provides her with her own bathroom too. So, there are two rooms in the unit with their very own bathrooms. I think it’s pretty cool.

For some of us who love to plant some stuffs at the balcony, the unit provides an ample-sized balcony to do just that. In case you think the balcony at high-rises are only good for some small herbs, planting lady’s finger is possible and I have done it successfully. Besides that due to the size of the balcony, I think you can have your own ginger and even pineapple plant too. (YES, I have done it successfully before!)

My wife and I agree on one thing when we scout for a new place to stay. The kitchen must be good. She is getting ever better with her Chinese dishes and my tummy is getting bigger. I bake cheesecakes occasionally and a roast turkey party on a yearly basis. So, the kitchen must be well designed. The unit has separate dry and wet kitchens and both have their spacious functional spaces. Kitchen cabinets are provided for in the wet kitchen for all owners too. The colour is pretty neutral and I am sure most owners would like it.

Do you like to have your own basin while your partner has her own? I think I want a basin for myself because right now, the basin in my master bathroom belongs solely to my wife. At The Riyang, you can have your own. Haha. Seriously, even this was designed in. Do take a look, I think if you are also a modern couple (even if not too young anymore), you would like it.

These are just some of the things I learnt during my viewing @ The Riyang recently. I think the show gallery is worth a visit if you have a growing family and need a comfortably-sized condominium which is near enough to the city centre. Take a look at the time to get to KLCC at Jalan Ampang on a weekday, starting your journey at 7am. I did not show 9am because it would take much lesser time. There’s no need to leave home at 630am too. The condominium is situated within a matured neighborhood which meant lots of good food as well as the much lower likelihood that another taller and bigger condominium could be built right in front of your block. Do note however that even sea view condominiums do not have the guarantee clause in the S&P that the sea view is guaranteed. This is the advantage of buying in a mature neighborhood. Beyond just those I shared, it also comes with lots of facilities for your wife, your kids and you too. Thus far, all the sales staffs I met there were friendly and smile a lot. Not sure if it’s because the CEO was around. Haha. Check out more photos which I have taken below.

Are there other things that you may be looking for? Take a look below for the list provided to me by the developer.

The Riyang @ Happy Garden

Property – Key Features:

Freehold condominium in the heart of KL

Convenient and accessible via major highways

Exclusive residential development (GST exempted)

212 spacious, family oriented units

Only 8 units per floor

5 lifts for short waiting time

35 storey high-end condominium tower

Designed with Eco, safety features and Disabled-Friendly feature in common areas

Only RM550 per sq ft

Unit – Key Features

High ceilings for better ventilation and natural lighting in all rooms

Dry and wet kitchens with adequate and functional work spaces

Shower cubicles with tempered glass shower screens

His and Hers wash basins in the Master Bathroom

Ample-sized balconies for private herb gardens

Generous amount of power plug points

Light switches at disabled-friendly height (1.2m)

Multi-split inverter air-conditioning units and water heater tanks provided

SMATV points designed for satellite PVR recording – great for recording your favourite satellite TV programmes

Fibre optic cables for high-speed Internet connectivity

CAT6 cables to future-proof IPTVs

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Press Release: The Sail Melaka sets course towards international excellence

Press Release –
THE SAIL MELAKA SETS COURSE TOWARDS INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE

The iconic RM6.5 billion project specially developed to be historic city’s Central Business District and Global Icon

MELAKA, 16 DECEMBER 2019
 – Sheng Tai International Sdn. Bhd. (Sheng Tai International), an award-winning home-grown developer and a specialist in property tourism, recently carried-out a momentous groundbreaking ceremony for
The Sail Melaka
, the State’s largest mixed development project to date.

With a Gross Development Value (GDV) of RM 6.5 billion,
The Sail Melaka
consists of nine (9) towers that make up a built-up area of 991,096square meters (sqm) in total. Once completed, the development will feature 5 and 6-star luxury hotels; high-end condotels; business suites; a million square feet luxury shopping mall as well as Melaka-Nanjing themed cultural square with shop lots.

The groundbreaking ceremony was officiated by Tuan Yang Terutama Tun Datuk Seri Utama Dr. Mohd Khalil bin Yaakob, Yang di-Pertua Negeri Melaka; Yang Berhormat Datuk Mohd Rafiq bin Naizamohideen, EXCO for Industry, Trade & Investment; as well as Dato’ Leong Sir Ley, Founder and Chairman of Sheng Tai International Sdn. Bhd.

Dato’ Leong Sir Ley of Sheng Tai International, said, “Today is groundbreaking in every possible way. Not only are we officially commencing the construction work on
The Sail Melaka
, but it also marks a new chapter for Melaka and Malaysia as we sail into a new era where all nations come together to create a harmonious existence.”

“In addition, today’s event is a testament of our ability and commitment to further solidify our long-term presence in the industry.
The Sail Melaka
 is part of Sheng Tai International’s on-going globalisation plan, which is to set Malaysia, particularly Melaka, for international excellence.”

“We are positive that this development will bring together people from all around the world into this bustling and cosmopolitan community.  This will elevate Malaysia as the focal point of Southeast Asia, and the world, particularly along the route of One Belt One Road initiative.” “Our aspiration is to make
The Sail Melaka
 into a catalyst of change for the historical city in terms of further catapulting its name to the world arena by making it into a melting pot or hub for business, education and social exchange. This will definitely boost the state’s economy and create a lot of job opportunities as well as bringing in hordes of investors from all over the world. Furthermore, adding more reasons, and rooms, for tourists to visit Melaka and to stay beyond two to three days,” added Dato’ Leong.

Set to become Melaka’s Central Business District and global icon,
The Sail Melaka
 is inspired by Admiral Zheng He’s voyage to the West, continuing the legacy of the Straits of Melaka.
The Sail Melaka
’s aesthetics are designed to exude a magnificent ship, through the nine towers, sailing smoothly by the straits by a multidisciplinary team of international and local consultants, engineers and sustainability experts. Its ultimate purpose is to create a 21
st
-century cosmopolitan metropolis where locals and foreigners can enjoy a refined living, delightful shopping experience and explore the vitality of Melaka ‘under one roof’.

Refined Living, Delightful Shopping

Over 3,259 units of high-end condotels; three (3) 61-storey 5-star and 6-star hotel towers with a total of 2,584 units; a million square feet (sqft) luxury shopping centre; 1,215 units of business suites as well as a 36,2938 sqft Melaka-Nanjing themed cultural square that houses 65 units shops overlooking the Straits of Melaka.

Unique facilities of this mixed development include 330m (internal perimetre) sky ring connecting nine towers; 4 million square meters (sqm) convention and exhibition centre; Illuminating Sky Garden; as well as The Moon, a 360-degree elliptical shape experiential centre.  It also features international sky-themed restaurants; one of the longest sky rings; sky garden; one of the longest rooftop pools in the region; one of the tallest multiple buildings at 61 storey high each, most exclusive convention centre and most importantly, the tallest 9-tower linked structure.

Ideal Location for Activity-filled Lifestyle

Strategically located in the heart of Melaka, next to Melaka Coastal Highway, The Sail is also conveniently near to Klebang Beach; Impression City; Mahkota Medical Centre; A’Famosa Fort; Jonker Street; Cheng Ho Free Trade City; Melaka River Cruise; Melaka Gateway and The Stadthuys, and many more. When fully completed in 5 years, The Sail Melaka will become the epicentre for all the above, creating values in all aspects and drawing more interests into the state of Melaka.

“The masterplan of The Sail has already been internationally recognised as we have already sealed several business contracts with international corporations like China Railway Construction Engineering Group and PowerChina International Group Limited Group. Besides, Sheng Tai International was invited by Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University for a study tour and they have expressed interest in setting up an overseas branch in
The Sail Melaka
. We are also now in talks with Rector of Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University) for similar objectives as well as several well-known international brands to take up space in
The Sail Melaka
, whether at one of the 9 towers or at the cultural square.”

“Moving forward, Sheng Tai International will continue to form strategic partnerships to bring about more foreign direct investment to Malaysia, particularly Melaka, to raise the country’s profile in the international arena as well as boost the economic growth,” she concluded.

The Sail Mixed Development is set to fully complete in 2024. For more information, please visit:
www.shengtaiinternational.com
 OR
www.thesailmelaka.com

— end of press release —

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

Next suggested article:
Best investment strategy is buy low sell high

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


The story of kopiandproperty.com

Wanted to put the milestone for kopiandproperty.com into an article, maybe when I look back 12 months later, I could be surprised with new milestones.

When did it all started?

Thank you for all the readers who read, shared and commented in kopiandproperty.com for the last 7.5 years. kopiandproperty.com started in November 2013. The founder, Charles was recovering from a kidney stone ops in a private hospital in PJ and just started writing and writing and writing until today. Yeah, we are considered an ‘old’ website already. kopiandproperty.com became a Sdn Bhd 3 years ago.

What’s the vision and mission of kopiandproperty.com?

They say these days, organisations must pivot a lot more because of all the disruptions. However, a vision and mission will still be a guiding principle for any organisation, right? Vision of kopiandproperty.com is to be the most-read property blog in Malaysia. (we like to believe we are already there but we will continue to do our best to stay there),  The mission is a simpler one. Charles to continue to share his property investment experience, his thoughts and all what he reads so that everyone could also start their property investment journey on the right track. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.

Who are we?

kopiandproperty.com is not part of any media group. We are also not owned by any property developer. The founder, that’s me is not part of any real estate agency and does not even have a Real Estate Negotiator (REN) tag. The articles are based on personal property investment experience and may not be applicable to those who wants to get rich super fast but for those who just want to have a couple of properties when they retire, then this may be a site you should follow. As of today, the founder (that’s me again) has access to condo facilities in 6 towns / cities in Malaysia.

What do we do to sustain the business?

kopiandproperty.com was intended to be a side hustle for the founder. I remember telling my wife that one day, ‘kopiandproperty.com will earn enough income for a big dinner for the family every month.’ Yeah, it was such a simple goal. Briefly, we have greatly exceeded this goal since 5 years ago and that’s why we became a Sdn Bhd 3 years ago. As for what are some of the things we do, read on.

We post
‘Sponsored Post’
 where the article comes from the customer. We write
‘Review Articles’
 for property developments and yes, we have rejected many assignments which Charles deemed not that suitable or just too expensive. We have
‘Banners’
 at our site. Do click on them if you would like to help a bit. Developers also engage us to post their press releases to engage potential buyers.

We also do
paid speaking engagements
 during events BUT we do not do sales talks. 100% of all the talks is informational and seeks to answer property investment and not about any particular project. Briefly, we DO NOT take any commission for any property sales. Plus some other stuffs but generally, these are the things we do which pays the bills (and also that big dinner for the family).

What other achievements kopiandproperty.com is proud of?

kopiandproperty.com has been a media partner to many local and international property events. Some organisations which help to increase exposure for their events include the Malaysia Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA), PropertyGuru.com.my, iProperty.com.my, Institut Penilaian Negara (INSPEN) and many property events too.

In 2019 (before the pandemic arrived), Charles spoke in 52 events across 9 states in Malaysia and in Singapore too.

Charles has also been part of the judging panel for property awards for iProperty.com and PropertyGuru.com as well.

What do we hope to achieve moving forwar
d?

Keep writing, sharing and hopefully inspiring and guiding many more first time home buyers and for their upgrade in the near future. If we have children, property investment (second property or more) is indeed a necessity. It’s very hard to save RM500,000 over 30 years but with property investment, it’s possible to have more than RM500,000 at the end of 30 years. I know, RM500,000 may not mean much to some people but to most Malaysians, RM500,000 is indeed a very good target to have.

Thank you for all your support thus far and thank you in advance for your support in the future. If you happen to be a marketing professional and you would like to understand more about our services, feel free to write to us at
marketing@kopiandproperty.my
 or whatsapp us at
011 – 1089 7687

Love news like this and more?
Sign up for daily investment news updates.

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

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

Next suggested article:
Lacking in financial awareness? Peril awaits

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


The tallest tower in Malaysia definitely needs to have a mall too.

Do you know which is the tallest tower in Malaysia today? Nope, the tallest tower is NOT Petronas Twin Towers. That remained the
tallest twin tower in the world and Malaysia too.
 The new tallest tower in Malaysia
will be PNB’s Merdeka 118.
 Thus far there has not been too much news about the tower but here’s something good I think for the offices within and nearby Merdeka 118.
Article in TheStar.com.my here.

PNB Merdeka Ventures Sdn Bhd, the developer of the Merdeka 118 project has awarded the contract to build an eight-storey  shopping complex at the former site of Stadium Merdeka to a joint venture between WCT Holdings Bhd and TSR Capital Bhd. The job is worth RM676.8 million and will start work next week, 2nd January 2019. The shopping complex will be part of the Merdeka 118 development comprising the PNB 118 Tower, the Park Hyatt Hotel, and an observation deck. WCT has a 51 percent stake while TSR Capital holds the rest. The project is expected to be completed within 30 months.
Here’s that article in TheStar for reference.

Malls are not too many, even in Klang Valley.
Nope, I am not joking. The reason is very simple. We need good malls operated by good mall operators. We do not need malls with the exact same brand as everyone else and a mall operator which does not even know that charging car park charges right from the beginning is WRONG or skimping on maintenance and security simply because there are not enough tenants is plain SXXXXX. Anyway, there are malls which did not start with a Bang but is now doing better every time I drop by. Starling Mall is one of such mall. Sunway’s Putra Mall is another such example. I wish the mall owners understand that the right management makes all the difference… Happy following.

written on 23 Dec 2018

Next suggested article:
 Malls will prosper because retail will evolve.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


The World Is Mine. I feel grateful for all the wonderful things I am enjoying today.

The World Is Mine. A poem for everyone.

I read this poem many years ago and a few days ago, a senior Toastmaster forwarded it again to our whatsapp group and I think this time I need to share with everyone. Too many of us seem to love bad news and the more we read, the more we think the world is such a bad place. Some of us envy the ones who are way too successful and have all the negative thoughts about how they could become so successful.

Well, the poem below would serve to remind all of us again to count our blessings. Happy reading and sharing if you just like to make the world a very slightly better place for everyone.  Gratefulness is usually a good starting place.

Love news like this and more?
Sign up for daily investment news updates.

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

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

Next suggested article:
Nothing wrong about having salary. Entrepreneuer is not necessary for everyone.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Theme park queuing? That’s past.

I have always hated queuing for theme park rides. I felt that since the whole park is so huge and I have to stand in line for an hour, it is like forfeiting my limited available time in the theme park. Well, this will not happen in the upcoming Movie Animation Park Studios (MAPS) in Ipoh. It will feature a virtual ticketing and queueing system from Accesso Technology Group plc which will be providing the technology for such a system. In brief, we do not need to wait in line with a smartphone! This is a patented technology for smartphones.

Download the app, reserve electronically and you will be informed when your turn to ride has come. I think it will notify you in advance or else, it may be crazy running to get to the ride. Well, all it takes to try out is to drop by Ipoh in mid 2016. There is no need to ask, this is a park that I would definitely visit since I am a Ipohan. Now, it makes very good sense to visit Ipoh simply for its theme parks. Plus, all the mouth-watering food diversity second to none. Stay longer? Yes, it’s also a great place for many too. Read here:
Ipoh retirement, doing nothing?

This new attraction in Ipoh will feature more than 40 attractions, including 23 rides, live shows and attractions such as the world’s first DreamWorks-dedicated zone, Malaysia’s tallest drop tower, and a thrilling live-action car stunt show. It is touted as the first animation park in Malaysia and Asia. Some familiar names include Live Adventure Zone Casper the Friendly Ghost, Mr Peabody & Sherman, the Croods family, Megamind and local animation character BoBoiBoy. It will also feature live thrills; a live car and bike stunt show in a 2,000 seat arena. See you next year.

written on 11 Sept 2015

Next suggested article:
Food, entertainment and accessibility, that’s Ipoh

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Then and now, when we buy property

When our parents were younger, they read newspapers to search for properties. Developers would also advertise in newspaper. Leaflet was another very good way. Every house in the neighbourhood gets one. A developer which is building 50-100 units of terrace house need just to spend a few thousand and print 20,000 leaflets and chances are the units can be sold off easily.

Properties were also much cheaper then, I remember when my parents bought our Ipoh semi-detached, it was RM85,000 and my parents said, ‘it was so expensive!’. Today, affordable properties are terms as those which are priced between RM200,000 – RM450,000. Anything lower is called, ‘medium – low cost’.

Today, a condo may cost RM500,000 or higher. Do you seriously feel a black and white piece of advertisement in newspaper is enough to tell you about it? How about a colourful one? A leaflet of A4 size? I think we deserve much more than that. Of course, newspapers continue to play an important part but beyond that, we need more information, comparisons, reviews, map, layout and more before we decide whether to drop by the showroom or not.

Fortunately, many developers understand this and these days, every new development typically comes with a website which tells us more than just the price and some unclear pictures in black and white. Some even have Virtual Tours!

A Sample:
http://www.propertyguru.com.my/new-property-launch/sunway-aspera-17656

Before you make any decision to buy, get to know more. Do the mortgage calculations online. Browse through all the developer’s past projects. Read latest news about them. News about properties in the location you are about to buy. What about the prices of other similar properties in the area? Are there new highways being built? All these transparency in information meant that we no longer make decisions ill-informed. It will also reduce the chances that you may make the wrong decision.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


There’s silver lining within the global pandemic for the logistics sector.

News release by Knight Frank Malaysia:
Logistics Sector: Silver Lining behind the Global Pandemic

28 March 2020, Malaysia
– The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is sending global economies, including Malaysia’s, reeling. Hospitality, tourism and aviation related segments are being hit the hardest evident by cancellations of flights, tour packages and hotel bookings following international travel restrictions and lockdown of countries. The escalating number of infected cases has led to the country being placed under the Movement Control Order (MCO) until 14 April 2020. With the exception ‘Essential Services’, all other business activities have literally slowed or come to a complete halt.

Economic Stimulus

Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin announced the latest economic stimulus package worth RM250 billion (US$58 million) on 27 March. Together with the earlier package, a total of some RM128 billion will be allocated to the people’s welfare, RM100 billion for businesses and SMEs, and RM2 billion to strengthen the economy.

Sarkunan Subramaniam, Managing Director, Knight Frank Malaysia
applauds the rakyat-centric package which puts cash in the pockets of the deserving but feels more initiatives should be directed to sustain the economy and businesses. In addition to the automatic 6-month moratorium on all bank loans, it may be timely to waive property taxes such as quit rents and assessment for the second half of 2020. Further stamp duty should be reduced and tax reliefs given to Landlords who grant rent waivers to their tenants in order to help in the recovery process of businesses and the country’s property market.

In the property market segment, which is already facing its own challenges in terms of supply-demand imbalance, mounting pressure will continue. Moving forward, there will be lower activity in leasing and investment in commercial office while in the retail segment, rents will be under further pressure. As for the residential market, we expect a “wait-and-see” attitude.

Residential

Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) reduced the Overnight Policy Rate (OPR) by 25 basis points to 2.5 per cent on 3
rd
March 2020, its second revision this year to provide a more accommodative monetary environment amid weaker global economic conditions and severe disruptions caused by the on-going Coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak.

Sarkunan Subramaniam, Managing Director, Knight Frank Malaysia
, said, “As both buyers and sellers have become more vigilant amid the outbreak, a wait and see approach is prevalent as people will try to avoid showrooms and sales galleries during this critical period. In light of the current MCO, there are also disruptions to the property transaction process, such as difficulties in conducting property viewings, conducting of title searches etc.

“In addition, with potential of more job layoffs due to the challenging business environment, we foresee an increase in non-performing loans that will conclusively lead to more auctions in the market.” added
Sarkunan
.

The central bank’s announcement on the automatic moratorium on loan repayments for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and individuals to relieve the burden on businesses and households affected by the Covid-19 outbreak may, however, help to cushion the impact in the short term.

Industrial / Logistics

Allan Sim, Executive Director of Capital Markets, Knight Frank Malaysia
, said, “Geographical diversification strategies will be key, moving past the current state of outbreak.

In a domestic context, distribution hubs in Klang Valley are traditionally used by logistic players to serve nationwide deliveries. The current disruptions to the supply chain may give rise to potential decentralisation of logistics players into multiple smaller satellite distribution hubs in the northern and southern regions of Malaysia as well as in Sabah and Sarawak to support local distribution channels.

Similarly, on a global front, manufacturers may also start locating last mile assembly plants in multiple countries / regions in order to mitigate any geographical risks that may disrupt supply chains.”

Sim
is also of the opinion that the current imposition of MCO will incentivise many of the late adopters of e-commerce to try out online shopping as a means to purchase groceries or essential items. This will further accelerate the growth of last mile deliveries fulfilment centres and logistics services as a result. Given the above, the industrial property market outlook may be bright with additional demand for warehouse space and factories arising from the decentralisation strategies.

“Meanwhile, weakened air cargo demand arising from earlier trade tensions may see some positive momentum given the increasing need for quick turnaround distributions. This may be an area to be further explored by industry players”, added
Sim
.

Office

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to limit or halt physical operations, pushing them to work more flexibly and remotely. Both local and multinational companies may delay or put on hold their real estate decisions, resulting in lower level of leasing activity.

Teh Young Khean, Executive Director of Corporate Services, Knight Frank Malaysia,
said, “Business sentiment is at its lowest level, with many operations severely impacted by the outbreak. The sense of uncertainty will lead to slower demand as businesses and occupiers will likely continue to postpone major expansion / relocation decisions.

“In the immediate term preceding the lifting of the current MCO, co-working or flexible space may be less popular as there will be reduced desire for clients/members to congregate and interact face to face in one location. Revenue derived from memberships fees and events may be affected during this period although e-events will continue to progress.

“However, once confidence level improves with businesses back to work as usual, co-working or flexible space may be a good option for new occupier(s) and those looking to expand to navigate in the near term before committing to longer term plan.”

Retail

One of the main concerns of enforcing the MCO is the repercussions on social well-being (physical and mental) and economic performance of the country.

Malaysian retailers, especially those located at tourist zones, have been experiencing sales decline at their outlets at the onset of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Ben Ooi, Associate Director of Retail Consultancy & Leasing, Knight Frank Malaysia,
said, “With the rakyat staying at home during the current extended MCO, retail and entertainment outlets with the exception of those providing essential goods / services, have no sales as they are not allowed to operate. While retail spending on non-essential goods are not the focus at this moment, demand for essential goods is increasing. Online shopping and delivery services are gaining popularity. After the MCO, occupancy of malls will be under pressure as some retail outlets may be forced to close due to the strain on their cashflow and unsustainable businesses.

“Landlords and retailers have to step up measures during this MCO to educate the public when doing their grocery shopping, such as providing hand sanitiser and marking zoning on where to stand in the lifts.

“Landlords are also stepping up during the MCO to assist retailers by introducing relief measures, for example rent free package for non-F&B related retailers and rental rebates for retailers.”

Commercial Investment

During economic instability, real estate transaction volumes typically moderate. Profit recycling process could be interrupted by the effect of the COVID-19 outbreak, as institutional investors move more cautiously during uncertain times.

James Buckley, Executive Director of Capital Markets, Knight Frank Malaysia,
said, “With the reduced leasing and investment activity, commercial office and retail rents will be further under-pressure. In the short term, investment transactions will be limited as viewings are not happening. In comparison to other cities, feedback we often receive from overseas investors is that real estate asking prices do not reflect the actual value given the country’s perceived risk profile and higher returns can be achieved elsewhere. There will be a large gap in the expectation between sellers and buyers, yields are bound to increase as values come under pressure. Genuine, motivated sellers will consider reducing their price, pushing yields higher. Domestic investors should also consider the benefit of investing some of their capital in overseas real estate markets which will provide diversification in real estate returns and currency.”

Hospitalism / Tourism

The impact on the hospitality / tourism and aviation related sector have been immediately felt since the outbreak of COVID-19 due to travel restrictions, events cancellations and individuals’ reticence to travel.

Sarkunan Subramaniam, Managing Director, Knight Frank Malaysia
, said, “According to Tourism Economics, global travel is expected to drop by 10 to 18%, which is the biggest year-on-year drop amid the outbreak of COVID-19. Hence the hospitality sector will face financial pressure with lower returns. However, cheaper travel and accommodation cost may motivate and drive the sector once the COVID- 19 pandemic is contained, serving as a slice of positivity in this sector.”

— end news release —

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

Next suggested article:
A RM250billion stimulus for economy Malaysia against COVID-19

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Theresa May: It will not be ‘half in, half out’

Is BREXIT good for Malaysia? I personally think it should not affect us too much where the economy is concerned.  It’s good for my colleague who’s sending her son to Britain. The pound has dropped and she needs to prepare less funds for the tuition fees and accommodation. Statistically, The U.K is not in Malaysia’s top 10 exporting nations and it is also not a top 10 for imports into Malaysia. (Source: Matrade.)
Refer here.
 However, BREXIT has caused much uncertainty which has definitely contributed to a more chaotic international outlook. When that happens, emerging countries tend to be seen as riskier. So, what if I tell you that there is suddenly more optimism with how Brexit will pan out. Well, the Prime Minister of the UK, Theresa May has spoken.

These are some of the things she shared in her speech on Brexit. Mrs. May shared that the Brexit decision would be decided by a Parliament vote.
(Actually does this mean that the Parliament can still chose not to proceed with Brexit?)
  She said that she did not want a “partial membership of the European Union, associate membership of the European Union, or anything that leaves us half-in, half-out. Anyway, the main reason for Brexit was because of immigration issues. She said,“Brexit must mean control of the number of people who come to Britain from Europe.” The full 12 issues she spoke about
can be read here.
 She confirmed that Britain would still want to continue to attract the”brightest and the best” people from Europe, and that our “openness to international talent must remain”.

Okay, enough about the positives. These are some of the comments which I believe may affect the UK in the near future, should they come true. Kallum Pickering, senior Britain economist at Berenberg Bank in London said, “as we do not expect the E.U. to compromise its principles, the U.K. is set to face significant economic consequences from Brexit.” His next statement is even more blunt. He said, “Crucially, we expect the U.K. to lose its E.U. financial services passport.” (Banks operating in London today would most probably lose their access to the EU nations.)
Here’s the full article.
My personal belief remains the same. It is better for the UK to remain within and not exit it. Economically, it makes more sense. Well, studying in the UK is cheaper. That’s a plus, right? Happy following.

written on 20 Jan 2017

Next suggested article:
Brexit effects? Exiting London, Entering EU (London is not EU…..)

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


These are 4 ways you could get cheated when buying a property. Don’t!

Property markets are getting slightly hotter these days. So many of my FB friends in Greater Kuala Lumpur is posting about property investments. Buy, Buy, Buy is back?  We shall see. Many of them are experienced investors and thus may not be easily cheated by some unscrupulous property agents. As for most of the first-time home buyers, well, just have to beware of some of the pitfalls.

These 4 tips on how to deal with property agents were shared by the Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents’ (MIEA) CEO K. Soma Sundram. Basic idea is that many first-time home buyers or even property investors may not know that there are things which the property agent MUST do and MUST NOT do. They are professionals which is why they earn a professional fee from the services rendered to the buyer or the seller of properties. So, can they represent BOTH parties then?  Happy reading and understanding yeah.
Original article in thestar.com.my here.

#1 – Misrepresentation
  Misrepresentation does not necessarily only meant that the intention was to cheat. However, stating wrong facts is also considered a misrepresentation. Soma said, “For example, telling a buyer that the built-up area of the property is 1,600 sq ft when it is only 1,450 sq ft. As a trained professional agent, he or she is required to check all facts before marketing the property.”

Another way is to intentionally hide facts about the property from the potential buyer.  Soma said, “Let’s say there is a piece of land that is for sale and the agent is aware that there will be a compulsory acquisition by the government of some 3,500 sq ft out of the 10,000 sq ft of land.  However, the buyer was only informed that the land for sale is 10,000 sq ft while the broker withholds the fact of the acquisition.”

#2 –
Fee or commission collectio
n   The collection of fee can ONLY be from one side; either the buyer or the seller. It is against the law to collect from both parties; buyer and seller. Soma said, “The law allows the agent to collect fees from only one party (either the buyer or the seller) that engages him/her to act on their behalf. This is to protect the interest of the party the agent is representing.”

Soma also said that under the law, the prescribed broker or agency commission rate is 3%. Anyone collecting higher is against the law. The allowable fees as prescribed in the 7th schedule of the 1986 Rules on Land & Buildings must not exceed 3% on the selling price.

#3 –
 Seller entrapment.
   First instance is when a seller wishes to sell his home for RM500,000 because he is unaware of the market price. The broker agrees to help the seller sell at RM500,000 without telling the owner of the market value. He then tells the seller to allow him to earn any amount he could sell higher as his commission. This is illegal because the maximum fee permitted is just 3%.

An agent must also have formal representation documentation. Some said, “Anyone who represents a seller or landlord must have a written authorisation from them to sell or rent the property. This allows them to ascertain accurate information on the property and to prove that they are legally representing the seller or landlord in the property sales or rental.”

#4 –
Conflict of interest
    Agents must also declare themselves when there is a conflict of interest. For example, a broker or agent finds a property which is marketed below the market value and gets his wife to buy the property but does not disclose that the buyer is his wife and negotiates and closes the deal. This is a conflict of interest because the agent is supposed to protect the interest of his client; the buyer.    The article is a longer and more comprehensive one. Do read it here.
Article in thestar.com.my

Of course, the main reason for Soma’s sharing is to tell everyone to use a registered real estate agent / negotiator. His advice makes sense because even if we could not control who cheats us, whether the illegal brokers or the registered real estate agent / negotiator, with the registered one, we could take legal actions. As for the rest of us, always note that the 4 things shared above could be avoided if we ourselves also do some market research.
For sellers, before selling, do a research of the transacted prices. Here is one such website.
brickz.my
. For buyers, if you want to know more good deals, get your property specs out to good real estate negotiators. They will be your eyes and ears because that’s their role. As for you, perhaps may just get a very good deal in the near future.  Do not be too hung up on the professional fee. Stay focused on potential future capital appreciation too. Happy buying.

Love what you read?
Sign up for KopiWeekly. (only once per week of property, finance, investment news and more)

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

Next suggested article:
Renting and selling? Get REAs and RENs to help yeah

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


THINK. How fast could we settle our loan? How?

This is the KopiTalk #14 and it’s all about home loans. Ever wondered what happens to the home loan at the end of your 35 year repayment? No prizes for guessing. The total amount would have been a few times bigger than the initial amount you signed for. Well, what could we do about it?  Could we like pay it all within a few years?  Perhaps pay it all within 1/3 or lesser than your loan period? This will be answered by our invited guest-of-honour who’s also a good friend, Ms. Jessica Jong.

By the way, if you sign up and ask her ONE (1) question, you may get a chance to win a free awesome property investment book called “Property Investment Wisdom’ by Dr.Peter Yee.
Click here to sign up and ask her a question yeah.

Mark your calendar so that you do not miss this super important 1 hour yeah.  26th August at 9pm.  FB Live at
fb.com/kopiandproperty
 (Do follow / like the page too)

About Jessica

Jessica Jong is an avid property investor, and holds the position of Mortgage Consultant at FIS Management Sdn Bhd. She provides mortgage advisory and solutions to loan borrowers and helps many of them to pay off their mortgage at its minimal interest and within the shortest time frame.

Using the same mortgage management strategy, Jessica paid off her first mortgage in 3.5 years while the second mortgage in 3 years.

Jessica is the author of the upcoming book “How To Pay Off Your Mortgage Fast”. Her book is expected to complete by the end of the year.

See you yeah. Do not miss this.

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

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

Next suggested article:
KopiTalk : Effective and Critical Non-Verbal Communication

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Think long term lah, when it’s property.

I love to read articles which serves to reinforce my personal views. Yes, I remain optimistic about property market Malaysia regardless of what people kept saying and yet doing the opposite. One example, talking as if Malaysia is going to be a bankrupt nation and yet asking me where to buy property. Seriously, keep cash if we believe it’s crisis very soon. Else, stop all the rhetorics and start sharing objectively. Published in a few local media (same article) was a very long article written by Estee Hew, Senior Manager at JLL Malaysia and Chua Yang Liang, Head of South-east Asia research at JLL. Full article
here
, else read the summary below:

Property market Malaysia witnessed a doubling of prices in some areas of the country. Due to this, the government revised upward adjustment of Real Property Gain Tax (RPGT), the revision of the minimum price of residential properties that foreigners can purchase to RM1 million (S$345,595), and the removal of the Developer Interest Bearing Scheme (DIBS) (a similar interest bearing scheme was banned in Singapore in 2009). Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) also advised banks to be stricter with their lending guidelines. What happened recently? Read here:
Jan 2016: Whopping 62 percent loan rejection

Current outlook remain shaky but it is more sentimentally rather than fundamentally driven. Three major reasons include political uncertainties, plunging ringgit and oil prices, and even a sluggish economic outlook. These are only covering up some of the real demand in the market. They quoted Mah Sing’s own prediction that rebound is on the way with the property market having bottomed. My earlier article here:
Market is slow? Well, MahSing launching 6 new projects

They quoted some exciting developments in Malaysia including the 51km MRT Line 1 within the Greater Kuala Lumpur (Greater KL). It is expected to be fully operational by 2017 and this will greatly improve Greater KL’s accessibility tremendously. My views earlier, read here:
MRT stations will change area dynamics

The High Speed Rail (HSR) project between KL – Singapore was also mentioned though even currently, the stations of the HSR are yet to be finalised and lots of details of the line needs further ironing. The Malaysian terminus will be built at Bandar Malaysia and China Railway Group (CREC)will have a 60 per cent equity stake worth RM7.4 billion together with joint venture partner Iskandar Waterfront Holdings. Read here:
US$2 billion (RM8 billion) from CREC into Bandar Malaysia

Concern of oversupply in Iskandar is always high but recently, there has been some positive news. They include Microsoft’s new data centre in Sedenak, Coca-Cola relocating from Tuas in Singapore to Iskandar Malaysia and China’s Alibaba starting a logistic hub. Besides that, many more announcements from Korean, Chinese, Russian, US and Japanese MNCs to set up their facilities within Johor.
This should provide some relief to all the negative sentiments currently even if it may not mean much until all these new announcements start to show up on the ground.

The article concluded by saying that property investment should always be a long-term play and thus any investment decisions should be based on such. Challenging times means opening up of more opportunities. With BNM adopting an accommodative stance to support economic activities, the interest rate is not expected to rise anytime soon. With the political instability stabilising oil prices rebounding recently, the writers believed that the long-term prospects of property investments in Malaysia remain strong.

Happy believing or selling. Decision is ours to make anyway.

written on 11 Apr 2016

next suggested article:
5 trends for property market Malaysia

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Thinking of ‘First Home’ in Penang? Drop by this event.

It’s essential for us to know what we want to do before we actually do it. For those thinking of buying their very first home, the first decision is not “should I buy?”. That’s already a conclusion. If we were to rent until the say we say bye-bye, the only person getting richer is the house owner. He is the only one who will use our rental money to go for holidays. Guess who will be watching Astro instead? Haha. Anyway, the first decision for first home is to equip ourselves with some understanding about buying that first property.

Participants will learn:

Steps in buying your first home.

To buy now or wait?

Penang’s masterplan

First home projects in Penang.

How to protect yourself legally?

First home financing scheme

Steps to get your loan approved.

Should I buy MRTA or MLTA?

The event will be held on 28th May 2016 Saturday at Gurney Hotel from 9 am to 6pm. FULL DAY. You can register here:
My First Home Convention

kopiandproperty.com is not part of the event but I always think property knowledge is extremely important. For seasoned property investors, this may not be the best event for you but for the majority of Malaysians, I think it’s best to keep learning. Buying a property is most likely the largest purchase we would ever make in our lives. Buying the right one meant potentially big earnings in the future but buying the wrong one would set us back many years. Happy attending.

written on 11 May 2016

suggested article:
Penang: Visitors do not visit you just because you are CHEAP

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Third best in the world to retire, Georgetown Penang. Why?

George Town, Malaysia has been ranked 3rd best place to retire overseas by Live and Invest Overseas in its 2014 Overseas Index. lI have never heard of this index before they rated Georgetown so high. Anyway, as long as they list us high, we should get to know them. The few key reasons stated: (from PropertyGuru) “George Town is a busy, thriving city with a large expat community that has managed to retain its colonial charm (it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site). It has a total population of around 740,000, which makes it small enough for seniors to make friends and meet people, but big enough to mean that health care services meet international standards and easy availability to goods and services. Moreover, the city is affordable with first world infrastructure, turn-key permanent residency and gorgeous white-sand beaches. Its year-round sunshine and English-speaking locals also make living in George Town easier.”

The above are very good reasons, without any doubt. However, let me tell my reasons if you happen to be a foreigner who is thinking about Malaysia.

1) Language – No, not just the fact that we speak English but also when you are here, you get to learn new languages. People would love to teach you too and really, there’s no end to learning the few words of each dialect or main mother tongues of the melting pot of Malaysia.

2) More treasured – I am not sure why but somehow Malaysians tend to treat foreigners better. For example, myself. When a non local but fellow Malaysian asked me for directions, I would give the directions and then say ‘bye’. If a foreigner asked however, if I happen to be free, I would guide them as far as I could. Hmm…… I think that’s not just me.

3) Georgetown is not just Georgetown. Within less than an hour flight away, you can also be at another UNESCO Geopark site; Langkawi. Within one hour away you can even drop by Singapore for the year-end sale. So, you see, you have the advantage of a great community within Georgetown and also many other friendly towns and cities all around it. Even if you visit just one city every month, you will still not finish visiting all of them.

4) Food, second to none.  I do not care where they rank Malaysia in terms of food, some ranked us top 10, some top 5, who cares? You come to Penang and you can never finish all the delicacies. From the really authentic Indian curries to Malay curries and Chinese curries and mind you, none of them tastes the same and yes, just curries alone your choices are already aplenty. Indian fried noodle, Malay’s wet fried hor fun and Chinese’s fried bee noodle, they are all VERY different. I have been to around 20 countries. None of them have these kind of choices within the same type of food!

5) You will not be the first.  When you are here, you will be able to get attached to your fellow countrymen quite easily. Just get a good local real estate agency to help you in looking for homes where a lot of expats are staying. Soon enough you will have so many activities that you have to stop some of them instead of trying to join one.

5 reasons is already more than enough. If you still feel that you would like to go for the Number 1 and Number 2 ranked cities instead, sure, all the best. I am very sure they have their own advantages but as far as the many reasons stated by Live and Invest Overseas Index plus the five reasons above, there’s no other place in this world. Reported by someone who has visited nearly 20 countries in the world, stayed in 5 different cities in Malaysia. Yeah, that’s me.

Image Source:
http://www.kln.gov.my/web/can_ottawa/home/-/asset_publisher/8pPT/blog/top-retirement-locations-index-2014?redirect=%2Fweb%2Fcan_ottawa%2Fhome%2F-%2Fblogs%2Fworld-bank-ease-of-doing-business-report-2014

written on 18th Sept 2014

Next suggested article:
MM2H Malaysia for Japanese, 3,346 here and ‘busier here than in Japan’

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


This couple owns over 1,300 acres of land in Kauai. Where is Kauai?

Did you read about the story of Mark Zuckerberg buying another piece of land on Kauai? More about the story later. Some photos of Kauai first. It’s the fourth largest island in Hawaii and it’s also known as Garden Island. I have an uncle staying in Hawaii. So there’s definitely a chance to travel to Hawaii one day and drop by Mark’s place in island of Kauai. I meant, stopping by the gate and taking a selfie, maybe.

First one is an image from:
https://www.timeout.com/kauai
.  They have an article telling you about the 11 best things to do in Kauai.

Second image of
Kauai is from travelawaits.com
  They have this 9 Best Places to visit in Kauai article with even more details.

Third image of Kauai is from
Brides.com
  It has this very tempting article
for weddings. “Why Kauai Is the Perfect Honeymoon Destination for Nature Lovers”

Now that all of us have some idea about Kauai, let’s look into some details about Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan’s latest purchase.

Article in businessinsider.com

Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan paid $53 million for nearly 600 acres of land on Kauai.
The purchase brought their total landholdings on the island to more than 1,300 acres.
The couple’s presence in Kauai has frustrated some residents in years past.

This is what they (Mark and Priscilla) said, “We have been working closely with a number of community partners to promote conservation, produce sustainable agriculture and protect native wildlife at our ranch and in the surrounding areas, and look forward to extending that effort to Lepeuli in the months ahead.”  The article is long and has lots more details. Read it here:
Article in businessinsider.com

How big is 1,300 acres in Kauai?

Total size of Kauai is … 1,430 km². In acres, that is 353,361 acres.  So, 1,300 acres divided by 353,361 acres meant that Mark and Priscilla owns approximately 0.37% of the whole Kauai.  Certainly a small number but for both Mark and Priscilla, 1300 acres meant that they have a size equivalent to 1,300 football fields or 20,800 tennis courts. Actually, more than enough to do virtually anything they needed to.

Why do we need to know this?

When we could start a company which is used by everyone world wide, we would be rich enough to buy well, anything. We also know that it’s possible to visit Kauai when travelling is allowed again.  It’s within Hawaii by the way.  We also know that some times, buying ever more real estate does not necessary we have a serious plan for it or wishing to develop it to earn more money. Sometimes, people buy the land because they could afford to buy and keep the land until they decide what they wanted to do with the land. Happy reading and now you know a bit more about Kauai too, just like me.

Header Image of Kauai is from Booking.com (Do book your hotel stay there!)

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

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

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

Next suggested article:
Can I build 1,000 units on a 1 acre land?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


This definitely shows confidence yeah. Happy sharing.

Negative news always win. Then again, let me tell you that I will not try to keep writing bad news so that everything turns negative and everyone sells desperately. So, yeah, somehow I get lower clicks for writing some positive news. By the way, I do NOT write fake news yeah. So, what are your thoughts of the world economy? Bad? Very bad? Truly bad? What are your thoughts about retail? You think it’s dead? Since the MCO has meant all malls are shut, right?

Okay, here’s one place where the malls are reopening and nope, it’s not a Chinese mall company. Yes, the malls are in China. While I trust Chinese mall owners remain strong, many may prefer to believe only if it’s malls from some other countries? Yea, here we have malls whose owner is a Singaporean company. Can trust yeah? It’s a Singapore property giant… Read on.

Article in straitstimes.com
   CapitaLand has four malls in Wuhan, the epicentre of the COVID-19 outbreak. It has reopened all its malls in China that had been shut due to the country’s coronavirus lockdown.The firm said in a bourse filing that about 80 per cent of stores in CapitaLand’s malls and business parks in China were operational as at March 31 2020. (YES, it’s since March yeah…)

In a separate filing, CapitaLand Retail China Trust (CRCT) said its portfolio had seen improvements in business activity and footfall for March when compared to the month before. CRCT Management chief executive Tan Tze Wooi said, “While we expect short-term volatility to our business due to Covid-19, we maintain our long-term collaborative stance with our business partners and a positive view of the China market.” About 95%of Capitaland’s office tenants have also resumed operations. Please do refer to the full
Article in straitstimes.com

What this means is that if we have also won in our battle against COVID-19, our malls could also reopen and the tenants will also be re-opening. Yes, I fully understand that the mall visitors cannot suddenly return to normal, of course they would not. However, with the malls shut currently, all the tenants and the malls are suffering from zero revenues and rentals.
(Many malls are waiving the rental. Earlier news here)

When the malls reopen and even if we have just 30% of the usual visitor numbers, the recovery could now slowly start. Tenants could now slowly see their sales numbers increase and at least they could have money to pay their people too. Yeah, I would definitely visit the mall with masks on as long as my Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham Abdullah says that it is okay to go ahead. I already know that the Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul would also prefer for me to start spending money in the malls too. Okay, I shall do both once MCO is lifted and mall visits are allowed. As for now, please stay at home.

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

Next suggested article:
Online shopping will not kill malls. Better malls will kill uncompetitive malls

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


This is a race where the winner gets to start saving the world.

An overview on all the hardwork and progress from researcher teams all around the world for a COVID-19 vaccine. This is not a race among the countries. It is a race for the world to contain COVID-19.

USA: Article in cnbc.com
  The first human trial testing a potential vaccine to prevent COVID-19 began Monday, U.S. health officials confirmed. Finding “a safe and effective vaccine” to prevent infection from the new coronavirus “is an urgent public health priority,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said in a statement Monday. “This Phase 1 study, launched in record speed, is an important first step toward achieving that goal.”  Full article:
Article in cnbc.com

Europe: Article in metro.co.uk
   European Commission Chief Ursula von der Leyen is optimistic that a coronavirus vaccine will hit markets ‘before autumn’. Work on a vaccine has accelerated in recent weeks following the spread of the virus to western Europe but early estimates from health authorities indicated that it would take around 18 months for an immunisation to be made available.  Please read more :
Article in metro.co.uk

UK: Article in theguardian.com
  A massive effort is under way to develop a UK vaccine for coronavirus within months and make it available to save lives before the end of the year, the Guardian has learned.  Researchers at Oxford University, led by Prof Sarah Gilbert, are planning a safety trial on humans of what is expected to be the UK’s first coronavirus vaccine next month. Provided that it goes smoothly, they will move directly into a larger trial to assess how effective the vaccine is at protecting against the infection. Please read the full .
Article in theguardian.com

China:  Article in nypost.com
  China has greenlit the start of clinical trials on a coronavirus vaccine — developed by researchers led by a biowarfare expert
from ground zero of the pandemic
.  The National Medical Products Administration on Tuesday approved the tests for the country’s first COVID-19 vaccine, which was created by the Academy of Military Medical Sciences in Wuhan.  “We are a community of shared future for mankind, and vaccine is one of the most powerful scientific and technological weapons to end the novel coronavirus epidemic,” said Chen Wei, a top military biowarfare expert leading the team.  Please read full
Article in nypost.com

I am cheering all teams. By the way, vaccines on trial meant we are already at a stage where the researchers are confident enough of the progress and is now testing what has been proven in laboratories yeah. All the best to all these teams all around the world.

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

Next suggested article:
4 things to research before buying a property

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


This may become ONE (used to be two) HUGE developer. RM150 billion GDV. (if it happens…)

I read with interest with the headline of ‘RM150 billion GDV developer’. This sentence is like, WOW. A developer with projects with a gross development value of a few billion ringgit are considered pretty large in comparison to the thousands of developers in Malaysia today. However, what if the GDV is now RM150 billion? According to a follow-up article in thestar.com.my, there’s this rumour on the merger of UEM-Sunrise with Eco World and that it will form a company which has a GDV of RM150 billion.

Please do read the full
Article in thestar.com.my
 . It is a comprehensive view by the writer. He presented a few scenarios as well as all the potential issues and advantages resulting from the merger. He said, “ECW is known to be a strong township developer as well as an integrated commercial development and high-rise condominiums while UEMS’ specialty is also similar to that of ECW.” We look at some charts in the article as below:

Do read the comprehensive
Article in thestar.com.my

I remain neutral of these mergers until more details from the companies are made public. I mean announcements from the companies themselves. However, I always favour bigger Malaysian companies so that they have more muscle to think of overseas expansion. The world is out there. Malaysia remains a small country in comparison even if it’s one of the best countries in the world to start a business.
12th best country to do business in

Let’s not kid ourselves. When our companies remain small, even if they are nimble, even if they are profitable, truth is, any bigger competitor from overseas who’s less nimble, less profitable could still buy them. There are a lot of such examples yeah. Happy following and I do wish both companies; UEM-Sunrise and Eco World all the best yeah. (whether or not the merger actually happen)

Header image is courtesy of Photo by
Oleg Magni
from
Pexels
.

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

Next suggested article:
JS P Setia. Hitting RM3.13 billion in sales revenue. Launching RM2.7 billion

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


This may just be the worst down cycle for property development.

Today is the 3rd day that I am staying at home due to the Movement Control Order (MCO). During these 3 days, I have made two quick trips to the supermarket because I did not want to be at the supermarket when the whole KL was panic buying before the MCO. I guess I have enough to last for the next 7 days. COVID-19 has really affected a lot of Malaysians and if I read all the FB posts and Whatsapp messages, the sentiment is negative. What does it bring for the property market? Bad? Pretty Bad? Very bad?

Here are the exact words from Real Estate and Housing Developers Association Malaysia (Rehda) president Datuk Soam Heng Choon. In this article in
edgeprop.my (click to read full article)
  He said, “I have been through so many down cycles over the years and this is probably the worst. Malaysians are facing the fear of disease spreading, global economic slowdown and political uncertainties, all these are affecting people’s confidence.”

He did however share that the property sector will have a slight buffer compared with other industries, such as oil and gas, trading businesses and the tourism industry, as property developers have un-realised sales (or unbilled sales) which could cushion the near term impact of the disease. He proposed a few potential solutions to help the industry.

1. Continue with the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC)

2. Review the Real Property Gains Tax (RPGT)

3. Standardise the threshold price for foreigner buyers in all states

4. Review the loan-to-value (LTV) ratio cap for third home purchase.

Please do read
the full article with more of his views here in edgeprop.my.

Please note that he said developers have some buffers for the short term yeah. If COVID-19’s effects are prolonged, then a lot more uncertainties will come into the picture.  Let’s also understand that even if we start to see some positive signs on the number of COVID-19 infections, it does not mean everyone will be rushing to the salas galleries and quickly place deposits. The current COVID-19 situation would have already affected a lot of businesses and they may need some additional support from the government if we want these businesses to continue employing people.

Earlier,
we have the stimulus announced. (read here)
 There are already people saying that perhaps a larger stimulus is going to be needed. This is by looking at some other countries including the
U.S which may need US$2 TRILLION to save businesses and the economy. (earlier article here)
  For now, it’s best to stay at home and read more property news to prepare for the time when buying a property is again a favourite activity of some Malaysians. Happy staying at home and trying out new recipes. Please take care.

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

Next suggested article:
Covid-19 and its effects on prices

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Financial news: Thou shall not run away from tax

Not even when we are no longer in this world!

Malaysia’s Income Tax Act says that the administrator or next-of-kin of the deceased persons have to settle their tax areears. What this tells us is that no one could escape tax, even if the person has left this world. This Act acts to ensure the person does not delay paying the tax and then when the person dies, the government of the day would ave to write this off. Just need to note that if the person has no financial ability to pay, the government would have no choice but to write it off. Think… who will have to pay for this if the government decides to write it off?

Article in nst.com.my
    Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Maslan said this about amendments to the Income Tax Act. “We believe that if this (compulsion) is not done, there are parties who are irresponsible and unmotivated to pay taxes. They are waiting to die because then all debts do not need to be paid and debts with IRB (Inland Revenue Board) are settled.

“The matter is already (included) in the act and the IRB informed that the amount (tax) charged is the amount of (taxable) income until his death. If the heirs can pay the tax, they should do so.”

On May 11, IRB chief executive officer Datuk Dr Mohd Nizom Sairi was reported to have said the next-of-kin of deceased taxpayers are fully responsible for their commitments including income tax management.

Section 74 of the Income Tax Act 1967 stipulates that any income tax arrears cannot be automatically written off even if the individual involved is certified dead.
Article in nst.com.my

As a taxpayer, everyone should be responsible to pay for their own tax

If the government writes it off, the tax payers would have to pay yeah. Someone has to pay. Else where would the tax revenue come from? The taxpayers are already paying their own tax and now when someone dies and did not pay their tax, then the tax payers also have to take this up as well? As someone who has been paying taxes, I think I have paid enough taxes and I do not wish to pay for other people’s taxes too. Time to get back the GST yeah. It ensures IF ONE SPENDS, ONE PAYS. Spend more, pay more. Spend little, pay little. Take the extra and help the poorer segment. Simple fact.

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

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

Next suggested article:
When rates rise, property transactions drop, right?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Okay, now we have THREE categories of affordable homes

The current issue of Malaysians needing a home but could not afford to buy one, is it an issue of demand or is it supply? Demand may be because the salary is just not high enough, currently. Another reason may be the lack of demand even if salary is enough to buy one; negative sentiment. If this is because of supply, perhaps it is because the developers are building but they were not building the right ones? We do not need to talk about developers not building because the of the huge unsold units in the market. I think majority are still waiting for a concrete solution from our NATIONAL HOUSING POLICY by the Housing and Local Government Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin

Reported in an article in The Star.
 Zuraida said that the government will now be looking at affordable housing through three categories. The categories are as follows: Houses fetching RM150,000 and below, RM150,000-RM300,000 and RM300,000-RM500,000 homes. There will be a streamlining of all housing projects under the five housing entities comprising Perbadanan PR1MA Malaysia (PR1MA), 1Malaysia Civil Servants Housing Programme (PPA1M), UDA Holdings Bhd, Syarikat Perumahan Negara (SPNB) and the Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT). In other words, she said, “This means that the housing entities will use the same design, same pricing and the same management.” She added, “We are also looking at various options for social housing requirements in town areas, particularly the rent-to-own (RTO) scheme where those renting will be given time to plan and buy their house after five years (of renting).”
Article in TheStar here.

SAME DESIGN, SAME PRICING and SAME MANAGEMENT is still unclear to me. Does this mean the designs are exactly the same? The tiles to be used are the same? The pricing of homes in all areas are the same? In this case, I think many people would prefer to buy nearer to the KL city centre versus further away from the city centre. The only reason why developments continue to stretch further away is due to affordability and connectivity. Anyway, I think any press conference where she could only share a little is unfair to the KPKT. Let’s wait for the full National Housing Policy. I hope it has gone through full consultation, brainstorming and even discussion sessions with all concerned stakeholders. (Hopefully they invite kopiandproperty.com founder along as well) Happy waiting.

written on 13th Oct 2018

Next suggested article:
10 reasons why we should buy a property (Part 1)

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Three major reasons why landed is better than condo. Hmm….

Today, I had lunch with a very capable young friend. She is many years younger than me but she already owns her own business in partnership with a very prominent personality here in Malaysia. A rich one. Over lunch, we were talking about her first property and I asked why is she not thinking of buying a second one. She said, she prefers landed but these days, landed are either too expensive or too far away. She does not want to travel a long time every time just to reach her destination on time. Then, I asked her why she prefers landed over her current apartment. As usual, the three major reasons were presented.

1) Bigger

2) More Land space

3) Standing on actual land.

Bigger. This was true long time ago when landed properties were the norm and high rises were all flats or apartments. Then, many years ago, the condos started. Most of the time, it was those 800 – 1,000 sf ones. These units are really smaller than the typical terrace houses then. Today, there are many more bigger units, from 1,500sf all the way to 2,500 sf or bigger. A typical 20 x 70 double storey terrace house would have a built up of just 1,800sf – 2,200sf which meant that just thinking about size alone, its no longer true that landed is bigger. Condos are actually getting bigger, more of them coming. Landed are getting smaller, most of them or they now give you more storeys, townhouses or superlinks etc. It’s also shorter. Expect 65 sq ft or lower for the length and 20 sq ft or lower for the width. Do not be surprised, 18 x 60 is quite common these days.

More land space. I am not sure how you want to compare the tiny plot of ‘grass covered land’ within your 20 x 70 terrace house with a huge park within the modern condominiums of today. Some even have a rooftop garden, complete with an infinity swimming pool. Some allows you to do BBQ on the rooftop while you chit-chat with a huge group of friends. Yes, it is true, you do not swim everyday and you also do not ask your friends to drop by everyday. If you insist that hey, the condo’s BIG plot of land is SHARED while I own my own piece of land, then yeah sure. You win. Do remember, nothing stops me from using the whole big plot of land within the condo. I am not sure if you can use your neighbour’s plot of land.

Standing on actual land. Actually, this is true. If you own a landed property, you stand on the ground itself. Meanwhile, if you are in a condo, sometimes even the ground floor may not be standing on the ground because the car parks might be below. Tell me however, is standing on the actual ground really more important that having a place to stand? As usual, if your answer is that hey, I am prepared to pay a huge premium so that I can stand on my own piece of land and not standing on another person’s rooftop, ok you win.

The purpose of this article is not to tell you to buy condo. It is to tell you that if you like landed, just say you like landed. Don’t give the three reasons above. You can even say I buy landed to show people that I am richer. That’s a pretty good reason too. Or you can say, my parents love only landed property. In fact there are lots of other reasons which you can attribute to just the landed ones and I would agree. As for capital appreciation reason, that’s another story altogether. Happy Investing, whether it’s condo or landed.

written on 3 Oct 2014

Next suggested article:
Playing with ‘Borrowed’ risk. Are you one of them?

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Property market oversupply? Improve by mid-2018 and recover in 3 years.

Statistically, Malaysia is still growing its GDP. This is an assessment by the International Monetary Fund and basically most of everyone including our very own Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM). This is a pre-requisite for everything else to follow. Investments, stock markets and even the property market.  When the economy stalls, the unemployment starts to climb and as usual, no one in the right frame of mind will think of buying something HUGE like a property. Why would the unemployment climbs if the economy stalls? Just look at the number of new graduates coming out. Without creation of jobs or programmes for them, of course they will be included into the unemployment statistics. Without jobs, banks would not lend money to them. Without money, how to buy property, right? 🙂

Anyway, according to
an article in TheStar
 quoting the National Information Property Centre (NAPIC) data, the residential oversupply is expected to recover within the next 3 years. This was shared by Real Estate & Housing Developers Penang chairman Datuk Toh Chin Leong, “If the consumption per year continues at 12,000 to 13,000, it should take three to four years for the market to absorb the remaining 47,000 units.” Raine & Horne Malaysia director Michael Geh agrees and adds that “We welcome a pricing correction scenario in the high-end segment, as prices in the high-end category has peaked.” He added, “Given the competition from the sub-sales market, the pricing of properties in the primary market will eventually be adjusted to a moderate level.” CA Lim & Co principal Lim Chien Aun says it is not unreasonable to expect the property market to recover in three to four years’ time. He shared, “Many people have forgotten that there was a property crisis in Penang in the second half of 1980s, which saw property prices dipped by about 50%.” Do read the full article here:
‘Residential Supply Expected to recover in three years
‘

It’s great to listen to an overview. When the whole market is recovering, generally any property is going to do well. Just remember to note that it’s important to look into each of the property that we will be buying. There are those which are
more suitable for own stay and affordable.

There are those in prime areas which are loved more by expats. Of course there are also those
 favoured by students / working professionals

where ‘room’ is more important than ‘whole unit.’ There are of course those units which may be
converted into homestay.

For these, it’s best not to buy in some mature developments where most of those staying are already families. Get ready for lots of objections. By the way, the word recovery does not mean anything significant. perhaps we can think of it as better sentiment, perhaps prices start growing, perhaps number of oversupply drops, well, it could be anything. Of course, in brief, it meant that the market will be positive by then. Happy keeping up.

written on 2 May 2017

Next suggested article:
Once you rent high, you may never buy

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Yes, the threshold for foreigner is RM1.5 million yeah.

I do wonder whether it’s the media (which did not do enough clarifications) or is it just the people (who just chose to ignore) when it comes to information dissemination. I guess it’s both then? Remember the RM600k threshold for foreigners announced by our Finance Minister which everyone has assumed that it’s for all unsold properties and for all states in Malaysia and not just Kuala Lumpur?

This is despite after clarifications that the states will be the ones deciding on the foreign property price threshold and this RM600,000 is NOT automatically the standard for Malaysia as a whole. Yes, earlier article here:
Not a single unif of that RM600,000 in Selangor, yet
  Well, just have to show another proof then and hopefully more people will not be aware of this. As for what the foreigners think, actually I think they only know Kuala Lumpur but maybe not the word ‘Selangor.’

Article in themalaysianreserve.com
  Selangor’s 4,872 units of overhang properties may just find more foreign buyers because the state government has decided to lower the threshold of house prices for the foreigners. CCO & Associates (KL) Sdn Bhd ED Chan Wai Seen said, “The RM1.5 million threshold could attract foreigners because strata landed development is a niche market. Foreigners prefer looking for landed homes in a gated and guarded, proper townships.”

Selangor is among the top three states with high and increasing inventories in Malaysia.
(If we look at just residential properties, the other two states with highest unsold units are Johor and Perak. Nope, NOT Kuala Lumpur…)
 Recently, Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari said the state government has reduced the foreign ownership threshold for strata properties — including strata landed homes — to RM1.5 million from RM2 million previously, effective Jan 1, 2020. Earlier article here:
KIt’s RM500,000 down, not now become RM500,000
  As for the rest of the article including more statistics, please read it in
themalaysianreserve.com (click here to read)

There are certainly some good advantages of Selangor properties versus Kuala Lumpur ones. For the same amount of money, it’s usually bigger in size, most probably will be a gated and guarded landed home and the buyers are not likely to be investors buying for rental income. (I mean these RM1.5 million homes). Tell these to the foreign buyers and some may actually prefer these points versus the advantages of Kuala Lumpur properties including closer to the city centre, lots of other expatriates around or even very close to some office towers. Happy promoting yeah and it’s RM1.5 million and not RM600,000. Just being long-winded a bit.

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

Next suggested article:
Maybe even lower home loan and fixed deposit rates in 2020

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Press Release:Tiger Synergy Shareholders Urged to Attend Upcoming EGM

Tiger Synergy Shareholders Urged to Attend Upcoming EGM

PETALING JAYA, 27 February 2020
 – Shareholders of Tiger Synergy Berhad (“Tiger Synergy” or “the Company”) are urged to attend the Company’s upcoming Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) on 2 March to protect the interest of all shareholders and safeguard the organisation’s future.

The EGM, which is to be held at
Gallery 3, New World Hotel Petaling Jaya at 9:00am
, was called by Safari Alliance Sdn Bhd, a substantial shareholder of Tiger Synergy with an 11.834% stake. The purpose of the EGM is to remove all of the seven current directors of Tiger Synergy and reconstituting the Board of Directors of the Company.

Mr. Goh Ching Mun, Director of Safari Alliance,
said, “The timing is critical as the current Board of Directors of Tiger Synergy has recently proposed another round of rights issue that will further dilute existing shareholdings and push down the Company’s share price. A wait-and-see approach is not an option!”

“We need the full support of our fellow shareholders in order to pass the proposed resolutions of the EGM and put in place an entirely new set of directors on the Board,” he added. Mr. Goh is one of the directors nominated to the Board of Tiger Synergy, subject to shareholders approval at the upcoming EGM.

“We believe that the new Board will have the resolve to exercise its fiduciary and leadership duties effectively. If voted in, the new Board must look into the details of the proposed rights issue, private placement and redeemable convertible notes exercise that the Company announced this month.”

“We believe that there are certain discrepancies in relation to the projects this fund-raising exercise were meant for.”

“Furthermore, the new Board must also review the sudden resignation of the Company’s auditors, Messrs. UHY, on 11 September 2019, without any reasons given.”

“Probable ‘red flags’ include an unexplained upward adjustment of RM32 million to land held for property development in the unaudited financial accounts of Tiger Synergy between the 2
nd
 quarter and 3
rd
 quarter of FYE2019 as well as RM51 million in cash not properly accounted for arising from shares issued in 2019.”

“There is also the matter where the Company’s movement of receivables reported in the 3
rd
 quarter of FYE2019 is larger than the total sales made by Tiger Synergy, giving rise to concerns about its financial reporting,” Mr. Goh added.

Mr. Goh explained that Safari Alliance had to fight and win two lawsuits against the current Board of Tiger Synergy so that this EGM can take place. “Clearly, there was significant resistance towards this EGM.”

“Now that a clear path has been forged, it is important that our fellow shareholders turn up en masse. As shareholders of the Company, we must make the effort to create a new future for Tiger Synergy,” Mr. Goh concluded.

— end of press release —

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

Next suggested article:
You love stocks? You hate stocks? Read before deciding

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Property investment? Time is essence.

Reported in a local English daily, Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin said, “I am already 57. Do I wait for 10 years? Or do I retire and just count my money? I have the skills and the people who have the skills and the expertise. Business is about taking opportunities.” He was referring to the application of EWI for an initial public offering (IPO) in the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia instead of a special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) instead. Someone asked him why is EWI moving so fast. EWI aims to raise about RM2 billion to fund its acquisitions. So, time is of essence.

What about timing? On and off, the first question posed to me has always been, ‘can still enter ah?’ My answer remains the same, ‘do you know what’s your objective of buying?’ If you are clear, then anytime is a good time to buy. However, the issue with majority is, that objective is, ‘earn more money oh.’ For this kind of objective, it meant that you have no objective. If it’s to buy a luxury condo to flip, then it’s not about timing, it’s about luck. You better pray that you are lucky. Not just the first time, but everytime. The same applies for buying shares too.

Coming back to EWI, I think the IPO is going to to be smooth. EWI already has the following: three strategic residential sites in London and one prime residential site in Parramatta, Sydney. The first one, London City Island was launched in May and the Parramatta project will be previewed in the final weekend of June and launched few months down the road. Total estimated gross development value is ,£2.257bil (RM13.176 billion) If we assume a nett margin of 10% over a development period of 10 years, EWI is looking at RM130 million profit on a yearly basis. Seems really encouraging. Please note that this is a developer, the profits may not happen evenly on a yearly basis.

So, anyone queuing to buy its IPO? I admit, I will try maybe 10,000 units, just to show support for a Malaysian company going big in London and Australia. Note, stocks for developers are not the best choice for a short-term investor because they (stocks) are very cyclical and if we are taking a short term to medium term approach, then TIMING is critical. Happy investing ANYTIME.

written on 27 June 2015

Next suggested article:

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...


Time to change or be changed. Our choice.

Is is the best time to change? Well, we have changed tremendously for the last 9 months. Sorry, I meant, we were changed by circumstances. COVID-19 changed everything we do and how we do it. We have seen many businesses in trouble and we have also seen many who has managed to survive because they changed. We have seen pilot being retrenched and we have seen the same pilot opening up a popular burger stall. Change is inevitable and as they say, the only constant in change is change itself.

Securing our job if that’s the only job we have

Having a job allows us to earn a salary. With a salary we can do many things and invest it for more returns. We can bring our loved ones for vacations. I do know that I have to work until I retire. That’s still a long time in future. (Another 12-15 years perhaps) At least my kids should enter university first? So, I am a working class Malaysian. 🙂  Do we know what would allow us to keep our job for a long time? Perhaps it’s time to change?

These days, many jobs are being replaced by robots, by systems with artificial intelligence which can answer queries as well as humans could, sometimes even better. If we were not replaced by all these technologies, we could still be replaced by our fellow Malaysians who could do our job for less pay. If our fellow Malaysians did not replace us, chances are the MNC company employing us may choose to employ someone else in another country who could do our job for lesser pay!

Photo by Gabby K on
Pexels.com

Time to learn to unlearn

Today, let me share something I learnt from a colleague whom I look up to about how he unlearns to learn. Even though he is a junior manager but he is doing very well and considered an asset to the organisation. One key point he shared was this. He said he’s an analyst which meant looking at numbers, numbers and numbers and then he analyse them. This is where he and his peers differ.

His peers could report the trend to the management but beyond the trend, he could share how this new found information can help the operations to be faster, sharper and better in what they do. He was able to offer many additional insights as a HUMAN analyst. Computers could only present information which has been-set / determined. This is why some analysts move up and some analysts stay as analysts.

Losing our job in the future?

Do we worry that we will lose our job one day? Take a step back. Are we doing the exact same thing today versus 2 years ago? If we are, rest assured that there’s every likelihood that something or someone is already being primed to take over from us. Even if we are a sales person, we may have been the top sales for the last five years but remember, five years later which is today, the company may now be very well known and it can sell the same amount of sales with or without us using an online platform…..

Did we add value?

So, did we add value? (valuable like the image?) If we did not, it’s time to change. Are we able to provide additional consultative service to the customer beyond just the usual, ‘ how many you need? Here’s a quotation?’ As of now, the demand for good sales people is still far outstripping supply but things change extremely fast. Just look at the banks, the oil and gas industry and even the insurance. Once there were many thousands of tellers, petrol station operators and even insurance sales people. These are slowly being replaced by technology.

Photo by Deena on
Pexels.com

Conclusion

I believe losing a job is scary but doing the same thing over and over again is scarier! Happy understanding that when we stop changing for the better, the circumstances will change us, whether or not we like it. That’s how the world operates these days because we are now inter-connected and everyone is actually competing with everyone else within the country and outside the country. Time to change or be changed. Choice is ours.

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

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

Next suggested article:
Buy a home, ask why not what. Safer.

Share this:
Tweet
Telegram
WhatsApp
Like this:
Like

Loading...