| Living it up in Iskandar region | |
| S'poreans make up 90% of buyers in some developments | |
| THE RECESSION may have made luxury homes here out of reach for many people. | |
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| 26 May 2009 | |
THE RECESSION may have made luxury homes here out of reach for many people. But up north, at Iskandar Development Region, it's possible to get a resort-style bungalow from about RM1.4 million($580,000). A bungalow with a golf course frontage costs about RM2m at Horizon Hills, while a semi-detached unit costs around RM900,000, according to previous media reports. Horizon Hills is located in Nusajaya, a flagship zone within Iskandar Malaysia. Spanning 1,200 acres, the township comprises 13 precincts with bungalows, semi-detached, cluster and terrace homes. The eco-friendly development, Setia Eco Gardens, is also located in the Iskandar development region. Prices for its Visellia terrace units start from RM414,000. In some developments, Singaporeans make up 90 per cent of buyers. Speaking to The New Paper last week, Mr Harun Johari, CEO of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), said: 'Singaporeans are stretching their dollar by buying such property in Iskandar, which is cheaper than buying it locally.' He said some Singaporeans have snapped up potential 'retirement homes' or 'holiday homes' there. Launched in November 2006 by former Malaysian premier Abdullah Badawi, the 2,217 sq km Iskandar Malaysia project is about three times the size of Singapore, and is expected to be completed in 20 years. Located in Johor, it is expected to become Southern Peninsular Malaysia's most developed region, with its own financial, medical, educational and residential hubs. But property consultant Colin Tan of Chesterton International cautioned against jumping onto the bandwagon too quickly. Mr Tan said: 'The main attraction is obviously the lower prices, but the concern is security, going by the reports of crime in Johor. 'Prices are low for a reason. Once security is enhanced, you can expect prices to rise. If you want to buy, you need to decide if these factors are relevant to you. Proceed with caution.' Mr Harun said that security in Iskandar Malaysia is being looked into, and will be enhanced. In a meeting between Singapore's Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Friday, both leaders discussed the possibilities of developing a wellness centre and an integrated township within Iskandar Malaysia. Mr Harun said that the wellness centre is already one of the clusters in the overall masterplan of Iskandar Malaysia's economic clusters. Commenting on the idea, Mr Tan said: 'The vision is good, but investors must believe that the idea will take off before going in with money.' S'pore a top investor Mr Harun, who was in Singapore for the Cityscape Asia exhibition, said that Singapore is now in third place behind Europe and Japan in terms of investments in IRDA. As an indication, RM750 million worth of investments came from Singapore last year, making up 9.11 per cent of IRDA's total investments. The majority of the Singapore investments come from small and medium enterprises. Mr Harun said: 'They see the opportunity for their businesses to be expanded there. It makes sense because Iskandar Malaysia is so near, just across the Causeway.' Mr Harun said that the development will create between 600,000 and 800,000 jobs over the next 20 years, in the financial, educational, creative, healthcare, tourism and logistics sectors, among others. The jobs are not exclusive to Malaysians. http://forums.delphiforums.com/sunkopitiam/messages?msg=29666.1 |
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Iskandar: Singaporeans make up 90% of buyers in some developments
Friday, May 22, 2009
Malaysia Proposes Third Bridge Link To Singapore
Malaysia Proposes Third Bridge Link To Singapore
By Zakaria Abdul Wahab
SINGAPORE, May 22 (Bernama) -- Malaysia has proposed to Singapore that a new bridge be built to link the eastern side of Johor to the island republic.
The new bridge will help to further facilitate the movement of people and goods and services between both countries, Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said at a joint media conference with his Singapore counterpart Lee Hsien Loong here today.
Najib, who is here since yesterday for a two-day official visit to the city-state, said the new bridge would also help to develop the eastern side of Johor such as areas in Pengerang, including Desaru, which were still less developed and had huge economic potential.
He said the current linkages, such as the Johor Causeway, were having a high volume of traffic and had affected the smooth movement of people and goods between both the neighbouring countries.
Both sides agreed to look at the proposal in the medium and long term and also agreed to commission a study to look at the bridge viability, Najib said, adding that the new bridge proposal was one of the outcomes of their bilateral meeting to further enhance the close cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore.
Currently, the southern tip of Peninsular Malaysia is connected to Singapore by the ageing Johor Causeway and the Second Link crossing in Tuas.
In 2006, Malaysia dropped a plan to build a second bridge replacing the Johor Causeway after it hit a dead-end following some disagreement between the two neighbours.
Lee also suggested that the Johor Causeway be broadened and the rail link connecting both sides of the causeway be improved to further ease traffic movement.
Earlier, upon his arrival at the Istana, Najib inspected a military guard-of-honour before proceeding straight to a four-eyed meeting with Lee.
The two leaders later joined the bilateral meeting involving the top official delegations from both sides.
The Malaysian delegation included Foreign Minister Datuk Anifah Aman, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, International Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, Minister in the Prime Minister�s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop and Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.
Najib also said he proposed that a wellness centre be set up in the Iskandar Malaysia development area in Johor as an iconic investment that would showcase the growing cooperation between the two countries.
The prime minister said the wellness centre would appeal to not only Singaporeans but also Malaysians and foreign visitors as going for spas, medical treatment, homeopathy and herbal treatment was the "in" thing to many people now.
Najib said that as part of another iconic investment, Lee proposed that a new township for mixed development be opened so that Singaporeans could have more flexibility to invest or relocate their businesses in Singapore to Iskandar Malaysia.
Saying that Iskandar Malaysia had progressed so much since it was launched in 2006 and had attracted about RM42.6 billion in investments, Najib said he hoped to see more participation from Singaporeans in the southern development corridor.
Najib also said that Malaysia had agreed to Singapore's request to open a counsellor's office in Johor Baharu to assist Singaporeans in need of assistance there.
Lee had said that an increasing number of Singaporeans were now going to or passing through Johor and there was no one to assist them if they were in trouble as he personally experienced it when Singaporeans started calling him for help when they were stuck there.
Najib also said that to further enhance their relations, both governments had agreed to encourage more air linkages between the two countries, especially by the low-cost carriers.
On security, Lee again thanked the Malaysian authorities for recapturing Singapore's most wanted fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari, the suspected leader of the Jemaah Islamiah militant group, in Johor last month.
However, to a question, Najib said there was no timeline as to when Mas Selamat would be returned to Singapore but the authorities here would be kept abreast of the information or intelligence gathered by the Malaysian side.
Najib also said that Malaysia had agreed to Singapore's request to open a consulate office in Johor Baharu to assist Singaporeans in need of assistance there.
Lee had said that an increasing number of Singaporeans were now going to or passing through Johor and there was no one to assist them if they were in trouble as he personally experienced it when Singaporeans started calling him for help when they were stuck there.
Najib also said that to further enhance their relations, both governments had agreed to encourage more air linkages between the two countries, especially by the low-cost carriers.
On security, Lee again thanked the Malaysian authorities for recapturing Singapore's most wanted fugitive Mas Selamat Kastari, the suspected leader of the Jemaah Islamiah militant group, in Johor last month.
However, to a question, Najib said there was no timeline as to when Mas Selamat would be returned to Singapore but the authorities here would be kept abreast of the information or intelligence gathered by the Malaysian side.
Najib said his discussion with Lee today was good and it was another step in the Malaysia-Singapore relationship.
Both Najib and Lee hoped that the old legacy of problems they inherited in the last 18 years could be solved as soon as possible.
"We don't have to wait for another 18 years to solve these problems," Najib said referring to the Points of Agreement that deals with the issue of the future of railway land owned by Keretapi Tanah Melayu in Singapore.
Najib said the foreign ministers of both countries would meet to study further the matter and hoped that it could be solved in a "win-win situation" for both sides.
After the news conference, Najib left for Friday prayers at the Sultan Mosque, Singapore's oldest, in Arab Street.
-- BERNAMA
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Saturday, May 9, 2009
Democracy by force in Malaysia
Democracy by force in Malaysia
By Anil Netto
IPOH, Perak - The battle of Malaysia's ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition to regain control of the second-largest state on the Malaysian Peninsula may have come at a heavy price to its long-term credibility and raises questions about new Prime Minister Razak Najib's emerging brand of leadership.
Any semblance of democratic norms rapidly vanished this week when police entered the Perak state assembly hall and physically dragged away the opposition People's Alliance House speaker, in full ceremonial regalia, so that a candidate from the BN could take over the position.
Prior to the incident, rival assembly members were locked in a stand-off, with assembly members from the People's Alliance calling for fresh state-wide elections for Perak and the BN claiming its right to lead the assembly after three defections this year gave it a slim majority of 31-28.
The defections, which came under questionable and controversial circumstances, sparked a constitutional crisis when the assembly speaker refused to recognize the defections and declared the three seats vacant. However, the Election Commission refused to endorse the holding of by-elections to fill the seats, nor would it allow the People's Alliance to dissolve the house to hold fresh state-wide elections.
Meanwhile, the assembly's privileges committee, made up of People's Alliance members, in apparent retaliation, suspended the BN's candidate for the Perak chief minister's post and his team of six assembly members appointed to other Perak government committee positions. That set the stage for the police raid on the state assembly building, where 69 People's Alliance supporters, including 10 elected representatives from the federal parliament and other state assemblies were detained.
Later people wearing black T-shirts to protest against a "black day" for Malaysian democracy were targeted as police had obtained a court injunction forbidding anyone from entering a 500-meter radius of the assembly building. Half a dozen riot police trucks blocked the main entrance to the assembly, and even opposition members of parliament were turned away from the opening ceremony of the assembly's sitting.
Perak was one of the five states, out of a total of 13, which fell to the People's Alliance in last year's watershed general election - the worst performance ever for the BN, which has ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since achieving independence from the colonial British.
Before taking power last month from premier Abdullah Badawi, Najib was widely seen as the driving force behind moves to restore the BN's power in Perak, including orchestrating the defections. A similar power grab unfolded in the state assembly on Thursday as speaker V Sivakumar refused to budge from his seat, even for lunch or to go the washroom, for fear the BN would install a new speaker.
That did not stop the BN assembly members from electing a non-assembly member to the seat, leveraging their 31-28 majority even though Sivakumar had rejected their motion and ordered the 10 suspended BN assembly members out of the assembly. But Sivakumar soon found his microphone was switched off and the situation verged on farce when the new BN appointed speaker R Ganesan put on ceremonial attire and sat on the aisle, even though speaker Sivakumar was still presiding.
BN lawyers argue that they had the numbers to elect a new speaker and had given adequate notice for the motion to remove Sivakumar. The BN was worried that the house would legally have to be dissolved for fresh state elections by May 13, when a six-month deadline for the house to hold a fresh sitting would expire. People's Alliance leaders argue that the BN's actions in the assembly on Thursday were "illegal, illegitimate and unconstitutional". The proceedings were held even before the issue of who is chief minister of Perak could be decided by the courts.
It all adds up to a constitutional and legal imbroglio, prompting many to call for fresh state elections to resolve the impasse. However, in view of its poor showings in recent by-elections, it is a prospect the BN seems reluctant to face. One joke making the rounds is that the people of Perak are fortunate to be served by a bounty of two chief ministers and now two state assembly speakers.
Najib's administration and his Perak colleagues may have won the power-play in Perak through the use of police force, but it will have come at a heavy cost in public perception and potentially longer-term support for the BN and Najib's previous "One Malaysia" call to national unity. Many Malaysians who watched events unfold over the Internet saw uncensored police entering the Perak state assembly and physically removing the Perak speaker, his legs trailing on the floor as he was dragged out of the chamber and then held in a nearby changing room for a number of hours.
Najib had received an earlier democratic blow when the BN lost two of three hotly contested by-elections held on April 7. Another by-election in Penanti is scheduled for May 31 and the BN is still of two minds about whether to field a candidate in a constituency that lies in People's Alliance leader Anwar Ibrahim's home turf on the island state of Penang.
Meanwhile, the controversy in Perak is expected to continue in the courts, though once ensconced in the seat of power the BN will not easily be dislodged with the machinery of power behind it. Najib's apparent zero tolerance of public protests and vigils, however, will remove an outlet for public disaffection over the lack of democratic reforms and raise the political temperature.
At least two dozen people were detained in Kuala Lumpur, Kuching and Penang on Thursday evening when they attended vigils to express their concerns about the police raid in Perak. Less than one month on the job, Najib has shown a willingness to use force to ensure his political way and stirred strong doubts about his self-stated political reform credentials.
Anil Netto is a Penang-based writer.
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Friday, April 10, 2009
MM Lee: Malaysia and Singapore take different paths
MM Lee says Malaysia and Singapore to continue to collaborate
By Hasnita Majid, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 09 April 2009 2157 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew has said Singapore and Malaysia will continue to collaborate on areas of mutual interest such as security and terrorism.
But he sees both countries taking different paths in future because of differences in fundamental views.
He was speaking during the question and answer session of the S Rajaratnam Lecture.
Mr Lee spoke of Singapore and Malaysia sharing a common history. But he sees a different future for both countries.
He said that while Singapore is a multi-racial meritocracy, its neighbours organise their societies on the supremacy of the indigenous population, such as Bumiputras in Malaysia and Pribumis in Indonesia.
As for Singapore, he added that although it is becoming an integrated society, the jury is still out whether it can remain cohesive under extreme circumstances.
He said: "I'm not sure if we're put through a stress test, if famine breaks out and you've got to share your rice, will you share with your family and your clan or will you share it with your neighbour who may not be of the same race? I am not sure what the end result will be because we have not been put through that extreme test which is the final test."
Mr Lee noted that in its pursuit of improving its competitiveness, Singapore is always raising the benchmark in areas such as cleanliness and efficiency.
While it may make some countries uncomfortable, it is ultimately good for the region.
He said: "We started greening, Malaysia started greening, Thailand started greening, Indonesia started greening. China studied our system, went down to parks and trees and looked at our administrative arrangements and they can go to Shenzhen, Shanghai and the place is green! So I think that we should set the benchmark, raise the standard. They may feel uncomfortable but it's good for everybody."
Mr Lee also said that countries that do not adapt quickly to technological changes will lag behind and pay the price.
But Singapore has no intention of doing so.
"I don't know what changes that will come, but I know that we have to stay ahead and be part of it," he said.
- CNA/ir
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Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Malaysia's opposition hails election wins
Malaysia's opposition hails election wins
Posted: 08 April 2009 1929 hrs
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KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysia's opposition celebrated Wednesday after big wins in by-elections that it said showed voters rejected Prime Minister Najib Razak who was sworn in last week.
The votes were the first test for Najib and his ambitious agenda to reform the ruling party UMNO -- which represents majority Muslim Malays -- and repair ties with the nation's ethnic Chinese and Indian minorities.
Analysts said they provided a snapshot of the public mood one year after the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional coalition was humbled in general elections that saw the opposition gain unprecedented ground.
"It is a referendum on the Barisan Nasional government, on its inability to carry out promises and reforms since the March 8 elections," opposition leader
Anwar Ibrahim told a press conference.
"Normally the trend is the moment a new prime minister comes... the sentiment lifts, but it didn't happen this time," he said. "It is a major setback not only to Najib but a major change in the thinking of Malaysians."
Anwar said the results of the polls showed that support for the opposition alliance had increased since the 2008 elections, when the opposition won five of Malaysia's 13 states and a third of seats in parliament.
The Barisan Nasional lost two of three by-elections held Tuesday, including a high-profile ballot in northern Perak state for a seat in the national parliament, which the opposition won in a landslide.
The opposition also won a hotly contested vote for a seat in the state parliament of northern Kedah.
In a consolation prize, the coalition won a seat in the state parliament in Sarawak on Borneo island, with a convincing majority that showed it remains the dominant political force in the under-developed region.
Najib's reform promises have been greeted with caution, as his predecessor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi failed to implement his own pledges to tackle corruption and repair race relations during his six years in power.
Analysts said the new leader must now quickly implement policy changes, which will illustrate that he is serious about reform, and win back voters before the next general elections due by 2013.
"What it means is that there is no honeymoon. Malaysians want their changes to happen now, and he cannot expect that rhetoric alone will carry the day," said Ibrahim Suffian from the Merdeka Centre polling firm.
Muhyiddin Yassin, who is expected to be appointed deputy premier when Najib names his Cabinet on Thursday, played down the results of the votes and said it was too early to judge the new administration.
"This is not a referendum on the leadership. Maybe the feel-good factor of the leadership of Najib has yet to sink in with the voters," he said, according to state media.
But Koh Tsu Koon, president of the Chinese-based Gerakan party, which is a member of the ruling coalition, said the results should serve as a call to action for the Barisan Nasional, which has dominated politics for half a century.
"Admittedly, the results showed BN has yet to turn the tide in regaining support from the people, especially the non-Malay voters," he said in a statement.
"We should look at the results as a reminder to BN to effect reform more concretely. If so, it might well be a blessing in disguise for BN in the long run."
- AFP/ir
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