Desa Idaman, Taman Puchong Prima

Home in a Water-themed Paradise

A water-themed wonderland in the heart of Puchong offers residents of all ages a home with fun-filled recreational facilities and a great freehold investment! Puchong residents are one step closer to the resort “wonderland” lifestyle offered by Desa Idaman Residences, the tropical-themed recreational water park residence in Puchong Prima. Soft launched a year ago, this development is now taking shape in an exciting manner. With construction about 40% underway, visitors can already see the exciting elements of the theme park taking shape. The almost-ready clubhouse offers a promising glimpse of what is to come – which the public can see for themselves when the show unit opens for viewing before end of the year.Tagged at over RM100 million, the 10.4-acre Desa Idaman is located on one of the last plots of FREEHOLD land earmarked for residential projects in the 250-acre Puchong Prima. Spread over 11 blocks, comprising 540 units of apartments, this gated and guarded low-rise development is scheduled to be completed in 2010. The well-designed apartments come with three bedrooms and two bathrooms in built-up areas of 955 sq ft to 1,110 sq ft.With its unique offering of a resort lifestyle in the heart of Puchong and the thrilling water-park facilities, Desa Idaman is perfect for couples and families with young children, as well as those in their golden years seeking an ambience abundant with joy and peace. The attractive indicative pricing of RM150,000 to RM300,000 means that these freehold homes are great investments, too. Desa Idaman’s water park is complete with offerings to promote fun and wellbeing, no matter what your age. Adults will enjoy the almost 20-meter wide circular swimming pool, with its water reflexology path, massage nozzles, waterfall feature, water spa and two Jacuzzis. Start off your morning with a refreshing swim, cool off in the hot afternoon or come and de-stress with a soothing massage and reflexology treatment after a long day.

In the meantime, the park was well-planned to hold plenty of attractions for children, from the oval-shaped “Lazy and Crazy River” where they can enjoy float rides, to the five-metre look-out tower featuring a double loop slide offering thrills and spills. The shower umbrellas at the Splash/Play pool area, thunder rain effects at strategic points and magnificent life-size sculptures of giraffes and elephants add to the excitement.

Well-Equipped on Dry Land Too

Desa Idaman is well-equipped to create a family-friendly atmosphere on dry land, too. Recreation is available at its children’s playground, BBQ and picnic area, par course and comprehensive clubhouse complete with a gymnasium, nursery/childcare centre and a function area. Stroll paths enable you to enjoy relaxing walks, accompanied by lush landscaping and beautiful blossoms along the way. The biggest attraction, of course, is that families and loved ones are able to spend enjoyable moments together at their own doorstep – a precious gift in this ever-increasingly busy world.

With peace of mind an important factor today, Desa Idaman is gated and guarded with 24-hour security in addition to a proximity card access system. The wonderful water park facilities here cater only for residents, and are not open to the public. Thus, residents have their own private theme park for themselves and their loved ones.

Developer

The developer, Primaharta Development Sdn Bhd, has built a good reputation for quality homes in the Puchong Prima township since 1999, such as four-storey shop offices, double-storey terrace houses, various types of apartments, and spacious condominiums. Desa Impiana Condominiums adjacent to Desa Idaman has been completed with CF and is well maintained with beautiful landscaped surroundings and facilities, a testament to the developer’s delivery of quality and service.

With its strategic location in Puchong, Desa Idaman also enjoys established amenities and good linkage to Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Subang, Sunway, Putrajaya and other major urban centres. Accessibility to major highways such as the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) is a breeze.

Discerning buyers who like the thought of a resort lifestyle in one of Desa Idaman’s freehold units should take action NOW to enjoy a five per cent rebate, free legal fees on the SPA, free maintenance fee for the first year, and much more! Call 03-8068 2888 or 012-920 7238 (weekend contact) for more information or log on to www.mitrajayahomes.com for a virtual tour of Desa Idaman.

Source: iProperty.com

Drain Deepening Work In Progress

Residents of Taman Paik Siong in Puchong, who had endured years of flood woes, can now look forward to flood-free days as deepening and cleaning works are being done on the drainage system.

The drain deepening and cleaning project is being carried out by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) after much urging by Selangor senior state executive councillor and Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok.

For over a decade, the residential area has suffered from floods each time there is a heavy downpour.

Due to Taman Paik Siong’s locality at a lower ground level, water from the higher neighbouring areas like Bukit Kuchai would gush into the housing area, leaving many homes inundated by as much as a metre high or more of water.

The residents have complained endlessly over the years about the flooding situation but not much had been done to resolve the woes, until the deepening works now.

Teresa said she was happy to announce the good news to residents in Taman Paik Siong and also at Section 3 Taman Perindustrian Kinrara that the flood problem would be a thing of the past.

“I often received many calls to my office from angry residents whenever a flood happens,” Teresa said during a visit to the area.

“After doing the much-needed urging, the council is now at least remedying the situation by cleaning up rubbish clogged in the drain, which is one of the contributing factors towards flood,” she said.

Source: The Star, 26 September 2008

Malaysians Bullish On Local Property Market

Malaysians remain bullish on the local property market, according to iProperty.com Group's online Asia Property Trends Survey 2008.

In a statement here Tuesday, iProperty.com said the survey, which revealed the buying habits and trends of approximately 2,000 local and overseas property buyers who visited its website, www.iProperty.com.my, was conducted online from Aug 1-31, 2008.

"The survey showed 67 of the respondents expected property prices to go up by more than 10 percent in the next six to 18 months.

"Fascinatingly, 13 percent of them felt that Malaysian property prices will increase by over 40 percent in the same period," it said.

iProperty.com said the survey also showed 50 percent of the respondents had purchased at least one property over the last 24 months and 89 percent of them intended to buy property within the next 12 months.

The survey showed that Malaysians were also interested to buy landed properties with 63 of the respondents keen on ready-made/completed landed property.

Source: Bernama, 23 September 2008

Win Free Broadband For A Year!

Here's your chance to win a free broadband package worth RM1,675!

Start sharing your tips on Save and Invest and you could win BIG. If your tip proves to be a crowd favourite with the highest amount of votes, you could win free broadband service for the next 12 months! And that's not all. This free package comes bundled with a free USB modem which you can use instantly. All this could be yours when the Save and Invest campaign comes to an end on December 31st.

So let’s start sharing! If you haven’t registered or logged in, kindly do so to start posting! Visit http://www.saveandinvest.my/

Great Bargain @ Carrefour

With any purchase of RM30 and above in Carrefour, customers are entitled to redeem an exclusive Bon Chef non-stick cookware at discounted price up to 60%. Promotion ends 31 October 2008. All items available while stocks last.

Bon Chef cookware is coated with high quality Teflon coating from Dupont USA. What are the benefits?

- Hygienic (inert and non-corosive)

- Healthy cooking (cook with less or no oil)

- User friendly and efficient (easy cooking and easy cleaning)

- Lower gas consumption and save time (fast and even heat distribution)

- Phenolic handle and knob (withstands higher temperature)

- Tempered glass lid (stronger and safer)

- Silkscreen + spiral bottom (better grip on stove)


Participating outlets: Carrefour Mid Valley, Carrefour Wangsa Maju, Carrefour Kepong, Carrefour Ampang, Carrefour Sri Petaling, Carrefour Subang, Carrefour Cheras, Carrefour Putrajaya, Carrefour Klang, Carrefour Batu Pahat, Carrefour Kuantan and Carrefour Johor Bahru.

A Maiden Effort

Olympia College Kuala Lumpur has taken the step to offer assistance to school-going students.

Starting July 9 till Nov 5, 20 selected schools in the Klang Valley will benefit from Olympia College’s sponsorship of 10,000 copies of The Star and the NiE and F4F5 pullouts.

This is the first time the college is involved in The Star sponsorship scheme.

Raffles Education Group chairman Tan Sri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim said the sponsorship was in line with the college’s corporate social responsibility (CSR) programme to improve education in the country.

“Through NiE, students are more exposed to current affairs. The general knowledge gained is important and beneficial,” he said at the sponsorship presentation held at the college recently.

“Our initiative is aimed at cultivating in students a habit of reading newspapers as well.

“This can be achieved through the regular use of the pullouts in schools.

“When students familiarise themselves with the pullouts, they will almost automatically read the newspaper,’’ said Dr Yahaya.

He added that once students made this a habit, their level of English would improve too.

Dr Yahaya said that Olympia College, a member of the Raffles Education Group, would continue to play a part in helping to develop future leaders.

Executive director, Kevin Pereira, described the NiE and F4F5 pullouts as “reference materials that make for quality reading.”

Also present at the mock cheque presentation were teachers and students from some of the schools that would benefit, namely SMK Puchong Utama 1, SMK Puchong Batu 14, SMK Dato Onn, SMK Vivekananda, SMK Bangsar and SMK Puteri Titiwangsa.

Meanwhile, MOX Gases Sdn Bhd, better known as Malaysian Oxygen, sponsored RM10,000 worth of F4F5 to six schools in July.

The schools were SMK Sek 24 (2), Shah Alam, SMK Sri Utama, SMK Tinggi Klang, SMK St Xavier, SMK Sungai Ara and SMJK Chung Ling.

For details on how companies can sponsor copies of The Star to be distributed to schools, call Alvin Liew (019-2100 319) or Nur Afzan (019-3413 343) at Star Publications (M) Bhd’s corporate sponsorship unit.

Source: The Star

Run For Unity

Prizes worth about RM40,000 are up for grabs in the third edition of the IOI Community Run to be flagged off at the Town Park, Bandar Puteri Puchong on Nov 9.

The event, organised by IOI Properties and the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), is expected to attract about 3,000 people.

IOI Properties executive director Datuk David Tan said the last two editions of the run received overwhelming response.

“The main objective of the run is to unite the community by fostering closer relationship among them,’’ said Tan.

To make the event more exciting, the organisers have included two other events — Streetball and Futsal — for the younger generation. The streetball will have four categories while there will be two categories for futsal.

The run has seven categories with three distances — men’s open (7.3km - 18 years and above), women’s open (7.3km -18 years and above), men’s veteran (5.5km - 40 years and above), women’s veteran (5.5km-35 years and above), boys (5.5km - 13 to 18 years), girls (5.5km – 13 to18 years) and the Family Run, which is a non-competitive event.

“The family run is held to encourage families and children to enjoy a fun time together as they cover 3.2km,’’ said Tan.
Prizes for this year’s competition include an exclusive five-star hotel stay, New Balance product vouchers and jerseys, Fitness First’s memberships as well as certificates.

The sponsors — New Balance, Marriott Putrajaya, Palm Graden Hotel, Fitness First, Nestle and 100 Plus — will set up booths.

For details, visit

www.myioi.com or call 03-8947 8934/8947 8937. The closing date is Oct 31.

Source: The Star

Talam To Exit PN17 Next Year

Talam Corp Bhd is aiming to get out of the financially troubled status of Practice Note 17 by January next year after shareholders approved its debt restructuring and turnaround plan yesterday.

The plan involves the issuance of Islamic debt securities, preference shares and loan stocks, and hiving off non-core assets.

Executive director Chua Kim Lan said the exercise would cut the group’s debts to about RM400mil from more than RM740mil currently.

“And with this revamp plan, Talam would be able to reduce its gearing ratio to 0.7 from 2.37 in the financial year ended Jan 31 (FY08). Paid up capital will be RM800mil,” she said after the company’s EGM yesterday.

“We (will) progressively divest our non-core investment businesses such as colleges, shopping centres and hotels. As long as the price is right we will sell the business for the purpose of working capital and loan reduction,” she said, adding that Talam was also looking into selling its commercial and industry land.

Talam has a landbank of about 4 thousand acres in Selangor, excluding joint venture (JV) land, located mainly in Puchong and Bukit Beruntung.

On the group’s stalled housing projects, Chua said almost all of the 10,000 previously abandoned housing units would be completed by end-2009 with an unbilled gross development value (GDV) of RM800mil. Last year, Talam awarded IJM Construction Sdn Bhd (IJMC) two contracts valued at RM700mil and RM125mil respectively to complete its abandoned housing projects.

Talam also has a JV with IJMC to develop a 35-storey residential and commercial project in Changchun, China.

“The project, which is now constructed up to eight-storeys, is expected to be launched in the third quarter of 2009. The GDV is about RM500mil,” she said, adding that Talam and its partners were looking for more integrated development projects in China.

Source: The Star, 16 September 2008

Building A Better World For Children

World Vision is a Christian relief, development and advocacy organisation dedicated to working with children, families and communities to overcome poverty and injustice. Inspired by our Christian values, World Vision is dedicated to working with the world's most vulnerable people. World Vision serves all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity or gender.World Vision helps the poor to help themselves, working with them to build sustainable futures for their children, families and communities through emergency relief, education, health care, economic development and promotion of justice. World Vision Malaysia (WVM) began in 1997 as a Support Office with the aim of raising funds for and awareness of needy children and communities overseas.

Sponsor a child @ www.worldvision.com.my

The Zest @ Kinrara 9

Infusing Life and Work with Prestige and Pleasure

From its lavish facilities to its spacious, highly visible setup and great location, The Zest @ Kinrara 9 will amaze you with its sophistication, lavish offerings and attainability!

Superb Frontage Accessibility

The thriving neighbourhood of Puchong attains an air of sophistication with the arrival of The Zest @ Kinrara 9. This impressive FREEHOLD 5.6-acre mixed development brings a touch of grandeur with its glamorous setup, ample facilities and great location.

This month, The Zest @ Kinrara 9 is unveiling its 3 storey and 4 storey Shop Offices with a flourish! Exclusive 45 units Shop and Retail Offices come with individual strata titles and offer built-up areas ranging from 5,170 sq ft to 18,981 sq ft. Indicative pricing is set at a steal, at RM1.76 million for the 3 storey blocks and RM2.3 million for the 4 storey blocks, which even come with comfortable lift facilities. Bumiputras enjoy a 5% discount. Retail Offices (700 sq ft) are open for registration now.

Whether you are here for work or play, the aura of glamour and prestige is immediately discernible once you arrive. With its polished offerings, The Zest @ Kinrara 9 is not just an elegant and powerful business base, but also a great investment for savvy buyers, seeking prestigious properties at a pricing within reach. In addition to the 3 and 4 storey Shop Offices, the development also offers 3 blocks of stylish Service Apartments (720 units), Retail Offices (24 units) and a 5 storey Anchor Tower with lift.

Magnet for Attention

The Zest @ Kinrara 9 features an impressive and effective business base, from its prime location between Kuala Lumpur and Puchong to its dual frontages overlooking Jalan Kinrara 6B and the Bukit Jalil Expressway. Stylish, spacious commercial units, a host of lavish amenities and comfortable lift access in the 4 and 5 storey tower blocks give this commercial hub an air of grandeur and power.

Developed by Darul Dinasti Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Trinity Group, The Zest @ Kinrara 9 comprises of contemporary façade, 24-hour vigilant security and lush landscaping to ease the mind and rejuvenate the spirit. This prestigious development also comes with comprehensive clubhouse facilities, including Swimming Pool, Wading Pool, Gymnasium, Changing Room, Reading Room, Convenience Store, Sauna, Jacuzzi, Cafeteria, BBQ Cabana, Exercise Lawn, Jogging Track, Kid’s Playground, Launderette, Surau, Nursery, Squash Court and Reflective Pond designed by Award Winning Landscape Architect, Praxcis Design Sdn Bhd.

A Location to Fulfil all of Life’s Needs

The Zest @ Kinrara 9 is strategically located approximately 20 minutes from Kuala Lumpur City Centre, 10 minutes from Sri Petaling and 5 minutes from Bandar Sunway. It is situated in the heart of Bandar Kinrara with easy accessibility via KL-Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS), Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP), KL-Seremban Highway and Sungai Besi Highway. Future residents shall enjoy the convenience of walking distance to the extension of the Ampang-Sri Petaling LRT line, which is expected to have a station in Bandar Kinrara.

Those interested in self-improvement will find this elegant hub well-placed for enlightenment and education, with its enviable selection nearby of Elite Universities (including Sunway University College, International Medical University, APIIT and Limkokwing University of Creative Technology) and International Schools (Alice Smith International School and Australian International School of Malaysia).

Leisure and recreation can be sought at any one of the nearby Golf Courses (Kinrara Golf Club, Bukit Jalil Golf Club, Mines Golf & Country Resort, UPM Golf Club and Palm Garden Golf Club). In fact, the Service Apartment residents in this development will enjoy a scenic KLCC and Golf Course panorama.

This sophisticated mixed development counts among its neighbours such established and thriving townships as Puchong Jaya, Puchong Utama and Pusat Bandar Puchong to Bandar Sunway, Sri Petaling, Bukit Jalil, Bandar Kinrara and Taman OUG. It is also within easy reach of Old Klang Road, Mid Valley City, Seri Kembangan and Serdang.

The Zest @ Kinrara 9 is scheduled for completion in 2011.Those interested in its elegant FREEHOLD shop-office units should call NOW to enjoy free legal fees on SPA. For more information, call 603-8060 8003 / 016-965 9088 or visit www.trinitytowers.com.my.

Source: iProperty.com

Rise Of Puchong Watertown

Home buyers looking for waterfront property should check out the up-and-coming development of 68 units of townhouses in the gated community of Taman Tasik Prima in Puchong.

The townhouses are built as linked houses with two duplex units – one on top of the other – within each four-storey building.

Actually, the back of the building faces the disused mining pool spanning a surface area equivalent to 200 acres. With housing developments surrounding the pool, the huge expanse of water has been turned into a recreational site for water-sports such as boating and waterskiing.

A canal drains the pool of excess water.

Bolton Berhad is developing 145 acres of leasehold land fringing a major part of the “lake”. Thus, their latest homes for sale are touted as “waterfront townvilla” units. They are built on a four-acre strip.

The five-bedroom and 4-bathroom units will come with a 99-year lease commencing from the issue date of the individual titles.

According to a Bolton spokesman, this particular project offers a resort setting with a strategic lake front location. Apparently, 51 units of the waterfront townhouses have been sold to date.

“After we completed the show house recently, using the upper level duplex unit, we managed to sell all the 12 similar units within two weeks.

“The buyers could now see what their units would look like, especially with the view from the roof deck.”

The townvilla units come in six different lay-out designs with built-up space ranging from 2,100sq ft to 4,440sq ft. The upper level duplex units are bigger than the ground units.

The plot of land for each of the townvilla ranges from 26ft by 80ft to 26ft to 130ft. Each duplex unit costs between RM434,800 and RM883,600.

Besides the townvilla homes which will be completed by next December -- some 18 months ahead of schedule -- Bolton has developed more than 1,300 residential and commercial properties since 2002. They include terraced, super-link and semi-detached houses as well as bungalow, shop and office lots.

When fully completed, this “lake-view” housing estate, will have the usual jogging and cycling tracks, viewing decks and recreational spots along the water’s edge.

“Every precinct offers a gated and guarded community with central pockets of parkland,” adds the spokesman. “This township will also offer waterfront features like lakeside retail centre, a drive-through KFC outlet, service station, school, kindergarten and police station.

“There is also a privately-operated beach club here which offers water-sport facilities.”

Source: The Star, 10 September 2008

IOI Properties Rides Financial Strength

IOI Properties Bhd retains its position as a Top 10 developer in the country on the back of its strong financial position. Riding the housing market boom in the 1990s, the company grew to become one of the biggest and most profitable developers in Malaysia.

Although IOI Properties posted a lower 2QFY2008 group revenue of RM182.3 million compared to RM208.8 million in the preceding quarter due to uncertainties in the political situation and sharp rise in petrol prices, executive director Datuk David Tan is optimistic about the company's performance.

He says, "We have landbank in strategic locations and high-growth areas and we have the purchasers' confidence. As a township developer, IOI Properties provides a wide range of products that cater to changes in market sentiments." "Bandar Puchong Jaya used to be the backwaters, so we've come a long way.

Being recognised as one of the Top 10 developers every year (since The Edge Top Property Developers Awards was introduced in 2003) is wonderful, but we want to remain humble," says Tan, who played an instrumental role in designing the township.

So, what's ahead for IOI Properties?

The company is embarking on an ambitious project to develop the Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC) with office buildings being retained for leasing. "All banks, including foreign ones, have at least one branch in Puchong. Maybank has three branches while Public Bank has two. Banks are doing well due to the catchment of businesses here. So, developing a financial centre here is a natural move," explains Tan.

"Puchong has transformed from an industrial area to a location for major employers. However, it does not yet cater for the 'upper-middle' type of employers. We want to attract these types of employers as well as companies that want to move away from Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur. "We are in the midst of negotiating with two major anchor tenants. PFCC will be the first green building block in Puchong," adds Tan. IOI Properties is also developing an office-cum-retail and entertainment hub called IOI Boulevard. According to Tan, 75% of the units have been sold. The company, however, has retained the two blocks facing the LDP Highway and the internal boulevard. "People will judge the image of the place by its frontage and so we want to control the tenant mix and manage it actively to ensure the place is vibrant. It's good for the buyers of other units in the long term," he says.

While developing parts of Puchong, IOI Properties is setting its sights on luxury developments elsewhere to add to its portfolio mix. In the pipeline is a high-end condominium along Jalan Ampang tentatively called Verandas. Also being planned are seafront luxury condominiums, Seascape and Pinnacle, in Sentosa Cove, Singapore. While pundits say prices have peaked at the time when IOI Properties entered into the agreement to acquire the 99-year leasehold land in Sentosa Island, Tan believes otherwise. He says the land is valuable because it is the last piece for sale at Sentosa Cove and furthermore, Singapore has many economic factors in its favour.

Source: The Egde Daily

School To Be Relocated From Karak To Puchong

Parents in Puchong can breathe a sigh of relief with the proposed relocation of a Chinese primary school in Karak to Puchong.

Puchong MCA division chairman Wong Hock Aun revealed the plans of the relocation, which is to help ease the shortage of Chinese schools in Puchong.

“On July 10, we went to see Deputy Education Ministry Dr Wee Ka Siong in parliament to highlight the plight of Puchong folk plagued by shortage of Chinese schools in the area.

The Puchong MCA division was told that SJK (C) Kheng Chee in Ladang Bukit Dinding was to be relocated elsewhere as it only had nine students, comprising six Indians and three Malays.

“The new location was yet to be confirmed, so Wee suggested that we identify a piece of land in Puchong which is suitable for the school,” Wong said.

A 2.4ha site in Persiaran Indera in Pusat Bandar Puchong was identified and the information was forwarded to Wee.
“The land, which is close to Bandar Puteri Puchong, is now reserved for the school.

“We chose the land because of the area has a high Chinese population.

“Secondly, there are only one primary school, one secondary school and one religious school in the immediate vicinity.

“Thirdly, the land is located beside the main road providing easy access, ” Wong said.

He added that they had other options, too.

“We have identified two more pieces of land in Bandar Puteri Puchong and Puchong Utama if this does not work.

“However, we prefer the school to be built at Pusat Bandar Puchong to benefit more residents,” he said.

Wee, when contacted, confirmed the relocation.

“It’s almost decided. In view of the rapid development in Puchong, it is most likely that the school will be relocated to the location suggested by the local community,” he said.

However, the relocation is still at its preliminary stage.

“The proposal just came in and the ministry needs some time to process it.

“We have to check the availability of the site,” he said.

There are four Chinese schools in Puchong — SJK (C) Ladang Harcroft, SJK (C) Han Ming, SJK (C) Yak Chee and SJK (C) Sin Ming.

Ladang Harcroft was relocated from Ayer Tawar in Perak to Bandar Puchong Jaya in November last year.

“Ladang Harcroft has 324 students, Han Ming 3,750, Yak Chee 4,077 and Sin Ming 1,521.

“There are still many children who attend schools in nearby townships, such as SJK (C) Sungai Way and SJK (C) Chen Moh in Petaling Jaya, and SJK (C) Yuk Chyun at Old Klang Road,” Wong said.

He added that next year a total of 256 Year One students would have to attend schools elsewhere as the schools in Puchong were already full.

Wong also urged parents who live near Ladang Harcroft but have children attending Han Ming and Yak Chee to transfer their kids to Ladang Harcroft.

“Wee had agreed to have Ladang Harcroft open 10 Year One, eight Year Two, four Year Three and two Year Four classes.

“If the children are transferred to Ladang Harcroft, the other two schools can probably open upmore Year One classes,” he said.

He advised the parents to contact the schools after the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) on Sept 11 to work out the transfer.

Source: The Star, 05 September 2008