The Cube @ Bandar Puteri Puchong

Puteri Central

Free & Easy Ride Around Puchong

Residents of Puchong have a reason to rejoice as IOI Properties Bhd launched its free shuttle bus service recently.

The bus service would be available for IOI Privilege Card holders and would travel from residential areas to commercial hubs such as IOI Mall, IOI Boulevard, Bandar Puteri Puchong and Giant Hypermarket.

Present at the launch were IOI Properties executive director Datuk David Tan, Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok and Subang Jaya municipal (MPSJ) councillor Pooi Weng Keong, as well as representatives from residents associations in Puchong. 

“With this shuttle bus service, we hope not only to provide a convenient mode of transport for residents, but also reduce air pollution and work towards a greener township,” said Tan.

He said that they would be monitoring the bus service for a month before deciding if they will increase the number of buses.

“If the response is good, we will also be implementing a GPS Tracking System whereby residents can track the bus.

“This would be convenient as they wouldn’t need to wait around at the bus stops until the bus arrives,” he said.

He added that all residents and home owners within the township were eligible for the privilege card for free.

Meanwhile, Kok said that the shuttle bus service was a good move by the developers.

“Hopefully it can help resolve traffic jams in our community.” she said.

She also expressed hope that the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) would emulate the Petaling Jaya City Council (MBPJ), to provide community buses to ease traffic woes.

Besides launching the shuttle bus service, Tan also launched the ONE-IOI Net, which is a township-wide, high-speed intranet connecting all residents and business communities within the township.

The service would help businesses promote their products and services to residents, as well as provide first hand information on IOI Mall merchants.

The free shuttle bus service will run from 9.30am to 6.30pm, from Tuesdays to Sundays. Route time would take approximately 40 minutes.

The eye-catching green and yellow bus which features a bumblebee design, had been running since Feb 1 as part of an awareness exercise.

Those interested to apply for the privilege card may do so at the IOI Sales Galleria in Bandar Puteri Puchong or IOI Mall.

IOI Celebrates 1st Anniversary Of Privilege Card

The IOI Privilege Card Members’ Day was a fun and lively affair as families and residents gathered at the event held to commemorate the first anniversary of the IOI Privilege Card.

Touted as the first community discount card in Malaysia, the card introduced by IOI Properties Bhd is aimed at uniting the IOI business and residential communities while strengthening community ties.

The IOI Privilege Card entitles cardholders to discounts and promotions on goods and services offered by participating outlets within the IOI townships. Other card features include allocated car park bays at IOI Mall (in front of Jusco).

Cards are issued free of charge to residents of IOI townships in the Klang Valley, namely Bandar Puchong Jaya, Bandar Puteri Puchong, Bandar Puteri Klang, Bandar Putera Klang, and IOI Resort City in Putrajaya. No minimum spending, point accumulation or joining fee is required before cardholders can enjoy the privileges.

IOI Properties Bhd marketing manager Mohd Ezuddin Sami’an said the IOI Privilege Card was introduced in April 2009 with about 10 participating merchants.

“The card offers more exclusivity and perks for the local community,” he said.

“It provides added value and convenience for the residents to shop, dine and enjoy various lifestyle programmes, which in turn would encourage better business for the merchants.

“Most of our merchants are located at Bandar Puteri Puchong and Bandar Puchong Jaya at the moment, as almost 50% of these areas have commercial blocks.

According to him, there are plans to have more features, including allocated car park bays at IOI Boulevard and free wi-fi within selected commercial areas.

Among the activities held during the IOI Privilege Card Members’ Day at The Palette, IOI Boulevard were a treasure hunt, eating competitions, health talk and fitness demonstration, sand art, free massage sessions, juice-making and bread-baking demonstration, stage games, sculpture balloon giveaways, as well as exhibitions by selected merchants.The team Friends 5 was declared the treasure hunt champion and won a RM250 cash voucher.

The second and third prizes went to the Kasawari Heights Residents Association (RA) from Bandar Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri 12 RA, who won RM150 and RM100 cash vouchers respectively.

Four other teams won consolation prizes comprising vouchers from IOI Privilege Card merchants.Updates on the latest card promotions are available in IOI Properties’ quarterly newsletter called ReachOut and via www.myioi.com/privilege/.

Source: The Star

Concessionaire Builds 2 More Shelters Along LDP

LITRAK, the concessionaire of Damansara-Puchong Expressway (LDP), has built two motorcycle shelters at the Pusat Bandar Puchong stretch of the highway.

Located at Km22.2 southbound and Km22.5 northbound underneath the IOI interchange, the shelters will provide protection for motorcyclists during downpours.

Litrak communications manager Bhavani Krishna Iyer said the effort was initiated following a suggestion from Selangor MCA Youth chief Dr Kow Cheong Wei.

“The motorcyclists used to seek shelter at the slow lane. However, that obstructed the traffic and their lives were in danger, too,” she said.

Costing about RM20,000, the project was completed within two months.

Signboards were also put up to direct the motorcyclists to the shelters.

These two new additions bring the total of motorcycle shelters along LDP to nine.

Source: The star

Free Movies At New Halls At IOI Mall

In anticipation of the four-screen extension of GSC IOI Mall at the New Extension this November, the public will be treated to free movies at the new halls starting from Oct 31.

Movie fans in Puchong and nearby areas like Sunway, USJ and Subang Jaya can look forward to soak in the ambience and surrounding of the new halls before the cinema officially opens for business.

The movies selected for the free screening are Knowing, Terminator: Salva­tion, Jangan Pandang Belakang Congkak (Malay) and Where Got Ghost (Chinese).

To enjoy this screenings, the public need to catch any movie at GSC IOI Mall (Old Wing) from Oct 22 to Oct 29 and they will be given two coupons which entitles them to two free tickets per coupon, on a first-come, first-served basis while tickets last.

Each person is limited to four tickets (maximum) per movie.

The redemption exercise will start from Oct 31 onwards.

Tickets can only be redeemed for the movie screenings on the same day of redemption as no advance redemption will be entertained.

Movie schedules can be downloaded from the GSC website www.gsc.com.my.

Source: The Star

Take A Trip To Forest Reserve

The public will get the rare opportunity to visit the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve in Puchong during the upcoming World Habitat Day Programme and Malaysian Environment Week.

The event, to be held from Oct 23-25 at the main concourse of IOI Mall’s New Wing, is organised by the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ), Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok’s office, Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Forestry Faculty and IOI Properties.

It is organised in collaboration with the Department of Environment (DOE), Department of Wildlife and National Parks (Perhilitan), Selangor Forestry Department, WWF Malaysia, Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), Subang Jaya district police, and Malaysian Institute of Planners (MIP).

MPSJ public relations officer Azfarizal Abdul Rashid said the council-level event is aimed at increasing awareness on the need to protect and preserve the environment and ecosystem, encouraging green practices, and educating the public on the role that nature plays.

Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim is scheduled to launch the event on Saturday at noon.

Among the highlights are the scheduled trips to the Ayer Hitam Forest Reserve and Enviro-Challenge Competition.

The trip to the forest will be held held at 11am and 2pm on Saturday and Sunday (two sessions for each day).

It is open to the public for free. Transport is provided. Visitors have to register and gather at the IOI Mall’s lobby, as seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Enviro-Challenge Competition uses the “explorace” concept, whereby 100 participants (in groups of five) will cycle around Puchong to collect clues and complete tasks that are related to the environment.

The competition is held from 7.30am-11am on Saturday, and is targeted at students and youths. The competition offers prizes valued at RM2,000, RM1,500 and RM1,000 to the first, second and third place winners respectively.

A colouring competition for children will also be held at 2.30pm on Saturday.

For enquiries, call the MPSJ at 03-8026 3188/ 8026 7401.

Source: The Star

Puchong LRT Extension Puzzle

Yesterday’s briefing by Syarikat Prasarana Nasional Bhd on the Light Rail Transit service to Subang Jaya and Puchong left many puzzled as to what the exercise hoped to achieve.

For one, what the extension does is to cater for a huge population base, said Michael Tamilarason— the Puchong councillor at the Subang Jaya Municpal Council (MPSJ).

However, he said the LRT line extension does not go beyond Kampung Baru or between Batu 13 and Batu 18 in Puchong.

“These places have in total more than 10,000 in population, arising from the huge housing estates especiallyin Bandar Bukit Puchong.

“In truth, these are the areas where the service is sorely needed. Yet, after listening to SPNB, it appears these places have yet to be included in its LRT plans. The company also did not offer any explanation when queried,” said Tamilarason.

During the briefing, SPNB’s plans showed the LRT line extension to Puchong will have stops at IOI Mall, Tesco, Bandar Puteri, Puchong Perdana and Putra Heights.

Another public hearing for the Puchong community is expected to be held later this month to solicit feedback and suggestions.

“At this next hearing session, the people should demand for more LRT stops. Anyway, the authorities had ordered the original route to be reviewed, where additional LRT stops are expected to be included,” said a council staff, who declined to be identified.

It is learnt that there is a possibility for more LRT stops to be included in the 10th Malaysia Plan (2011-2015). If that is true,then the public can expect a further delay in the completion of the project.

When first mooted in 2006, the new LRT extension project was supposed to be part of a special RM10 billion government allocation for an efficient and cost-effective public transport system in the Klang Valley.

The extensions to the existing Kelana Jaya-Gombak and Sri Petaling-Ampang lines were to be constructed at a cost of RM5 billion and supposed to be ready by 2010.

This was later delayed to 2011 and the latest feedback is that the planned additional lines and stations for the LRT network is now projected to be ready only in 2013— three years later than originally planned.

The new lines will cover some 32km and cut across Kuala Lumpur.The Kelana Jaya line (formerly Putra LRT) will be extended to Subang Jaya and USJ, while the Sri Petaling line (formerly Star LRT) will cover Puchong.

Source: The Star

The Latest Draw At IOI Mall

The new wing at the IOI Mall in Puchong has certainly boosted the mall’s capacity to accommodate both shoppers and retailers over one million sq ft.

Fourteen years after it’s official opening, the expansion is a welcome one as it gives the mall the facelift it needs to cater to its increasingly affluent customers.

“Every year the number of residents living in Puchong increases and there is a demand for more carpark lots, entertainment, variety of eateries and even fashion retailers,” IOI Mall complex assistant general manager Ronnie Francis said.

He added that customers these days had more spending power and the mall saw mostly families or teenagers visiting it, especially during the weekends.

There is an additional 1,300 parking lots in the new wing and the new shops have been carefully selected to complement those from the old section of the mall.

Designed with a slight Mediterranean flavour particularly in the columns styled like palm trees, the new wing’s occupancy rate is now 85%.

Shoppers can now find international brands like Elle, eateries like TGI Fridays as well as jewellery and optical shops on the ground floor.

The other three floors follow a concept of having mini-anchor tenants for each themed floor like Padini Concept Store and Brands Outlet for the first floor occupied by fashion retailers, Ace Hardware and Daiso.

The second floor has something for everyone in the family and Golden Screen Cinemas and the largest Red Box Karaoke outlet on the third floor that features entertainment outlets.

The mall also has a glass bubble lift that overlooks the stage area and offers a full view of the new wing.

Ronnie said with the new enhanced image as well as its new tenants, 101 Mall was poised to be the retail and entertainment hub in Puchong.

Source: The Star

Pizzas With Papa's Touch

America’s famed Papa John Pizza has made its way to Malaysia with two new outlets.

Papa John was created in Indiana, USA, 25 years ago by John Schnatter, who worked as a delivery boy before learning the ropes of the business.

The flagship restaurant was opened in Berjaya Times Square and the second one made its debut in IOI Mall Puchong recently.

Based on the similar idea of its main company, the franchise owned by Berjaya Pizza Company Sdn Bhd adopted a more Malaysian approach for its outlets.

“The stores in the US focus more on delivery and good pizzas but here in Malaysia, people enjoy a good meal at a good place,” said the company’s marketing manager Joey Lee.

The company intends to expand to 10 restaurants before the end of the year.

The menu had 14 different types of pizzas that diners could choose from but Joey recommended the four classic pizzas that could be found in any Papa John outlets around the world.

“We have the original crust and the thin crust but I recommend the original crust. One of the must-try pizzas is the Super Papa’s,” Joey added.

Super Papa’s is made with beef Pepperoni, Italian Beef Sausage, chicken rolls, mushrooms, green peppers, onions and black olives.

According to Joey the four unique selling points of Papa John were its fresh dough which is chilled, their pizza sauce made from fresh tomatoes canned six hours after plucking, fresh quality meat and its 100% mozzarella cheese.

For vegetarians, they also have a special pizza called the Garden Special which has fresh mushrooms, green pepper, onions, tomatoes, and black olives.

Specialty pizzas include Texas heat, Aloha Chicken, Hawaiian Papa, Fisherman’s Catch and Land and Sea.

The pizzas are served with the house speciality signature extras called Garlic Dipping Sauce & Pepperoncinis.

For a more handy pizza, one could try the Calzone or more popularly known as Pizza pocket at Papa John. It looked more like a large Cornish pasty but it had pizza toppings and cheese stuffed inside.

“Our desserts are a must try and many people go for the Ipanema Chocolate Cake,” she said.

The outlets also deliver within a radius of eight to 10 minutes and have combo meals as well. For dine in, Papa John’s has meals for two, four or six people.

Source: The Star

Card For Two Townships

A closer tie between the residential and business communities in the IOI townships is made possible through an exclusive privilege card.

The card, with the tagline Opening Doors to Privileges Every Day, offers special discounts on goods or services to the cardholders at participating outlets within the IOI townships, namely Bandar Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri Puchong.

“We have a sizeable commercial component in the IOI townships.

“With the slow down in the economy, their businesses may have been affected.

“With this one-of-its-kind card, we bring the residents to the retailers — the residents enjoy the discounts while the business operators get the revenue,” IOI Group legal and general operations general manager Lee Yoke Har said.

Now, there are about 21,000 residential and 5,950 commercial units in both IOI townships.
Lee added that the card would also encourage the residents to spend in the townships, instead of travelling far.

And the good news is that about 60 retailers have signed up for the programme.

“They are from the fashion, food and beverages, health and beauty industries.

“For now, we are targeting to rope in the standalone retailers and in the future, we may bring in those brands in the IOI Mall,” Lee said.

Every property owner, business operator or resident in these two townships can be a cardholder.
“No application is needed and there will be no application fees. One only needs to prove that he is residing or operating a business here by showing us his identity card, and water or electricity bill,” Lee said.

The card will be distributed in either mid-March or end of March.

Zen Residence @ Asplenium Condominium

Sentral City Development Group recently launched its maiden condominium project Zen Residence in the highly evolving township of Puchong. Since its soft launch in mid-November last year, support from purchasers has been overwhelming despite the current economic slowdown.

Many have seized the opportunity to invest in this landmark property in a prime location of Klang Valley. Zen Residence has won much praise for its distinctive building design and product innovation; some have labelled it ambitious while others have hailed it inspiring.

Prime location

Zen Residence’s location, which is within the ‘growth centre’ of the fast developing Bandar Puteri and Puchong commercial centre, is a key factor and major driving force for the project’s exceptional take up rate. IOI Mall, IOI Boulevard, Setia Walk and Puteri Financial Centre are all mere minutes away.

Affordable entry cost, zero financial burden

The popularity of Zen Residence is due in part to its innovative financing package. Purchasers can own a piece of the property with a minimal RM8,000 only and enjoy zero financial burden during the construction period, as the developer is funding all interest payments until handover. Almost 100 per cent loan packages with low interest rates are available by end financiers. Other goodies thrown in to the purchasers are two free covered car parks, high quality floor and wall tiles, built-in kitchen cabinets with solid surface counter tops, tempered glass shower screens for all bathrooms, centralised water heaters for bathrooms, branded air-conditioners with ionizers for the living room and bedrooms, and a home alarm system.

Zen living concept

Zen defines the concept of living lifestyle, which embraces nature, peace, purity and tranquillity. At Zen Residence, minimalist architecture and landscaping with serene water elements have been incorporated to accentuate the Zen living concept. It strives to inspire the mind and brings into physical presence the sense of refuge, safety, sanctuary and well-being.

Tallest condominium building in Puchong

The architecture of Zen Residence is an expression of minimalism in the form of two identical gleaming white towers. The architecture seeks to project simplicity and structural clarity, while the incorporation of large glass panels and a series of cantilevered structures in its façade lend the building a feel of transparency and lightness.

The use of predominantly white and grey shades heightens the architectural concept of purity and unpretentiousness, which is the very essence of Zen. Each of the 21-storey twin tower features an oversized roof structure soaring high over the building to impart the notion of ‘floating’ crowns, thus glorifying the building’s status as the tallest residential towers in central Puchong.

Quadrant security

Zen Residence aims to provide a safe haven and refuge from the chaotic and unruly world outside. The building control incorporates a multi-tier security system, which utilises CCTV, card access and guard tour at all the six access points via the guarded entrance/exit, multi-level car park, lift lobby, lifts, quadrant access and main doors of condominium units.

This system deserves special mention as it is another first for condominium design. All units are clustered into groups of four with each group sharing a common access door. To reach an individual unit’s main door, a resident who lives within the quadrant must first access through a common secured door with CCTV and card access, providing an additional level of private security.

Low density

Zen Residence comprises 286 units on a 4.1 acre site. In the effort to preserve more green space at the ground level, only two towers with 21 floors were conceived. There are only two quadrants or eight units per floor, accessible by means of three high-speed lifts equipped with CCTV and card access system that take residents only to their respective floor.

Spacious unit with lanai

Zen Residence is available in various unit sizes ranging from 1,178 to 1,493 sqf with three or four bedrooms each. Instead of offering a standard condominium unit, the developer set out to impress by providing an extra large living hall that measures 12 to 14 ft in width. The living hall opens to an enormous lanai purposefully designed to enable resident to carry out landscaping or add a water feature. The idea that they will be able to enjoy nature despite living high up is definitely reflective of the Zen living concept.

The most impressive innovation from the architect is, however, the enormous master bathroom with a glassed external wall. The overall effect is a light-filled and airy bathroom interior as opposed to the conventional gloomy, wet and musty bathroom in most other apartments or condominiums. By making some of the units cantilever over the edge of the building, the architect has managed to turn its bathrooms open to the sky and admit rain into the interior. This so-called ‘sky shower’ is an unusual creation and surely a first in condominium design.

Clubhouse facilities and Zen-inspired hot springs

The 12,000 sqf clubhouse at Zen Residence houses two squash courts and a cantilever gym on the first floor. A café is provided on the ground floor with an extended dining deck, practically hanging over a huge free-form swimming pool.

To provide further impetus to an exclusive Zen experience, the developer is presenting two Japanese Zen-inspired hot springs for the enjoyment of residents. These hot springs are housed in a separate single storey Japanese style building set amidst a Japanese rock and bamboo garden. Though not mineral-rich pools, they nevertheless bestow the atmosphere the soothing affects of real hot springs.

To find out more about Zen Residence, please visit www.zenresidence.com or www.sentralcity.com.my. You could also call (603) 8061 1238 to make an appointment for a visit to the sales office and show unit.

Rush-Hour Crawl At LDP

For many who use the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) to get to work and then return home, it is a daily ritual to crawl through the rush-hour traffic chaos.

The congestion can be unbearable at times, especially when there are inconsiderate and impatient motorists trying to cut queues.

The worst scenario is when there is an accident, whether major or minor, which could hold up traffic for quite some time.

The daily rush-hour traffic havoc is unavoidable as the LDP is at present the only North-South connection linking Sri Damansara in the north and Putrajaya in the south.

Work in progress: Upgrading works are under way at the Taman Tun Dr Ismail interchange in a bid to reduce congestion in the area which is plied by some 110,000 vehicles daily.

When the LDP was completed in 1999, the only other highways in place were the Federal Highway and the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE). The MRR2 was then still under construction.

According to private traffic planning consultant Goh Bok Yen, the entire LDP corridor was originally designed with alignment identified during the 90s, and from that period till now, developments had been rapid and vibrant.

“The LDP is an early highway, among the second batch that was built after the North-South Expressway,” Goh said.

“The important characteristic of the LDP is that it is built through the expansion and widening of an existing road where the old alignment was already there,” he said.

“Certain sections are already in built-up areas along Petaling Jaya till Sunway (which was then PJ South), so it is no surprise this stretch is often congested,” Goh said.

“Hence, there are physical constraints in the interchanges, taking into account matters like land and property acquisition. The corridor’s design is itself constrained by the existing alignment,” he said.

Goh recalled how Damansara Intan used to be a cowboy town in the 90s, and further up north then, was a quarry.

Over at the Puchong side, cattle rearing used to be a common sight which has been replaced by massive developments on both sides.

Goh said that while the IOI Mall was already there before the LDP was built, many intersections had also appeared in Puchong over the years.

“There is the problem of timing, where land owners are bringing forward their development projects now after the plans were approved earlier,” he said.

“Many development projects are fronting the LDP as everyone wanted to cash in on it as the main artery and disposal road,” Goh said.

“The interchanges, meanwhile, are messy and too close for comfort, which is the start of the problems,” he said.

“But I would like to think that the LDP has stimulated the growth of these development projects, especially in Puchong, with developers and land owners bringing forward their construction plans,” Goh said.

“Before the LDP was built, few would want to go to Serdang or the Equine Park,” he said.

Too many developments: In recent years, the mushrooming of many developments along the LDP have contributed to traffic congestion on the road, and one of the many is this way heading to Bandar Utama.

According to Lingkaran Trans Kota Sdn Bhd (Litrak) chief executive officer Sazally Saidi, while there has been an expansion in the highway networks over the years, such as the Sprint Penchala Link, Sprint Damansara Link, MRR2, NPE and the Kesas highway, all of them connect routes on the East-West direction.

He pointed out that till now, there are no other North-South links to serve traffic movement in this direction.

Goh agreed with the observation, saying that vehicles on the East-West link do make use of the LDP to get onto the next East-West highway.

Sazally said that when LDP was first opened in 1999, there were already 169 junctions (ingress and egress) along the 40km stretch of the road, but the number has increased to 180 today with new junctions coming up.

“Ideally, for urban highways like the LDP, the intersections should be between 2km to 3km apart but we have junctions every other 400m. At the inter-city highways like the PLUS expressway, the intersections are 20km apart,” he said.

Sazally said that although the LDP had been built with a big traffic volume in mind, big-scale developments were not identified during the early days, and there had been little improvement to the existing infrastructure.

Since 1999, some 66 projects had been developed, with 37 of them major ones on sites of more than 405ha or involving 500 residential or commercial units.

According to Sazally, each day, nearly 400,000 vehicles pass through four Litrak toll plazas and about a million vehicles travel on the toll-free section of the PJ stretch from Sunway to Bandar Utama.

Goh, meanwhile, said that some of the ingress and egress identified by Litrak were perhaps minor, such as like those going into petrol stations.

He said that while Litrak had foreseen the burgeoning of population, it probably did not anticipate the current density.

He said there was a serious lack of coordination between the relevant parties, like Malaysian Highway Authority (MHA) and the local authorities.

“The local authorities usually do not make long-term plans, although they should, including planning relief roads parallel on both left and right sides to cater to what is termed as intra traffic,” Goh said.

“A good example is in Kinrara, which I learnt that the council has done a study back then,” he said.

Goh said the LDP was meant to cater to inter-settlement traffic but now it was also accommodating intra traffic.

A crawl: Motorists on the LDP route heading towards Damansara Utama and Bandar Utama moving slowly, a scenario that can be seen almost every other day especially during peak hours.

He said this had mixed up the road hierarchy where relief roads were not enough.

“The local traffic can actually be separated, like what we see in Puchong, where the service roads run parallel,” Goh said.

“It is no point to keep improving the highways while the councils keep approving. It won’t do any good by adding on to a highway which results in it being unable to function to its capacity,” he said.

Sazally said that on Litrak’s part, it had spent RM400mil to enhance and upgrade the road network like the building of new interchanges.

“The company completed six interchanges in 2004, and is spending RM300mil over the next three years to develop the road network, including the currently ongoing TTDI interchange,” he said.

“Litrak has also expanded the capacity at its toll plazas and increased the number of Smart Tag and Touch N Go lanes,” Sazally said.

Goh, however, said that the toll booth capacity was not in balance with the highway capacity currently.

“More electronic usage is needed, which can be done by making the Smart Tag cheaper to encourage people to use it,” he said.

“This will also benefit the company as its toll booth capacity can be increased,” Goh said.

Another point of contention is the same old story of the poor state of the public transportation.

Goh said that despite years of talk about the need for an adequate, effective and efficient public transportation system, even the basic requirements had not been improved to reduce usage of private vehicles on the roads.

Source: The Star

Change In Profile But Not Values

Lee Yoke Har's resemblance to older brother Datuk Lee Yeow Chor is uncanny. Soft-spoken and affable, her quiet strength and firmness are very similar to her sibling's when it comes to dealing with the issues of the day.

The children of IOI Corp Bhd's executive chairman and CEO Tan Sri Lee Shin Cheng, Yeow Chor is group executive director of the IOI group of companies and executive director of IOI Properties Bhd, while Yoke Har is the general manager of its legal and general operations department — a position that has enabled her to stay out of the public eye.

Two months ago, however, Yoke Har, who has been with the group for 13 years, donned another hat. She took over the marketing operations of the group's property division, which is a hot seat indeed, given the current tough property market conditions.

"I am not a corporate person," Yoke Har stresses to City & Country in what is her maiden media interview. "Please focus on the exciting projects and plans we have to share with you…

" She reports to IOI Properties' executive director Datuk David Tan, a trusted chieftain of the Lees and who has been with the group for ages. Then there are her brother and father.

With Yoke Har spearheading the marketing portfolio for the property division, Tan is free to focus on other equally demanding chores, with project management being a priority.

"He has a lot on his plate and he needs to juggle his time a lot," explains Yoke Har, whose newly put-together team oversees the marketing of key Klang Valley developments, comprising those in Puchong and Klang and IOI Resort in Putrajaya.

The changes being effected are aimed at coordinating and expediting decisions so that the developer can move at a fast clip. Raising the profile of IOI Properties — a brand that is synonymous with dependability and being conservative and low profile — is also in the works.

Says Yoke Har: "We want people to know us... It is high time there was coordinated effort to do this. Our style has always been to do things quietly; do it well and people will know. (But it has been) too quiet. This has been going on for years. But our values have not changed…"

For IOI Properties, indisputably a top Malaysian property developer that has been active since 1982, the changes are perhaps overdue, seeing how the demands of property investors have surged in recent times.

No, the changes are not a knee-jerk response to the troubles ailing even the most established players across the globe, says Yoke Har. In fact, she sees the property market bottoming out in nine months. "There is liquidity; people are holding back for fire sales but this has not happened." With the property market getting more crowded and the investment climate more jittery, even the unobtrusive IOI Properties is reviewing its strategies, going forward. This is necessary because the developer plans to launch some RM500 million worth of properties in the Klang Valley this year. The offerings will come from Bandar Puchong Jaya, the newer Bandar Puteri Puchong and Bandar Puteri Klang. In Bandar Puchong Jaya, which sprawls over 1,000 acres, more upmarket homes, like the 2½-storey superlink Vistaria Residences, have emerged in the residential component. The next six months will see the launch of sixty 2½-storey semi-detached homes and light industrial units here. Meanwhile, almost 80% of the 930-acre Bandar Puteri Puchong has been developed. It will unveil thirty-six 2 and 2½-storey bungalows and seventy-eight 3 and 4-storey shopoffices over the next half year. Over in Bandar Puteri Klang, new homes and shopoffices will be rolled out from end-February. In short, IOI Properties is not about to put a stop to new launches.

PUCHONG FINANCIAL COMMERCIAL CENTRE

So, exactly what is going to be different about the developer? For starters, it will embrace fresh and compelling development concepts and designs. Add to the concoction a loyalty programme designed to reach out to and please both buyers and occupants to secure repeat buying.

The new and bolder designs are evident in the upcoming Puchong Financial Commercial Centre (PFCC) taking shape diagonally across the Damansara-Puchong Highway (LDP) from the IOI Mall. Work on two of the five PFCC towers on an eight-acre freehold tract is slated to be completed this April. "These are not very high — 11 and 20 storeys. But you will not miss them as you drive along the LDP," says Mohd Ezuddin Sami'an, IOI Properties' marketing manager.

"They are iconic… they stand out from the other buildings in Puchong.

" Puchong has too many traditional shophouses and offices, says Yoke Har. She is confident a "happening" PFCC, with its contemporary design incorporating environmentally friendly features, will lift Puchong's image to even that of Bangsar.

Looks and design aside, the developer is counting on the proximity of Cyberjaya as drawing point. However, a building can only be audited as a Cyberjaya Centre upon its completion. "We are confident of getting the status," says Yoke Har, adding that the building designs have incorporated the necessary criteria.

While the original plan was to build all the five towers in four to five years, the timeline had to been tweaked to seven to eight years in the light of the current global credit turmoil. So, the developer is improving the designs of Towers 3, 4 and 5, based on the experience and feedback from the nearing completion of Towers 1 and 2.

Combined, the five towers will offer a net lettable area of 1.15 million sq ft. The 12-storey Tower 1 (built at RM35 million) will have 125,000 sq ft, and the 20-storey Tower 2 (built at RM70 million) 253,000 sq ft. In all, there will be 1,920 parking bays in the basement, all of them interlinked.

The developer has tagged an average RM600 psf for Tower 1, while it intends to keep the LDP-fronting Tower 2 for investment. Office space in Tower 2 is being leased out at an average of RM4 psf, while the retail space is going for RM6.50 psf or so.

It is worth noting that weak market sentiment notwithstanding, two local parties have shown interest in the buildings, with talks already in the second stage. One party is looking at leasing Tower 1 en bloc while the other is exploring a buy-and-lease-back option for Tower 2.

"We are flexible; we cannot be leaving the buildings empty for six to nine months, so if the price is good, we don't mind selling..." says Yoke Har, without disclosing the numbers now on the table. One of the parties is looking at relocating its operations, while the other is expanding and relocating its business.

IOI BOULEVARD

About a kilometre down the thoroughfare from PFCC, workers are putting the finishing touches to IOI Boulevard, a hybrid office-retail/lifestyle development modelled after London's Covent Garden. "Business sophistication" and "stylish entertainment" are some of the developer's taglines for this development that comprises six blocks of office-cum-retail space. Enclosed within is the Palette, which comprises thirty-six 2-storey retail outlets that look into a 108ft by 240ft courtyard. "This will be a platform to promote arts. Budding artists, musicians and photographers, for example, can showcase their work here free of charge. We will also build a stage in the courtyard, which will be shielded by a tinted, high glass ceiling," says Yoke Har, adding that they have factored into the design the need for air to circulate.

The developer has tied up with LimKokWing University, whose students will paint two murals in the Palette. IOI Properties is also working with the Puchong Orchestra to explore ways to promote the latter.

Of the six office-retail blocks, all equipped with individual lifts, the developer plans to keep two, both fronting the LDP for recurrent income. Since its launch last June, 60% or 262,000 sq ft of the total saleable area of just under 446,000 sq ft have been sold at an average of RM450 psf, with the ground floor retail space going for RM980 psf. Space at the Palette is leased at an average of RM6 psf. In all, IOI Boulevard offers a total net lettable area of about 730,000 sq ft, with another 133,000 sq ft in retail space at the Palette.

IOI Boulevard is targeted for completion in April and is likely to be opened in May. It will be interesting to see how much IOI Properties can do to bring arts to live in Puchong.

SIERRA PUTERI

Outside the Puchong boundary closer to Sepang, earthworks for a 485-acre mixed development township with a gross development value of RM1.6 billion called Sierra Puteri, have been completed. Construction will start as soon as the authorities approve the building plans. The gated development on undulating grounds will boast designs in departure from IOI Properties' norm. However, the layout will still be functional, says Yoke Har.

The lower-density units will be designed after precincts, each of which with its own park. There will be lots of buffer parks, she continues. The maiden launch, featuring the traditional 2-storey 2ft by 75 ft terraced homes, has been slated for the second quarter this year at a pricing she declines to reveal immediately.She would however only say that it will be priced at a premium to the conventional link homes in the close by Equine Park.

IOI Properties' move to go slightly up markat at Sierra Puteri makes sense given the abundant traditional offerings coming up in Equine Park. IOI Properties' target market: Puchong and Kajang upgraders and those staying in Serdang of course.

IOI FAMILY

Fostering loyalty in customers is an integral part of marketing and it is no different for developers. Come late March or April, IOI Properties will unveil its loyalty programme, which will see some 85,000 IOI Privilege Cards distributed, in the developer's two townships of Bandar Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri Puchong.

The cards will be given out free to those in the catchment area to shop, dine and enjoy other services for less in participating shops in Puchong, where the developer has built some 1,700 commercial units.

The developer will also take on the role of promoting the participating outlets, which are expected to offer 10% to 15% discounts or privileges in kind for a year. So far, 60 outlets have signed up. Potential candidates are tenants in IOI Mall — 199 in the old wing and another 100 in the new extension, which at press time was awaiting its certificate of fitness. The extension expands IOI Mall's 650,000 sq ft of net lettable space to about a million sq ft.

Yoke Har is particularly excited about the loyalty programme and it is easy to see why. A thriving township can only equal an appreciation in capital values and yields. And happy investors could potentially translate to repeat buyers. So clearly, IOI Properties is the ultimate beneficiary of the programme, if it works.

The community-based programme, Yoke Har points out, is an extension of the developer's community services which it undertakes seriously and with commitment. "We have been working a lot behind the scenes. Do you know we have someone dedicated to working with the residents' associations in Puchong? Besides our website, we also publish a bi-monthly residents' newsletter called Reach Out…"

"We want to make residents feel privileged. At the same time, we are supporting the business operators in our townships as part of our after-sales service. The programme makes sense — these are self-contained townships; everything one needs one can find there. The convenience, the variety, now the pricing with the discounts offered," she adds.

Yoke Har does not discount the possibility of the IOI Privilege Card being used by third parties, which augurs well for the participating businesses. Obviously, the plan to extend the coverage of the loyalty programme is on the cards.

IN THE PIPELINE

Traditionally a township developer, IOI Properties has withstood the test of time and thrived on the legacy of its developments. Recurrent income from property investments and property management fees now help make up the property division's 30% or so contribution to IOI Group's earnings. The ratio, Yoke Har says, is going to change with more emphasis on property, but she is unable to immediately provide the numbers.

IOI Properties is also active outside the Klang Valley, for example Singapore, although plans there have been deferred given the current downturn.

Another project to look out for is a mall planned for Putrajaya, the details of which the developer declines to divulge for now. All said, IOI Properties is geared to give competitors a run for their money.

Source: The Edge Daily

The Verve By IOI

New Slip Road To IOI Mall

A new slip road has been built to get to IOI Mall in Puchong from the Damansara- Puchong Highway (LDP).

Effective from Nov 19, motorists heading to IOI Mall have to exit at KM 21.7 on the northbound lane of the LDP, as the existing junction from the LDP into IOI Mall at KM 21.5 (northbound) would be modified.

According to Litrak communications department head Bhavani Krishna Iyer, the new slip road is to provide a safer road for highway users to get into the development without impeding the traffic on the LDP.

“This road is constructed by IOI Properties as part of the upgrading work on the existing access into IOI Mall and the commercial area,” she said.

Signages will be put up to direct highway users to the new exit point.

For enquiries, call the LDP helpline at 03-7494 7333

Source: The Star

High Demand Seen For Commercial Space

There is robust demand for commercial space in Southern Klang Valley but inadequate supply of quality commercial space.

With the increasing land value in the central business district of the Golden Triangle, buyers are slowly moving from the KL city centre to some areas outside the city.

Reapfield Properties Sdn Bhd corporate services head David Wong said the upcoming commercial projects in Puchong included the SetiaWalk project by SP Setia Bhd, expansion of the IOI Mall by IOI Properties Bhd as well as a mixed development project that would include office towers and shophouses in Bandar Puteri near the Giant hypermarket.

SetiaWalk, located on 20.8 acres in the mature township of Pusat Bandar Puchong, is one of the main commercial projects in Puchong. At its soft launch, 57 shop office units were sold.

PPC International Sdn Bhd Thiruselvam Arumugam said Puchong was an area with limited commercial development projects.

Most of its commercial developments centre along Jalan Puchong in Bandar Puchong Jaya and focus on sundry businesses.

He said the Giant hypermarket in Bandar Kinrara, Tesco hypermarket in Pusat Bandar Puchong and IOI Mall Puchong were among the significant commercial buildings in Puchong that drew in the crowd to the area.

Shopping malls such as the Alamanda Putrajaya, Jusco Equine Park and Subang Parade have continued to receive good occupation and rental prices. In Seri Kembangan, Equine Park was the only dominant commercial project, said Wong, adding that there was no upcoming commercial development in the area.

Demand for corporate offices was lower in Seri Kembangan than for retail shops.

Developers are competing to launch high-end condominium projects in Subang on commercial-titled lands.

According to Wong, there is a trend to build commercial buildings within five km from the KL city centre.

However, there would be a limit to the supply of commercial buildings in Southern Klang Valley as there was limited demand for corporate offices beyond this five km fringe, he said.

Source: The Star, 28 April 2008

PFCC, IOI Boulevard, IOI Mall New Wing

IOI Properties Bhd will be able to reap good earnings from several high-value commercial and residential projects in Puchong, Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Singapore over the next two to three years.

The main board-listed company is also building up its property investment portfolio with the launch of the Puchong Financial Corporate Centre and the expansion of the IOI Mall in Puchong.

According to IOI Properties Executive Director Dato' Lee Yeow Chor, the company has set out to capitalise on the high value of its two townships, Bandar Puchong Jaya and Bandar Puteri Puchong, and has lined up a number of interesting commercial projects that will further spruce up these addresses.

As Puchong still lacked Grade A office buildings, IOI Properties will be building the Puchong Financial Corporate Centre (PFCC) that will showcase five blocks of Grade A office buildings in Bandar Puteri Puchong.

Construction work for the first two blocks has started and is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2009. Work on the other three blocks will start early next year and the buildings will be ready by 2011.

“If the offer is right, we may consider selling one of the blocks in PFCC on an en bloc basis to a corporate or institutional buyer.

“IOI Properties will keep the remaining four blocks for long-term lease by corporations on condition that the space leased should be at least 25,000 to 40,000 sq ft,” Dato' Lee Yeow Chor told StarBiz.

At an estimated rental rates of between RM3.80 and RM4.60 per sq ft for the office space and RM7 per sq ft for the retail space, total rental income expected from the first two blocks was some RM23mil, he said.

“These are futuristic and iconic office buildings that will elevate the office property landscape in Puchong. The project's location along the Damansara-Puchong Expressway gives the buildings very good frontage,” he added.

The ongoing extension of the IOI Mall costing RM70mil will add 300,000 sq ft of net lettable space to the existing 670,000-sq-ft mall.

He said the new wing, scheduled for completion by the end of this year, would raise the annual rental income from the shopping mall to RM50mil from RM37mil now.

In the 930-acre Bandar Puchong Jaya, a new lifestyle business-cum-entertainment hub called IOI Boulevard will be built on the last piece of commercial land totalling six acres.

The RM330mil project will comprise 60 shop offices of five, six and eight storeys with average built-up areas of 11,050 to 17,680 sq ft.

The 60 retail lots on the ground floor will be priced from RM600 to RM650 per sq ft while the offices that are occupying the upper floors will be from RM300 to RMM350 per sq ft.

There are also eight corner blocks of eight storeys each offering space of 45,000 sq ft a block. They are priced around RM17mil each.

“The focal point of IOI Boulevard will be the glass canopy-covered centre courtyard called Fusion that will be a covered street with lush landscaping and water features, complete with alfresco sidewalk cafes,” Dato' Lee Yeow Chor said.
Each of the shop offices will be equipped with a private lift.

On the residential property front, IOI Properties is moving into luxury condominium developments in Kuala Lumpur with its maiden project, The Verandas Condominiums in Jalan Ampang. Work will start by year-end, to be completed in two years.

The 16-storey condominium block on 3.8 acres will have 152 residences, including 10 penthouses. The intermediate units are from 2,200 to 2,700 sq ft while the penthouses will be from 3,300 to 4,200 sq ft.

“The residences will be designed in a single banked layout with all units having a direct view of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre. There will be large landscaped areas with multiple pools and an elevated clubhouse,” Dato' Lee Yeow Chor said.

Source: The Star, 05 May 2008