Ledang the Furniture City

For nearly 6 years the residents of Ledang had been waiting for a special mega development that will turn the remote palm estate into an international hub for furniture industry. Ledang, formerly known as Minor District Tangkak was officially declared the 10th district in the state in a ceremony here officiated by the Sultan of Johor Sultan Iskandar Ismail on June 9, 2008. It was the heart of Malaysia furniture industry. At least 40% of Malaysian furniture industry is located at Ledang. The furniture export value from Ledang alone made up almost 7 to 8 billions Ringgit per year. Realizing the significant of this rural district, the government had intended to develop it into an international furniture city.

In the early of 2009, Tangkak District Council President then, Asmail Abdul Kadir was reported to say that the council had approved the layout plans, adding the multi-million projects under the Ninth Malaysia Plan were expected to complete in five years (Johor Buzz, New Straits Times, February 6, 2009). During the 2010 Kembara Mahkota Johor, Sultan of Johor was told by the then Tangkak district officer, Amran Abdul Rahman that a new RM200mil road connecting Tangkak and Segamat is being built to cut travelling time between the two towns by half and the Ledang district would have a new administrative centre as well as furniture city to speed up its economic growth (The Star, August 9, 2010). Many years has gone since then and the Eleventh Malaysia Plan had been announce but for some reasons, the megaproject is yet to surface and despite located exactly on the North South highwat and between the rapidly developing state of Malacca and the district of Muar, Ledang remains as one of the many ghost town in Johor.


However in the middle of this year, the Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin had announce the lastest transformation plan for district Ledang in order to narrow the economic growth gap between Ledang and other northern region with the wealthy Iskandar region at the south. The optimistic and visionary Menteri Besar said that among the main plans for the transformation include the construction of an administrative centre for Ledang, development of an International furniture exhibition centre and boosting its tourism and agricultural sectors. This is followed with the recent announcement from the Johor State Exco Tee Siew Kiong that might at last put an end to the half decade wait.

JOHOR BARU: The state government hopes to set up a one-stop furniture exhibition centre in Ledang to tap the lucrative furniture market. State Tourism, Trade and Consumer Affairs Committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said that the centre would be in north Johor as areas such as Batu Pahat, Ledang and Muar were active with furniture production. 

“In fact almost 50% of the country’s furniture production is from Johor,” he told StarMetro. 

He added that furniture exports totalled RM7.34bil last year and was expected to increase by 10% this year. He added that most of the furniture are exported to the United States, Japan, Singapore, United Kingdom and Australia. Tee added that besides showcasing their products, these centre could also play a part to hook businesses among local players with other local and foreign players. He added that the state government was also interested in getting local players to be innovative and creative with their products and designs.

“We want our producers to adapt to the changing times and keep their products modern so that it will continue to be accepted worldwide,” he adding that people would always be looking forward for new patterns and designs. 

Tee added that they were also working with the Malaysian Industrial Development Authority (MIDA) to offer incentives for those involved in the “design and development” of their products. He added that the furniture industry was important to the state and more effort would be put in to promote the sector. Tee likened North Johor to a furniture hub as it was near the highway with easy access to ports in Selangor and Johor.

I really hope this time, this project will be a success.

Johor Bumiputra Housing and Properties Carnival 2014

An exhibition on housing and proporties for bumiputra peoples in Johor is currently held at Plaza Angsana, Johor Bahru. The event is organized by Johor Institue of Housing and Development (IPPJ) and many big names in Johor properties like UME Sunrise, UDA Holding, Johor Corporation and Scientex is participating. A booth for Johor Secreteriat of Housing (SUK Perumahan) is opening for the whole carnival, and anyone who are interested in buying these affordables properties specialized only for the bumiputra may write their names in the waiting list. I bet that it is going to be a very long list, but should you want to give it a try, bring together a copy of

1. Identification Card,
2. OKU Card (if any),
3. birth certificate,
4. marriage registration or resolvation,
5. 3 months payslips (both applicant and wife),
6. working permit (if applicant works oversea),
7. bank book or retiree card (for senior citizen),
8. property grant (if any), and
9. a signed statutory declaration.

See you there!

Tongkonan - Pride of Toraja

Tongkonan, perhaps is the most unique traditional house in the South East Asia (In my opinion, of course). The design belong the Toraja tribe, a Bugis native at Sulawesi island. Toraja name is derived from "To Riaja" literally means, highlander in Bugis language - most probably because Torajans are traditionally residing at the hilly and mountainous land at Southern Sulawesi. Like many natives group of East Indonesia, the Toraja were head-hunters and participants in inter-village raids; villages were thus located strategically on hill tops and were heavily fortified. The dutch colonial who saw these pagan Torajan as a potential Christian compared to other Bugis tribes of the lowland who already embraced Islam like Makassar, Mandar and Luwu, forced the tribe to move to the valleys for pacification and easier management. However, there were still significant numbers of Tongkonan remains with their ancestral religion, "Alu to Dulu" (literally means "Way of the Past").



There are three types of tongkonan which are classified according to their function in society. A tongkonan layuk ('grand tongkonan') or tongkonan pesio' aluk ('aluk maker') is the original ancestral home in which the aluk of a particular adat territory were established. The Grand Tongkonan is the seat of a kinship grouping that traces its descent from a single founding couple. It is the house of the highest authority and it is used as the center of government.[citation needed] Tongkonan according to its literal translation, is the place 'to sit' and it is the traditional centre of governance. Customarily people would assemble to sit in a place of historical significance to discuss and resolve matters of communal import. This site would be the seat of residence of the most respected member of the community. This home would thus be developed into a grand building.

The second type is tongkonan pekamberan, or tongkonan pekaindoran which belongs to the family group members and offspring of the founder. It is their duty to carry out local traditions (known as adat). The last one is tongkonan batu, which belongs to the ordinary family members. Traditionally, only the nobility could afford to build large tongkonan and the elaborate ceremonies associated with them.

Ordinary residences, known as banua are smaller, less decorated homes versions of tongkonan, through which families’ descent would also be traced. Generally speaking their occupants would be families of lower social status, families that once constituted part of a greater family’s fiefdom. These homes may also be converted into tongkonan after several generations of the same line have lived in them and after suitable rites have been carried out, but due to prohibitive costs, this has traditionally been rare. The former exclusivity of the tongkonan is also diminishing as many Toraja commoners find employment in other parts of Indonesia and remit funds back to their families, enabling in some cases the construction of larger Tongkonan by commoners.

According to the Torajan legends, the first Tongkonan was built in heaven by Puang Matua, the Creator. It was built on four poles and the roof was made of Indian cloth. When the first Torajan ancestor descended to earth, he imitated the heavenly house and held a big ceremony. Another story from Torajan is that their ancestor was seafarer. They arrive from the north by a large boat but caught in a fierce storm. Their boats were so badly damaged that they later used them as roofs for their new houses. This legend is more likely to be relevant. Despite distinguish in design, tongkonan and the Minang's Gadang house share mutual motive of buffalo's horn roof. Minang and the rest of Sumatran Malay are well known to have "merantau" custom in which the boys will start their journey to find new land upon reaching puberty. The ancestor of Toraja people should have been one of these perantau in the past. Like Toraja, Minang peoples including Batak and Mandailing practised animism until 17th century when one of three Raja Tigo Nan Selo accepted Islam in Sumpur Kudus.


The tongkonan is traditionally seen as the navel of the universe and a miniature cosmos; and in those some regions, it is the meeting place of the north-south and east-west axes. It faces north, to the “head of the sky” where Puang Matua resides. The alang, or rice granaries, across the yard, face south or the posterior, as this is the direction from which trouble and disease exit. In some regions, the house is entered via a door on the northern end of the east wall, and in others, at the western end of the north wall. A person, thus, walks towards the southwest or southeast as they enter. The tongkonan is vertically divided into three levels: the attic where the regalia and family heirlooms are kept; the living area; and the space under the floor where domesticated animals are kept. These compare with the upper world, the middle world, and the under world.

A large tongkonan can take a crew of ten about three months to build and another month to carve and paint the outside walls. Bamboo scaffold is erected for the duration of the construction phase. Traditionally tongue and groove joinery has been used without the need for nails. A number of components are pre-fabricated with final assembly in-situ. Although built on a log-cabin style sub-structure, tongkonan are set on large vertical wooden piles with mortises cut into their ends to grasp the horizontal tie beams. The tops of the piles are notched for the longitudinal and transverse beams that support the upper structure. The remainder of the sub-structure is assembled in-situ. The transverse beams are fitted into the notched piles, and then notched to fit the longitudinal beams. Side panels, which are often decorated, are then formed on these main horizontal beams. The distinctive curved roof shape is obtained through a series of vertical hanging spars supporting upwardly angled beams. A vertical free-standing pole supports that portion of the ridge pole extending beyond the ridge purlin. Bamboo staves bound with rattan are assembled transversely in layers and tied longitudinally to the rafters forming the roof. The under roofing is of bamboo culm. Wooden boards laid over thick hardwood joists form the floors. Nowadays, zinc roofing sheets and nails are increasingly used.

In larger Tana Toraja villages, houses are arranged in a row, side by side, with their roofs on a north-south alignment with the front gable facing north. Opposite each house is the family's rice barn, or alang customarily a symbol of family wealth, and together they form a second row of parallel buildings. Houses of the Mamasa Toraja, however, are orientated to the direction of the river with their rice barns aligned perpendicular to the house.

Can Your Credit Report Affect Your Loan?

By iMoney Research Team

The importance of a maintaining a healthy credit score often eludes young professionals who have just joined the workforce – an importance they will come to realise the hard way when their application for a personal, car or home loan are rejected.

For those who have been rejected by financial institutions when applying for a loan, the reason is most likely a poor credit rating or score.


Understanding credit report

In Malaysia, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) maintains a computerised database of credit reports which contains credit scores. This database system is known as the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS).

According to BNM, at present, the database system contains credit information on about nine million borrowers in Malaysia. CCRIS receives credit dates from various financial institutions and generates individual credit reports, which are made available to financial institutions, individuals and even companies upon request.

A credit report contains the following credit information of an individual:

Outstanding credit(s) – excluding any accounts which have been fully settled.
Special attention account(s) – Non-performing loans, loans that are in default or close to being in default.
Application(s) for credit – Applications approved in the previous 12 months, excluding application that have been rejected, deleted or cancelled.



How does credit report affect loan application?

Financial institutions refer to your credit report to determine your repayment capabilities before approving a loan application. However, in order for the lender or bank to access your credit report, it first has to inform you in writing that a credit check is to be conducted.

Once the application has been approved, the bank will send information to the Credit Bureau which details, in the form of a credit report, how well you handled your debt. Reference to the credit report will be made by the financial institutions periodically to obtain updates on an existing borrower.

If you are doubtful of the credibility of credit reports, the information contained these reports are entirely factual and historical. The Credit Bureau will not in any way give recommendations or opinions based on the report to financial institutions.

Different banks have different policies when it comes to loan or credit card approvals. They may place varying importance on different information detailed in this report. However, it is known that the approval of a loan application will largely depend on the risk evaluation conducted by the bank, based on the information in the borrower’s credit report.

The information stored in CCRIS also includes any new loan applications. Hence, it is safe to say that your banks are fully aware of how many banks you have already approached prior to applying for a financial credit from them. This may not affect your credit rating, but may send a negative signal to some banks.



Keeping a clean record

With full disclosure of your housing loans, car loans, credit cards, personal loans, as well as other commitments jointly made with friends or family members, it is important to keep a clean record to avoid any obstacles in applying for financial credit in the future.

While each bank assesses your credit score differently, your credit report will provide crucial information that determines whether your application is approved or rejected by the banks. Therefore, it is important to keep your credit rating in mind when you are managing your money and debts.

Here are some simple ways to ensure a clean credit record:

1. Get a job - Having a stable stream of income indicates your ability to service a loan or manage your credit card.

2. Avoid holding too many credit cards and maintain good payment record – Apart from limiting the number of credit cards you hold, manage the repayment of all outstanding balances on your credit card. You can consider consolidating your credit card debts on one card.

3. Timely payment - Repayment history is a major factor in the lenders’ risk evaluation on a borrower. Do not drag or defer your repayments as it will affect your future loan or credit card applications.

4. Manage your debt - Always borrow according to your capacity. As your credit report encompasses all your active loans, banks are aware of your outstanding borrowings. If you have used up all your borrowing capacity, then your loan will most probably be rejected.



What if you have a bad credit report?

Raising your credit score is not complicated, but it does take time, discipline and hard work. These steps can help get your credit score up to improve your chances of qualifying for a mortgage:

1. Check your credit report regularly. You are allowed to check your credit report every three months. Correct any errors on your report, especially late payments that are not recorded properly. Here’s how you can obtain your personal credit report.

2. Make all your payments on time. Late payments are the first thing that lowers your credit score.

3. Pay down revolving debt like credit cards. A high debt-to-credit ratio is another sure-fire way to lower your score.

4. Wait it out. As your credit report only records active loan accounts for the past 12 months, you just have to wait it out. As long as you’re paying down debt and making payments on time, your credit score will eventually rise on its own.

The above are generally good financial habits to inculcate from the beginning. However, if you have a bad record now, it is not the end of the world. While your credit rating can make or break your life (for the moment), it isn't something to fear.

When you understand how to manage your credit responsibly, you will eventually build up a solid credit report and save yourself a lot of trouble, and sometimes even money from lower interest rates offered by banks.

Bumbung, Malay Traditional Roof (Pictures)

As per promised in the previous post, here are the sketch to help you visualize the different type of the Malay traditional roof or Bumbung. I almost forget about it due to my current busy lifestyle restricted me from blogging more often. Feel free to use the following image but please be gentlemen and gentlewomen should you want to republish them anywhere, give credit to this blog and do not ever claim it to be yours. Okay? So, here are they.


1. Bumbung Perabung Panjang (Lipat Kajang)

2. Bumbung Perabung Panjang (Lipat Pandan)

3. Bumbung Tebar Layar

4. Bumbung Perabung Lima

5. Bumbung Limas

6. Bumbung Lentik

In case if you missed my previous post where I explain in detail on each type of this bumbung, you can always read it from this link.
Thank you for your interest.

Buying Home: Booking Fees

Can the developer confiscate your booking fee?
by Chang Kim Loong, Star Property.my

I found my dream house. The developer’s office said the project was selling like hot cakes. Sales were on a first come first serve basis’ and I must pay a deposit otherwise she would have to give it to someone else. Or was it a booking fee she called it?

I begged her to give me one week. Three days, she said. How very sweet and understanding of her. Bank loan? No problem… 85% loan margin? No problem, she assured me. If I could not get a housing loan I could always cancel and get my money back. I left the developer’s office feeling on top of the world. I had secured my dream house by paying the deposit. My dream turned into a nightmare when I could not get a bank loan. I had no choice but to forgo the house.

As if letting go of my dream was not bad enough, the developer now refuses to give me back my deposit. The lady said her hands were tight because it’s a management decision. It was not stated in the option letter’ or booking form’ that my purchase was subject to the loan approval. On reading the terms and conditions in the option letter/booking form, I now realised that all terms were inclined in favour of the developer.

What do I do? I just want my money back. I don’t mind if they keep a small sum for cost of paper work and for administrative purposes.

The above scenario is not at all uncommon.

Many house buyers are unaware of lending guidelines requiring loans to be tagged to net income as opposed to gross income. Many find that they are unable to obtain the financing they want and have to withdraw from an intended purchase before the sale and purchase agreement is even signed. The developer then refuses to refund the deposit or booking fee or whatever other payment which may have already been paid.

The unfortunate part about this whole thing is that house buyers do not have the luxury of a learning curve in which they can acquire the necessary skills to avoid getting themselves into trouble. Very often by the time they realised that they have made a mistake, it is already too late and the result can be traumatic and financially crippling.

This very noble and seemingly simple undertaking of buying a house, in a lot of cases, have gone terribly wrong.

Can developers collect booking fee or deposit?

The sale and purchase agreement (Schedule G, H, I or J) as prescribed by the Housing Development (Control and Licensing) Regulations, 1989 (the Housing Regulations) provides very clearly how the purchase price is to be paid. The first 10% is payable immediately upon the signing of the sale and purchase agreement (SPA), not before.

No collection of any payment is allowed before the SPA is signed. Deposit, booking fee, advance payment, administration charges are just some of terms used by some devious developers in their vain attempts to circumvent or contract out of the Housing Regulations and to confuse, mislead and convince nave house buyers especially the first-timers.

Collection of any payment by a housing developer before the signing of the SPA is an offence. This is very clear under the Housing Regulations and it does not matter what the developer calls it.

The Housing Regulation 11(2) stated: “No housing developer shall collect any payment by whatever name called except as prescribed by the contract of sale”. (In this context’ contract of sale means the SPA)

Commission of such an offence under the Housing Regulations means that the developer in question can be prosecuted, fined and/or even imprisoned under Regulations 13. Even those persons who knowingly and willfully aids, abets, counsel, procures or commands the commission of such an offence shall be liable to be punished.

Prosecution, however, is in the hands of the public prosecutor whose action or non-action the house buyers are not able to dictate. House buyers and indeed the general public are of course at liberty to lodge a complaint against any developer in breach of any housing laws. Such complaints can be lodged with the Enforcement Division of the Ministry of Housing and Local Government: www.kpkt.gov.my

The law as regards non-payment before the signing of the SPA is very clear and house buyers are strongly urged to understand the law and not be misled by some cunning, unscrupulous developers or their smooth talking sales representatives who either do not know the law or simply do not care about the law.

Profit orientated developers care about nothing but profit. The more they sell the more they gain. They engage marketing commission agents and sales representatives whose only mission is to sell. In their quest to sell their products, some unprincipled commission agents (secondary markets included), who are untruthful will not hesitate to mislead, conveniently telling “white lies” and make empty promises to make a quick buck. Some are so well trained in the art of selling they can probably sell sand to the man in the desert.

Ever wondered why the sales office told you there are only five units left but three months later there are more than 10 units still available? Did the developer’s office tell you the unit you want is already booked but called you two days later to congratulate you because the same unit has just become available? Ever gone to a developer’s office in the hope of getting the “Early Bird Discount” advertised the day before only to find that the project was launched more than a year ago?

Filing a claim for refund

Free gifts, rebates, and waivers of this or that are also fairly commonly seen and are often stated to be for a limited time only. House buyers hurry to meet the deadline. Three months later the same advertisement appears, again for a limited time only or perhaps extended due to popular demand. Gimmicks of “Free legal fees” offer but you must use the developer’s panel lawyers are commonly marketed.

The list of marketing ploys used by developers and their marketing alliance goes on and unscrupulous developers and real estate agents are not likely to stop trying to exploit vulnerable house buyers any time soon. House buyers must therefore be very wary and not be easily swayed by promises made by the developer’s office.

House buyers who are already caught in tussles with housing developers over refund of booking fee or deposit are at liberty to file their claims at the Tribunal for Homebuyer Claims (the Housing Tribunal). The Housing Tribunal was set up as an alternative forum for house buyers to save them the costs and hassle of fighting with housing developers in the civil courts.

The filing fee is only RM10; no lawyers are required and hearings are normally fixed within a month. The Housing Tribunal is empowered to hear disputes between house buyers and licensed housing developers even though the SPA is yet to be signed but the claims must be filed within the time frames provided under section 16N of the Housing Development (Control & Licensing) Act 1966 (the HDA). Check out the link: www.kpkt.gov.my TTPR

Can the developer forfeit such payment?

Where booking fee or deposit or any other payment is collected by the developer before the SPA is signed, the house buyer would normally have been asked to sign a document indicating the house/apartment/condominium he/she is interested and agreeing to sign the SPA within a certain time frame, say 7 or 10 days or upon notice from the developer. This document may be in the form of an option letter, letter of offer, sales proforma, booking form or another document by whatever name the developer chooses to call it, all in an attempt to disguise a collection prohibited by law.

The amount varies and in some cases it is as much as 2% of the purchase price RM10,000 for a RM500,000 house. When the house buyer decides to withdraw from the intended purchase, the developer refuses to refund the deposit, or was it booking fee, or was it …?

Chang Kim Loong is the honorary secretary-general of the National House Buyers Association: www.hba.org.my, a non-profit, non-governmental organisation manned by volunteers. He is also a NGO councillor at the Subang Jaya Municipality Council.

Make Sure Your Developer is Licensed

Plight of kampung land owners
by Chang Kim Loong, Star Property.my

ABOUT two years ago, an English daily highlighted the plight of land owners who had entered into joint ventures with unlicensed developers to build houses on their (home owners’) land.

Most of these deals involved land in the kampung (or villages). When these partnerships turned soured and were subsequently highlighted in the press, the Housing Ministry warned it was going to catch these businessmen, most of whom were small-time developers out to make a quick buck.

However, until today, no action seems to have been taken on these errant developers while the victims continue in their miseries and financial nightmares due to abandoned projects and botched joint ventures.

The Housing Ministry had warned that it was going to catch many businessmen, even small-time ones, as it was going to make it a requirement that all those who wished to develop a housing estate of only five houses should get a developer’s licence.

The Ministry seems rather proud of its wide-ranging powers and had a swooping determination (to weed out these unlicensed developers). It is really unfortunate nothing seems to have come out of that incident.

Swarms of entrepreneurs of the kampung variety, and some city slickers too, had invaded the countryside, and signed on owners of kampung land on the promise of turning them (the land owners) into developers. The wish was to turn idle kampung land into properly-built houses to sell to kampung people, usually by having joint ventures with the land owners.

“Give me your land to develop and I will give you X number of houses, and I shall take Y number of houses for my troubles; no cost to you, no hassles with government servants, no bank loans; no worries at all.” The current deal is 30:70; 30 % for the land proprietor and 70% for the housing developer.

Tricks of the trade

Kampung people as usual were wary; they were not going to buy till the project had got under way, and the proof to them was to give at least a house to the land owner and an enormous upfront deposit as the most convincing evidence of the developer’s sincerity. Perhaps, an upfront RM500,000 would be an ideal bait.

Firstly, said the developer, he needed the money to start building the land owners’ houses so it was not difficult to persuade them to charge their lands for the purpose. The other houses will have to wait including mine, said the developer most sweetly: no risk there you see, the land is still yours.

The developer then left for the city to apply for his licence which required the payment of a deposit to the Housing Ministry, and, of course, there were other payments to be made to various parties in the Government and arrangements had to be made with a construction company; all of which helped to collect the loan money from the land-owner-chargor.

However, the developer has not been heard from for some time now. The land owner/ would-be kampung entrepreneur/chargor went to the Housing Ministry to complain and demanded action to be taken and he was confident this will be done. You see, he knows the wakil rakyat.

Alas, said the legal officer to the kampong man: “So sorry, you had dealt with a person who has no license to be a developer. Under the law, we have no powers to prosecute an unlicensed developer who has abandoned the project.”

“Take action against him (the housing developer) for not having a licence; he has done all that a developer does including (entering into) contracts with intending purchasers and collecting deposits from them. There are at least 10 of them,” said the kampung man.

It is said, “the law is an ass” or that seems how we have made it out to be.

What the Housing Ministry’s legal officer could not bring himself to say is that the legal officers had tied their own hands by adopting a strange, restrictive reading of the law that to qualify as a housing developer, he should have undertaken to build and actually sell, at least, five houses, and to the legal officers it meant producing at least that number of house buyers to testify that they had indeed bought houses from a bogus housing developer!

The sale and purchase agreements and other documentary evidence and the evidence even of the developer’s own staff do not constitute evidence; the developer must plead guilty or there must be at least five buyers coming forward to give evidence; till then there is going to be no legal action against the bogus housing developer.

A request made by the Housing Ministry to the Bar Council for its advice on the professional liability of solicitors who act for unlicensed developers, sent more than a year ago, is still under consideration. At the latest count, there were at least 115 law firms, according to the records of the Housing Ministry, who did not seem to care to find out if their developer-clients were licensed or not.

The irony is it does not seem to matter whether the developer is licensed or not; they all abandon their projects with impunity.

Sadly, most of the lands in the rural areas are Malay Reserve Land which come under greater protection from the state but the banks are now gearing up to foreclose the only wealth the would-be kampung entrepreneur ever had, and had intended to bequeath to his children the way he had inherited it, coming from nenek moyang days.

Cry of the naive victims

Now, where do we go from here when the very people who initiated the housing laws shun their responsibilities? Shouldn’t buyers from unlicensed housing developers have the same protection as those buying from licensed ones? Where are the rescue plans for the naive victims of these Malay Reserve Land? Mind you, there are mostly current and retired civil servants.

Note: It has been two years since the list of the unlicensed housing developers has been unearthed.

Chang Kim Loong is the honorary secretary-general of the National House Buyers Association (www.hba.org.my), a non-profit, non-governmental organisation (NGO) manned by volunteers. He is also a NGO Councillor at the Subang Jaya Municipality Council.

Kebenaran Merancang (Planning Permission)

When UEM Sunrise, IJM, UM Land, Sime Darby, PKNS or any developers in Malaysia intend to develop an area for a new township, even at their own land, they will start by applying for a planning approval. According to the Urban and Rural Planning Act (Act 172: Akta Perancangan Bandar dan Desa 1972), any individual or company is required to obtain planning approval or Kebenaran Merancang (KM) from the local authority prior to any new development. Therefore, before Sime Darby can turn Bukit Chermin and into Putra Height, they had to get through Majlis Perbandaran Subang Jaya (MPSJ). Before Prasarana Berhad can erect the viaduct for the extension of their Light Rail Transit (LRT) or dug the tunnels for the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), they had to get through all the authorities of all the involving area - Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (DBKL), Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya (MBPJ), Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ), Majlis Bandaraya Shah Alam (MBSA) and so on. No construction can commence without Planning Approval from the respective authority.

Planning Permission allows the respective party, under supervision and authority of the local government, to conduct development works according to the plan and condition of which will decide including but not limited to proposed width and level of road and street, proposed height level, design, function, space, density and plot ratio of residential or commercial unit and other type of buildings, other proposal of land use, utilities provision for recreational space, community centre, school and other facilities required, and other condition for orderly development. The objective of planning approval is to ensure that all development and land use by any developers is conducted properly without initiating pollution, disturbance, traffic congestion, increase of infrastructural burden, decrease of value and amenities, floods or any other unwanted problem to the neighborhood and the community including social and economical issues.

The procedure and duration for application for KM is different from one municipality to another. Sometimes, even two municipal in one states can have different operation in processing application. However I believe the core of the application process would be in similar form in anyway. In Malaysia, bureaucracy always be the most annoying thing while dealing the government officers. All the government great plan  usually turn out hard to implement due to red tape from their staff. Currently I'm still learning the procedures for KM and will come back to you once I can understand the surface and underground stream flows.

PR1MA - One Malaysia Peoples’ Housing

Most of you must already familiar with the government's PR1MA branded housing. I bet thousands of you have already enrolled into this scheme since PR1MA Corporation established under PR1MA (1Malaysia Peoples’ Housing) Act 2012.

PR1MA objective is to plan, develop, build and offer modern and high quality houses for middle income urban citizen. PR1MA housing is located within community area with various types and sizes. The cost to own a PR1MA house is anticipated to be around RM100,000 to RM400,000, a very reasonable price for middle income family.

As to date, at least 9 PR1MA housing will be build within Klang Valley. 3 will be build at Johor, and another 8 are at other states, including 3 at Sabah. The following are the list of the PR1MA housing.

1. Alam Damai, Cheras
2. Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur
3. Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur
4. Jalan Bukit, Kajang, Selangor
5. Jalan Jubilee, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur
6. Pandan Indah, Selangor
7. Pandan Jaya, Selangor
8. Seremban Sentral, Negeri Sembilan
9. Seremban Utara, Negeri Sembilan
10. Setapak, Kuala Lumpur
11. Taman Bukit Cheras, Cheras, Kuala Lumpur
12. Taman Cempaka, Selangor
13. Bandar Layangkasa, Johor Bahru
14. Jalan Saujana, Mukim Plentong, Johor
15. Tebrau, Johor
16. Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang
17. Bukit Gelugor, Pulau Pinang
18. Slim River, Perak
19. Sungai Petani, Kedah
20. Bunut Rendang, Kuantan
21. Borneo Cove, Sabah
22. Inanam, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah
23. Sandakan City Centre, Sandakan, Sabah

To apply for PR1MA, a person and his/her spouse must be:

• Malaysian citizen
• Single or married
• At least 21 years old on the application date
• Gross household income must fall within RM2,500 toRM7,500
• Applicant and/or spouse not have more than one existing property

Eligible applicants must apply for the balloting of the homes through the PR1MA registration system via www.pr1ma.my. Applicants are also required to submit the relevant documents for screening purposes.

End financing for the homes are to be arranged by the successful applicants themselves. There is a 10-year moratorium, whereby the properties cannot be sold or transferred to another party. The homes must be owner-occupied and no subletting would be allowed.

For lower middle income individual, PR1MA is without doubt a great opportunity for you to own house at a discounted price. The only downside of it is most of the proposed development are stratified apartments. Only few are landed houses, including the recently launched PR1MA at Sungai Petani, Kedah. However it is up to you to decide based on your household budget and future plan.

I wish you all the best.

Greater KL and Smart City Conference 2014

In the 10th Malaysian Plan (10 MP 2011-2015), Kuala Lumpur ranked 79 out of 130 cities under the Economist Intelligence Unit survey on livability. Major plans have been identified under the (NKRAs) to address this, particularly on combating crime and improving urban public transport. Livability, however, encompasses a broader concept, and initiatives to create attractive public spaces, nurture a uniquely internationally relevant arts and culture scene, and provide a rich mix of leisure activities will create a distinctive urban character for the Greater Kuala Lumpur

As the capital and commercial heart of the country, the Greater Kuala Lumpur (KL)/Klang Valley NKEA represent a crucial component in the plan to transform Malaysia into a high-income nation by 2020. The overall aim is to transform the region into a world-class metropolis that will boast top standards in every area from business infrastructure to liveability.

ASLI ‘s Greater KL & Smart City 2014 will be updating executive delegates the selected key areas that are expanding for its future completion in 2020. This one day forum will be combining the big mind and powers that has been the pulse of development of the greater KL now, before and in the future.

Limaspuri - Johore Architectural Heritage Reborn

Just short introduction for our friend from outside Nusantara. Johore is the southernmost state in Peninsular Malaysia, and is located between the 1°20"N and 2°35"N latitudes. Historically, it is the last kingdom from Srivijaya and Malacca linage that survive the colonial era, and the only nation in South East Asia, other than Rama Kingdom of Thailand that is always independent from any European occupation. In the past, its territory comprises most part of Sumatra and Malay Peninsular including Singapore and most of the islands at South China Sea. Its rich culture is made up of harmonious blend of various tradition from all place in Nusantara. Limas house is one of the many heritage of Johore. To learn about Limas House, you might want to read my older post on it. (Read it here).

For all peoples who had visited Johore several years back might be lucky to be able to see a replica of a Johore Malay Village located at Danga Bay, Johore Bahru. There were several pretty and unique traditional Limas houses in a kind of village setting, with a little shop, reflexology place, restaurant with a beautiful veranda and many more. The site can be spotted no more. It had been pulled down to ground to give way for a more expensive commercial development. Even I had no chance of seeing it. Realizing the missing of a place symbolising Johor’s Malay heritages at the heart of Johore capital, an effort had been made through a collaboration of the State Government of Johor and her subsidiary Cahaya Jauhar, with expertise of Universiti Teknologi Malaysia's Malay World Research Centre or Pusat Kajian Alam Melayu (KALAM) to build a new village of Malay Limas Houses. The project is called Limaspuri Melayu Johor.


Originally, Limaspuri was proposed to be build at Danga Bay near the old Limas villages site but then, it was given a bigger location at Linear Park (Qiblat Axis), Nusajaya near the state's new administrative centre, Kota Iskandar and Malaysian Legoland themepark. At least ten Johore Limas houses will be build based on the KALAM research on the existing traditional house in Johore. The project was scheduled to be launched during the Visit Johor Year 2015 and ready for opening by 2016. When it is completed, Limaspuri will has a gallery complete with a theatrette, exclusive Johore restaurant, hall and surau. It will embody the state's rich, varied and intricate artistic heritage, evident in everything from elaborately carved Malay motifs, exceptional woodwork and the exquisite expressions of master artisans and landscaping that harmoniously blends nature with man-made ingenuity.

The Limaspuri Melayu Johor is part experiential showcase, part edutainment hub and part theme park, a place where the past, present and future converge to inspire hearts, minds and spirits. There will be lot of fun activities to be done at each Limas house, and beside the Malay architectural amazes, visitors can also learn on the other aspect in Malay culture such as Silat, Malay cuisine, games, medicines, arts and artifacts.

For more information on Limaspuri Melayu Johore, updates, events and promotion, go to the official website at www.limaspuri.com

In another occassion, please take a moment of silence to recite al-Fatihah for the late Dato Wan Abdullah bin Wan Ibrahim, CEO/Managing Director of UEM Sunrise who passed away on the last 26th February 2014, two weeks post his last umrah trip. Dato Wan had been on sick leave since last December 2013.

For anyone who has nothing better to do today, please be invited to Nusajaya Affordable House Pre Launching at SMK Gelang Patah. Check out the tentative at my previous post

UEM Sunrise Affordable House at Nusajaya, Johor

Following the good news we get earlier this month (refer here and here, UEM Sunrise is going to launch her affordable housing on March 1st, 2014. Quoted from The Star, UEM Sunrise's Dato Izzadin was saying that the house price would be between RM150,000 and RM200,000. The proposed housing is located within Iskandar Malaysia, specifically at Gerbang Nusajaya - a prospectful 4,500-acre (1,800ha) city of possibilities featuring various catalytic projects.

Gerbang Nusajaya or Nusajaya Gateway is planned to be the gateway to economic opportunities and a high quality of life. The project has to-date confirmed three international collaborations - 519 acres Nusajaya Tech Park with Ascendas Group, 295 acres FASTrack Iskandar with FASTrack Autosports Pte Ltd, and 1.4-million sq ft mall Asian Trade Centre with Chinamall Holdings Pte Ltd. To learn more about future development at Gerbang Nusajaya, visit Nusajaya City official website at www.nusajayacity.com although I doubt if they ever updated the site.



The project pre-launching ceremony will be held at SK Gelang Patah on March 1st, 2014. Registration booth will be opened from 10:00 to 16:30, and all prospective owners are invited to the ceremony, for registration of interest or inquiries. A lot of activities also will be held for Johorean family, and Johor Menteri Besar Dato Khaled Nordin is scheduled to be there too.

For more information on the event, see the poster. Don't forget to invite all your friend and relatives.


I will be there too.

How is the MRT Project Going to Affect the Overall Property Market?

by Mr. Wan Choy Heng Resident Manager / Registered Estate Agent

The construction of the much anticipated Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) has finally started. Described as the single most expensive infra structure project ever in this country, the MRT project which consist of 3 lines cutting across the entire Klang Valley or The Greater KL, is estimated to cost about RM36.6 billions to build, excluding land cost and rolling stocks.

The first line of the MRT project runs from Sungai Buloh to Kajang (SBK Line) stretches about 51 km with 31 stations is expected to be completed by 2017. Once completed and fully integrated with the existing KTM, LRT, Monorail, KL Rapid bus and the respective feeder bus services, the MRT will have tremendous positive impacts on the value of property located along its route and in the vicinity of its stations, with the exception of a few negative attributes.

A senior local property consultant from an established property firm here, who is also a member of the Board of Valuers, Appraisals and Estate Agents, Malaysia recently said that value of property along the MRT route will appreciate 15% to 25% depending on the location to the stations. While I’m but sure about the quantum of the appreciation, I’m certainly concur that the appreciation of value for property located in the vicinity of MRT route and its stations is certain to happen. This has happened to LRT Putra Line and Star Line extensions which construction is underway now. LRT Putra Line extension starts from Kelana jaya, passing through Subang Jaya, UEP Subang Jaya and ends at Putra Heights. Whilst LRT Star Line extends from Sri Petaling, passing through Bandar Kinrara, Puchong Jaya, Bandar Puteri and finally also ends at Putra Heights. 

Since its announcement in 2009, and with construction underway the property value along these 2 extension routes has appreciated tremendously. A basic double storey link house of 20’ x 60’ at USJ 6 was selling in the region of RM250k back in 2009 is now selling between RM400k to RM450k. A basic 3-bedroom apartment of about 900 sqft at Rhythm Avenue USJ19 was selling in the region of RM200k in 2009 is now selling between RM300k to RM330k. Both of these locations mentioned have a proposed LRT station, currently under construction, located within walking distance. Similar patterns of property value appreciation has also been reported at Bandar Kinrara and Puchong Jaya where proposed LRT stations for Star Line extension are to be constructed. Though the appreciation of property value at these areas mentioned is not entirely due to the coming of LRT extension, it is undoubtedly clear that the announcement of the final approval and the eventual sight of physical construction works of the proposed LRT extensions at these areas have inevitably led to the increase demand for property at these areas, hence this pushed up the property price. The construction of LRT extensions at these areas have brought about better accessibility to these locations, making property at these locations become more accessible and appealing to a bigger market, unlocking the value potential of property in these locations.

Running up to 2017 before the MRT-SBK Line is completed, more property developers will be planning high density residential developments along the MRT route. Projects which are strategically located near MRT stations will likely to enjoy good sell-out as buyers are confident of future demand for their property once the MRT is in operation. Proximity of any proposed condominium development in relation to a MRT station has been a major winning factor these days. New launches which are strategically located near to a MRT station will be expected to be priced at least 10% higher than others which are located further away. Residential developments within walking distance to MRT stations will undoubtedly benefit the most as the demand for rental units at these areas will be guaranteed. Most working class commuters would like to have their rental housing within walking distance to MRT stations as first priority. 

Comes 2017 when the MRT-SBK Line is finally completed, the commercial property in the vicinity of MRT stations will be in great demand. The huge number of passengers using MRT will give rise to plenty of new business opportunities of all kinds in the vicinity of MRT stations. This has proven true in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Commercial and retail premises which are located near MRT stations at these countries enjoy good occupancy rates and high rental. The same scenario will likely to repeat here in KL.

Latest News on Affordable Properties in Nusajaya

I received this good news from The Star today. Go to this link or just read the following news.


UEM Sunrise, KLK in RM20Bil Joint Iskandar Venture

BY JOHN LOH

KUALA LUMPUR: UEM Sunrise Bhd and Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KLK) are pooling their resources to develop 3,000 acres of each other’s landbank in Johor’s Iskandar Malaysia with a total gross development value (GDV) of RM20bil. This marks plantation giant KLK’s maiden foray as a property developer in Iskandar Malaysia, but it is the second such project for the company’s chief executive officer, Tan Sri Lee Oi Hian. Lee had teamed up with tycoons Tan Sri Surin Upatkoon, Tan Sri Wan Azmi Wan Hamzah and Singaporean magnate Wee Ee Chao in January last year to buy a 44-acre plot in Puteri Harbour from UEM Sunrise for RM401mil via Liberty Bridge Sdn Bhd. The deals inked yesterday involve UEM Sunrise’s land in Gerbang Nusajaya and KLK’s vast plantation estate north of Iskandar Malaysia in Kulai, both of which are freehold. KLK is to lead the development in Gerbang Nusajaya under a 60:40 joint venture (JV) called Scope Energy Sdn Bhd with UEM Sunrise, while’s KLK’s Kulai land, dubbed Fraser Metropolis, will be managed by Aura Muhibah Sdn Bhd, a 60:40 unit of UEM Sunrise and KLK, both companies said in filings with the stock exchange. The Gerbang Nusajaya project, measuring 500 acres, is worth some RM5bil. The much larger 2,500-acre Fraser Metropolis is expected to generate a GDV of RM15bil. Both parties have agreed to develop phase 1 of Fraser Metropolis using half of its 5,000-acre landbank, although KLK has granted Aura Muhibah the option to acquire a further 500 acres there. 

UEM Sunrise and KLK are planning a mixed development for Fraser Metropolis, which has been earmarked to be the next residential, commercial and industrial hub in the northern tip of Iskandar Malaysia and 30 minutes drive from Johor Baru.

Similarly, the Gerbang Nusajaya project is poised to be mixed-use. The land titles for the respective plots will be parked under the JV companies. UEM Sunrise told Bursa Malaysia that it expected to book RM380mil in land sale gains from paring down its stake in Gerbang Nusajaya. KLK will also see a net gain on disposal of RM816.8mil from the Fraser Metropolis land. Notably, UEM Sunrise and KLK are to exchange their land at the same price tag of RM871.2mil, but the parcels in Gerbang Nusajaya were valued at a higher RM40 per sq ft versus Fraser Metropolis’s RM8 per sq ft. This was to compensate for the existing infrastructure in Gerbang Nusajaya, RHB Research Institute analyst Loong Kok Wen told StarBizWeek. UEM Sunrise executive director Datuk Izzaddin Idris told the media at a briefing that the properties were scheduled to be launched in the second half of next year, targeting Malaysian as well as foreign buyers. Loong believes the JV is a win-win for both parties because it would allow KLK to unlock value from its massive plantation landbank, while giving the latter’s property arm a reputable partner in UEM Sunrise, the master developer of Iskandar Malaysia’s Nusajaya. The collaboration would also help UEM Sunrise spread out the risk in Gerbang Nusajaya, which was too huge for the company to complete on its own, a PublicInvest Research analyst said. 

But demand for the properties may be hard to gauge as the market is going through a soft patch due to the various cooling measures, according to the analyst. Work on Fraser Metropolis is scheduled to start in 2017 and be staggered over 15 years. The project in Gerbang Nusajaya, also slated to begin in 2017, has an eight-year timeframe. Separately, Izzaddin said UEM Sunrise planned to roll-out affordable homes in Gerbang Nusajaya next month priced at between RM150,000 and RM200,000. The group was aiming for sales of RM3bil this year, but Izzaddin noted that it was “conscious of market conditions.” Some 5,000 acres out of UEM Sunrise’s 11,000-acre landbank in Nusajaya had yet to be developed, he added.

Check out the quote that I bold. A new affordable housing will be launched next month.

Now lets wait for the next good news.

Bumbung, Malay Traditional Roof

Anthropologically speaking, Malay is a collective term of indigenous peoples of South East Asia that share similar language, custom and tradition. The Malay population is extended from Madagascar to the Pacific, but the main dwelling place of Malay peoples are at the two lands that are separated by the world longest straits, Malacca - Indonesia's Sumatra Island and Malaysia Peninsular. Malay traditional houses can be distinguished by the design of their roof or 'bumbung.' Many modern building in South East Asia still maintain the unique bumbung design on top of their roof to incorporate the local identity to their building.

The Malay house's bumbung are generally triangular shaped saddle roof to suit the tropical hot and wet weather of South East Asia. It can be divided into four common group based on the mutual shape:

1. Bumbung Panjang (Saddle/Open Gable Roof)
2. Bumbung Perabung Lima (Hip/Pavilion Roof)
3. Bumbung Limas or Bumbung Melayu
4. Bumbung Lentik (Curved Roof)

Bumbung Panjang

This bumbung is the simplest and the most common roof especially for the Pesisir (Coastal) Malay houses. There are a lot of name that are referring to the same or similar bumbung such as Belah Bubung/Bumbung (Folded Roof), Bumbung Lipat (also means Folded Roof) and Bumbung Perabung Panjang/Melintang (Long Saddle Roof). Rumah Air, Rumah Tiang Dua Belas, Rumah Melaka, Rumah Serambi, Rumah Serambi Gajah Menyusu and Rumah Kutai are variants of Malay House that use this bumbung. This bumbung has three common variant.

Lipat Kajang - Kajang means shelter in Malay. The roof has a gradual slopes for basic shelter from weather, and is the most popular roof among the Coastal Malay's common and water houses. Bumbung Lipat Kajang can be spotted at all traditional Malay villages from Acheh, Riau, Malacca, Kedah-Siam, Pahang, Pontianak, Brunei to as far as Philippines.

Lipat Pandan - This roof is named after a Malay wafer-like cuisine, Lipat Pandan. The roof has a steeper slope compare to Lipat Kajang to allow more space for the attic floor, and also popular to the coastal Malay. This bumbung is also used by the inland Malay and indigenous Malay subethnics like Nias islanders house, original Dayak long house, Marga Batin house (Kajang Leko) and some Batak houses where all family members or even villagers are living together under one roof. The term Kajang in Kajang Leko house is rather a functional term and not architectural term, meaning shelter.

Atap Layar - Also known as Bumbung Layar, Bumbung Panjang Berlapis, Ampar Labu or Atap Bersayap is a Lipat variant that is bended out halfway to its bottom. The bumbung is a combination of Lipat Pandan and Lipat Kajang, and is also a popular choice among the traditional Malay houses. Banjar's Banjung house and Terengganu house, and are examples for the use of this type of bumbung, but the former has a significant steep and gradual roof combination.


Bumbung Perabung Lima

Perabung Lima can be identified by the additional four saddles (Perabung Tepi) attached to it's main ridge (Perabung Tunjang). This bumbung is also known as Perabung Bungkus (All-Covered Roof) and can be seen at Southern Sumatra, Pattani-Kelantan-Besut, Singora, Siam and Java Islands including Lombok, Madura and Bali.

Bengkulu House roof is a variant of Perabung Lima that looks like a Banjung version of Perabung Lima roof. This design is influenced by Indian's Dravidian architecture to reflect the shape of a traditional Hindu's temple and also quite popular in many part of Java Islands.

This bumbung has a very broad variants. Another popular modification is Perabung Empat (Pyramid Roof) where the main ridge is erased from the design. This design is mainly used for traditional Mosque and Surau but also applied by residents in Java Islands. At Istana Kenangan  in Perak the roof is hexagonal.


Bumbung Limas

Bumbung Limas is a blend of Perabung Lima with Bumbung Panjang. Limas has the shape like the Dutch Gable Roof. The term Limas is derived from "Perabung Lima Emas" or Golden Perabung Lima. This roof is unique to the Malay peoples at the former territories of the Old Johore Sultanate (The last Srivijayan Kingdom) like Selangor, Pahang, Palembang, Jambi, Riau-Lingga and Singapore, and due to its exclusivity to Johore Malay people, Limas are also known as Bumbung Melayu (Malay Roof).


Bumbung Lentik

This variant is unique to the inland Malay from the rural part of the land. This bumbung was originated from Ranah Minang of West Sumatra. It is called Bumbung Kabau/Kerbau (Buffalo Roof) due to its buffalo horns motive. This bumbung is the traditional roof for Minang peoples and their subethnic and relatives like Rao/Rawa, Siak, Kampar, Mandailing, Batak, and Negeri Sembilan, and very popular at Ranah Minangkabau (West Sumatra), Bataklanden (North Sumatra), Inland Riau and Western Peninsular. At Riau, Bumbung Lentik is also known as Bumbung Lanchang (Ship Roof).

Toraja's Tongkonan roof at rural area in East Sulawesi is the gambrel version of the bumbung lentik. It also have the same Buffalo motive like Minang house but with unique two slopes on each side. Tongkonan roof is by far the rarest roof in the whole Alam Melayu (Malay Archipelago).

I will add the pictures later.

Update: I had upload the pictures. Please go to this link.
Sorry for the wait and thanks for your interest.

WTF? 23 Properties By 30 by Faizul Ridzuan

I attended a brief property investment seminar at Bandar Baru Bangi two years ago to have a clue or two about the topic. The talk was good, I learn a lot and initially I had intention to sign up for a second class to learn deeper about property investment. My objective was only to find out a way to be able to afford buying a house for living at early age. Unfortunately, that was the last time I had free time to attend any seminar or class. Preparing for wedding in Malaysian culture was a super time constraint period, and the first three months after it is not a honeymoon time either.

I came to this book at a MPH store at Kuala Lumpur while on casual shopping. It was published three months earlier and a best seller at that time. The author was one of the early successful property investors in Malaysia, sharing his experience, technique and trick that he used that made him owner of 23 unit of properties before his 30th birthday.

The way the author elaborate the content will not boring you. He explained to you all the A to Z of property investment - where to start, how to find and select the right property for you, how to fund it, the do's and dont's, the procedures, and how will you get your investment back from it. Although the book is already 2 years old now, but most of the main principles and technique that it taught you maintain relevant no matter at what age are you living in. For anybody who wish to dive into property investment or any person who just want to buy a house like me but has no time to dedicate for attending property class, get this book for kickstart. It is sufficient enough.

The book can easily be found at any MPH or bookstores, or you can also ordered it online at Faizul Ridzuan website:
http://www.faizulridzuan.com/
As a former civil engineering students I know how printed word can sour your eyes, but take your time. You don't have to finish it in a day. I guarantee that the knowledges that you will earn from it are worth reading.

Idaman PKNS, Selangor Dream House Ownership Program

Selangor Dream House Ownership Program or IDAMAN PKNS is an affordable housing development program initiated by the state of Selangor under Housing and Properties Board (LPHS) through her subsidiary, Selangor State Development Corporation (PKNS). The program is executed in phases at selected area in Selangor. By the end of 2031, Selangor is expecting to complete at least 31 thousands unit of affordable houses.


The nature of the property offered is mixed and depends to the development cost at the area. There are terrace houses but located at rural or remote area like Bernam Jaya, Serendah and Sungai Buloh. The nearest landed house to Kuala Lumpur is Bukit Botak, Selayang. Other houses at urban and populated area are usually apartment. Please refer to the official website for exact location, type of house, and size. Don't forget to make your own study on the market value at the house location, unless if you don't mind ending up buying a government scheme house at equal or higher price than the non-scheme development.

Up until the end of 2013, 2 projects has successfully completed, 2 in progress, and another 2 is at planning process and will commence by this year. The completed projects are Bukit Botak, Selayang and Seksyen 3, Bandar Baru Bangi.  Seksyen 1D, Antara Gapi, located at the remote Serendah town is near completion while according to Media Selangorku Seksyen U12, Desa Alam near Bukit Jelutong Shah Alam are scheduled to completed by the end of this year.


Application and Eligibility

Interested individual and prospective buyer may apply for the project at Selangor Housing and Properties Board (LPHS) website.
"ehartanah.lphs.gov.my"
Also, check for your qualification before applying for the program.

1. Applicant must be a Malaysia citizen and registered with Selangor Housing and Properties Board (LPHS). Registration can also be made online at LPHS website.
2. Applicant must be at least 18 years old when the application is made.
3. The average of combined monthly income of the applicant must fall between MYR2000 to MYR5000 per month.
4. Applicant and spouse cannot have more than one property. 

For more information on this development, please contact the Selangor State Development Corporation. The address is:

Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS)
Kompleks PKNS Shah Alam,
Persiaran Tasik,
40505,Selangor Darul Ehsan

Tel: 1-800-88-PKNS(7567)
Website: www.idaman-pkns.com

Good luck.

PPR, DBKL Housing Project for Kuala Lumpur Citizen

I know lot of young family in Kuala Lumpur who are living below the national urban poverty line of RM3000 per month. To be frank, I doesn't have a good kickstart for my career like many of you. After graduated, I only earned a little less than RM2000 for the first three months of my first job at an international company who had developed many prestigious building in the middle east. I actually earned a lot more before I get my degree certificate but I didn't complaint much seeing my other colleague earned less than mine, and realizing that my objective as a fresh graduate at that time is to learn more rather than earn more. My colleague and I "graduated" from that company a year later and he became a manager at a well known construction company with greater and worthier pay while I become a Food Tester at a McDonald near Aeon Shopping Mall at Nusajaya whose is now charging 50 cent for refilling beverage. Nevertheless, I still remember those old days as one of the best period in my life before as a bachelor.

Unlike my old friend, there are a lot of peoples who arent so lucky to get out from the proverty trap and might stuck for a long time with the other 7 millions working Malaysian who barely earn RM2000 per months. The national mean wage for 2010 is RM1804.43. For you peeps who fall in this tier, it is mathematically impossible to afford or rent a property in the capital city.

Realizing this problem, Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) had been offering low cost and affordable houses scheme for quite sometime already. Application can be made online via DBKL webprotal for affordable and low cost housing, http://eperumahan.dbkl.gov.my/


While some of you might be cynical for this scheme, please take a look at the property market now and please contact me at any time should you know any similar property in the capital city that sells at the same price. For interested personal, make sure that you meet all the requirement before applying. The requirement are:

1. Applicant must be married
2. Both applicant and spouse are Malaysian citizen
3. Applicant and spouse monthly income must not more than RM2500 for Low Cost Housing and RM4000 for Affordable Housing.
4. Applicant must be working or living in Kuala Lumpur
5. Applicant and spouse does not own any property (land or houses) within 35KM from Kuala Lumpur city
6. Applicant must be eligible for housing loan from financial institution

For more information on this development, please contact the DBKL's Department of Housing Management. The address is:

Jabatan Pengurusan Perumahan
Pembangunan komuniti,
Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur,
Tkt 4 - 9 Menara DBKL III,
Bandar Wawasan,
Jalan Raja Abdullah,
50300 Kuala Lumpur.

Tel : +06 03-26176000
Faks: +06 03-26983722

e-mel: jpp@dbkl.gov.my

The Cost of Owning a House

I met my other half on a rainy day of July, 2012 at Tebrau City, Johore Bahru. We immediately fell in love and I married her last year on the second week after Eidul Fitr festival. I was working at my hometown at Kuala Lumpur while she had to stay at Johore Bahru as her application to transfer to my place was not entertained. We had to live separately for a period before I finally decided to apply for a job at Johore Bahru so we can start living together.

Like many other Johore Bahru citizens especially the young couples like me and my wife, the greatest challenge that we had to face to start a family are the unreasonable high cost for property ownership. When I first met my wife, the price of a medium cost comfortable terrace house at Skudai is around MYR70k more or less. I came back after two years only to find out the same type of house cost three times the former price. Place nearer to Nusajaya like Lim Kit Siang's Gelang Patah and Bukit Indah would be 500% increase. Even my company, which are fully owned by government sells no unit less than MYR million.

The same calculation applied for rental. Back then, with MYR300 you get a two storey terrace house. Now that price can only cover to rent a common room. Some landlord who still leasing their property at the old price slowly getting rid of their tenant with lame excuses like, "I have sold the house" or "I want to move in." Those were true stories, happened to my wife's former housemates, and two of my friends.

It is no secret the reason for the price hike. When I roam from Bukit Indah to Skudai, many billboards, advertisement showed non citizen telephone number. Since 2008, the starting year of the 2nd World Great Recession that saw US economy crumbles, while the government of ours had to start cutting down all subsidy program, introducing new type of taxes, and raising all the existing, many middle income citizen saw property investment as a way out from the financial depression. These humble "ROI cash-flow" player actually gave no or very little threat to the properties market. The problem came when more and more high income greedier citizen - both existing millionaires and the newly riches of property investors, join the game with "Capital Gain" technique in large scale. They buy all new properties using proxies even before the launching date, denying common citizen opportunity to buy it except from them, after they had greedily speculate the price as much higher than actual market value. Now with more player from the outside, who comes with greater capital, there is no way we would expect the situation will be better.

On developer part, the only thing they care about is the selling of their properties. The country's loose policy for property ownership allows the developer to target their market to the investors. Very few developers are willing to perform their moral duty to the society by developing affordable houses for the middle and lower income. When the government finally decided to be stricter in their policy, it was already too late. Medium terrace house now is selling at MYR900k.

Now according to the latest salaries report by Jobstreet.com portal, the average salaries for a junior executive is only MYR2900 or maximum is MYR3500. Immediately, we would realize that the current property market today is totally out of their league. With stricter facilities application introduce by National Bank since 2012, 2013 and 2014, can their salary meet the requirement? The last resort for my generation might only be the very limited government funded affordable houses.