Dato' Jimmy Choo Yeang Keat, 71, is a successful fashion designer.
Choo was born in Penang, Malaysia into a family of shoe makers. He made his first pair of shoes by age 11.
After learning from his father about the craft of shoemaking, Choo went to England in the early 1980s to study at the Cordwainers Technical College (now part of the London College of Fashion) in Hackney, London. He graduated in 1983 and choose to remain in London to continue the family tradition of shoe making.
Dato Jimmy Choo
Choo opened his first workshop in Hackney, North London, in an old hospital building in 1986. By 1996 he established his luxury icon brand, Jimmy Choo.
He rose to fame for the quality and style of his handmade women's shoes. He designed shoes for the British royal family, in particular Princess Diana, who donned Choo's footwear everywhere she went.
Choo also designed shoes for celebrities who walk on the red carpet in Hollywood.
I was lucky enough to meet Choo during a year-end family vacation at Pangkor Laut Resort in Perak, recently.
Choo is seldom in Malaysia as he is busy running his shop in London designing shoes, handbags, eyewear and clothing. He was on a vacation on the island resort with his family and I took the opportunity to have a quick chat with him over lunch.
Choo said Princess Diana was one of his greatest fan and he had designed several shoes for her over seven years.
"Working with Princess Diana was always easy. She would tell me what colour dress she is wearing and i will design the shoes for her accordingly and she was always happy receiving the end product," said Choo.
On why he chose to spend the holidays here, in Pangkor Island Resort, Choo said "it is to rejuvenate and get inspiration".
Dato' Jimmy Choo visits Pangkor Laut Resort to rejuvenate and get inspiration
"Pangkor Laut Resort is nestled amidst an ancient rainforest, on a private island fringed by white sandy beaches and emerald waters. Here is where I get inspired and motivated. I am able to rejuvenate my creative spirit. If you look around, there is beauty everywhere. You see hornbills flying around and all that, including the sound of waves hitting the white sandy beach is very motivating," said Choo.
Pangkor Laut Resort, owned and developed by YTL Group is set along the Straits of Malacca, three miles off the West Coast of Malaysia.
Pangkor Laut Resort previously voted 'Number One in the World' by Condé Nast Traveller'
Of the island's 300 acres, only about 25-30 acres is developed with luxury sea villas, spa villas, hill villas, garden villas and private estates.
Declared a paradise by the late Pavarotti and previously voted 'Number One in the World' by Condé Nast Traveller, the wooden villas blend seamlessly into the forest. The walls curve around foliage, and roofs open up to allow trees to continue on their journey to the sky.
Pangkor Laut Resort is not only home to one of the world’s premier resorts but also to variety of wildlife like long-tailed macaques, oriental pied hornbills and white-bellied sea eagles.
Before our conversation came to an end, I told Choo how Bollywood may come calling to him.
I pointed out to Choo that his name has already been mentioned in a few Bollywood hits like "Abhi toh Party Shuru Hui Hai" from the movie "Khoobsurat" (2014) while artist Diljit Dosanjh had composed a song entitled Jimmy Choo Choo.
INTERVIEW WITH DATO' JIMMY CHOO BY 7-YEAR-OLD YOUTUBER
For seabirds, an Arctic Ocean with less sea ice could provide some tantalizing alternatives to the long-haul flights that some undertake each year.
In a recent study, ecologist Manon Clairbaux and her colleagues found that at least one Arctic dweller would expend less energy by changing its route. For the little auk (Alle alle), plying a new route from the North Atlantic to the North Pacific would require only about half as much energy as their traditional migration. Little auks typically spend summers in their breeding grounds closer to the North Pole, and then fly southward to the North Atlantic in the winter.
“There are clearly new strategies for migratory birds, and those new pathways will change the shape of the global population,” Clairbaux, a doctoral student at France’s University of Montpellier, told Mongabay.
Little auks, pictured here in Greenland, are the most numerous seabirds in the Arctic. Image by Manon Clairbaux.
Clairbaux and her supervisor, biological oceanographer David Grémillet of the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), along with their colleagues in Norway and the United States, were curious about how the disappearance of sea ice would influence the movements of migratory seabirds around the Arctic. They mined the scientific literature and came up with 29 species of birds that could potentially migrate to the Pacific Ocean instead of crossing the Arctic.
The team then zeroed in on the little auk, a rotund bird that’s a bit bigger than a large songbird like a blue jay. It’s also more numerous than any other bird in the Arctic, and well-studied, Clairbaux said, so the researchers had a good idea of how they appear to be adapting to climate change and where they live.
The researchers modeled changes to the species’ distribution alongside climate models to get a sense of how the areas in which they breed and spend the winters might fit the little auk’s needs in the
future. Lastly, the team used another model to predict how much energy the birds would need for that shifted migration to the Pacific compared with flying to the Arctic or becoming a year-round “resident” at those higher latitudes.
The coast of eastern Greenland. Image by Manon Clairbaux.
Clairbaux said they weren’t expecting the new route to be so much more energetically efficient for the little auks, and it demonstrates that there’s at least the potential for the migration to shift toward an east-west route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. She points out, however, that this study only looked at energy costs and not other factors, such as the genetic hardwiring that drives birds to take certain routes, or the competition with other seabirds that a new
migratory destination might entail.
The team published their work Nov. 28 in the journal Scientific Reports.
Right now and in the near future, the team expects that a few birds — called “vagrants” by scientists — from the little auk population might stray toward the Pacific, or that part of the population might disperse in that direction, rather than a wholesale change in the species’ migration.
Little auks typically migrate between the high Arctic and the North Atlantic Ocean, though the loss of sea ice could change that. Image by Manon Clairbaux.
But by applying these models in the same way to other bird species, Clairbaux said that researchers could home in on the potential shifts that less sea ice could instigate. That data could further help in
planning for conservation, such as the placement of marine protected areas, she added.
“It’s really important that our conservation measures have to be dynamic,” Clairbaux said. “In fact, we have to understand that things will change. Patterns will change.”
Banner image of little auks in the Arctic by Manon Clairbaux.
Article appeared here - https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/vanishing-sea-ice-could-shake-up-bird-migrations/
SAMARINDA, Indonesia — Two abandoned open-pit coal mines, each of which has claimed the life of a child in Indonesia’s Eastern Kalimantan province, have been earmarked for restoration efforts led by the government amid a major plan to relocate the country’s capital to the region.
For decades, this province in Indonesian Borneo has seen much of its land torn open by companies mining its coal. Around 40% of the province’s land is earmarked for coal concessions, including more than 70% of the Samarinda municipality.
Coal companies are required by law to clean up the damage they leave behind, filling in mining pits that are no longer in use and re-vegetating or restoring mining sites.
However, the companies often flout this particular responsibility. According to the Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam), East Kalimantan has 1,735 inactive open pit mines that belong to 1,404 companies.
People in East Kalimantan help a drowning child in a water-filled crater that was previously mined for coal. Image courtesy of Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam).
With laws requiring post-mining reclamation poorly enforced, abandoned pits are left to fill with acidic water, creating deep, deadly pools. In the last eight years, more than 35 people, mostly children, have drowned in these holes.
Government officials, meanwhile, tend to blame the families for their children’s deaths, attributing them to parental negligence. But following the August 2019 announcement that East Kalimantan has been selected as the site of the country’s new administrative capital, the province’s abandoned mine pits have come into the national spotlight as a problem that needs to be solved.
“East Kalimantan has [a] mining pits emergency and they must be reclaimed,” said Pradarma Rupang, who heads Jatam’s East Kalimantan chapter.
A joint team from the country’s environment ministry and East Kalimantan administration in October paid a visit to two of these pits. One belonged to PT Lanna Harita Indonesia (LHI), while the other is
owned by PT Insani Bara Pratama (IBP). Each company is responsible for a mine pit in which a child died.
“Together with the central government, we’re committed to resolving the issue of ex-mine pits,” said East Kalimantan government spokesperson HM Syafranuddin. “All abandoned mine pits will be dealt with, and once it’s resolved, we hope there won’t be any more deaths.”
The environment ministry said that owners of the abandoned mine pits would be held fully responsible for the costs of restoration works.
Syafranuddin said the pits will be reclaimed and repurposed as facilities that benefit the people living in the vicinity, such as agritourism sites where communities can grow local fruits.
“Restoration efforts need support from all stakeholders, not only the central and provincial government, but also the people of East Kalimantan,” Syafranuddin said, adding that the government hoped the work on PT LHI and PT IBP’s mine pits could be an example that others would replicate.
A worker operates an excavator at an open pit-coal mine in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Image by Kemal Jufri/Greenpeace.
PT LHI has two open-pits spanning a total 1.45 hectares, with another 10.29 hectares within the concession degraded by mining. Meanwhile, PT IBP’s pit stretches 0.22 hectare, but its mining activities have degraded an area of 14.26 hectares. For PT IBP’s concession, the government has requested the company to fill the pit so the site can be recovered to a protected area, according to Samarinda’s city planning.
“The environment ministry wants to show that if the planning is well done, then the result will be good as well,” said M.R. Karliansyah, the director general for environmental degradation, mitigation, and control at the ministry.
Environmentalists welcome the initiative to restore the abandoned open-pits, but said that turning them into agritourism sites was not a solution as it would likely create new problems.
“After the pits are remodified, who will monitor them? Who will take care of the costs for maintenance and management? It will be the people,” said Jatam’s Pradarma.
Observers are also calling on the government to review the environmental impact assessment papers of the companies — PT LHI and PT IBP — before carrying out restoration work on the open pits.
“Do the documents say that the pits will be closed up, reclaimed or turned into [an] agritourism site? If what they’re doing is different than what’s stated in the documents, then both companies are not acting in accordance with the law,” said Siti Kotijah, a legal lecturer on mining at Mulawarman University.
“They must proceed according to the regulations, including getting approval from the people living in the vicinity of the ex-mining pits,” she added.
This story was first reported by Mongabay’s Indonesia team and published here - https://news.mongabay.com/2019/12/plans-for-a-new-indonesian-capital-put-borneos-abandoned-mines-in-the-spotlight/
As João Inácio de Assunção’s small boat sliced through the clay-colored waters of Rio Fresco in northern Brazil, he recalled a different time when the river was clearer and brimming with fish.
“There used to be so many types of fish here,” said 51-year-old de Assunção as he steered the engine-powered boat. “Things have changed a lot.”
De Assunção has spent 30 years working on the river, which cuts through São Félix do Xingu, a municipality in the northern state of Pará better known for its frenzied cattle production. Yet in recent years, it has become increasingly difficult for fishermen like him to survive from the river.
“Now the fish are dying, they are disappearing,” he said.
Environmentalists point to a surge in illegal gold mining in this corner of the Brazilian Amazon, which has brought along with it a dramatic rise in water pollution and deforestation, as speculators clear swaths of forest along the riverbanks to make way for makeshift mines known as garimpos.
This activity has done “irreversible damage” to the rivers in the region, said Gilberto Santos, who works with the Comissão Pastoral da Terra (CPT) in São Félix do Xingu, an arm of the Catholic Church that strives to advance human rights in rural communities in Brazil.
“There’s always been mining speculation here – but in recent years, it has spread like a fever, ” said Santos. “And the water they are polluting is in small rivers and streams that flow directly into Rio Fresco.”
Local sources say the most dramatic pollution has occurred in Rio Branco, a narrow river that snakes through the adjacent region of Ourilândia do Norte – or Northern Land of Gold – before flowing into the larger Rio Fresco.
The Ourilândia do Norte municipality, most of which was still covered in lush forest a few years ago, has recently seen a sharp rise in clearing: it lost more than 5 percent of its forest cover between 2001 and 2018, according to satellite data from the University of Maryland (UMD). About half of this loss occurred in 2017 and 2018 alone, indicating deforestation in the region may be accelerating.
And there are also signs that this acceleration has kept up this year: preliminary data from UMD indicate deforestation spiked in September and October to more than double the average rate for the same period over the past four years. Satellite images show the bulk of 2019 deforestation is due to mining expansion, much of it clustered around Rio Branco.
Local sources say some illegal miners – known as garimpeiros – dump toxic waste directly into the river. But most of the pollution occurs because the removal of forest and topsoil has badly weakened the banks of Rio Branco, said Daniel Clemente Vieira Rêgo da Silva, adjunct professor at the Federal University of Southern and Southeastern Pará (Unifesspa) in São Félix do Xingu. This means the soil – and the toxins miners use to extract minerals – runs directly into the river when it rains.
“What happens is that you remove this protection,” Rêgo da Silva said. “And we have a big problem with the use of mercury in mining. That soil that is entering the water is rich in mercury and other minerals too.”
While Rêgo da Silva says it’s difficult to establish a direct link, many environmentalists in the area believe the mercury is likely a key contributor to the dwindling number of fish in Rio Fresco – a sentiment that some global studies echo. Across Brazil, as much as 221 metric tons of mercury are released into the environment each year due to illegal mining, preliminary studies showed in 2018.
Scientific studies have also found mercury to be detrimental to human health, linking exposure to the element to skin disease, infertility and birth defects. It can also impact river-dwelling communities far beyond the immediate area around a mining site, as contamination travels downstream and the impact becomes amplified up the food chain.
In Pará, the contaminated water flows from one river into the next, eventually reaching São Félix do Xingu. In the open water where Rio Fresco meets Rio Xingu, the blue stream of one flows alongside the muddy currents of the other.
“How can you use the water?” de Assunção wondered. “For whoever lives here, it’s impossible.”
becomes amplified up the food chain.
The
region is home to many river-dependent species such as giant otters
(Pteronura brasiliensis), which are listed as Endangered by the IUCN.
Photo by www.Araguaia.org via Wikimedia Commons.
Decades of damage
The decline of Rio Fresco didn’t begin this year with the spike in mining activity in this part of the Brazilian Amazon. Instead, it goes back to the mining rush that gripped the broader Amazon region beginning in the 1970s.
As new roads were built across the Amazon, the path into the mineral-rich lands around Ourilândia do Norte and Tucumã was opened up by miners searching for gold, nickel and iron. In the decades that followed, more and more miners moved into the area, hoping to strike it rich in the illicit gold trade.
Today, there are more than 450 illegal mines in the Brazilian Amazon, according to the Rede Amazónica de Información Socioambiental Georreferenciada (RAISG), a consortium of civil society organizations. Brazilian authorities estimate that 30 metric tons of illegal gold – worth about 4.5 billion reais ($1.1 billion) – are traded each year just in the Tapajós Basin, much of which lies in Pará state.
While mining accounts for a far smaller proportion of deforestation than cattle ranching or logging, its environmental impact has become clearer – and more worrying – in recent years. A 2017 study found that mining contributed to about 10 percent of deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon between 2005 and 2015. The vast majority of mining-related clearing – about 90 percent – occurred illegally outside mining leases granted by the Brazilian government.
Most often, miners come with heavy machinery, including excavators, that can raze large swaths of forest with ease. Often, they also carve out makeshift airstrips, allowing mining supplies and equipment to be flown into densely forested areas by plane. When the land begins to yield less, they move on to another patch of mineral-rich forest.
Some of the mining in the region is legal but even those operations have run into controversy. Earlier this year, prosecutors suspended a nickel mine owned by mining giant Vale following contamination of a nearby river in the Xikrin indigenous territory. Vale has denied that its mine, which straddles the municipalities of Tucumã and Ourilandia do Norte, is responsible for the contamination.
Meanwhile, the area where illegal miners have recently ramped up their activity overlaps with the Kayapó indigenous territory, a vast region spanning some 3.28 million hectares that is home to several indigenous groups, including some that live in voluntary isolation from the outside world.
In Brazil, it is illegal to mine on indigenous lands – but local sources claim this isn’t stopping illegal garimpeiros from encroaching on the Kayapó territory. Some indigenous people who live on this land have been battling to expel the invaders in recent years. Others have reluctantly tolerated the illegal mining in exchange for a cut of the profits, which they say brings badly-needed funds to their communities.
Deforestation has more than doubled in the Kayapó protected area since 2000, with nonprofit groups pointing to gold mining as the key driver. FUNAI, the government agency tasked with protecting the interests of indigenous people in Brazil, has identified almost 3,000 people contaminated by mining residue in the territory.
Along Rio Fresco, the long-term impacts of mining pollution have also started to become evident. A study done by researchers at Unifesspa, led by Rêgo da Silva, recently found only 21 invertebrate species still living in Rio Fresco. In contrast, there were roughly 45 species in Rio Xingu. Aquatic invertebrates – often the larvae of flying insects – are routinely used by researchers as indicators of waterbody health.
“This isn’t just an environmental problem – it’s also a social problem,” said Cristian Bento da Silva, an anthropologist with the Instituto de Estudos do Xingu, who is studying the impact of water pollution on the São Félix do Xingu community. “In the early 2000s, it was still possible to fish in Rio Fresco. Now, this river is known as the ‘Dead River’ here.”
As Rio Fresco became more polluted and the number of fish dwindled over the last two decades, de Assunção says many fishermen who relied on its waters have moved further along Rio Xingu in search of more plentiful catch.
“The veterans, the majority have left. Because it became impossible to work as the mining picked up,” he said, noting that there’s also been instances of illness in the community, which he blames on the polluted water.
Advocates and local residents say that the recent uptick in illegal mining and deforestation along Rio Branco and Rio Fresco have spurred fresh concerns about the future of the rivers in this region. A key worry is that the pollution is beginning to seep into Rio Xingu, deepening the damage.
“That’s our big worry here,” Rêgo da Silva said. “We could have a very considerable disequilibrium because Rio Xingu is one of the main rivers here in our region.”
Emboldened force
Many point to the rhetoric of Brazil’s new president Jair Bolsonaro as a key factor that has emboldened illegal miners. The controversial far-right leader – who has his own past as a garimpeiro – has repeatedly railed against land protections as an “obstacle” to mining and development.
Bolsonaro’s government is now pushing forward a controversial bill that would permit mining in indigenous territories and the president has also said he supports opening up the 4.6-million hectare Renca reserve to miners. His predecessor Michel Temer tried to scrap protections on the massive region, which lies across the states of Pará and Amapá, but the move was blocked by a federal judge amid an international outcry.
Environmental enforcement has also been weakened under Bolsonaro’s watch. Earlier this year, he stripped Ibama, Brazil’s environmental agency, of some of its powers and handed over final say on sanctions to a newly established court. Fines for environmental crimes have plummeted since the president assumed office in January to their lowest in a decade.
All of this has resonated with clandestine miners, many of whom are poor and with little education. Local advocates say the president’s words and actions have emboldened many to venture into the Amazon without fear of repercussions.
“This discourse that Amazonia is a place with unlimited natural resources to explore – this discourse is really strong here,” said Bento da Silva. “And so people come to explore the resources of the region without taking any responsibility.”
Government agencies, including Ibama, have carried out operations in the area, aimed at halting this illegal mining. But, with dwindling resources and a vast area to monitor, it has proven difficult to contain the illicit activity.
Cuts to funding at Funai and Ibama have led to the closure of permanent posts in more remote parts of Brazil in recent years, leaving miners free to encroach on indigenous territories and protected areas.
In late October, illegal miners blocked four highways in Pará in protest over enforcement agents damaging mining equipment in the region. One of the blockades, on a key road linking Ourilandia do Norte to São Félix do Xingu, lasted for days.
“They want the government to stop us from being able to destroy equipment – because that’s what really hurts the garimpeiro,” said one source at a government enforcement agency, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to speak on the matter.
Earlier this year, Bolsonaro sent miners and loggers an encouraging signal when he personally intervened to stop agents from Ibama from destroying equipment confiscated during a raid on a protected area in the state of Rondônia. “It is not the orientation of this government to burn machinery,” he said in a social media video.
The enforcement agency source noted that it has become increasingly difficult to crack down on illegal mining activity in the region as garimpeiros have become bolder. “They have started feeling more powerful. They are hoping both that the government won’t punish them and that their activity will be legalized.”
For de Assunção, meanwhile, it is still unclear how his community will cope with the impact of illegal mining along rivers, especially as garimpeiros show no sign of stepping back from the region. “My livelihood is fish, my food is fish,” he said. “For those of us who live from fish, it’s a big loss.”
An artist impression of Tanjung Jati A coal-fired power plant. (Courtesy of YTL Power)
By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Business on December 19, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR : YTL Power International Bhd is looking at the option of funding its US$2.5 billion Tanjung Jati A power project in Indonesia through the local bond market early next year.
The onshore sukuk will be the first issuance which involves financing a major power project that is located overseas, said the group's managing director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong.
Yeoh told the New Straits Times that YTL Power was also looking at other financing options
including export credit financing and US dollar bond markets.
"The sukuk market in Malaysia is very established. Sukuk has been successfully tapped for a long time to finance major infrastructure projects in Malaysia. This will be the first time YTL Power is using sukuk as a financing instrument to fund a project outside of Malaysia. It is something that will be very beneficial to the Malaysian financial markets and will be a gamechanger; establishing Malaysia as the international hub for infrastructure financing," said Yeoh.
"We are in discussions with several banks and expect financial closure in June 2020. With President Jokowi winning his second term, his administration is encouraging foreign investments into Indonesia. Things are progressing very well and construction will commence immediately after," he said.
YTL Power has awarded the power plant construction contract to a group comprising Harbin, China's top EPC contractor, and General Electric, a world leader in power technology.
Tanjung Jati A is a 1,320 MW (2 x 660) ultra-supercritical coal-fired power plant in Cirebon, West Java. Once completed, it will be the most efficient coal-fired plant in Indonesia.
Yeoh said YTL Power had to date invested US$90 million in the project and the major part of it was to acquire 230 hectares of land for the development.
The first unit is scheduled to commence operations in January 2024, with the second unit 12 months later. The plant will operate under a 30-year power purchase agreement (PPA).
YTL Power's 80 per cent-owned unit PT Tanjung Jati Power Co Ltd had on 21 December 2015
entered into a PPA with PT PLN (Persero) to restate and amend the agreement originally entered into on April 2 1997 for the construction of the plant and the sale of energy and capacity from the facility to PLN.
Yeoh said the power plant is expected to contribute to the group's earnings as early as 2024.
"The internal rate of return (IRR) is estimated at 12 per cent to 13 per cent," said Yeoh, adding that YTL Power would also be involved in the operation and maintenance for the power plant.
The infrastructure group recorded a net profit of RM67.36 million in the first quarter ended September 30, 2019 (1QFY20).
Revenue was RM2.96 billion, with most segments achieving higher contribution during the quarter, except for the telecommunication business.
The Tanjung Jati A project is YTL Power’s second investment in Indonesia.
In 2004, YTL Power purchased a 35 per cent stake in the 1,220 MW Jawa Power project held through its 57.14 per cent subsidiary YTL Java Power Holdings BV.
"Jawa Power is one of the best plants in Indonesia and is doing very well. The plant will continue to supply power to PLN until 2030," said Yeoh.
Besides Indonesia, YTL Power owns stakes in Wessex Water Limited in the UK, YTL PowerSeraya
Pte Limited in Singapore, and ElectraNet Pty Ltd in Australia.
Berjaya
Land (BLand) Bhd chief executive officer Syed Ali Shahul Hameed said
the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences will be the most iconic
development in Japan
By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Business on December 19, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR : Berjaya Group's US$1 billion Four Seasons Resort and Pivate Residences on the island of Okinawa in Japan will start construction by June next year.
Berjaya Land Bhd (BLand) chief executive officer Syed Ali Shahul Hameed said the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences will be the most iconic development in Japan, setting a benchmark.
It will emulate the success of Four Seasons Hotel and Hotel Residences Kyoto by Berjaya Group which was launched in December 2016.
BLand unit Berjaya Okinawa Development Co. Ltd inked a management agreement with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts on January 17 this year for the project.
Syed Ali said BLand will build a total 122 private residences, as well as 28 villas and a spa.
The 125-room Four Seasons Resort, private residences, villas and spa are the first phase of development for the 100 acres of beach front land owned by BLand.
Phase 1 will use up 33 acres, and completed in 2023, said Syed Ali, adding that the total development cost is US$400 million.
"Earthwork is expected to start in the second quarter. We target to launch the residences and villas in the third quarter of next year," he told the New Straits Times.
Syed Ali is upbeat the residences and villas will have positive take-up, given the location, coupled with the prestigious Four Seasons branding and management.
The 100 acre land is situated along the western coast of the island, about 50km northeast of Naha International Airport.
"Air Asia will fly to Okinawa starting January 22, 2020. This is a plus point for our development as we are targeting the Malaysian market. We are also targeting the Japanese market. Okinawa is the Hawaii for the Japanese," said Syed Ali.
The four times weekly service via Taipei commences January 22 2020 (subject to regulatory approval), and will be AirAsia’s sixth international destination in Japan, after Tokyo (Haneda and Narita), Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Nagoya (via Bangkok).
Berjaya Corp founder and executive chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan said during the signing of the management agreement here that the Four Seasons Resort and Pivate Residences will be the most beautiful, valuable and expensive property in Okinawa.
Bart Carnahan, executive vice president, global business development of Four Seasons Hotels and
Resorts said together with Berjaya, the partnership will not only create the very finest resort and residences of the highest quality, but will also offer a level of unparalleled service, one that is synonymous with the name Four Seasons around the globe.
The master plan for Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences, including planning and landscape architecture, is developed by international landscape architecture and urban design firm, EDSA Inc.
Japan's top architects Kengo Kuma and Kuniken will serve as joint architects for the project.
Plans are being finalised for the remaining 70 acres, which may include more luxurious residences.
Eco Botanic stunning architecture -Pic via Facebook/Eco Botanic
By NST Property - December 18, 2019
THERE is excitement in the Johor property market as the country's top developer, Eco World Development Group Bhd (EcoWorld) is planning a new mixed-used township development worth an estimated RM1.67 billion in Iskandar Puteri, the state's second largest city.
Eco World's unit, Melia Spring Sdn Bhd is buying a piece of land in Iskandar Puteri for RM304.92 million from River Retreat Sdn Bhd.
River Retreat is 80 per cent owned by Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB) (which in turn, is 60 per cent controlled by Khazanah Nasional Bhd) and 20 per cent by Iskandar Coast Sdn Bhd, a unit of Tan Sri Lim Kang Hoo's Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd.
The remainder 40 per cent stake in IIB is split equally between the Employees Provident Fund and
the state government of Johor's property arm, Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor Bhd.
In a statement issued yesterday, EcoWorld said Melia Spring will partner the Johor state government's investment arm, Permodalan Darul Ta'zim Sdn Bhd (PDT), to embark on the township development.
EcoWorld president and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah. -NSTP/AMIRUDIN SAHIBEcoWorld president and chief executive officer Datuk Chang Khim Wah, said Melia Spring has entered into a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with River Retreat for the land in Iskandar Puteri.
Under the development agreement, EcoWorld and PDT are nominating Melia Spring to purchase the
land from River Retreat and to develop it.
EcoWorld said it will pay a RM20 million nomination fee to PDT, for the latter's agreement to
nominate Melia Spring to purchase the land.
The main market-listed firm will also pay PDT 20 per cent of Melia Spring's net profit from
each phase of the proposed development.
EcoWorld said the land is located next to the group's Eco Botanic township in Iskandar Puteri,
which is also its flagship township development in Iskandar Malaysia.
Chang expects the purchase to be completed by the end of 2020.
“This acquisition truly comes at an opportune time as it has been more than six years since we acquired any land in Iskandar Malaysia," said Chang.
During the last six years, EcoWorld launched four townships, namely Eco Botanic, Eco Spring, Eco Summer and Eco Tropics as well as three business parks, Eco Business Parks I, II and III.
Chang said all the projects in Iskandar Malaysia have performed tremendously well as evidenced by the RM6.3 billion cumulative sales EcoWorld recorded from 2014 to 2019.
For the latest project in Iskandar Puteri, EcoWorld and PDT plan to develop residential and commercial properties.
The township will include a new range of homes priced from RM300,000 to RM450,000. This is to take advantage of the outstanding infrastructure and lifestyle amenities already in place, said Chang, adding that the new project will emulate and extend EcoWorld's existing Eco Botanic township.
Chang said the acquisition also comes with attractive payment terms, whereby 98 per cent of the base price is payable over a seven-year period, starting a year after the launch date, to match the
expected development tenure.
"This will minimise the initial cash outlay required from EcoWorld. The relatively low interest rate offered by the vendor will further help to reduce holding costs. Given the low upfront cash commitment, continued development progress achieved in Iskandar Malaysia, sizeable market catchment and strong demand created by Eco Botanic in the immediate locality, the development prospects of the new land are excellent," he added.
Besides Eco Botanic, neighbourhoods in Iskandar Puteri include Medini, Puteri Harbour, Educity, Kota Iskandar, Gelang Patah, Gerbang Nusajaya and SILC.
Iskandar Puteri also houses the Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal, with destinations to cities in Indonesia.
THE Kuala Lumpur (KL)-Singapore (SG) high-speed rail (KL-SG HSR) may be well on track and the market is excited about it.
Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said on Tuesday at the launch of the transit-oriented Bandar Malaysia project in Kuala Lumpur that in order to keep cost low, the speed of the bullet trains may be reduced, and possibly, the length, too!
"The HSR will go ahead, but we will have to find out what speed (of the train) we should have. It's not necessary for it to be 400 kilometres because if it travels at 400km, it might reach Alor Setar (in Kedah). Maybe less speed will contribute to the reduction of the cost," said Dr Mahathir.
Under the current proposed plan for the KL-SG HSR project, the line will be 350 kilometers long, and is expected to reduce travel time between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to 90 minutes, from the current 11 hours on existing train services.
It will have seven stations in Malaysia – Bandar Malaysia, Sepang-Putrajaya, Seremban, Melaka, Muar, Batu Pahat and Iskandar Puteri, before reaching its last destination in Jurong East, Singapore.
Rail experts have said the 350km line would cost around RM60 billion to RM65 billion. Based on estimates in 2015, the KL-SG HSR cost per km for systems and track is US$10 million (RM42.6 million). This means, for a total length of 350km, the systems and track works would cost RM15 billion.
Civil infrastructure cost is about three times more than the systems and track, which works out to RM45 billion.
Berjaya
Land (BLand) Bhd chief executive officer Syed Ali Shahul Hameed said
the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences will be the most iconic
development in Japan. (Courtesy Pix)
By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Property, December 17, 2019
KUALA LUMPUR: Berjaya Land (BLand) aims to launch luxury residences and villas on the island of Okinawa, Japan in the third quarter of next year, says its chief executive officer Syed Ali Shahul Hameed.
The developer is building the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences in Okinawa, including the villas and a spa, with construction slated to start by June next year.
This is the first phase of development for the 100 acres of beach front land owned by BLand, acquired back in 2009.
Phase 1 will use up 33 acres, and completed in 2023, said Syed Ali, adding that the total development cost is US$400 million.
"Earthwork is expected to start in the second quarter. We target to launch the residences and villas in the third quarter of next year. It will be one of the most luxurious homes in Japan while the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences will be the most iconic development, setting a benchmark," he told NST Property.
The development will emulate the success of Four Seasons Hotel and Hotel Residences Kyoto by Berjaya Group which officially launched in December 2016.
BLand's unit, Berjaya Okinawa Development Co. Ltd inked a management agreement with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts on January 17, this year for the project.
Syed Ali said, BLand will build 122 private residences and 28 villas.
He is upbeat there will be positive take-up, given the location, and the prestigious Four Seasons branding and management.
The 100 acre land is situated along the western coast of the island, about 50km northeast of Naha International Airport.
"Air Asia will fly to Okinawa starting January 22, 2020. This is a plus point for our development as we are targeting the Malaysian market. We are also targeting the Japanese market. Okinawa is the Hawaii for the Japanese," said Syed Ali.
The four times weekly service via Taipei commences 22 January 2020 (subject to regulatory approval), and will be AirAsia’s sixth international destination in Japan, after Tokyo (Haneda and Narita), Osaka, Sapporo, Fukuoka and Nagoya (via Bangkok).
Four Seasons Hotel and Hotel Residences Kyoto which officially launched
in December 2016. Pic credit Berjaya Properties' website.
Berjaya Corp founder and executive chairman, Tan Sri Vincent Tan said during the signing of the management agreement here that the Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences will be the most beautiful, valuable and expensive property in Okinawa.
Bart Carnahan, executive vice president, global business development, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts added that together with Berjaya, the partnership will create the very finest resort and residences of the highest quality, and offer a level of unparalleled service, one that is synonymous with the name Four Seasons around the globe.
The master plan for Four Seasons Resort and Private Residences, including planning and landscape architecture, is developed by international landscape architecture and urban design firm, EDSA Inc.
Japan's top architects Kengo Kuma and Kuniken will serve as joint architects for the project.
Plans are being finalised for the remaining 70 acres, which may include more luxurious residences.
By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Property, December 11, 2019
SUNWAY Group has invested more than RM500 million to improve security, connectivity, accessibility, landscape and green efforts at its Sunway City Kuala Lumpur (KL) township.
Aerial view of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur. Courtesy Photo
Senior managing director Datuk K.L. Tan said as a master community developer, Sunway recognised the importance of investing in these components, especially on safety and security.
He said there were more than 5,000 closed-circuit televisions (CCTVs) installed in Sunway City KL, including in Sunway-owned buildings in Bandar Sunway.
The CCTVs had motion detection with pop -up and facial recognition features, he told the New Straits Times.
Sunway’s trained auxiliary police are authorised to issue summons to those caught smoking in no-smoking zones. Courtesy Photo
Sunway City KL also employs close to 900 auxiliary and plainclothes policemen and security guards, some of whom conduct 24-hour joint patrol sessions with police personnel in the township.
At the group level, Sunway had installed more than 10,000 CCTVs in i ts townships in Malaysia and projects overseas, as well as employing about 1,400 auxiliary and plain clothes policemen and security guards, said Tan.
“We invest in auxiliary and plainclothes police personnel and security guards and work hard to fill those jobs with locals. They are in our shopping malls, hotels, universities, hospitals, theme parks and in all public places. For each business division, the guards work differently.
They are trained to ensure security and to know locations. For example, mall security personnel should know where the outlets are located when asked by visitors,” said Tan.
Sunway auxiliary police having their daily morning briefing. Courtesy Photo
“Crime rate in Sunway City is at below one per cent but any crime inside the shops is beyond our control. We do a lot of crime prevention and we put barriers and create walk paths for pedestrians.
“This prevents motorcyclists from coming into close contact with the pedestrians and snatching their bags or personal items,” he said.
Sunway City KL is the flagship development of Sunway Group, whose founder and chairman is Tan Sri Dr Jeffrey Cheah.
This vibrant township originated from 323.75ha mining land is a product of outstanding rehabilitation and restoration efforts. It is currently home to a population of 200,000, and houses more than 60 million sq ft of existing and future world-class facilities and developments.
In 2001, Sunway group partnered with the Royal Malaysian Police, Malaysian Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) and the state of Selangor to launch the Safe City Initiative in a concerted effort to combat crime in Selangor. The group invested around RM1 million to build Sunway Pondok Polis to strengthen security and safety of the community within Bandar Sunway. It was subsequently upgraded to Class C Station level with the establishment of some 100 police personnel.
It also sponsored two units of Balai Bergerak for Sunway Police Station at RM280,000 to further bolster security efforts within the township.
According to Tan, Sunway City was one of Southeast Asia’s premier tourist destinations and attracted 42 million visits.
“The township is regarded as a safe city and we aim for it to become a smart and sustainable city model. With 42 million visitors a year, we have to invest to improve security.
“We have constructed the tourist police service centre, which is a first in Selangor. The one-stop centre at the Sunway Pyramid mall will provide tourists with safety advice and solutions,” said Tan.
Sunway Pyramid has also taken the initiative to be the first shopping mall in Malaysia to be equipped with panic buttons.
An overview of YTL Arena Bristol. - Pic courtesy of YTL Developments
By Sharen Kaur - Published in NST Property, December 6, 2019
YTL Developments UK will build one of the world's largest indoor entertainment arena in Bristol, United Kingdom (UK), targeted to be ready by 2023.
The arena would generate £1.5 billion into the local economy over a 25-year period, said the company's director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong.
Hong said that the planning application has been submitted to Bristol City Council and South Gloucestershire Council in the middle of November to transform the gigantic Brabazon hangars at the former Filton airfield in the north of Bristol.
The iconic Brabazon hangars are housed within a 352m-long and 35m-tall building across 26 acres and they have been a part of Bristol's heritage since the 1940s.
The east hangar at YTL Arena will house a new Festival Hall; a flat
floor event space for conventions, exhibitions, trade shows
and other events. - Pic courtesy of YTL Developments
The building has an enclosed volume of some one million cubic metres divided up into three separate but interlinked aircraft hangars.
YTL Arena - Pic courtesy of YTL Developments
Built in 1946 for the construction of the Brabazon airliner, the building later became the birthplace of Concorde. In 2003, the final Concorde to fly traveled from Heathrow to Filton.
Filton airfield closed to commercial flights in December 2012. It was at a standstill until YTL Power International took over the 380-acre site in 2015 to develop Brabazon, a new urban community, with over 2,600 homes, creative workplaces and a vibrant town centre set amongst public squares and
parks.
Hong, one of seven children of YTL founder Tan Sri Yeoh Tiong Lay, who built the group from a humble construction firm in 1955 to an international outfit with interests in power, water, rail, cement, construction, communication, property development and hotels said that planning approval to deliver the first 278 new homes at Brabazon was awarded in March 2019.
YTL Developments aims to deliver a “world class venue for Bristol” which could rival London’s O2 Arena and Birmingham’s NEC in terms of restaurants, concessions, clubs and bars.
YTL Developments UK director Datuk Yeoh Seok Hong. - Pic courtesy of YTL Developments
The plan includes transforming the central hanger, also known as YTL Arena, into a 17,000-seater multi-purpose, flexible and unique arena auditorium, allowing Bristol to host full capacity live music shows, sporting events, family entertainment and comedy shows. The central hanger alone can fit the entire O2 Arena, which is currently the largest indoor entertainment arena in the United Kingdom.
The east hangar will be transformed into 'Festival Hall,' a break-out area for the main arena show which could also be used for trade shows, exhibitions, conventions and other events.
The west hangar, called 'The Hub', will be opened throughout the year offering a place to eat, work and play, with leisure facilities, and space for start-up businesses.
“We’re building much more than just an arena. It is a 365-day entertainment destination inside the iconic Brabazon Hangars that will create new jobs, bring new business to the region and enhance Bristol’s position as a leading European city. We'll put Bristol on the world map with this massive entertainment complex," Yeoh told NST Property during a visit to the former Filton airfield, in October.
YTL Developments has pledged to include zero waste to landfill, harvest rainwater and install solar panels on the vast roof area, with more than 18,600 tonnes of carbon emissions saving.
Planning approval to deliver the first 278 new homes at Brabazon was awarded in March 2019. - Pic courtesy of YTL Developments
The site will also boast a new train station that will connect to Bristol Temple Meads in less than 15 minutes and a frequently scheduled dedicated bus service to the city centre.
Brabazon development - Pic courtesy of YTL Developments
"We will breathe new life into the historic Brabazon Hangars, transforming them into an exciting, vibrant destination open all year round, offering a range of entertainment events, and creating a new place to eat, work and play. Visitors to the arena will experience more than a show, with vibrant food and drink areas, lounges and bars. We will have live pre-show entertainment on our community stage, showcasing local talent. We will take live music and entertainment into the community to inspire and engage the next generation," said Yeoh.
“Within the Brabazon Hangers, we have a unique and amazing opportunity to create something special that will greatly benefit the community. We have a tradition in our company that for every investment we do, we will host a concert of celebration. Moreover, it completely complements our wider development project, Brabazon, which will become an extension of the Bristol city centre. Our development will become an internationally recognised entertainment district, similar to the Greenwich peninsula that houses the O2 Arena in London," said Yeoh.
It is estimated that the new entertainment destination will attract more than 1.4 million visitors annually.
Most Malaysians cannot afford the properties build by developers.
By NST Property - December 6, 2019
THE residential overhang in Malaysia is a direct result of the supply-demand imbalance in the market, as developers continue to build properties which buyers cannot afford to purchase, says property experts.
The overhang was most recently estimated at 52,666 units in the second quarter of 2019. This includes 32,810 residential units, 18,186 serviced apartment units and 1,670 SoHo (small office home
office) units, based on statistics by property consulting firm, Nawawi Tie Leung Property Consultants Sdn Bhd.
PropertyGuru Malaysia country manager Sheldon Fernandez said, the amount of overhang
residential properties is because of affordability and loan financing challenges for Malaysians.
Fernandez said, there is also the demand-supply imbalance in the market, as developers gravitate
towards the higher margins for luxury and high-end launches.
Home seekers cannot afford properties or the loans required to purchase them, he said, adding that the ongoing issues facing the domestic property market are set to continue into 2020.
"The pressures driving these issues are complex and interrelated and have been building for decades, leading to calls from some quarters for a fundamental restructure of the property industry in Malaysia," Fernandez said at the PropertyGuru 2020 Market Outlook Forum here yesterday.
Fernandez pointed out that Budget 2020 has taken several steps towards addressing
this, through both interim and long-term measures.
Short-term measures aimed at easing home ownership challenges among Malaysians include the Home Ownership Campaign (HOC) and Bank Simpanan Nasional’s (BSN’s) Youth Housing Scheme (YHS), both of which have been extended from their original time frames.
Fernandez hoped that these measures, along with the current emphasis on rent-to-own (RTO) schemes, are able to address home ownership among younger and first-time purchasers.
The HOC, as well as provisions for lowered purchasing thresholds for international purchasers, should reduce the ongoing residential property overhang, he said.
"With regard to loan financing, Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) has seen an uptick in defaults from 2018 through 2019, particularly among those with variable income and those with properties worth more than RM500,000.
“These issues are not limited to the Malaysian property market, and are a product of increasing population pressure and decreasing land availability in urban hot spots. As more purchasers compete for fewer properties, prices are driven up, with developers catering to segments with higher profit margins,” says Fernandez.
Fernandez said that in Malaysia, these trends are underscored by perceptions of income stagnation and rising costs of living.
(L-R): CCO & Associates director Chan Wai Seen, Jones Lang Wootton executive director Prem Kumar, PropertyGuru Malaysia country manager Sheldon Fernandez, Cagamas corporate strategy & communications senior vice president Leong See Meng, and Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents chief executive officer Soma Sundram Krishnasamy at the PropertyGuru 2020 Market Outlook Forum.
The Department of Statistics Malaysia’s (DOSM’s) most recent Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey reported the median monthly income in the country as RM5,228 in 2016, growing at a rate of 6.6 per cent per annum.
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), meanwhile, has grown at an average of 2.5 per cent year-on-year (YoY), with an increase of 1.1 per cent YoY in October.
"The disconnect between real and perceived inflation is explained by BNM as a function of frequency and memory bias. Regardless, with the benchmark for affordability set by US-based consultancy Demographia International as three times the annual household income, this means that the price ceiling for affordable housing was about RM188,208 in 2016. Today, this figure has
been reported at RM282,000, while the average price for newly launched houses was RM417,262," said Fernandez.
Lacklustre year ahead
Fernandez said, the mixed macroeconomic indicators point towards a lacklustre year ahead for property.
"The US Federal Reserve cut interest rates three times this year, with BNM following suit in May and analysts projecting another potential cut mid-2020. These moves have the effect of creating positive interest rate environments at home, and abroad," he said.
Fernandez said this is conducive to home purchases in the short term, with prospects for capital appreciation in the long run, as cheaper loans drive property prices up.
He also believes that an influx of interest from regional purchasers may cause an upswing in sentiment for the near future, driven by unrest in other markets such as Hong Kong as well as
relaxed foreign ownership guidelines laid out in Budget 2020.
However, Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents (MIEA) chief executive officer Soma Sundram Krishnaswamy said during the forum that the number of Hong Kong property buyers purchasing properties here has slowed compared to the earlier days of protest.
“Based on the feedback from MIEA members, there was a big influx of Hong Kong buyers into
Malaysia...right now after a few months, it has slowed down,” he said.
Soma also said the government’s move to lower the house price threshold for foreign buyers to RM600,000 from RM1 million won’t have any major impact on the domestic property market.
He said foreign buyers would look at areas like Kuala Lumpur to purchase a property and it
would be impossible to get one there that cost RM600,000.
The coast of eastern Greenland. Image by Manon Clairbaux.
Little auks typically migrate between the high Arctic and the North Atlantic Ocean, though the loss of sea ice could change that. Image by Manon Clairbaux.
People in East Kalimantan help a drowning child in a water-filled crater that was previously mined for coal. Image courtesy of Mining Advocacy Network (Jatam).
A worker operates an excavator at an open pit-coal mine in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo. Image by Kemal Jufri/Greenpeace.
