Bandar Sunway to be first integrated wireless township in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: The Sunway group will turn Bandar Sunway into the first integrated wireless township in Malaysia by year-end.

The group will provide 30,000 Bandar Sunway residents and two million visitors yearly access to the Internet without boundaries.

The group with its partner, Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1), had just completed the first phase of the township’s wireless broadband development while the second phase is expected to commence soon.

Sunway Group President Datuk Chew Chee Kin( (right), Subang Jaya Assemblywoman Hannah Yeoh (centre) and Packet One Networks Sdn Bhd (P1)CEO Michael Lai exchanging souvenirs after an MOU signing between P1 and the Sunway Group and the launch of the wireless broadband services at Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa in Petaling Jaya - Starpic by Brian Moh

Sunway group president Datuk Chew Chee Kin said currently 60% to 70% of the township, minus the residential areas, had the Internet service.

“We have set up 100 wireless fidelity (WiFi) hotspots, benefiting business users, students and visitors. At the moment, you can access the Internet for free at Sunway Pyramid,” he said after Sunway group signed a memorandum of understanding with P1 to continue with the second phase of broadband development yesterday.

“After 20 years of developing this city to epitomise ‘resort living within the city’, we are moving ahead to become the first integrated wireless township in Malaysia and maybe in the region too,” he said.

P1 is a subsidiary of Green Packet Bhd, which was awarded one of four worldwide interoperability for microwave access (WiMAX) licences by the Government last year.

P1 chief executive officer Michael Lai said the first phase of broadband development cost about RM5mil while the second phase’s cost had yet to be worked out.

“The current phase involves deploying (WiMAX) to cover more areas within this 800-acre township, complementing the WiFi usage that had been used in the first phase,” he said. The areas covered in the first phase include Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, Monash University Sunway Campus, Sunway University College, Sunway Metro and Sunway Mentari.

By The Star

P1’s WiMAX to complete Bandar Sunway’s broadband coverage

PETALING JAYA: Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd (P1) is deploying its WiMAX facilities to offer complete broadband coverage of Bandar Sunway, Malaysia’s first “integrated wireless community.”

P1 chief executive Michael Lai said the company would only start the project in Bandar Sunway after it launches its WiMAX services in the next two months.


From left: Packet One Networks (M) Sdn Bhd CEO Michael Lai, Sunway Group president Datuk Chew Chee Kin and Subang Jaya state assemblywoman Hannah Yeoh at the signing ceremony yesterday between Sunway Group and Packet One Networks at Sunway Resort Hotel to offer complete broadband coverage of Bandar Sunway.

“WiMAX services would be deployed to cover more areas in Bandar Sunway and it will be done by year-end,” Lai said after signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Sunway Group yesterday.

He said P1 was still calculating the cost of setting up the WiMAX services in the 320-hectare township.

WiMAX, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, is a standards-based technology that enables delivery of last-mile wireless broadband access as an alternative to cable and digital subscriber line (DSL). It is enables quad play — voice, video, Internet and mobility.

P1 and Sunway Group signed the MoU to extend wireless services to the entire Bandar Sunway through the second phase of their project. They started the first phase of the project early this year to provide wireless coverage by using mash WiFi technology.

The wireless broadband coverage is currently accessible in Pyramid Mall, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, Monash University, Sunway University College, Sunway Metro and Sunway Mentari.

The two companies invested some RM1.5 million for the first phase of the project, which was completed in the second quarter. Both parties declined to reveal the funding proportion.

“Over 100 WiFi hotspots have been activated within these areas, currently benefiting business users, students and visitors to Bandar Sunway. This will also benefit some 30,000 residents and two million visitors to Bandar Sunway,” Sunway Group’s president Datuk Chew Chee Kin said.

“We will cover as much as we can. Of course we won’t cover places with no usage,” Chew said, adding that the wireless services currently covered 60% to 70% of the township, excluding the residential areas.

Users can get free WiFi access with speed capacity of 128 kilobytes in Pyramid Mall. Nevertheless, users from the other five locations need to pay for the wireless access of up to 512 kbs. P1 charges RM5 for 24-hour usage, RM10 for seven-day usage and RM20 for 30-day usage.

“The first thing we should have is connectivity. Once we have the connectivity, we can go to the next step by improving the (speed) capacity to serve the community,” Lai said.

Subang Jaya assemblywoman Hannah Yeoh, who witnessed the signing ceremony, said she would like to see other corporates offer similar services in other areas in Subang Jaya.

“It is very handy and convenient because people can work from anywhere. They can work from a café or restaurant,” Yeoh said.

By The EDGE Malaysia (by Racheal Lee)

HK investors for business centre

IPOH: Hong Kong investors have teamed up with a local developer to help transform the quiet town of Simpang Pulai into a bustling commercial area with the development of Simpang Pulai Business Centre at a cost of some RM500mil.

Hong Kong-based investment firm Jerard Co Ltd will be funding 28% of the 43ha project, undertaken by Glamour Ideals Sdn Bhd.

Glamour Ideals managing director Joseph Chin said the business centre would be built in three phases.

“The first phase of 68 shoplots is already sold out. It costs up to RM438,000 per unit,” Chin said after the project ground-breaking ceremony on Saturday.

The second phase would comprise the remaining 102 shoplots and the third phase would be a hotel and villas to be launched later this year.

The project is Jerard's second investment after a condominium project here called Damaipuri Condominium.

Director Dr Ho Hau Wong said Jerard was set up for investments in Malaysia and planned to be involved in other projects in and around Ipoh.

“I find Ipoh a beautiful place that is natural disaster-free and the people very warm,” said Dr Ho, who also gave away donations totalling RM88,000 to various charitable organisations and schools here.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (centre) with Hong Kong investor Dr Ho Hau Wong (right) and Glomour Ideals Sdn Bhd managing director Joseph Chin (left) at the ground-breaking ceremony of the Simpang Pulai Business Centre development project near Ipoh.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin was also present to witness the groundbreaking ceremony.

Dr Ho, who plans to retire here, said Jerard was involved in two projects in the city centre - a service apartment, and hotel and villas development.

Other projects were semi-detached houses and villas in Menglembu and semi-detached houses and bungalows in Bercham, he added.

By The Star (by Hah Foong Lian)

Mah Sing completes sale of The Icon

The Mah Sing Group has announced the completion of the sale of its 20-storey Grade A office, The Icon Jalan Tun Razak (East Wing), to Kuwait Finance House K.S.C (KFH) and Autron Corp Ltd for RM255 million.

In a statement, Mah Sing said the payment of 18 per cent of the sale consideration of RM237.092 million (excluding the cost of RM18 million for car park) amounting to RM42.676 million will be payable within seven days from the date of the supplemental agreement signed yesterday.

“The balance 82 per cent, amounting to RM194.415 million shall be paid within seven days from the issuance of the project architect’s certificate of practical completion,” the company added.

Group managing director/chief executive Datuk Sri Leong Hoy Kum said the building is expected to be completed in the first half of next year.

He added that proceeds would be optimally utilised to capitalise on business opportunities in line with the group’s business strategy.

“Together with the en bloc sale of the West Wing to Koperasi Permodalan Felda for RM174.4 million in July last year, The Icon Jalan Tun Razak has reaped RM429.4 million in gross development value (GDV) for Mah Sing within 13 months of purchasing the prime land in October 2006,” Leong pointed out.

Leong said the group is financially strong and would continue to build its strong balance sheet by capitalising on any business opportunity.

The group has 14 residential and commercial projects, of which nine are in the Klang Valley, four in Johor Baru and one in Penang with a remaining GDV of RM2.98 billion.

“This represents a total GDV of approximately RM4 billion which ensures the group’s earnings visibility for seven years,” Leong explained.

By Bernama

Mah Sing agrees to waive RM194mil bank guarantee

PETALING JAYA: Mah Sing Group Bhd has agreed to waive its proposed bank guarantee of RM194.41mil from Prompt Symphony Sdn Bhd over the proposed en bloc sale of 263,435 sq ft of The Icon@Tun Razak.

Mah Sing said in a statement yesterday the RM194.41mil was 82% of the RM238.09mil sale consideration of the property to Prompt Symphony, a special purpose vehicle set up to acquire the property.

Mah Sing said the parties had signed a supplemental agreement allowing Prompt Symphony’s request for the waiver in order not to incur additional bank commission and costs under the bank guarantee.

Prompt Symphony would then release RM42.67mil within seven days from the date of signing of the supplemental agreement.

The remaining 82% or RM194.41mil would be paid seven days from the date of issuance of the architect’s certificate of practical completion.

Prompt Symphony is a unit of Autorn Corp Ltd, which is listed in Singapore and Australia. Upon completion of the joint venture agreement Prompt Symphony will be 80% owned by Kuwait Finance K.S.C. and 20% by Autron.

Work on The Icon@Tun Razak is at level 17 of the 20-storey office and it is expected to be completed in the first half of next year.

By The Star

Pasdec to start 46ha Bukit Tinggi project next year

KUANTAN: Pasdec Holdings Bhd remains committed to its core strength in property-related activities such as construction and management of resorts and building.

Its projects include a tourism-related development on 46ha in Bukit Tinggi, Bentong, by 70%-owned subsidiary Bentong Aquarium & Sanctuary Park Sdn Bhd.

If all went well, construction would commence next year, Pahang Mentri Besar and Pasdec chairman Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob told reporters after the company AGM recently.

Asked if the project could take off following tremors recorded in Bukit Tinggi, he said its structural design would be styled after buildings in Japan so that it could withstand any future tremors.

Group managing director Yusof Ali Mohamed Zain said the project, costing about RM85mil, would feature an aquarium with 5,000 types of fishes including sharks and fresh-water fish.

“It will also include banquet and conference facilities that can accommodate up to 1,000 people,” he said.

Yusof Ali also said there were plans for a heritage water park comprising landscaped pools with streams, waterfalls and a tropical rainforest reserve with eco-park and botanical garden.

He added that it could provide education and training and had the potential to be a centre for captive rehabilitation and breeding programmes.

“There are plans to work with local learning institutions involved in aquaculture and veterinary sciences,” he said.

By The Star (by Roslina Mohamad)

IJM falls after earnings target downgrade

IJM Corp, Malaysia’s second-largest builder, fell in Kuala Lumpur trading and was the sixth-biggest decliner on the benchmark Composite Index.

Macquarie Group Ltd cut its earnings forecast for the company on costs and political turmoil.

At 11.42am, the stock slid 15 sen, or 2.9 per cent, to RM5.05.

IJM, based in Petaling Jaya outside capital Kuala Lumpur, is down 41 per cent this year, compared with the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index’s 21 per cent decline.

IJM’s earnings per share forecast was cut by 27 per cent for fiscal 2009 and 26 per cent for 2010, according to the Macquarie report published today. It also cut the share-price estimate to RM6.30 from RM9.85 in the next 12 months.

“Recent events such as political uncertainty and inflation have caused us to reduce our estimates for the construction and property businesses,” the report said. It kept its “outperform” rating on IJM.

By Bloomberg