Tanco to resume property projects after settling debt

PUCHONG: Resort operator and developer Tanco Holdings Bhd plans to proceed with some of its property projects once it has paid its RM144.58mil debt to Lehman Brothers Commercial Corp Asia Ltd by the third quarter of 2012.

At an EGM on Tuesday, Tanco shareholders approved the ordinary resolution in relation to the proposed settlement scheme to Lehman Brothers.

Tanco group managing director Datuk Tan Jing Nam said the company's land was now locked up in the lengthy litigation process.


Tan says the company ’s land is now locked up in the litigation process.

The land bank includes 430 acres in Palm Springs Resort City, Port Dickson, and 170 acres in Duta Lakes, Lake Kenyir, Terengganu.

“From the waiver of the remaining secured debts pursuant to the settlement scheme, Tanco will have net exceptional gain of some RM118mil that will improve the company's net tangible assets by 35 sen per share,” Tan told StarBiz.

Group executive director Datuk Lynne Tan said there would also be a significant drop in the company's net gearing ratio to 0.09 from 1.83 now.

Tanco had, on Feb 21, reached an agreement with Lehman Brothers for the settlement sum of RM144.58mil which would involve RM44mil cash as well as the transfer and vesting of certain properties at an agreed value of RM100.58mil.

According to Tanco's circular to shareholders, these properties include parcels of land, houses and shophouses in Rawang and Seremban as well as a parcel of beachfront vacant resort development land in Port Dickson.

Tanco and its affected subsidiaries have signed a settlement agreement with Lehman Brothers Commercial, Lehman Brothers Pan Asian Investments Ltd and Malaysian Trustees Bhd to formalise the settlement scheme.

The settlement sum of RM144.58mil was arrived at on a negotiated basis.

Lynne said the cash settlement sum would be paid in five instalments over 12 months from the date of “consent judgment”.

The cash settlement sum would be funded through internal funds and bank borrowings.

“There is also the possibility for the cash settlement sum to be settled earlier,” she added.

Lehman provided a two-year loan facility of about RM239.6mil in November 2007 to repay Tanco's debt obligations which saw Tanco coming out of PN17 classification on Jan 17, 2008 after completing its debt restructuring exercise.

By The Star

Dijaya Corp to launch projects with GDV RM3.5b

KUALA LUMPUR: DIJAYA CORPORATION BHD reported net profit of RM18.54 million in the first quarter and announced projects with gross development value (GDV) of RM3.5 billion over the next two years.

It said on Friday, May 27, that its earnings jumped 489% from RM3.15 million a year ago, boosted by higher profit margin contributed by its new property development launches.

The earnings were underpinned by the new launches including Tropicana Grande golf-fronted condominiums and Casa Tropicana final Block E condominiums at Tropicana Golf & Country Resort as well as Pool Villas at Tropicana Indah Resort Homes.

Dijaya added the 3Q earnings included net gain of fair value adjustment of RM5.16 million arising from marketable securities and recognition of RM4 million in liquidated and ascertained damages compensated from a contractor.

Its managing director Datuk Tong Kien Onn said that given the current set of results and the good location of the company’s current development, he was optimistic Dijaya would continue to post an improving set of results.

“The Company also has projects under planning to be launched over the next two years worth RM3.5 billion in GDV.

“These projects include W Hotel and Residences Kuala Lumpur, serviced apartments in Tropicana Danga Bay, Tropicana Gardens commercial centre, Tropicana Avenue business and retail centre, Tropicana Bayou mixed development and Tropicana Cheras bungalows, semi-dees and linked houses. With all these projects on the pipeline, the Company is poised for growth.”

By The EDGE Malaysia

China, Malaysia to develop industrial park

China is looking to incorporate a joint venture company with Malaysian developers to undertake the construction of the Qinzhou Industrial Park (QIP), said Deputy Director Qinzhou Municipal Commerce Bureau Xiao Xiao.

She said the joint venture company would cooperate in land acquisition, infrastructure construction and investment promotion.

"We chose Malaysia as our JV partner as it our biggest trading partner in the China-Asean Free Trade Agreement with bilateral trade having grown eight times since 2000.

"Qinzhou offers easy access via multiple options, including direct sea route, Pan-Asia railway and the highway network," she told Bernama in an interview today.

She said the QIP was planned to focus on equipment manufacturing, electronic information, new energy and materials, agriculture products, food processing and modern services industries.

"In terms of industrial layout, we welcome any constructive suggestion and advice from Malaysia," Xiao added.

She also said to formulate preferential policies, the bureau has defined three aspects which included sharing land development profits, local tax revenue and to strive for early harvest.

"Tax revenue retained for local public finance, in the start-up stage, will be granted to the JV company as follow-up development funds," she said.

In order to promote practical progress in the joint development of QIP, Malaysians enterprises that invest in Qinzhou can enjoy a favorable industrial land price of RM35 per square metre.

QIP, to be sprawled over 50 square kilometres, will be developed over 10 to 15 years close to port and high-tech industries, and have an anticipated population of between 300,000 and 350,000.

By Bernama

Tycoon Li Kashing firm buying malls in Malaysia

PETALING JAYA: Singapore-based ARA Asset Management Ltd, which is linked to Hong Kong tycoon Li Kashing, is in different stages of negotiation to buy between five and 10 malls throughout Malaysia.

Its CEO (ARA private funds) and director (corporate office) Ng Beng Tiong said its second Asia Dragon Fund has a fund size of US$1bil to buy Asian assets. Its first Asia Dragon Fund has a fund size of US$1.1bil. ADF is the flagship private real estate fund of ARA.

ARA Asset Management is an affiliate of Hong Kong's Cheung Kong Group, which is controlled by Li.

ARA was set up in 2002 when Li and its other founder, John Lim of Singapore, came together at a time when Cheung Kong was primarily a conglomerate focusing on buying and selling land for development. From a zero base, ARA currently has assets in Singapore, Hong Kong and China exceeding RM44bil in value.

“We don't want to set a limit but we do have a country limit. Nevertheless, that is a lot of firepower given the size of the fund,” said Ng yesterday, adding that they were at different stages of negotiations.

He was in Malaysia to launch 1 Mont'Kiara Mall (1MK), which was purchased by the Cheung Kong Group last year for about RM333mil.

This will be ARA's third property, the other two being the AEON Mall in Malacca and Summit in Subang Jaya.

Ng said they liked well-located community malls which serves the upper middle-class group, with single ownership and management.

“We like community malls because they serve a local need. In that sense, they are stable and defensive. We are also prepared to buy older malls and refurbish them,” he said.

Ng said ARA was looking for economies of scale and they had not limited themselves to just the Klang Valley. Instead, they are considering having assets throughout Malaysia as there is always the possibility of tenants following them. He said there were looking at a risk-return profile with an upper limit of an internal rate of return of about 20%.

“This is an opportunistic fund, meaning we are looking at buying assets at a higher risk, which brings with it a higher return,” Ng said.

In the case of 1MK, it was under construction when the Cheung Kong Group bought it. “We saw the potential and we liked the location. We put in a lot of hard work, brought in the tenants, did the advertising and promotion, and today it is about 60% tenanted. By the end of the year, it will be about 90% tenanted. In three to five years, this mall will be stable and we will have achieved our rate of returns.

ARA has 25 malls throughout Asia 14 in Hong Kong, four each in China and Singapore and three in Malaysia.

Its primary business includes real estate investments trusts, private funds and real estate management services.

By The Star

Recurring income seen from Nu Sentral

KUALA LUMPUR: Nu Sentral, a retail mall under construction at Kuala Lumpur (KL) Sentral, is expected to generate RM70mil recurring income annually from 2013.

It is a joint venture between Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) and Pelaburan Hartanah Bhd (PHB).

MRCB chief executive officer Datuk Mohamed Razeek Hussain said the group planned to increase recurring income contribution to its turnover.

“We have already embarked on acquiring the properties for the purpose of leasing,” he told reporters after the signing ceremony with NU Sentral retail tenants yesterday.

The mall is managed by Nu Sentral Sdn Bhd of which MRCB and PHB hold 51% and 49% stakes respectively.

MRCB planned to increase the contribution of its recurring income to between 20% to 25% of its total income in two to three years from 10% currently.

“We will be selective in the tenants which will be selected based on the reputation of the brand,” he said adding that 60% of the NU Sentral floor area had been taken up.

Among the tenants that signed up yesterday were Golden Screen Cinema, MPH Bookstore, Parksons, Wangsa Bowl and AMP Square Premium Karaoke. MRCB had 28 new tenants yesterday.

The seven-storey retail mall aims to be the first in the country which has the Singapore BCA Green Mark compliance and Malaysia Green Building Index certification.

By The Star