IDR highway project to be completed by 2010

JOHOR BARU: The construction of the RM1.1bil Coastal Highway has begun and the 15km six-lane project is expected to be ready by 2010. The highway's seven interchanges and three bridges would be a lifeline for the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) as it provides a vital road link between the east and west of South Johor, Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said. He said site-clearing works had begun and they would be followed by piling and construction. “It is one of the biggest infrastructure projects within the IDR,” Ghani said in a statement. The highway will connect Johor Baru city to the Johor State New Administrative Centre in Nusajaya (JSNAC) and the Second Link crossing. JSNAC, the nexus of the IDR, is 90% completed and will be ready for occupation by June.

(The Star 7-3-2008)

Local firms to build IDR waterfront projects

JOHOR BARU: Three local companies will undertake new waterfront property projects worth about RM540mil in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) this year. Kota Selat Tebrau Sdn Bhd, Best Reality Point Sdn Bhd and Tune Hotels Sdn Bhd have projects slated in Danga Bay, which is within the 25km stretch of the IDR waterfront. Read more

(The Star 6-3-2008)

RM540m boost for Iskandar region

THREE Malaysian companies are investing a total of RM540 million in new waterfront properties within the Iskandar Development Region (Iskandar), Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said yesterday.The projects — by Kota Selat Tebrau Sdn Bhd (KST), Best Reality Point Sdn Bhd and Tune Hotels Sdn Bhd — are all coming up in Danga Bay, which is within a 25km stretch of the Iskandar waterfront.KST, a special purpose company under the South Johor Investment Corporation (SJIC), is the master developer of waterfront land in Nusajaya and Danga Bay, which are among the two prime locations within the Iskandar.KST will develop Iskandar’s first high-end serviced condominium called Oakwood Residence Johor (ORJ).Read more

(New Straits Times 6-3-2008)

More developments for IDR

JOHOR BARU: Three Malaysian companies are investing a total of RM640 million in new waterfront properties within the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). The projects by Kota Selat Tebrau Sdn Bhd (KST), Best Reality Point Sdn Bhd and Tune Hotels Sdn Bhd are all coming up in Danga Bay, which is within a 25km stretch of the IDR waterfront. Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said the investments were a clear indication of, not only strong foreign interests, but also growing local confidence in the IDR. To date, the IDR has attracted some RM22 billion in total investments, especially from Middle Eastern investors. Major local firms like UEM Land Bhd are also blazing a trail with signature developments in the
southern corridor. Read more

(The Sun 5-3-2008)

UK varsity plans Iskandar campus

BRITAIN'S Newcastle University will set up its first international branch campus within the Iskandar Development Region (Iskandar), putting the price of medical studies within reach of Malaysians.South Johor Investment Corp Bhd (SJIC), the promoter of Iskandar, said the university will offer degree courses in medicine and bio-medicine studies."While the university's Iskandar campus is expected to be completed in 2011, the target date for the first intake of students will be for September 2009," SJIC said in a statement.Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed handed over the letter of invitation to the university's dean of International Medical Education professor Reg Jordan in Johor Baru yesterday.Mustapa said students could get a Newcastle University medical degree at about half the cost of doing so in the UK.Read more

(New Straits Times 1-3-2008)

E&O plans luxury homes in IDR

PETALING JAYA: Eastern & Oriental Bhd (E&O) is exploring the possibility of a high-end residential property development in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). The company signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Kuwait Finance House (M) Bhd (KFH) for the development of a 195-acre in the IDR in mid-February. E&O managing director Datuk Tham Ka Hon in an e-mail reply to StarBiz said details were being finalised for the proposed joint-venture development with KFH. “The MoU provides for a six-month period for both parties to sign the joint-venture agreement,” he said. E&O signed an MoU with Cultural Cluster Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of KFH, in mid-February to jointly develop the parcel, which is designated as the Heritage District within the 624-acre Cultural Cluster of Node 1. Read more>

(The Star 29-2-2008)

Nusajaya vibrant city by year 2011

BANDAR Nusajaya in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) will come alive in 2011 when the projects and activities planned for the township takes shape. UEM Land Sdn Bhd, through its subsidiary Bandar Nusajaya Development Sdn Bhd, is the master developer of the sprawling 24,000-acre integrated urban development of Nusajaya. Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim,With Nusajaya being one of the five key flagship zones of the IDR, UEM Land is in an advantageous position to reap the fruits of the development of IDR into a major regional economic hub under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. According to UEM Land managing director Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, the company has become more active in the last three years and implemented various changes to its plans for the township. “We have been successful in putting Nusajaya back on the map with new activities and branding. We expect the momentum to pick up these two to three years,” he told StarBiz. Read more>

(The Star 25-2-2008)

RM1b GDV for East Ledang

NUSAJAYA: UEM Land Sdn Bhd expects to generate RM1bil in gross development value (GDV) from its latest property project, East Ledang, here. Director for strategic marketing and corporate communications Zulkifli Tahmali said the project, which would be launched on Saturday, would take five to seven years to complete. He said phase one, comprising 139 units of link duplexes priced from RM500,000 and twin villas costing at least RM850,000, was expected to be ready by mid-2009. “East Ledang is the first resort residential development to take place within the Iskandar Development Region (IDR),” he told a media tour yesterday. Read more>

(The Star 20-2-2008)

Work to start on Iskandar theme zones

WORK is to begin soon on the Iskandar Development Region's (Iskandar) three theme zones in Node 1, the flagship catalyst project to grow the first integrated international city there.Rim City Sdn Bhd (RCSB), the master concessionaire of Node 1, and Cultural Cluster Sdn Bhd (CCSB) have jointly announced that the definitive agreement has been made effective.In a joint statement recently, RCSB and CCSB said Node 1 is set on 931ha of prime greenfield land in Nusajaya, located between the second crossing to Singapore and the New Johor State Administrative Centre."CCSB is vested with the development of the Logistics Village, Creative Park and Heritage District, covering about 251ha, offering an abundant choice in residential and commercial properties and mixed development," it said.RCSB and CCSB said that the transaction is valued at RM1.2 billion. - Bernama

(New Straits Times 18-2-2008)

E&O in JV to develop 79ha IDR land

KUALA LUMPUR: Eastern & Oriental Bhd (E&O) has teamed up with Cultural Cluster Sdn Bhd to develop a 79ha parcel of land in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) in southern Johor. In a statement yesterday, E&O said it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Cultural Cluster to set up a 50:50 joint-venture company for the purpose. It said the land formed part of Node 1 of IDR identified as the “cultural cluster” that encompassed three distinct zones, namely Logistic Village, Creative Park and Heritage District. Read More

(The Edge 15-2-2008)

MRT service to IDR being studied

COMMUTERS might be able to take the MRT to Johor one day. Singapore and Malaysia have formed a working group to look at ways of improving transport links between the two countries. One option being considered is to run Singapore’s MRT network into Johor, Singapore’s Ministry of Transport revealed on Tuesday. If that gets the green light, The Straits Times understands the cross-border MRT service could start at the Woodlands station here and end at the Iskandar Development Region (IDR). The area is a special economic zone spanning 2,200 sq km in south-west Johor – where a monorail system is proposed. Read more

(The Star 14-2-2008)

Iskandar Seen Attracting RM10b This Year

THE Iskandar Development Region, the major southern economic growth corridor, expects to receive more than RM10 billion in investment projects this year. Datuk Ikmal Hijaz Hashim, chief of Iskandar Regional Development Authority, said of the total more than RM8 billion would come from manufacturing sector. The region received about RM17 billion worth of investments last year and they included RM4.2 billion from Kuwait Finance House, Mubadala Development Company and Millennium Development International Company.

(25-1-2008 New Straits Times)

More Mega Projects Slated For IDR

JOHOR BARU: The outlook for the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) is set to change with work on several mega projects scheduled to commence over the next three to five years. The latest property launches indicate that luxury houses are priced between RM1mil and RM15mil while a new price benchmark has been set with condominiums fetching more than RM1,000 per sq ft. Ghani, who is a co-chairman of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), is optimistic the continuous inflow of foreign investment into the IDR would jumpstart slow-moving projects.

(24-1-2008 The Star)

Iskandar Sparks Flurry of High-end Property Projects in South Johor

THE launch of the Iskandar Development Region in November 2006 has spurred a new market segment for high-end properties in south Johor. Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman said 25 major developers had submitted plans for housing, commercial and mixed-development projects in the coming months. Many of these offer upmarket lifestyle developments featuring exclusive bungalows, luxury apartments and commercial complexes.

(24-1-2008 New Straits Times)

Promising Outlook For Johor Property Landscape

KUALA LUMPUR: The south Johor property landscape looks promising with the launch of several large-scale projects, including housing, in the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) over the next three to five years, said Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman He said yesterday 25 developers had submitted plans for housing, commercial and mixed-development projects in the coming months. The projects included exclusive bungalows, luxury apartments amd commercial complexes. The latest property launches were Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd’s Lido Boulevard, Danga Bay Sdn Bhd’s Danga Island Villas and Gamuda Bhd’s Horizon Hills. These projects were expected to lift Johor’s construction sector out of the three-year recession since 2004.

(24-1-2008 The Edge)

Nusa Cemerlang to complement the IDR

JOHOR BARU: The new Nusa Cemerlang Industrial Park (NCIP), with a total gross development value of about RM1bil, will cater to the needs of investors wanting to set up companies within the Iskandar Development Region. Crescendo Corp Bhd managing director Gooi Seong Lim said the project, to be developed by its subsidiary Panoramic Industrial Development Sdn Bhd, would comprise 352 factories, targeting small and medium industries.

(16-1-2008 The Star)

Work on Lido Boulevard to start after CNY

JOHOR BARU: Work on the RM2.7bil Lido Boulevard, the latest waterfront project within the Iskandar Development Region (IDR), is set to commence after Chinese New Year. The developer, Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd (CMP), will start mobilising construction equipment and manpower at the project site along Lido Beach here in March. Lido Boulevard is one of the biggest private finance initiatives along the Lido waterfront after the Danga Bay development.

(11-01-2008 The Star)

Central Gears Up To Begin Work On Lido Boulevard

Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd (CMP), a company linked to businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, said it is on track to begin work on the RM2.7 billion Lido Boulevard waterfront project in the Iskandar Development Region, Johor, in March. The property developer will start mobilizing construction equipment and manpower at the 49.37 ha beachfront site. The project is expected to be completed by 2016.

(11-1-2008 New Straits Times)

Developer gears up to begin work on Lido Boulevard

CENTRAL Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd (CMP), a company linked to businessman Tan Sri Vincent Tan Chee Yioun, said it is on track to begin work on the RM2.7 billion Lido Boulevard waterfront project in the Iskandar Development Region, Johor, in March.The property developer will start mobilising construction equipment and manpower at the 49.37ha beachfront site.The project is expected to be completed by 2016.

(10-1-2008 New Straits Times)

Work on RM2.7b Lido project to start after lunar new year

WORK on the RM2.7 billion Lido Boulevard development - the latest waterfront project within the Iskandar Development Region (IDR) - will begin after the Chinese New Year.In a statement from Johor Baru today, developer Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd (CMP) said it would start mobilising construction equipment and manpower at the project site along the Lido Beach in March.The Lido Boulevard is one of the biggest private finance initiatives along the Lido waterfront in Johor Baru after the Danga Bay development.

(10-1-2008 New Straits Times)