New Development: KDU Smart School, Nusajaya (Part II)

The school, which is targeted to open its doors on January 1, 2011, will cater to the current and future population of Nusajaya as well as the Johor population. It will have a slightly smaller capacity compared to its Sekolah Sri KDU in Kota Damansara, which has a full capacity of more than 2,500 students. Other established names under the KDU banner include KDU College in Damansara Utama, Sekolah Sri KDU in Kota Damansara, KDU Management Development Centre (KMDC) in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya, as well as KDU International Language Training School (KILTS) in Chongqing, China. According to Wan Abdullah, the school will be fronting the Coastal Highway connecting the Johor city to Nusajaya. The highway project is being spearheaded by South Johor Investment Corporation and is funded by the federal government to improve connectivity.East Ledang, a 365-acre development launched about four weeks ago, has had its first phase 50% taken up and expects to be 100% sold in a matter of three to four months, said Wan Abdullah. He reveals that its second phase, comprising terraced homes, semidees and bungalows will be launched in 4Q2008. UEM Land is the master developer of Nusajaya, a 24,000-acre regional city located in South Johor touted to be the largest fully-integrated urban development in South-East Asia. The group is currently undergoing a restructuring exercise which will be completed in September, said Wan Abdullah. “There have been no setbacks,” he said.

(The Sun 26-3-2008)

Sri KDU Smart School coming up in Nusajaya, johor

PETALING JAYA: Janahasil Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paramount Corporation Bhd (Paramount) has signed a sale and purchase agreement with UEM Land Sdn Bhd (UEM Land) yesterday for the acquisition of 10 acres of land in Nusajaya, Johor. Sold for a total consideration of RM13.068 million, the land is located within UEM Land’s latest development known as East Ledang. Paramount, with a track record in the educational services sector under the KDU brand, will construct and operate the proposed Sekolah Sri KDU Smart School on the 10-acre plot. “Paramount will be the first private education operator in Nusajaya. The setting up of a private school of this stature is in line with our plans to develop an integrated community with world class infrastructure in Nusajaya. I am confident that the school, when completed and ready for enrolment in 2011, will be welcomed by young families looking for quality yet affordable education for their children,” said Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim, managing director of UEM Land. Datuk Teo Chiang Quan, group managing director and group CEO of Paramount, said another RM40 million would be allocated for the construction of the school’s first phase. Paramount also has an option to acquire another 15 acres of land from UEM Land for future expansion. According to Teo, the group has three years to exercise the option, which it is considering. “We are committed to doing something there; we are now doing a market study to find out why should we do another school there,” he added. According to Teo, the company is in the midst of planning the blueprint, which could take about three months after which relevant submissions will be done. “We aim to begin piling works seven months from now, perhaps in October. It will take one and half years to build the school,” he said.

(The Sun 26-3-2008)

Paramount to build RM53m private school in Nusajaya

PROPERTY developer Paramount Corp Bhd will invest over RM53 million to develop a private school, the Sri KDU Smart School, in Nusajaya township, Johor. Main board-listed Paramount is buying a four-hectare piece of land in East Ledang, Nusajaya from UEM Land Sdn Bhd for RM13.1 million.Group managing director and chief executive officer Datuk Teo Chiang Quan said the company will be spending another RM40 million on the school building, school equipment and fixtures and fittings. "We have an option to acquire another six hectares of land from UEM Land for the extension of Sri KDU School. "We may go for an international school," he said at the signing of the sales and purchase agreement in Petaling Jaya yesterday.Also present were Paramount chairman Datuk Md Taib Abdul Hamid, Bandar Nusajaya Development Sdn Bhd director Tan Sri Mohd Sheriff Mohd Kassim and UEM Land Sdn Bhd managing director Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim.Sri KDU Smart School in Nusajaya is targeted to open its doors on January 1 2011. This will be the company's second smart school after Sri KDU Smart School in Kota Damansara, Selangor.Education contributes about a third to Paramount's revenue.Wan Abdullah said the school will be strategically located within UEM Land's new development, the 146ha East Ledang. Read more

(New Straits Times 26-3-2008)

Sepang picked as site of New Era college

KUALA LUMPUR: A new 40ha-campus site in Sepang is awaiting the New Era College, a non-profit community-funded tertiary institution run by Dong Jiao Zong, a combination of two major associations associated with the Malaysian Chinese education movement. The land was donated by Vintage Heights – a joint venture comprising GuocoLand (M) Bhd, Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS), Hap Seng Consolidated Bhd, Crescent Capital Sdn Bhd and Cheltenham Investments Pte Ltd. To build the college, the Hong Leong Foundation raised RM3.38mil in the last eight years through its list of companies and charitable events and pledged another RM2mil, said Dr Poh Soon Sim, the foundation’s director. Read more>

(The Star 20-2-2008)

MUI-Chin Teck JV ‘gives away’ 160 acres

PUTRAJAYA: The developer of the 2,000-acre Bandar Springhill mixed project in Negri Sembilan has “given away” 160 acres of its freehold land to UCSI Education Sdn Bhd under a deal that is expected to help spur sales of the township’s residential and commercial properties. West Synergy Sdn Bhd, a 60:40 joint venture (JV) between MUI Properties Bhd and Chin Teck Plantations Bhd, sold the tract for an undisclosed sum for the college operator to set up an education township. “UCSI is buying the land at a nominal price,” said West Synergy chairman Wong Aun Phui. The company has used about a quarter or 550 acres of the designated site for mixed development at Bandar Springhill, which is located about 20 minutes drive from Seremban and Port Dickson.

(5-2-2008 The Edge)

Education Town In Bandar Springhill

West Synergy Sdn Bhd, a 60-40 joint venture between MUI Properties Bhd and Chin Teck Plantations Bhd, has teamed up with UCSI Education Sdn Bhd to establish an education township at its Bandar Springhill development in Negri Sembilan.UCSI vice-chancellor and president Peter T.S. Ng said the cost is still being worked out, but is likely to be in the region of "a few hundreds of million ringgit".

(5-2-2008 New Straits Times)

Relocation for 13 Chinese schools

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry has approved the relocation of 13 Chinese schools to densely-populated areas in the Klang Valley and Johor. Plans are also under way for six new Chinese schools to be built in Wangsa Maju, Sungai Long, Kajang, Bukit Serdang, Rawang and Danga Bay. For example, nearly 1,700 Chinese students in Sungai Long had to travel to schools in Cheras and Balakong, causing inconvenience to their parents.

(01-02-2008 New Straits Times)

Sunway University College expands to Sarawak

SUNWAY University College has opened a new branch campus in Kuching, Sarawak, bringing the total number of campuses to four. The setting up of the branch campus was made easier after Sunway took a majority stake in Cades Business School, which has been renamed Sunway College Kuching.

(18-1-2008 New Straits Times)

AP Land eyes education

KUALA LUMPUR: Asia Pacific Land Bhd (AP Land), one of the oldest property groups in Malaysia, is diversifying into the education sector in a move to enhance its earnings base. The group yesterday announced that its wholly owned subsidiary Khas Cergas Sdn Bhd had entered into a conditional sale of business agreement with Dynamic Master (M) Sdn Bhd to acquire Victoria International College in Klang and Kuala Lumpur. Khas Cergas will buy Victoria International for RM2.5 million, to be settled by RM1.35 million cash and properties in Bandar Tasik Puteri worth RM1.15 million, it said.

(15-1-2008 The Edge)