Menara Binjai

Menara Binjai, designed by Malaysian firm Verticas Architects, has been awarded the coveted Best Sustainable Development Award (Built) in the 2012 Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets, two weeks ago in Dubai.

Clinching the top spot in the prestigious sustainability category, the Malaysian building beat two other finalists, namely the Masdar Institute of Science and Technology and the award-winning UAE Pavilion in Abu Dhabi. Both buildings were designed by Foster and Partners of the UK.

The building was the very first Malaysian building to win the prestigious title.

Chua Guan-Hock, Director at Khor Joo Saik Sdn Bhd credited the victory to the board and consultants who worked hard as a team.

"This award is extremely meaningful and a stamp of approval of the tower's outstanding sustainability, as a market leader in Malaysia and the Asia Pacific region. Competing and winning against outstanding developments adds to the satisfaction of this acknowledgement," Chua said.

Located right next

PropertyGuru picked up three coveted awards - Best Innovation - Gold, Best Media - Silver and Best Online Service - Bronze - at last week's OPP Awards for Excellence in London.

The gala event, which was held in the City of London, saw more than 350 representatives from global property developers, real estate agencies and other industry organisations vie for honours in 28 award categories. Judges, comprising of a panel of 50 influential industry leaders from around the world, deliberated on hundreds of entrants.

As the gold standard bearer for Best Innovation, PropertyGuru's win is a cumulative result of focusing on mobile technology as the key driver in PropertyGuru's vision of expanding its online property portal share in the region. In response to the growth of the Asian mobile market and upward trend of mobile internet usage, PropertyGuru launched the PropertyGuru AgentNet and Consumer Mobile Application on all major platforms - iPhone, BlackBerry and Android, and are available in

Property Negotiation

By Enoch Khoo

Two women were walking through the woods when a frog called out to them and said: "Help me, ladies! I am a real estate negotiator who, through an evil witch's curse, has been transformed into a frog. If one of you will kiss me, I'll be returned to my former state."

One woman took out her purse, grabbed the frog and stuffed it inside her handbag. The other woman screamed: "Didn't you hear him? If you kiss him, he'll turn into a real estate negotiator!"

The first woman replied: "Sure, but these days a talking frog is worth more than a real estate negotiator!"

With the boom in the property industry, it is not surprising that more and more individuals are trying to venture into the property industry as a negotiator. Some join believing there is a huge opportunity for success in this industry while others venture into it because they aspire to be their own boss. Personally, I've learnt that most say joined because they heard from someone that any Tom, Dick or Harry who is a

The WaterEdge Apartments

Leading Aussie private property developer Walker Corporation officially launched The WaterEdge Apartments, the first phase of its high-end apartments under the Senibong Cove project in Iskandar Malaysia.

The WaterEdge Apartments sits on an eight-acre waterfront land - providing all the units with a panoramic view of the Lunchoo River, the marina and the Straits of Johor.

Designed by the SA Architect, the project blends Asian tropical designs to Aussie architectural influences. Apart from being located amidst natural surroundings, The WaterEdge Apartments also showcases various green and sustainable features.

For the latest property news, trends, resources and expert opinions, visit our Property News section. Home buyers, sellers or property renters looking for Malaysian Properties, may like to visit http://www.propertyguru.com.my today.

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Emkay Group's newly launched RM1.9billion Star Central@Cyberjaya is poised to further solidify the company's foothold in the Silicon Valley of Malaysia.

Sited on a 7.2ha site, the mixed development will be the first-of-its kind low-density office. It will built in four stages over the next seven to 10 years by Emkay Group's unit Joyful Star Sdn Bhd (JSSB).

Star Central, which comprises modern designed free-standing semi-detached office towers, will become a self-contained commercial centre, said Tan Sri Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar, Group Founder and Chairman of Emkay Group.

The project will also feature 17 blocks of eight-storey office towers with a net floor area (NFA) per floor of 1,881sq ft to 2,838 sq ft. It also includes a Corporate Park with two blocks of individual office buildings offering a NFA between 4,823 sq ft and 6,008 sq ft per floor.

In addition, the office blocks are designed to allow natural ventilation and lighting in each unit.

"The office towers are linked to each

Ronnie Choong

By Widya Sharkawi

The Malaysian Institute of Interior Designers-Malaysian Interior Designers Award 2012 (MiiD-MIDA 2012) is set to honour the creative minds and players within the interior design industry in Malaysia.

The awards will be presented at the MiiD Inaugural Ball, held at the Sime Darby Convention Centre on 19 October 2012, which will see an audience of more than 1,000 design professionals and industry leaders. There will be a variety of activities lined up for the night to honour creative excellence of the Malaysian design industry, to acknowledge as well as to appreciate partnership and to celebrate friendships within the interior design industry.

Ronnie Choong (pictured), president of MiiD, says: "By creating this space for exchanging of ideas and information, we hope it will offer members additional knowledge, tools and technologies to stay ahead of the trends and increase their business effectiveness in the marketplace.

"It also allows for industry peers to come

Albany Heights

BREAKING NEWS: Property investors from Singapore, Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur are said to be "in the dark" about the progress of a New Zealand housing development which was showcased in Southeast Asia during 2011.

The National Business Review (NBR) has reported that progress on the Albany Heights Villas project (pictured) in Auckland has stalled and that the developer cannot be contacted.

The New Zealand publication reported that as many as 100 investors from Asia could have bought into the first phase of the development.

Construction has yet to commence, the project's website is down and no one was present at the sales office when enquiries were made, according to NBR.

"We all fear that the worst has happened," said one Asian investor who contacted the New Zealand media seeking information.

Online forum postings suggest that investors may have paid deposits of up to 20 percent of the total purchase price - equal to RM162,117 - although planning consent had not been granted.

Have you

Banks should be flexible to young people whose names appear on the Central Credit Reference Information System (CCRIS) and Credit Tip-Off Sdn Bhd (CTOS), said Datuk Idris Haron, chairman of Syarikat Perumahan Negara Berhad (SPNB).

To enable them to get housing loans, he suggested that CCRIS and CTOS conditions should not be imposed on them.

"They might have made a wrong move in managing their finances at the outset, as a result their names are listed in CTOS and CCRIS and they are facing problems to secure housing loans."

"So, I propose the Finance Ministry and banks be flexible with them," so that they will still have a chance to apply for a home loan.

"A house is an immobile property, not mobile property like a car or a motorcycle. It can also be used as collateral. So, if the applicant runs away, the bank can auction the house to recover the amount it lost," Idris pointed out.

Moreover, the government should also cap the prices of luxury residential projects, particularly those