KNIGHT FRANK RATES MALAYSIA AS WORLD'S BEST FOR REAL ESTATE INVESTORS

KUALA LUMPUR: Global real estate consultancy Knight Frank has rated Malaysia as offering the best value for money for real estate investors in the world, and the highest yields and least volatility in the market across the Asia-Pacific region.

Knight Frank LLP's 2017 Global Cities report, which analysed real estate markets across 30 countries, favourably cited Malaysia, where a prime office building of over 390,000 sq ft could be purchased for just US$100 million.

"Coupled with the step-up on transport infrastructure development, which increases mobility and connectivity throughout Greater Kuala Lumpur, this transformation gives the city the edge, and represents the best value propositions for any multinational corporations (MNCs) or investors in the Asia-Pacific region," said Knight Frank Malaysia managing director Sarkunan Subramaniam at the 2017 Global Cities report briefing here yesterday.

The report, however, said that Kuala Lumpur's prime office rents are forecasted to experience negative growth at 1.1 per cent.

In addressing this, InvestKL Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Zainal Amanshah said instead of seeing the downturn as unfavourable, the negative growth positions Malaysia as an attractive business location for MNCs and investors.

"Kuala Lumpur today has several business hubs for investors to choose from.

"Global MNCs are looking at the city's fluid business ecosystem and cost-competitive factor as favourable advantages, compared to other major cities in the region.

"Kuala Lumpur's competitive real estate rates, cost-effective talent and generally lower operations costs are main criteria considered," said Zainal.

As of 2015, InvestKL has attracted 51 MNCs with a cumulative approved or committed investment of RM5.9 billion.

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THE 19 MOST WEALTHY AND ECONOMICALLY HEALTHY CITIES IN THE WORLD

Global design and consultancy firm Arcadis released a report on the most sustainable cities in the world.

Arcadis said it ranks 100 global cities across three sectors of sustainability — “People, planet and profit.”

Nestled within the report, entitled “Sustainable Cities Index 2016: Putting people at the heart of city sustainability” is a “profit sub-index” which ranks all the cities in the world in order of wealth and economic sustainability.

It basically examines a city’s performance from a business perspective, combining measures that are indicators that can be “broadly be thought of as capturing economic health:”

•        Transport infrastructure (rail, air and tra†c congestion)
•         Ease of doing business
•         Tourism
•         GDP per capita
•         The city’s importance in global economic networks
•         Connectivity in terms of mobile and broadband access
• ·      Employment rates

Naturally, cities that are considered major global financial centres ranked highly, as they tend to be most prosperous and have a highly-developed living infrastructure.

The more business is done in these key cities, the more money that flows through that area.

The group said “the profit sub-index is related to cities’ wealth, as the economic development indicator is the city’s gross domestic product (GDP) per capita (essentially, average economic output).”

Take a look at the top 19 cities:

19. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia — The Asian city is one of the world’s key hubs for Islamic finance and has one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

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TRAVEL GUIDE TO KUALA LUMPUR AND ITS ATTRACTIONS

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s glittering capital has all the makings of a world-class city. With its high rise buildings, contemporary hotels, swanky shopping malls, and international cuisine, Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it is commonly known, is Malaysia’s most developed and happening city.

The city, which took roots as a small time mining town, has in a matter of 150 years, grown into a completely modern metropolis, with the spectacular Petronas Towers, the world’s second tallest buildings, flaunting its rise to international fame. Kuala Lumpur’s mining industry attracted people from across the world including Britain, China and India, and the joint influences can be seen in the city’s architecture, cuisine, customs, and traditions. It is this multicultural character that makes KL such a fascinating place. The vibrant and colorful atmosphere of the city can be best experienced in the Chinatown, Little India and Kampung Baru, the heartlands of KL’s Chinese, Indian, and Malay communities.

The hedonists can find pleasure shopping to their hearts content in the sleek malls during the day and in the cranking nightlife after the sun sets. But for all its urban landscapes, KL is very traditional in heart. You can experience tranquil moments in its beautiful parks or in the impressive colonial-era buildings. Modernity blends with traditional charm— here you can see pre-was shops and hawkers share space with skyscrapers and spectacular high-rises. This is Kuala Lumpur, your gateway to a unique holiday experience.

Things To See

Take a walking tour of Kuala Lumpur to soak up the sounds, and smells of this colorful city. The central hub for all activities is Datran Merdeka (Independence Square). Also worth admiring is the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with its intriguing mix of Victorian and Moorish architecture. Providing a striking contrast to the colonial architecture are the Masjid Negara (National Mosque) and Masjid Jamek (Friday Mosque), with their distinct Islamic influence. The ornate Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, now no longer functional, is a cross between the two architectural forms. The western suburb of Bangsar Baru, with its pavement cafes has also captured the imagination of the visitors and locals alike

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MALAYSIA HOME AFFAIRS MINISTRY (KDN) TO IMPOSE VISA REQUIREMENT ON VISITORS FROM MIDDLE EAST

KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — The Home Affairs Ministry (KDN) is prepared to impose foreign visa requirement on Middle Eastern countries’ citizens as proposed by the National Security Council (NSC), to curb Daesh militant threats in Malaysia.

Its deputy minister Datuk Nur Jazlan Mohamed said to date the NSC had not submitted the proposal to the ministry, but the ministry was prepared to implement the move upon instructions from the council.

“That (visa) is under NSC’s jurisdiction. So far KDN has not received any directives. We will act as soon as we get the directive,” he told Bernama here today.

Nur Jazlan added that the ministry would leave it to the NSC to decide on which Middle Eastern countries came under the move. NSC secretary Datuk Seri Alias Ahmad yesterday (July 9) had proposed that the government imposed visa requirement on citizens from Middle Eastern countries to curb Daesh militant activities in Malaysia.

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GAWAI HARVEST FESTIVAL / HARI GAWAI 2016

Gawai Dayak also commonly known as Dayak Festival is one of the major festivals celebrated in Sarawak, East Malaysia. The word ‘Dayak’ is a collective term referring to the several hundred sub ethnic groups of indigenous people of Borneo. To name a few major ethnic groups, there are the Iban (Sea Dayak), Bidayuh (Land Dayak) and Orang Ulu (Kelabit, Kenyahs, Lun Bawangs, etc). Although some have become Christians, they are traditionally animists and live in the interiors of Borneo. Nonetheless, as time pass, some have moved into the city to further their studies and work.

Hari Gawai, which falls on the 1st and 2nd of June each year is particularly celebrated by the Ibans and Bidayuhs. It is both a religious and social occasion as this festival marks the end of the harvesting season (similar to Pesta Ka’amatan in Sabah) and it is a festival filled with much singing and dancing as they start a new farming season. It is one of the major festivals the Dayaks celebrate; therefore, most of those who work in the city would return to their village for the celebration.

A month prior to Hari Gawai, most of the locals would prepare the often raved tuak or rice wine. This famous, not-to-be-missed concoction is made of glutinous rice collected from the recent harvest mixed with home-made yeast and is left for fermentation. Another similar but stronger alcohol that is made by the locals is called langkau. This is the equivalent of our modern day Vodka whereby fermented tuak goes through a process of heating and condensation before it is being collected in a container.

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ECO-TOURISM IN MALAYSIA

Malaysia attracts visitors drawn to its diverse culture that is infused with Malay, Chinese and Indian traditions. Malaysia's diversity extends to its natural landscapes, notably its rainforest, which is 60 percent virgin forest that has not changed for millions of years. The country's numerous natural attractions lend to its success as one of the world's leading eco-tourism destinations.

Flora and Fauna

As one of the most biological diverse countries of the world, Malaysia is home to over 15,000 species of flowering plants and almost 300 species of mammals. Additionally, there are over 150,000 species of invertebrates including marine life and insects and approximately 4,000 different species of fish. Malaysia's mangrove forests of Langkawi are an example of the fragile ecosystem that acts as a sanctuary for the country's flora and fauna.

Protected Areas

Malaysia has created over 50 environmentally protected areas that include reserves and national parks and cover approximately 4.5 percent of the country's land area. Most of the nature reserves are not generally open to the public, but the national parks welcome guests to enjoy Malaysia's undisturbed natural areas. Because of its rich diversity in tropical plant species, Kinabalu Park was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park is home to Mount Kinabalu, which is the highest mountain between the Himalayas and New Guinea.

Activities

With all of Malaysia's national parks, you will have ample opportunity for outdoor activities. In addition to hiking and trekking through the jungle, visitors may go whitewater rafting, rock climbing, scuba diving and bird watching. Malaysia subscribes to eco-tourism as defined by the World Conservation Union, which includes environmentally conscious travel to relatively undisturbed natural areas to connect with nature. Additionally, eco-tourism activities promote conservation, have low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socioeconomic involvement of local populations.

Attractions

In addition to independently traveling to Malaysia's national parks, you can find specific natural attractions to pique your interest. Head to Sungai Lebam Wetland Preservation Area to watch the sky light up with hundreds of fireflies. Watch the world's largest birds, ostriches, race each other at the Desaru Ostrich Farm (desaruostrichfarm.com) located in Johor. While you are in Johor, also consider visiting Crocodile World (crocodileworld.teloksengat.com) in Teluk Sengat, home to over 1,000 crocodiles. To connect with Malaysia's ancient history, visit Kelam Cave, the "Cave of Darkness," one of Malaysia's largest caves that is believed to have been the home of cavemen in the Stone Age.

Source: USA Today

KUALA LUMPUR TOPS GLOBAL RICH LIST WITH 13,800 MILLIONAIRES

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 9 — Malaysia’s largest city Kuala Lumpur has the highest number of millionaires (denominated in US dollars)  surpassing all other cities of the world, according to a report by international wealth research group WealthInsight.

The city had 13,800 millionaires or high net worth individuals (HNWIs) in 2013, higher than Abu Dhabi’s 12,500, Cape Town’s 8,753 or Birmingham’s 8,736, WealthInsight said.

The  number of millionaires concentrated in Kuala Lumpur gives an indicator of Malaysia’s fast-growing wealth at the top end but also suggests an increasing gap between the richest and the rest of the population.

Average annual income in the country stands around RM20,000 and minimum wage weighs in at RM900 a month.

WealthInsight predicted that Malaysia’s number of millionaires will jump from over 26,000 last year to 30,054 in just four years, with total Malaysian wealth also projected to increase from US$151 billion (RM527 billion) to US$206 billion (RM719 billion) in the same period.

“Malaysian wealth grew at the remarkable rate of 59.6 per cent between 2009 and 2013 and is expected to increase by a further 28% to reach US$206 billion in 2018,” said the group which claims to have a detailed database on the rich and an international-based team of over 500 economists, analysts and researchers. 

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What Are the Best Luggage Brands in 2016?

Shopping for luggage can seem daunting when you see how many brands are competing for your business. Some are household names, and others you may be hearing about for the first time. Either way, we went through extensive research to determine the top ten best luggage brands. Using a 1 to 5 scale, with 5 being the best, we have narrowed our findings down to the ten best.

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