槟主办 2020世界 科技大会 《珍珠快讯》 封面版 April 1 – 15, 2019 Swedish delight IKEA opens its doors in Penang Story by Edmund Lee modern and intelligent township. Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud “Batu Kawan, which was for- merly underdeveloped, is now FROM affordable and quality growing into an exciting town- home furnishings to the delicious ship, with 4,017 residential and meatballs. commercial units besides having All these are now available for facilities such as IKEA, KDU Penangites and people in the University College and Design northern region when Swedish Village. furniture giant IKEA opened its “Leading property developers store in Batu Kawan on March such as EcoWorld, Paramount, 14. Aspen Group and Penang Devel- Previously, IKEA customers in opment Corporation (PDC) par- the northern region had to travel ticipated in the development of to Selangor to shop for IKEA’s Batu Kawan,” Chow said in his affordable furniture and home speech during the opening cere- furnishings. mony. Now with the official opening Also present were Finance of the fourth IKEA store in the Minister Lim Guan Eng, IKEA country here, it brings all those Southeast Asia managing director items the firm is well-known for almost right to our doorstep. Chow and Lim with Pathmalingam Three other IKEA stores are (third from left) and Roejkjaer located in Cheras and Damansara (fourth from left) during the grand opening of IKEA Batu in Selangor and Tebrau, Johor. Kawan. The latest IKEA store has 470,146sq ft of retail space. Christian Roejkjaer and IKEA Besides its home furnishings, Batu Kawan store manager A. IKEA’s food outlets are well Pathmalingam. known for their reasonably Lim concurred with Chow that priced meals including those IKEA had brought in great devel- fabulous meatballs opment to Batu Kawan and the Chief Minister Chow Kon mainland. Yeow, who was present at the He said the store was built with opening ceremony, lauded IKEA sustainability in mind. for successfully establishing its “It proves that sustainability first store in the northern region. can contribute positively to mak- “Batu Kawan is set to undergo ing a profitable business deci- major transformation into a vi- sion,” he said. brant area. A huge group of people waiting “It is the state’s aspiration to anxiously for the opening of develop Batu Kawan to be a IKEA Batu Kawan on March 14. 2 NEWS April 1 – 15, 2019 BUlETiN MUTiArA BUlETiN MUTiArA April 1 – 15, 2019 NEWS 3 Nur Adriana Aida Che Lah (blue T-shirt) and 2 Nurul3 Izzati Nizan, from Kedah: “As today is our off day, we took the opportunity to come to IKEA. Towards “To be frank, we are really excited with IKEA opening its first store in the northern region. “IKEA provides shoppers with interesting plans, ideas and suggestions with regards to home furnish- smoke-free ings. That is the part that attracted us. “Can’t wait to do our shopping, and I’m pretty sure there will be a long queue at the counters as we can see a big crowd already in the morning itself. Penang “Before we start our shopping, we want to fill our Story and pix by Edmund Lee “The Penang Health Depart- tummies. That’s why we are queuing up here to try ment through Smoke-Free Pen- some food at IKEA cafe. IKEA is unique.” Rodziah Abul Kassim (right) lasted me almost 10 years. This PENANG is aiming to be a ang (Penbar) has been tasked to and Che Farah Che Roslan, itself speaks for the high qual- smoke-free state in the next two conduct a thorough review on a from Penang: ity. Now, I shouldn’t worry to three years. proposed plan and to identify Dr Afif (in white) getting ready to launch the health campaign. “Our purpose is to shop for about driving to Kuala Lumpur State Health, Agriculture, certain smoking zones. some items. Now, we’re ad- just for IKEA since it is here Agro-Based Industry and Rural “It is better to have Penang as be considered and gazetted as for Penang to take the lead here,” ganised by AIMST University IKEA captures dicted to the meatballs – in Penang,” said Rodziah. Development Committee chair- a smoke-free state, rather than smoking areas,” he told reporters he said. and Malaysian Pharmacy Stu- IKEA’s signature food. Yeah, “We both came very early man Dr Afif Bahardin said it is gazetting certain smoke-free ar- after attending a public health Malaysia implemented a na- dents’ Association (MyPSA), was we love IKEA home furnish- today and waited for the store important for the public to under- eas, one after another. campaign in Bukit Mertajam, on tionwide smoking ban on all food aimed at creating awareness on ings. And I am a long-time to open. We did not attend the stand the state’s commitment on “We have banned smoking in March 16. establishments on Jan 1 this year, cancer among the public. customer of IKEA. We bought opening ceremony as we knew the matter. schools, universities, clinics, and Dr Afif said such a practice was with the aim of protecting the Dr Afif, earlier in his speech, hearts of Penangites many unique home furnishing there would be a big crowd. “We want to do away with the hospitals in the past. Now, we not new. public from exposure to second- called on the people to do regular Story by K.Thaarshenii I wanted to get a feel of it. I saw the items before this at the IKEA Not forgetting the meatballs, unhealthy smoking culture to cre- plan to gazette the entire state as “Foreign cities such as Tokyo hand smoke. health checks. Pix by Darwina Mohd Daud newspaper advertisement on the Cheras store. we have already had it before ate a healthy environment for a non-smoking state. and London have carried out such The public health campaign in “Prevention is better than opening of IKEA. They projected it “The two-seater cushion I starting our shopping. IKEA is everyone. “However, certain areas will initiatives. I believe that it is time Bukit Mertajam, which was or- cure,” he said. THE arrival of IKEA Batu Kawan, so well that I could not resist coming bought at IKEA Cheras has the best,” Che Farah added. the first of its stores in the northern here to look around today. region, provides convenient acces- “My opinion of the price range Marzuki Mastar, 74, Bayan “But, having IKEA in Pen- sibility to many people in the north. over here (IKEA) is seen from a Lepas: ang, it will be easy for my fam- Sewerage works project The highly popular Swedish different perspective. The prices “It was very crowded with ily to go to Batu Kawan to get furniture chain has brought an ex- depend on the affordability of the visitors last week, so my wife home furnishings. tensive range of modern and afford- shoppers and on the quality of the and I chose to come today (Mon- “For me, with the presence of deadline extended able home furnishings, concepts, products as well.” day). IKEA here, it will bring an abun- THE deadline for the comple- Pekaka and Jalan Bukit Gambir. Uban had complained to him plans, ideas, solutions and even food “Previously, I had been to dance of economic and invest- tion of a 19km-sewerage works The cables had to undergo cable about traffic woes and safety and beverages. IKEA in Kuala Lumpur. ment opportunities to Penang.” project from Bukit Gambir to conversion and had to be shifted. issues pertaining to the project. IKEA Batu Kawan is well-de- Bayan Lepas has been extended. “The deadline was extended “My office will arrange a dia- signed and is a kind of shopping Batu Uban assemblyman A. to Feb 17, 2019 but the project logue session with the parties paradise featuring a mix of func- Kumaresan said the project, contractor was unable to com- concerned to address the prob- tional and quality home furnishings which started on Oct 9, 2015, plete the upgrading works. lems,” he said. at affordable prices. was scheduled to be completed “I was informed that the Also present were Jade View This big outlet, which is the by last Oct 8. works will be completed by and Jade Apartments building fourth store in the country, held its “However, the project faced 2020,” Kumaresan said on officer William Goh and a rep- grand opening ceremony on March some problems with the utility March 15. resentative of Widad Builders, 14, drawing an overwhelming Kumaresan (third from left) with residents and other guests present cables in Sungai Dua, Jalan He said that residents in Batu the contractor of the project. crowd. during the meet-up in Bukit Gambir. The Buletin Mutiara media team conducted a survey recently on how the public feels about having the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Penang biggest furniture store here at Batu Kawan in Penang. Lau Yong Keong, 43, from marks first year anniversary Below are the shoppers’ views. Alma: DOUBLETREE RESORT niversary of the resort. “I have brought my family by Hilton Penang has estab- “We can expect more joy- here to check out the outlet for lished itself as a major force ous anniversaries in future,” the first time as we have never in the hospitality and tour- said Chow during his speech been to IKEA before. As I know, ism industry, welcoming after attending the hotel’s the store is mainly to purchase over 100,000 guests since it one-year anniversary in Batu home fittings because it has was set up last year. Ferringhi on March 27.