www.ipohecho.com.my FREE COPY IPOH Your Voiceechoecho In The Community Since 2006 May 16 - 31, 2016 PP 14252/10/2012(031136) 30 SEN FOR DELIVERY TO YOUR DOORSTEP – ISSUE ASK YOUR NEWSVENDOR 235 100,000 print readers 1,911,520 online hits in April Property BOOM in Ipoh: Will it change the Face and Pace of Ipoh? By Ili Aqilah, Nantini Krishnan and Tan Mei Kuan t was in April 2014 when Ipoh made headlines on the U.S. News website by being named one of the places to settle for retirees with its evocative image of calmness, peace and relaxation. Ipoh had its heyday during the heady days of tin but had people bemoaning its sluggishness since the price Iof tin crashed in the 80s. But Ipoh appears to be emerging from the doldrums especially in the past two years and it is clear that Ipoh is booming with all sorts of new property developments such as hotels, shopping malls and public attractions to name a few. With this flurry of development activity, is Ipoh still the calm, peaceful and relaxing city? Or are we slowly moving to be the next ‘it’ city in Malaysia? Ipoh Echo sends its trio of reporters out to take a ‘temperature’ reading from the residents and the big boys of Ipoh property development. Continued on page 2 Upper East @ Tiger Lane Meru Valley EcoVillage The Haven TKB Ipoh South Precinct 2 May 16 - 31, 2016 IPOH ECHO Your Voice In The Community Flurry of development activites, from high rise, high end to low income affordable A Look at the Present, Who’s Where and What’s Coming Up? ongoing developments in their area. According to Upper East @ Tiger Lane Ipoh by Andaman Property Management Sdn Bhd has Susie, a Masters student of Urban and Regional reached 75% of completion stage and full completion is expected by the third quarter Planning who lives in Puncak Meru since 2002, of 2016. The luxury apartment is currently developments such as the upcoming Movie 80% sold. Animation Park Studios in Meru Raya will attract Under The Haven Sdn Bhd, award- more people to Ipoh leading to an increased state winning The Haven Ipoh Resort income and number of facilities. “It will make and Residences with its three towers, Ipoh famous but sustainable development should 26-storey 512 units of high-end luxury be emphasised,” added Susie. condominiums, is fully completed As for Khor Boon Leong, 51, a resident from physically and operating well with The Haven said “Almost all of the residents that I ongoing efforts in bringing up the value know love this combination of residents, guests, and desirability of the development and owners. The benefits are tremendous in that through maintenance and service. For long-term residents like us have the benefits of Dato’ and Datin Ushiama instance, The Haven is presently fully extraordinary security, service and good food.” occupied with improving their overall “We love the development, it service and quality of food. With its is a tremendous home for me. It has multitude of facilities designed to cater to been one of the best decisions in my residents and guests of three generations life moving from bungalow house to (grandparents, parents and children), it is The Haven. The security, service and no wonder that The Haven Resort Hotel friendliness in this place says it all,” is a 2016 Travellers’ Choice winner, the said resident from The Haven, Lee highest honour given by TripAdvisor. Hooi Hong, 66. Meanwhile, Bandar Baru Sri “Big brands are coming to what we Klebang is a 650-acre fully integrated Peter Chan – The Haven used to call a sleepy town. This will be township, developed by Kinta EcoCity a good opportunity for Ipoh to brand Sdn Bhd (under Kinta Properties Holdings Sdn Bhd). It features detached, semi-detached itself on a higher level as compared and terraced residences dotted with ample landscaped greenery. To date, over 2000 to previously and thus attract more Mike Chu Susie units have been completed since 2001. Its multiple residential offerings include Grand investors from out of Perak, namely Retreats 2 comprising of detached units and semi-detached units. Meanwhile, Pine Park Penang, Kuala Lumpur or maybe even spotlights 2-storey link homes Aspen and the more spacious Maple. The first phase of Singapore,” said Mike Chu, 27, a writer for yellowtuktuk.com. He also believes that the Aspen is envisioned to be ready in February 2018 while Maple in December 2017. The rise in property development will also provide more jobs and business opportunities to guarded community shares a clubhouse, The Centro, which brims with comprehensive the locals here. facilities. Japanese couple, Dato’ Tomiyasu Ushiama and Datin Mina Ushiama have been For Team Keris Berhad (TKB), their current projects span across the commercial, living in Meru Valley Resort for the past ten years. They enjoy the fresh air and the residential and industrial property sectors, making them proud to be able to launch verdant green of Meru. multiple projects at various locations at the same time. The group has undertaken a “Ipoh, in particular Meru Valley Resort, is a beautiful place for us retirees particularly proportion of development in other townships of Perak such as Batu Gajah Sentral its kind people and delicous food,” Mina, a big fan of laksa, said. Tomiyasu, 77, came to and Lintang Square @ Sungai Siput. The current running projects for TKB include a Ipoh in 1969 and joined later by Mina in 1974. Both expressed their sadness at the additional commercial hub at Jelapang Square (to complete by August 2016), integrated residential developments in Ipoh as it destroys nature development at Ipoh South Precinct (completion by 2017), residential condominium especially the underappreciated karst called Treetops Residency (completion landscape. Tomiyasu is among the first by June 2016) and many more. Being Japanese entrepreneurs in Malaysia and is one of the biggest household names in one of the founding members of the Perak the Perak property industry, TKB has Malaysian-Japanese Friendship Society. always prided itself on having a mixed and diversified portfolio going forward What Good Can It Do for the which includes integrated townships Community? and commercial centres both within In many cases, developments have brought Ipoh and in greater Perak. positive benefit in the form of extra housing Affordable houses are also supply. The ongoing developments by The available for the younger generations Haven Sdn Bhd Ipoh, Andaman Property and first time buyers. For example, Management Sdn Bhd, Team Keris Suria@Meru (ranging price from Berhad and Kinta Properties in Perak have RM263,800 to RM273,800) is potential benefits including the provision of scheduled to complete by December better housing to accommodate additional next year is located at Zone 9 at households, the possibility of increased Bandar Meru Raya. Developed by property values if new development is Cempaka Majujaya Sdn Bhd, a joint- well designed and complements existing venture company formed by Sunny housing, the possibility that development Reap Development and a subsidiary of brings in new infrastructure, longer term PKNP, PCB Development Sdn Bhd. improvements in affordability across the housing market and additional spending How Does it Affect the Current and investment in local shops and services. Dato’ Sri Dr Vincent Tiew – Andaman Residents? We took the liberty to go around to Michael Tan – TKB hear what residents feel about the TKB Ipoh South Precinct . continued on page 6 Your Voice In The Community IPOH ECHO May 16 - 31, 2016 3 IPOHechoecho RELIGIOUS (IN) TOLERANCE From the Editor’s Desk Religious intolerance is unacceptable in a multi-ethnic society like ours. By Fathol Zaman Bukhari But the way things are today I fear something untoward will happen... got a rude shock one Sunday evening when I bonkers? There is no way of telling as the truth may be received news that a Malay youth had entered a hidden from public scrutiny for good. I Hindu temple along Jalan Hospital and destroyed A similar incident happened in Kerling, Selangor some statues. The statues, 13 in all, represented in August 1978. Following numerous attacks on Hindu Hindu deities that devotees of the faith idolised. The temples in the peninsula the preceding months, the Indian perpetrator’s action amounted to the desecration of community in Kerling decided to guard their temple. Early objects of worship of the Hindu community. The one morning five Malay men in a car arrived at the Kerling sanctity of the temple had thus been violated. temple and proceeded to smash statues with iron rods. It took me awhile to take stock of things, as They were quickly surrounded by 10 Indian youths who I had not, in my wildest dream, thought that this were hiding in a nearby bush. A fight ensued and four of wanton and deliberate act could happen in my own the intruders were killed while one was seriously wounded. backyard. It must be the work of a madman or Ironically, the wounded man was a medical student from someone of unsound mind, I assumed. Ipoh is and Australia who was home on vacation. Luckily, the Jalan has been a peaceful town. An incident of this nature Hospital temple was unguarded. Had there been people in would definitely have a negative the temple the result would have been nasty. impact on people, especially Is this incident a harbinger of something sinister to coming at a time when religious come? Let’s hope not. insensitivity is becoming a norm The ouster of Shah Pahlavi of Iran by Ayatollah Khomeini in 1979 had a profound due to a multitude of reasons.