River of Life flowing smoothly

Federal Territories and Urban Wellbeing Minister Datuk Raja Nong Chik Raja Zainal Abidin, who visited four of the project sites yesterday, said he was pleased with the progress of the project.

    "To date, 18 out of the 47   projects under ROL have begun construction, while many more are progressing on schedule. We will continue the momentum of the project, which will  complete  in 2020," he said.

      The delegation of ministers first visited the Batu Dentention Pond where the river cleaning project will take place.

The Department of Irrigation and Drainage is constructing a Water Treatment Plant (WTP) at the Batu Detention Pond.  It is expected to complete in March 2013. The project aims to improve the water quality of Sg Batu from Class 4 to Class 2. Once the WTP is completed, water from Sg Gombak will be channelled to the Batu Detention Pond  where the water will be treated and diverted to Sg Batu through Sg Keroh.

    The second site they visited was the Bunga Tanjung Food Court in Ampang, where two communal grease traps were built last October. The grease traps will reduce  oil and grease entering the river by 90 per cent. The Ampang Jaya Municipal Council were given RM2.3 million under the ROL project to install 20 communal grease traps in nine food courts in their municipality. Another 46 grease traps will soon be installed at eateries in the city and Selayang.  

    The next site they visited was the Bunus Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) in Titiwangsa which will be upgraded by the Sewerage Services Department (SSD).  The upgrading project is expected to start next year. The upgraded  Bunus STP will be able to  handle  1,100,00 metre cubic of waste from 352,000 metre cubic   per day.

    Indah Water Konsortium Sdn Bhd spokesperson said that once completed the waste from three catchments areas will be treated at the Bunus STP.

The ministers then visited Precinct 7 of the river beautification project in Masjid Jamek.

AECOM, which won the bid to beautify the river, will be producing detailed designs for   Masjid Jamek. The beautification project is expected to begin towards the end of next year and completed in five years.

The ROL project will span over a decade, from 2010 from 2020. The estimated budget for the project is RM4 billion.

Read more: River of Life flowing smoothly - Central - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/streets/central/river-of-life-flowing-smoothly-1.22084#ixzz1hYRxi6Cb

KAFD : Will KLIFD look like this?

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1MDB embarks on tender process for KLIFD project

PETALING JAYA: The tender process on major foundations works for the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) has started, 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) said.

The Government-owned company had invited contractors to participate in a pre-qualification exercise in the construction and completion of earthwork and excavation works, retaining structure, piling works and related sub-structure works.

Deputy chief executive officer (operations) Datuk Azmar Talib said in a statement yesterday: “This is probably among the largest earthwork, covering the size of about 20 football fields (12ha) and excavating about 20m or about four storeys into the ground.”

The notice of pre-qualification will close on Jan 6. Short listings and invitations to tender have been scheduled to complete by mid-Feb next year.

The 30ha development in the Imbi area in between Jalan Tun Razak, Jalan Sultan Ismail and the Putrajaya elevated highway, seeks to create a catalytic pool of world-class players by combining leading financial institutions and top global companies.

The Star 24-12-2011

http://www.starproperty.my/PropertyScene/PropertyNews/17782/0/0

KLIFD pre-qualification notice ends on Jan 6

A pre-qualification exercise on major foundation works for the Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) is in progress, said 1MDB (1Malaysia Development Bhd).

1MDB Real Estate Sdn Bhd deputy chief executive officer (operations), Datuk Azmar Talib, said the works involved the construction and completion of earthwork and excavation works, retaining structure, piling works and related sub-structure works.

"Other works include site clearance, soil excavation, excavation of rocks, curtain grouting and drainage layer," he said in a statement today.

Azmar said this was probably among the largest earthwork, covering the size of about 20 football fields (12 hectares) and excavating about 20 metres (about four storeys) into the ground. 

"We are currently in a flurry of activities in the run up to the start of construction first quarter of next year. 

"In the process, we are creating and enhancing value to the site," he said. 

IMDB said the notice of pre-qualification, advertised on Dec 8 in local newspapers, will close Jan 6, 2012. It is also available at www.1mdb.com.my. 


Read more: 'KLIFD pre-qualification notice ends on Jan 6' http://www.btimes.com.my/Current_News/BTIMES/articles/20111220181250/Article/index_html#ixzz1h5wHwLPD

Kajang-Silk Highway breaches 50-million-vehicle mark

KUALA LUMPUR: The Kajang-Silk Highway, operated by SILK Holdings Bhd via wholly-owned unit Sistem Lingkaran Lebuhraya Kajang Sdn Bhd, has breached the 50-million-vehicle mark today.

In a statement, SILK said it was a significant event for the highway that has been serving the greater Kajang area by acting as linkage to existing highway networks, including PLUS, BESRAYA and Grand Saga since 2004.

"More recently, it has added Lebuhraya Kajang Seremban and South Klang Valley Expressway to its list of connectivity," it said.

Its executive chairman, Datuk Mohd Azlan Hashim, said the highway has seen its average daily traffic volume increased from over 47,000 vehicles per day when it first started operations in 2004 to almost 150,000 vehicles today.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/20/business/20111220152227&sec=business

Rare earth could be Malaysia's new growth area

The Star 21/12/2011

KUALA LUMPUR: To help fuel Malaysia's drive to achieve high income status by 2020, Malaysia needs to discover and venture into new economic growth areas.

And rare earth could be the country's new growth area, said Dr Ahmad Ibrahim, Chief Executive Officer of the Academic of Sciences Malaysia (ASM).

"Our oil, land and other reserves are depleting, so we need to look for new opportunities and this is one of it," he told reporters after the launch of a report titled "Rare Earth Industries: Moving Malaysia's Green Economy Forward" here today.

He said the entire scale of high-tech industries depended on a sustainable supply of rare earth elements. Rare earth is widely used in manufacturing of an extensive range of downstream products which find wide applications in such industries including aerospace, consumer electronics, automotive and telecommunications.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/20/business/20111220161225&sec=business

Govt names Zelan unit contractor

KUALA LUMPUR: Zelan Bhd's 95%-owned subsidiary, Terminal Bersepadu Gombank Sdn Bhd (TBGSB) has received a letter of intent for it appointment as the contractor to design and build the proposed upgrading of Middle Ring Road II, Taman Melati Interchange and other associated works.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia, Zelan said the letter of intent would remain valid for six months subject to terms and conditions.

The pricing of the proposed upgrading and other associated works to be agreed upon, failing which the Government had the right to terminate the letter of intent without any further notice.

The Star 20/12/2011

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/20/business/10128784&sec=business

Sunway buys Johor land worth RM745.3mil

Purchase made through joint venture with Khazanah vehicle

KUALA LUMPUR: Sunway Bhd has expanded its landbank in Johor with the acquisition of two parcels of leased land worth RM745.3mil in Medini Iskandar via a joint venture vehicle with Khazanah Nasional Bhd.

The two parcels, which are adjacent to each other, total about 691 acres and has an estimated gross development value (GDV) of RM12bil.

The newly acquired land known as Zone F Medini will boost Sunway's landbank by 30% from the previous 2,145 acres, while the proposed development will boost the company's current GDV to RM32bil,” Sunway said in a statement yesterday.

The Star 20/12/2011

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/20/business/10127816&sec=business

MMC wants to buy railway, inject RM1bil into it

The Star 20/12/2011

PETALING JAYA: MMC Corp Bhd confirmed that it had submitted a proposal to the Minister of Finance Inc (MOF) to undertake a due diligence exercise on KTM Bhd (KTMB) for the purpose of taking over the operations of KTMB.

It said this in a reply to a query by Bursa Malaysia yesterday due to a news report on the subject.

“MOF, vide its letter dated Dec 1, had given its approval for MMC to conduct the said due diligence subject to the signing of a non-disclosure agreement between the parties.

“We will make the appropriate announcement to Bursa Malaysia in accordance with the requirements of the Main Market listing requirements if there are any material developments in this respect,” said MMC.

MMC said yesterday it had embarked on an exercise to take over the loss-making national railway company and planned to inject about RM1bil into KTMB.

http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/12/20/business/10125375&sec=business

MRCB and Sunway win LRT extension contracts

The Star 17 Aug 2011

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Resources Corp Bhd (MRCB) and Sunway Holdings Bhd have won contracts worth RM1.33bil and RM569mil for the light rail transit extension of the Ampang line and Kelana Jaya line respectively from Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd (SPNB).


In separate statements yesterday, Sunway and MRCB said the contracts for the construction and completion of facilities (Package B) were awarded to their respective wholly-owned units - Sunway Construction Sdn Bhd and MRCB Engineering Sdn Bhd (MESB).

Sunway said it expected the contract to boost its construction order book to approximately RM2.5bil.

“Under Package B awarded to Sunway Construction, the facilities works will involve the construction and completion of facilities along a 8.1km route from Persiaran Kewajipan, Subang Jaya to Putra Heights.

The works include site clearance, earthworks, viaduct construction, roadworks, drainage works, traffic management, structural works and temporary works.

“The project is expected to contribute positively to the Sunway group's earnings for the financial year ending 2012 onwards. Works on the project is estimated to be completed in 29 months from the date of possession of the site,” it said.

In a separate development, Sunway Holdings also said it has been shortlisted by SPNB to bid for all the Mass Rapid Transit packages under the open category which includes elevated civil works, stations and depot.

MRCB told Bursa Malaysia yesterday that its contract from SPNB would involve the construction and completion of facilities works that include the fabrication and delivery of segmental box girders (Package B) for the Ampang line extension project. The construction period will be 30 months from the date of possession of site.

MRCB also said the SPNB had awarded MESB, the sub-contract for the fabrication and delivery of segmental box girders (Package B) for the Kelana Jaya line extension project. MESB is a nominated sub-contractor to Sunway Construction for the sub-contract worth RM67.2mil.

The construction period for the works is 20 months.

11 named to oversee KLIFD project

The Star 18 Aug 2011

PETALING JAYA: The RM26bil Kuala Lumpur International Financial District (KLIFD) will be overseen by 11 local and foreign consultants appointed by 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MBD) to push forth the development of the project.

1MDB said in a statement yesterday that the consulting companies were appointed based on their experience and track record in their fields such as sustainability, infrastructure, engineering, landscape planning and traffic management.

In March, 1MDB carried out a pre-qualification and request for proposal process through its subsidiary 1MDB Real Estate Sdn Bhd.

Among the selected local companies are traffic management consultant Perunding Trafik Klasik Sdn Bhd, quantity surveyorPerunding NFL Sdn Bhd, landscape architectAkitek Jururancang Malaysian Sdn Bhd and land surveyors Jurukur Perpaduan Sdn Bhdand Jurukur ESA Sdn Bhd.

The infrastructure engineering consultants are EDP Consulting Group Sdn Bhd and Buro Happold Consulting Engineers, a UK and US consultant which also acts as KLIFD's sustainability consultant.

Others include security and risk engineers ARUP Jururunding Sdn Bhd(from Malaysia) and ARUP Group International, a Hong Kong-based company. A consultant from Qatar, KEO International Consultants, was selected as programme management adviser.

The appointments are in addition to the two master planners named recently, Akitek Jururancang Malaysia Sdn Bhd and Machado Silvetti & Associates, selected from an international design competition.

1MDB Real Estate chief operating officer Datuk Azmar Talib said that the appointments were based on global practices and that the committee was “thorough and transparent in the selection process”.

“Given the scale of the development and its impact on national growth, we seek not just capability and capacity but people who also share our vision for a sustainable and holistic KLIFD and our passion to deliver a Greater Kuala Lumpur,” he was quoted.

1MDB owns the 30.35ha on which the KLIFD will be developed. As one of the entry-point projects under the Economic Transformation Programme, the KLIFD aims to attract financial institutions and global companies to complement other financial centres in the region.

The entire financial district is slated to be completed in two decades, with its first phase operational by 2016. Azmar has expressed hopes to integrate the development of the KLIFD with the country's mass rapid transit system which is slated to commence operations in the same year.

Azmar added that the selection of consultants for Bandar Malaysia, a KLIFD twin development in Sungai Besi will also undergo the same rigorous process.

Prasarana shortlists 28 for MRT works

KUALA LUMPUR: Syarikat Prasarana Negara Bhd, the project owner of Malaysia's biggest rail infrastructure project, My Rapid Transit (MRT), has shortlisted 28 individual and joint-venture companies that can bid for various elevated civil works, stations and depot packages under the multi-billion ringgit project.

In a statement yesterday, Prasarana group managing director Shahril Mokhtar said these tenders would be called in stages beginning from next month until December 2012.

"Tender for the first stage, which involves two civil works packages, will be issued early next month," Shahril said.

The two packages are a 5.4km stretch from Taman Bukit Ria to Plaza Phoenix in Cheras and the other covering a 5.2km stretch from Taman Suntex to Bandar Tun Hussein Onn.
There are 18 packages with eight packages under elevated civil works, another eight for elevated station works and two for depot.

These packages are divided into two categories - the open category and the Bumiputera category.

Applicants were evaluated based on their financial capabilities, track record, experiences, existing management staff and key personnel, the average annual construction turnover in the last five years, their existing plant and equipment as well as their existing quality, safety, health and environment practices.

For joint-venture submissions, technical and financial evaluations were carried out on the individual companies with the total score of their technical and financial points combined based on their equity percentage.

The pre-qualification exercise attracted strong response with 286 companies purchasing the tender document which was opened through two public advertisements by Prasarana with a total of 195 companies submitting their appli-cations.

Hailed as the country's biggest infrastructure project as part of the Greater Klang Valley Master Plan, the MRT would provide the backbone service to the existing public transportation system and would be integrated with the existing LRT, KL Monorail and KTM services. 

To cut through the city centre from Sungai Buloh to Kajang, the new MRT will run for some 51km including 9.5km through underground tunnels and will be serviced by 27 elevated stations and seven stations underground; and depots at Sungai Buloh and Kajang. 

"Tenders for the other packages will be announced in due course," added Shahril.

Study on KL-S'pore high-speed rail

KUALA LUMPUR: A pre-feasibility study for Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail (HSR) system will be concluded in a few weeks, Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) director Ahmad Suhaili said.

“The findings of this study will allow the Government to decide on where to place key stations.

“However, a more detailed study would have to follow to further refine the project's plan,” he said at a briefing on half-year results for six focus areas in the Government Transformation Programme.

Ahmad heads both the Urban Public Transport national key results area (NKRA) and Greater Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley national key economic area (NKEA).

It was also revealed that the My Rapid Transit (MRT) system will have independent monitors to ensure proper delivery and governance of the RM20bil intra-city rail project.

Pemandu director for Corruption NKRA Ravindran Devagunam said the monitoring would be from “cradle to the grave”, adding that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission and the Auditor-General (AG) would be the monitors from the public sector.

He said this would be the first time the AG was involved in the oversight mechanism at the beginning of a project rather than at the end, which was the usual practice.

Pemandu is also looking at enlisting professional bodies, engineers and non-governmental organisations as independent monitors for the MRT.

In March, the Land Public Transport Commission, which oversees the implementation of the MRT and HSR, announced the appointment of consulting firm McKinsey as the Government's value management study consultant to scrutinise the plans and obtain optimum cost efficiency for the MRT.

The MRT and HSR are both large-scale projects under the Economic Transformation Programme.

The HSR, estimated to cost RM8bil to RM14bil, will stretch about 400km and reduce travelling time between KL and Singapore to 90 minutes from the current seven hours.

However, analysts have said that a key challenge facing the Government in these projects was coming up with the required funding.

In the MRT's case, it was reported that the Government will create a special-purpose vehicle to raise bonds to finance the project.

Analysts said bonds issued by the Government would be deemed as part of government debt by some rating agencies.

“The more bonds issued by the Government, the higher our debt-to-gross domestic product ratio, which is an indicator used by rating agencies to determine a country's sovereign rating,” a fixed-income analyst said.

On the HSR, analysts said its cost would put a drag on the Government's finances, suggesting instead that enhancing KTM Bhd's existing services and infrastructure might be a better option. - The Star 5 Aug 2011

Penang’s third link in the pipeline

By ANDREA FILMER

The Star 30 April 2011

GEORGE TOWN: With the Second Penang bridge project almost 50% complete, Penang has turned its sights towards a proposed third link a Penang-Butterworth sea tunnel.

The 6.5km tunnel, proposed by the Beijing Urban Construction Group (BUCG), will connect Gurney Drive on Penang island and Bagan Ajam in North Seberang Prai.

Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the project stemmed from a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between BUCG and the state government signed in Putrajaya on Thursday.

It was one of eight agreements signed between Malaysia and China in the presence of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Lim said BUCG is an established (state-owned) company in China whose projects included the Bird's Nest Olympic stadium in Beijing.

“To get the attention of such a company is a vote of confidence from China on the re-emergence of Penang as a premier location of choice for investors,” he said after the opening of the state assembly sitting byYang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas here yesterday.

Central Seberang Prai district is currently connected to the island via the Penang Bridge; while the South Seberang Prai district will be connected to Batu Maung on the island by the 24km second link due for completion in November 2013.

“The state is intent on pursuing this (third link) as it will place Penang on a strong and firm footing for the next 20 years,” he said.

Lim added the proposed tunnel would bring economic development to North Seberang Prai, Kepala Batas and Tasek Gelugor along with cutting down traffic congestion in the state.

He said the proposed tunnel would be connected to a previously announced 4.2km road linking Gurney Drive to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway.

The proposed bypass, along with another 4.6km tunnel road linking Air Itam to the same expressway, has been estimated to cost around RM4bil.

Ria Pertiwi to develop living facilities for UUM

28 Apr 2011

Ria Pertiwi Sdn Bhd today signed a memorandum of understanding with Uniutama Holdings Sdn Bhd to develop accommodation facilities for Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM)'s international students.

The proposed development, estimated to cost about RM100 million, is planned over a 13.35 hectare site near UUM's main campus in Sintok, Kedah.

Ria Pertiwi Executive Chairman Datuk Ahmad Faizal Datuk Wira Jaafar said the project was expected to commence construction in July and be completed within 24 months.

"A two acre park, which will be planted with local fruits, will become a unique feature at the facility," he said after the signing ceremony today.

The development will include nine blocks of furnished apartment type hostels for 2,000 students, a multi-purpose hall, cafeteria, surau, student centre and sports facilities.

Under the agreement, Uniutama, which has a 25-year concession to design, build, operate and lease the project, will transfer the concession rights to Ria Pertiwi to build the facility, upon the  approval of UUM. - Bernama


(Quick check: Cost per student is RM50k. If break-even period is 10 years, rental is RM5k/yr i.e. RM500 per month per student, assuming 10 months occupancy in a year. If apartment is designed for 3 students, rental per apartment is RM1,500 per month)

Additional criteria for MRT project?

Excerpts from an article in The Malaysian Insider on additional criteria for MRT project: 

- start of excerpt - ...said that Prasarana had on March 30 this year come out with additional criteria for the project, ...The criteria, according to ... were:

• contractors taking part in the project tender are forbidden from forming joint ventures or consortium;

• companies of contractors are forbidden from forming any joint ventures with foreign companies in the tender of the project;

•The formation of a consortium of two or more companies is strictly forbidden; -end of excerpt-

KL-Kuala Selangor highway to open soon

The Star

Friday April 22, 2011

PETALING JAYA: The KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR Expressway) project, which links Templer’s Park, Gombak, with Ijok, Kuala Selangor, is almost completed, possibly to be opened by the middle of this year.

The 33km dual carriageway expressway will be the alternative link road to the present Jalan Sungai Buloh–Kuala Selangor (Federal Road 54) route.

Concessionaire KL-Kuala Selangor Expressway Bhd (KLSEB) said in a statement yesterday that the LATAR Expressway features four interchanges and three toll plazas on each side of the expressway.

It links areas such as Kuala Selangor, Assam Jawa, Ijok, Batang Berjuntai, Kota Puteri, Puncak Alam, Shah Alam, Bukit Jelutong, Sungai Buloh, Kundang, Rawang and Selayang.

A non-congested drive on the expressway is said to take 18 minutes from end-to-end.

Construction of the LATAR Expressway began in October 2008, with the concession awarded to KLSEB for a period of 40 years.

The turnkey contractor is Mudajaya Holdings Bhd, which was awarded a contract valued at RM958mil for the expressway.

Hochtief management exodus as ACS tightens grip

Copyright AFP,2011 | Apr 19, 2011

German construction group Hochtief said Monday its finance chief was following the chief executive out of the door as Spain's ACS tightens its grip in a hostile takeover.

Burkhard Lohr will leave the company after almost 20 years in October, Hochtief said in a statement. Last week it said chief executive Herbert Luetkestratkoetter would step down in May.

Luetkestratkoetter opposed a hostile takeover bid by Spanish giant ACS, owned by Spanish billionaire and Real Madrid president Florentino Perez, to create Europe's biggest construction group.

Despite Luetkestratkoetter's wish for Hochtief to remain independent, ACS has built up its stake to almost 40 percent and aims to own more than 50 percent.

Last week Hochtief, which generates only around 10 percent of its business in Germany, slashed its 2011 forecasts after a profit warning from Australian unit Leighton.

Concessionaire: Second bridge will be completed by November 2013

By JOSEPHINE JALLEH | Apr 19, 2011
josephine@thestar.com.my

The second Penang Bridge is 47.55% completed as of March.

The project is however 2.85% behind the 50.4% scheduled progress.

State Public Works, Utilities and Transportation Committee chairman Lim Hock Seng said concession holder Jambatan Kedua Sdn Bhd (JKSB) had assured the state government that it would catch up with the scheduled completion of the 24km bridge slated for November 2013.

Construction works on the bridge started in late November 2008.

Lim also said over 700 workers were working round the clock at the United Engineers Malaysia (UEM) segmental box girder plant in Batu Kawan to produce 8,092 units of segmental box girders for the bridge.

“They have already moulded 987 units. A total of 28 units are already fixed on-site out in the sea with 14 of them on each side of the bridge.

“Besides that, piling works are 84% completed while the building of pile caps and columns are 55% and 45% completed respectively,” he said during a visit to the plant yesterday.

Lim added that the two toll plaza buildings, to be located in Batu Kawan, were still on the design board.

“We will also implement a green concept for the package to be environmental friendly,” he added. Buildcast Sdn Bhd (a wholly-owned subsidiary of UEM Builders Bhd) production manager Anuar Abdul said there were 22 moulds and three factories at the segment casting plant. “Between 12 and 14 pieces of segmental box girders are produced in a day and the process is a tedious one,” he said.

The RM4.5bil second bridge project comprises three main packages — 

• construction of the sub-structure by CHEC Construction Sdn Bhd (the local arm of China Harbour Engineering Co Ltd), 
• casting of the segmental box girder by UEM Builders Bhd, and 
• construction of the Batu Kawan and Batu Maung exit and entry points and trumpet interchange by Cergas Murni, IJM Construction and HRA Teguh.

The bridge, which will link Batu Kawan in Seberang Prai to Batu Maung on Penang island, is poised to be the longest bridge in the country and Southeast Asia.

Raffles Campus for Iskandar

By Chuah Bee Kim

BTines

20 April 2011

JOHOR BARU: Johor will have a state-of-the-art international school, with a first batch of 2,000 students when it is completed in the third quarter of 2013.

The aim of the international school, a joint venture between Raffles Campus Pte Ltd and property developer Seri Alam Properties Sdn Bhd, is to see a gradual drop in the number of parents in the southern city sending their children to study in Singapore. Seri Alam is a wholly-owned subsidiary of United Malayan Land Bhd (UMLand).

"It is pitiful to see children having to wake up as early as 4am to go across the Causeway to study," said Raffles Campus chairman and chief executive officer Ng Boon Yew at the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) with UMLand group chief executive officer Pee Tong Lim at the Galleria Seri Alam in Bandar Seri Alam here on Monday.

The MOU signing was witnessed by the consul-general of Singapore Lim Hong Huai and Johor State Investment Centre (JSIC) general manager Mohamed Basir Mohamed Sali.

Ng said when he was approached about the project by the JSIC about six months ago, he was immediately interested considering its proposed site is within the Iskandar Malaysia development corridor.

"We (Raffles Campus) were impressed with Johor's foreign direct investment (FDI) achievement which we were told, raked in 20 per cent of the RM150 billion achieved by Malaysia over the past five years.

"With over RM30 billion, Johor's FDI surpasses that of Selangor and Penang for that period. In 2010 alone, Johor's FDI stood at RM3 billion," Ng said.

He added the RM35 million development will spread over six hectares with a built-up space of 180,000 sq ft. It will span into two to three phases over the next four to five years.

The school will offer international curriculum, infused with Singapore's school curriculum.

Ng said news of a RM1.2 billion new rail system from Woodlands in Singapore to the JB Sentral was another contributing factor to the development of the school.