Vox Pop : LBS Jejak Jaguh 2022 (Official Video)
Fire up your football fever and get to know our LBS Star within our communities. ⚽
Huffing A Breath Of Newness Into Brinchang, Cameron Highlands
Planning a weekend getaway with your loved ones? Or just to relax while sipping on your favourite cup of latte, simply enjoying the cold breeze on the top of the hillside, with a twist of modernity? Start your engine and let’s go!
Located at approximately 5,000 feet above sea level, Cameron Highlands, Pahang is a highly-visited holiday spot where tourists from all around the world come to experience a serene and peaceful get-away from the hustle and bustle of the city. Over the years, famous tourist attractions include tea plantations, fresh fruits and vegetables farmlands, gardens and nurseries, and of course hotels and resorts. Cameron Highlands is easily accessible by car via two routes – Simpang Pulai and the original road through Tapah. The Tapah road is great for travellers who want to enjoy the great view of scenery where you can take a quick stop at the Lata Iskandar Waterfall for a picture or two.
To give Cameron Highlands a breath of newness, the latest attraction, Cameron Centrum is brought here to offer a whole new commercial experience to the locals as well as tourists. The new English Tudor-style development suited to the cool climate in Cameron Highlands of 22 to 25 degree Celsius during the day and 15 to 22 degree Celsius at night is also very promising to give its customers a feeling of being abroad. Cameron Centrum is located close to many famous tourist sites and attractions in Cameron Highlands, making it very accessible and convenient for its tourists. It is an establishment that currently consists of shoplots, with hotels and residential buildings in the near future. This is definitely a haven for shopping and sightseeing with breathtaking views of the natural surroundings. Another most recent tourist attraction in Cameron Highlands is a new floral park that has recently opened in November. Located in Kea Farm, Cameron Flora Park, is a visual treat for the eyes, and is definitely a picturesque spot that is perfect for those who love to take pictures for their Instagram. Walking into the Cameron Flora Park is like walking into a paradise of all kinds of colourful flowers featured in every corner of the garden. This is also a great spot for picnics – an all-girls’ picnic trip, family and friends’ picnic – you’ll find yourselves surrounded by the beauty of the floral garden, not to mention the floral scent that you’ll be sniffing throughout! Be sure to stop by Cameron Flora Park the next time you make a trip to Cameron Highlands.
In the past, tourists came to Cameron Highlands for a more laid-back environment with mostly natural surroundings, but recently, since the inception of Cameron Centrum, tourists can now enjoy nature with a modern twist. Major brand names can now be found at the property, such as Family Mart, MarryBrown, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Billion Shopping Centre, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and Baskin-Robbins, just to name a few. A giant clock tower is located in the center of the shoplots, kind of giving the Big Ben feels for its visitors. If Big Ben sounds unfamiliar to you guys, Google up okay? For those who love taking photos for Instagram, Cameron Centrum is definitely voted for being Instagrammable! The Centrum is developed in a way that much of its Highlands’ character remains unchanged, where most of the English charms from its colonial past are still seen in the buildings. This is made so to preserve the historical value of the town, where it is almost like bringing their visitors to the nostalgic olden colonial days in a more modern setting. The vibrant lights, cool weather and English architecture of the building will give local tourists the little European atmosphere with a touch of magic right here at Cameron Centrum.
Visitors and locals can now enjoy an upgrade in nightlife actions at Cameron Centrum. On its own, Cameron Highlands is not a hotspot for tourists if they are looking for a wild nightlife, though there are spots that cater to night drinking like pubs and bars. More business establishments are coming to the Centrum, and this is a new opportunity opening up for locals, visitors, as well as business operators. Really, what can beat a night of sipping a cup of hot chocolate with your loved ones with the cold breeze slightly blowing in your face, with your hands against the cup to find warmth, while you savour each sip of your favourite drink? After all, life is to be celebrated!
Cameron Centrum is going to be very hard to miss in the town of Brinchang. With an open boulevard concept, Cameron Centrum is set to be a benchmark for style, elegance and urban modernity in the town. The development is created to cater to these modern-day requirements, master-planned to attract both local and foreign tourists for a contemporary, modern and trendy destination for work, play, food and drinks, retail and more. It will be an all-in-one establishment – trendy stays at hotels and residential areas, shops, while open spaces and nature complement the other, carefully and mindfully built to attract and retain tourists. For a weekend getaway with friends and family, Cameron Centrum is the perfect place and it does not matter if you are in Cameron Highlands for a breath of nature or for an Insta-worthy holiday treat.
As the year 2022 is coming to an end with the Christmas season near, a short holiday trip to Cameron Highlands sounds like the perfect plan for a family and friends gathering. The year end season also means that sales are in full swing, so now is the time for all of you to splurge and pamper yourselves with a little of something good this year (Everyone deserves a treat for themselves every now and then!) Taking a holiday in Cameron Highlands is actually quite affordable compared to other holiday spots in the country. Cheap and good food is easily accessible in Brinchang Town, and in an end-of-the-year rainy season, hot pot steamboat dinner is highly sought after by tourists. If you do go to Cameron Highlands, please remember to treat yourselves to a hot pot steamboat dinner to mark your holiday. If you’re feeling a bit expensive and are looking for something grander and more exquisite, go to Cameron Centrum for a fancy treat.
Official Launch of LBS Fabulous Extraaaa 2022/23 Campaign
On 26th August 2022, LBS Bina Group Berhad (LBS) held its Official Launch of LBS Fabulous Extraaaa campaign at LBS KITA @ Cybersouth Sales Gallery!
RM1.5 million worth of lucky draw prizes to be won. There will be extra cars, motorcycles, home appliances, entertainment systems and much more, to be given away to lucky purchasers.
LBS Fabulous Extra 2022-23 is a year-long campaign with a host of events awaiting homebuyers, details as follows:
- 26th August (Friday) – Official Launch at KITA @ Cybersouth Sales Gallery
- 27th & 28th August (Saturday & Sunday) – Merdeka Carnival at KITA @ Cybersouth Sales Gallery
- 3rd & 4th September (Saturday & Sunday) – Merdeka Carnival at LBS Alam Perdana
- 10th & 11th September (Saturday & Sunday) – Mini Activity at RBBJ
- 24th & 25th September (Saturday & Sunday) – Mini Activity at Prestige Residence
Occupational Safety and Health Policy
LBS Bina Group Berhad (“LBGB” or “Company”) and its subsidiaries (“LBGB Group” or “Group”) strives to create and promote a safe and healthy work environment for all employees, visitors and related stakeholders.
We believe that Occupational Safety and Health (“OSH”) is an integral part of business and we are committed:
- To comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 and all other applicable statutory requirements and regulations where we operate;
- To ensure that all work is managed according to applicable OSH requirements and standards;
- To adopt best practices and to mitigate work-related injuries and OSH risks;
- To provide a safe and healthy work environment for our internal and external stakeholders;
- To create a proactive working culture where all OSH risks associated with our daily business activities are managed to a level as low as reasonably practicable;
- To continuously engage and provide relevant training to our employees and business partners to achieve a safe and healthy working environment;
- To consult and include participation of employees where applicable in the planning, implementation, performance evaluation or actions in OSH management;
- To continuously improve on our OSH through the Occupational Safety & Health Committee by monitoring and evaluating our performance target regularly.
REVIEW OF POLICY
This policy has been approved by the Board Sustainability Committees (“BSC”) and is available on the Group’s corporate website and internal computer networking system.
The Policy shall be reviewed by the BSC and updated whenever necessary to ensure its effective implementation. Any subsequent amendments to this Policy should be approved by the BSC.
Lego On Steroids?
Just like the headline, that was my first impression on Industrialised Building System (IBS) or more often known as precast. As much it sounds like the future of housing, IBS has actually been in the Malaysian market for the past four decades! So why exactly is it now that IBS is beginning to be the in thing and becoming prevalent? Aside from the ever-growing need for a home and price of housing materials, one key factor would be our dire need for manpower. From laying bricks to spreading the cement, these are all manual labour that requires precision both in execution and quality control. Simple economics tells us that with a decrease in supply comes an increase in demand, and with that up goes the price of manpower. The pandemic is basically a wake-up call for the property industry, with the lockdown, the shortage of manpower was the major issues.
Affordable housing whilst maintaining an efficient and sustainable construction progress is among the reasons that made LBS Bina Group Berhad, the household name that it is today. This is also possible thanks to its construction-arm, MGB Berhad, that specializes in our very topic today, IBS. Among the projects that utilizes our precast systems are:
- Rumah Idaman MBI
- SkyLake Residence
- Prestige Residence
- Residence Bintang Bukit Jalil
- KITA Impian
We’ve talked about some benefits of IBS, namely reduced manpower and reduced cost. The many other benefits of it are increased quality, efficiency, sustainability and a more streamlined process. This means that with IBS, houses can be built faster without compromising in built quality and affordability, which all translates to a house that is reliable and of a longer lifespan.
Well, if it is so great, why isn’t every developer using this high-end system? Instead of having materials being sent to the construction site, the precast are pre-constructed parts that are designed, measured, tested and produced in sections within a designated measurement and specification, in a factory. This can include parts such as walls, ceilings, staircases and with more advanced technology, even a whole unit can be pre-casted!
So, the benefits are clear, every piece of wall or staircase churned out can be QC-ed right away by batches, defects are reduced and thus, there will be less labour needed to fix the defects, should there be any. Here comes the big ‘but’, setting up a precast factory is no small feat and is a costly facility to set up in the beginning. IBS is only truly feasible for buildings with several identical components which when combined forms a large structure, for example a high-rise building like a condo or serviced apartment. Keen to put in heavy renovating or extension works in your new home? Unfortunately, IBS homes may be limited with renovation potentials no thanks to the way the homes are built. Above all, albeit it being a rather stable piece of innovation in the property industry, it is still very important to opt for a reputable developer that is not only renowned for building homes but also homes with IBS to ensure that peace of mind years after you collect your keys.
Here’s a little extra bonus on benefits of IBS beyond its nature of construction. The Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB) has been encouraging implementation of IBS by giving exemption that incorporates more than 50% of IBS components, in short, with IBS there will be more savings channeled down to us future homebuyers. The future of homebuilding is an interesting one and while IBS sounds like the new kid in town, it is definitely one that has been tried and tested. Love what you have been reading? There is no better time than now to shop with us virtually for your future home!
Vox Pop : Deepavali Challenge 2022
In light of Deepavali celebration, join us in this special episode of Vox Pop as we proudly present to you a fun and joyful Deepavali Challenge where LBS staff challenge their skills in donning the Indian attire!
May this auspicious occasion light up your life with happiness, joy and peace this Deepavali.🪔
Property Maintenance Fee in Malaysia
Owners of strata property in Malaysia are required to pay a monthly property maintenance fee. These funds are utilised for the upkeep of common areas in the property. We will also find out why owners have to pay maintenance fees and how it is calculated.
When the term ‘strata’ was first introduced in Malaysia via the Strata Title Act 1985, strata property consisted of mostly high-rise residential and commercial units – including flats, apartments, condominiums, serviced apartments, Small Office Home Office (SOHO), Small Office Flexible Office (SOFO) and Small office Versatile Office (SOVO). The Act was later modified to include some landed properties where the development has shared facilities and amenities, such as gated and guarded communities.
In an effort to provide clearer and more stringent provisions on the management of stratified properties in Malaysia, the government implemented the Strata Management Act (SMA) 2013 in 2015.
What is maintenance fee in Malaysia?
Facilities and common areas within a strata property such as a condominium block are jointly owned by all unit owners. Therefore, owners have to collectively pay a maintenance fee, also known as a service charge, to manage and maintain the property and its facilities.
In Malaysia, homeowners are required by law under SMA 2013 to pay these monthly fees. These fees are collected and managed by the Joint Management Body or JMB before the issuance of strata titles and by the Management Corporation or MC after strata titles have been issued.
What do maintenance fees cover?
The maintenance fee is mainly used to cover recurring costs of managing and maintaining the property including:
- The hiring of security guards
- Property management and administration staff
- Electricity and water for common areas such as lifts, car parks, swimming pools and gyms
- Cleaning services
- Landscaping services
- Servicing of lifts and escalators
- Minor repair works on common property
Imagine a high-rise condominium with many units – if the owners do not pay their condo maintenance fees on time, how would these bills get paid and who will manage and guard their property?
Besides maintenance fees, owners also need to pay a monthly sinking fund. Calculated at 10% of the maintenance fees, these monies will be put into a reserve fund for emergencies such as damage caused by flood and major works such as painting the building exterior.
How are condo maintenance fees calculated?
The main factor that determines a property’s maintenance fees is the total expenditure for running and maintaining the property. Prior to the SMA 2013, contributions to the sinking fund and monthly maintenance service charges payable by strata owners were calculated based on the built-up size or per square feet (PSF). SMA now calls for share unit to be used instead as a basis for calculating these two charges – rather than simply the floor size of the unit owned.
The formula for calculating Maintenance fee to be paid: Operating expenditure ÷ Total share units in condo development
So what is a share unit? Under SMA 2013, a property developer is required to file a Schedule of Parcels with the Commissioner of Building (COB) before selling any parcel in a development.
A Schedule of Parcels is essentially a ‘floor plan’ that shows the overview and floor measurements of the parcels in a development. In the case of a phased development, the schedule must showcase the proposed allocation of the provisional share units among the new parcels in the provisional block. It will include all the parcels with dimensions, areas, share units, all accessory parcels and common properties.
Share units are the numbers assigned to each parcel by the developer’s licensed land surveyor that will determine maintenance charges, sinking fund and voting rights of each owner. Share units are calculated based on area, usage, size and location of the accessory parcel using the formula prescribed under the relevant strata title rules of each state.
In the calculation of share units, a different weightage is assigned based on the facilities that are enjoyed by the parcel. For example, a parcel with walk-up stairs will have a different weightage than a parcel with air-conditioned lifts.
What is the range of typical property maintenance fees in Malaysia?
The expenditure for managing and maintaining a property varies depending on the following factors:
- Level of services: Owners, JMB and MC of a building need to decide on an “acceptable” level of service. For example, the number of guards on each shift or the number of times the corridors is swept.
- Type of facilities: The more sophisticated the facilities, the higher the maintenance fees
- Size and type of common area: A swimming pool with elaborate landscaping will cost more to maintain than a small park with a walking path
- The density of the development: The cost is divided among units so owners in a high-density property will end up paying less. For example, Condo A has 100 units and Condo B has 50 units with similar facilities and built on similar land sizes. Both condos will have similar expenditures. However, owners of Condo A will end up paying less because the cost is shared between 100 owners while Condo B shares the cost between only 50 owners.
According to Henry Butcher Malaysia Managing Director Low Hon Keong, the rate of maintenance fees mostly depends on the type of facilities and the density of the development.
The average rate of maintenance fees in the Klang Valley is between 25 to 50 cents per square foot. Properties in prime areas like KLCC or Bukit Bintang incur higher fees because of its location.
“Most of the properties in these areas are high-end projects with sophisticated features like high-speed or personal lifts, advanced security and nice landscaping. These advanced facilities cost more to maintain., hence why the maintenance fees are higher. They could be paying an average of 50 cents per square foot,” said Low.
He said that maintenance fees were not necessarily lower in smaller cities or towns.
A property in Melaka might in fact have a higher maintenance fee than a similar unit in Kuala Lumpur because there are fewer units in total, so the cost is shared between fewer owners.
Security accounts for a big portion of incurred costs in managing high-rise residential buildings while in landed strata properties, the cost of landscaping is quite significant. Unlike regular landed properties, the local council is only responsible for waste collection in landed strata properties – cleaning, landscaping and maintenance of common areas are taken care of by the property management of strata schemes.
The average maintenance fees of landed strata property in Malaysia are:
- RM1,000 to RM1,500 for bungalows
- RM600 to RM1,000 for semi-detached houses
- Below RM500 for terrace houses
Can you negotiate your maintenance fees?
Technically, you can’t negotiate the maintenance fees. The management fees are decided by the JMB or MC during their Annual General Meetings (AGM). The only way for the rates to change is to raise this issue during an AGM and get the majority of owners to agree and vote for it. Therefore, it is important for homeowners to attend their AGMs so that they won’t be surprised by any changes in rates.
However, if you find that the services provided are not reflective of the maintenance fees charged, you can question the management. Unit owners have the right to view the statement of accounts and can make a request to the JMB to do so for a fee not exceeding RM50. To find out if the people elected to represent owners in your strata property are responsible, read Is your strata property being managed by the right JMB or MC?
Who pays the maintenance fees for rental properties?
By law, it is the landlord (homeowner) who pays the maintenance fees. Any special arrangement for payment of maintenance fees, where the tenant pays it on behalf of the landlord as part of the rental fees, needs to be reflected in the tenancy agreement. If the landlord fails to pay the maintenance fees, the tenant can take legal action or decide to terminate the rental agreement.
Strata residents must be aware of their responsibilities and obligations as well as strive to take charge in order to protect the very investment that they live in. Find out what happens when you don’t pay your outstanding condominium fees.
Tan Sri Lim Hock San Interview for Malaysia Developers Awards 2022
During LBS Bina’s recent win at the Malaysia Developers Awards 2022 Top of the Charts (under RM 1 billion category) – Top 10, Tan Sri Lim Hock San commented on recent projects by LBS Bina namely LBS Alam Perdana, KITA @ Cybersouth, and Residensi Bintang Bukit Jalil (RBBJ). He is honored that the products offered received recognition from the people. The Malaysia Developer Award is a joint collaboration between Star Media Group and FIABCI-Malaysia will serve as a benchmark of excellence for property developers.
LBS Rentak Perdana Homebuyer Interview by Harian Metro
Harian Metro conducted an interview with an LBS Rentak Perdana homebuyer who also happens to be a first-time homebuyer. She shared with the audience her journey of purchasing the home, her reasons for choosing LBS Bina, and the dos and don’ts when researching for her perfect home.
