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Malaysian property prices to remain steady in 2013
29-Jan-2013

Property prices in Malaysia will remain steady in 2013 as competition between developers intensifies, according to a recent report by Hong Leong Investment Bank (HLIB).

Developers will need to be more selective of new projects, reported HLIB.

HLIB regard landbank location as the market’s key driver, and identify Glomac Bhd as the developer to watch. Glomac Bhd’s flagship Lakeside development at Puchong puts them in a prime position, as the development offers a combination of value at 4.9 percent dividend yield and growth. However, the developer’s liquidity remains lacking, according to HLIB’s report.

Risks in Malaysia’s property market this year include a sharper than expected economic slowdown and the sudden loss of holding power by Malaysia home-buyers, according to HLIB’s report.

On the positive side, asset reflation in Malaysia remains intact, and the affordable property sector remains untapped. The property market in Johor is also expected to show positive results after a long period of low performance.

However, HLIB anticipate a slowdown in the mid to high-end sector and expect banks to begin exercising more restraint in processing and granting loan approvals.

Government measures, including an increase in the level of real property gains tax and a 70 percent loan-to-value ratio for third residential property have had an impact on buyers, according to the managing director of CH Williams Talhar & Wong. Such measures have slowed down transactions in Malaysia.

It is difficult to quantify the financial impact of the government measures at present, according to HLIB’s report, but the macro scenario is applicable to Malaysian developers across the board.

The arrests came after police got wind of a possible clash between two rival gangs here.

The 70 detained were from Gang 04. Police also picked up 23 members of the rival Gang 24.

It is learnt that a meeting was held between the two groups in a karaoke centre at a hotel in Gurney Drive, where the two bosses discussed the issue of “poaching” of members.

One of the leaders was also said to be celebrating his birthday at the outlet.

Acting on information, a police team led by Deputy Supt Zailanni Amit swooped in on the place at 12.30am on Monday.

The officers picked up the 93 suspects, aged between 16 and 42, including 35 school dropouts. Forty-three of them tested positive for drugs.

Penang deputy police chief Senior Asst Comm Datuk Abdul Rahim Jaafar said he dreaded what would have happened if the police had not moved in to make the arrests.

He said gangsters were now interfering in developers’ operations after a police report was lodged last month against a Gang 04 member who apparently demanded protection money from a developer in Sungai Ara.

“Penang is a haven for gangsterism. The triad members would demand protection money from developers by claiming that the projects are in their territory.

“They would disrupt the projects if developers did not give in,” he said.

SAC Abdul Rahim said Gang 04 had been active in recruiting new members and intimidating those who refused to join.

He also said Gang 24′s activities involved forcing traders to deal with them, adding that at least five reports were received over the past three months on the matter.

“If shopkeepers refused to give in, the gang would come to the shops and wreak havoc by smashing the furniture,” he added.

He advised victims to call 04-222 1610.

SAC Abdul Rahim said police were also looking for at least 10 people to help facilitate investigations into the cases.

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KUALA LUMPUR: RHB
Research Institute is maintaining its Market Perform call on Malaysia Building Society Bhd (MBSB) and fair
value of RM2.46 based on 10 times fully-diluted 2012 earnings per share.

On Wednesday, MBSB announced it was selling its property development unit Gadini Sdn Bhd for RM40.6mil cash to Ken
Holdings. Ken would also settle advances (RM13.6mil) and
other liabilities (RM2mil) owed by Gadini to MBSB.

Gadini’s core activity is property development
and it owns four parcels of vacant leasehold land in Johor Bahru totalling
about 22.8 acres. The price for the disposal of the properties was based on a
valuation done by Henry Butcher and thus, and RHB Research said it thinks the
pricing was fair. The disposal of Gadini is subject to the approval of Ken’s
shareholders and is expected to be completed in 4Q12. “The proposed disposal is
expected to result in a gain of RM6.75m or +1.7% to our 2012 net profit
forecast. This is not significant and thus, we are keeping our 2012 numbers
unchanged,” said RHB Research.

SP Setia Bhd (RM2.563bil GDV), IJM Land Bhd (RM608mil GDV), Mah Sing Group Bhd (RM180mil), Sunway Bhd (RM385mil GDV), Ideal Property Development Sdn Bhd (RM1.1bil GDV), and Ivory Properties Group Bhd (RM1.6bil GDV) are among the developers with plans for new housing projects in Penang.

The developers are displaying some of these projects at The Star Property Fair 2012 held at the Gurney Plaza and G Hotel from July 12-15. About RM6.105bil of projects are located on the island, with the remaining RM358mil planned for Seberang Prai, to be undertaken by Sunway and IJM Land in the second half year and 2013.

As land is still available in the South-West district, the area which covers residential cum commercial neighbourhoods such as Sungai Ara, Batu Maung, Bukit Jambul, Sungai Nibong and Teluk Kumbar continues to be popular locations for developers such as SP Setia, Sunway, IJM Land, and Ideal Property to launch their projects.

With the exception of Sunway Cassia and IJM’s Trehaus landed property schemes project in Batu Maung and Bukit Jambul, all the other properties planned for the island comprise high-rise projects.

Visitor Chan Lai Ming (left) listening to Hong Leong Bank personal financial consultant Yeoh Wei Kheng (centre) and SP Setia property division (North) sales and marketing senior executive Agnes Chua explaining details of their projects.

Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Penang chairman Datuk Jerry Chan says the trend of development on the island will be towards high-rise developments due to rising land cost.

“A few years back, developers could still build landed properties because they could be priced attractively.

“Nowadays with land cost escalating by about 20% from last year, developers will have to price a semi-detached house from RM900 per sq ft onwards in a prime area like Pulau Tikus as the cost for net land plot is RM500 to RM600 per sq ft.

“If the semi-detached unit has a built-up of 6,000 sq ft, the selling price will be RM5.4mil.

“How many people would fork out RM5.4mil for a semi-detached home?” he asks.

The cost of a plot of net land in a prime area like Pulau Tikus is between RM500 and RM600 per sq ft. In Tanjung Bungah and Batu Ferringhi, land is priced between RM300 and RM400 per sq ft, while in the South-West district it is between RM100 and RM200 per sq ft.

Chan says there is still demand on the island for landed properties priced below RM2mil and condominiums priced below RM1mil.

”This is the reason developers are still carrying out their plans to launch projects despite the stricter policies on housing loans and concerns over the upcoming general election.

“The state’s economic status is still sound,” Chan says.

Penang Master Builders’ and Building Materials Dealers Association executive advisor Datuk Finn Choong says developers are launching projects also because of stability in raw material prices.

“By launching their projects now, developers can lock on to the present prices of construction materials for their projects.”

This means developers can price their properties within the RM400,000 and RM500,000 range

IJM Land senior manager (sales and marketing) Patsy Lee (right) detailing one of the company’s projects to Ivan Oh Eng Lim and Tan Gek Im at The Star Property Fair 2012 in Gurney Plaza.

Affordable range

“A number of the projects planned for launching in the South-West district this year and next year are priced within this affordable range,” he says.

As demand for construction materials for the residential sector has softened over the past 12 months, the pricing of cement, for example, has also not gone above RM15 per 50 kg bag since late last year.

At the peak two years ago, the pricing of cement was above RM18 per 50kg bag.

Henry Butcher Malaysia (Penang) director Dr Teoh Poh Huat says the Penang property market sentiment is still positive.

”High net-worth Penangites living overseas still have confidence in the local property market. Thus, the property values look set to grow, particularly for those properties which are well designed, in good locations, and underpinned by a reputable developer,” he says.

Meanwhile, Henry Butcher Seberang Prai senior manager Fook Tone Huat says the price for properties in Central Seberang Prai has appreciated by about 20% since 2010.

“In prime locations of Seberang Prai, a semi-detached house is now priced about RM750,000, compared with about RM600,000.

“A terraced house in a similar location is now priced about RM350,000 compared with about RM280,000 two years ago.

”Similarly, a bungalow in a Seberang Prai prime location is now about RM1mil, about 20% more than two years ago,” he says.

The value of commercial properties in Seberang Prai has also appreciated by about 20% compared to 2010, Fook adds.

”A three-story shoplot in BM Business Park is now priced around RM700,000.

”The value of properties in Seberang Prai is now on the rise because more people are investing in properties on the mainland as the second bridge is scheduled to be completed soon and more funds are coming into the industrial park of South Seberang Prai,” he says.

From SP Setia, there are RM1.288bil worth of properties to be undertaken for the South-West district in the second half and in 2013, while the remaining RM1.275bil of projects are planned for Tanjung Bungah and Sungai Nibong in the North-East district.

These projects include the RM250mil Setia Triangle launched in June, a commercial cum residential scheme in Sungai Ara, the RM335mil Setia Greens 2 in Sungai Ara and a RM53mil condominium project in Teluk Kumbar which will be launched end of 2012 and in early 2013 respectively.

Wave and Breeze

In 2013, SP Setia plans to launch the Wave and Breeze condominium projects for Setia Pearl Island in Sungai Ara, with a GDV of RM350mil and RM300mil respectively, and a RM175mil condominium project in Sungai Nibong.

In the North-East district of the island, SP Setia’s plan is to launch a RM1.1bil mixed-development project in Tanjung Bungah.

“Land on the island is becoming scarce. Since SP Setia wants to continue playing a dominant role in the property market on the island, it is seizing every opportunity to expand its land bank, capitalising on attractive deals,” SP Setia Property (North) general manager Datuk S. Rajoo says.

Penang-based Ideal Property Sdn Bhd has lined up residential and commercial projects with a collective GDV of RM1.1bil for the South-West district from now till the second quarter 2013.

The group plans to launch in August the RM400mil Imperial One project in Sungai Ara on a 9.1-acre site, comprising 768 units of condominiums with built-up areas of 1,050 sq ft and 1,250sq ft priced between RM399,000 and RM499,000 per unit.

The RM400mil Imperial Two, which is waiting for approval and likely to be launched in the second quarter of 2013, comprises properties to be priced between RM400,000 and RM550,000.

Early next year, Ideal plans to launch the first phase of the Ideal Vision Park, a RM1.5bil mixed-development scheme comprising 1,945 units of residential and commercial properties and 550,000sq ft of commercial space.

The first phase comprises RM300mil worth of high-rise residential and commercial properties, which will be priced between RM400,000 and RM600,000. There are four more phases for Ideal Vision Park that will be launched in stages in 2014 and 2015.

Ideal Property managing director Datuk Alex Ooi said the stability of construction material prices allowed developers to build more affordably priced properties that had a wider appeal.

”This is why we are able to focus on building properties priced between the RM400,000 and RM600,000 range,” Ooi adds.

Sunway is undertaking the RM200mil Sunway Cassia project in Batu Maung in November, which comprise 59 units of three-story terraced homes.

IJM Land plans to launch in late 2012 the RM85mil Trehaus scheme, comprising 26 semi-detached properties and 46 villa condominiums, in Bukit Jambul.

In the North-East district, its projects comprise the RM350mil Light Collection III, comprising 190 condominiums and duplex townhouses next to the Penang Bridge on the island. Ivory Properties Group Bhd (IPGB) plans to launch in the second half of 2012 approximately RM1.6bil worth properties on the island.

These projects comprised the first phase of Bayan Mutiara, which has a GDV of about RM800mil, the third and fourth phases of the residential towers for Penang Times Square, which has a RM300mil GDV, a RM130mil sea-fronting condominium block in Batu Ferringhi, and the RM400mil City Mall and City Residence project in Tanjung Tokong.

Elsewhere, Mah Sing plans to launch RM180mil worth of low-rise condominiums in the Batu Ferringhi tourist belt later this year.

Group chief operating officer Teh Heng Chong says Mah Sing will focus on residential properties priced below RM1mil in Penang, Kuala Lumpur, and Johor.

At present, about 70% of our launches are in this price segment, which comprises mainly small serviced residences and linked homes.

In Seberang Prai, the projects planned include the RM185mil Sunway Wellesley by Sunway, comprising residential and commercial properties, and the RM173mil Permatang Sanctuary scheme, comprising 300 semi-detached and bungalow properties.

The Permatang Sanctuary semi-detached properties are priced from RM438,000 onwards, while the bungalows from RM625,000 onwards.

KUALA LUMPUR, May 23 — Lim Guan Eng today said his administration has provided affordable housing for all, refuting Barisan Nasional’s (BN) claims that Malays have been forced to leave the Pakatan Rakyat-led (PR) state due to its steep property prices.

The Penang chief minister slammed the ruling federal coalition and its lynchpin party, Umno, for playing with “racial sentiments with evil accusations that the PR state government wants to marginalise or drive out the Malays” in the federal coalition’s “eagerness to get Malay votes.”

Lim also said the Penang government has set aside RM500 million to build at least 18,000 more affordable housing units in all five districts of the island state. — file pic

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin was yesterday reported to have said that the DAP in Penang “is not fair, it does not give balanced attention to the interests of all races.”“They have Malay land areas, they should be able to help and develop the areas to relocate the Malays so that they would not leave Penang,” Muhyiddin was quoted as saying.

“This accusation is wrong and untrue because since Pakatan Rakyat (PR) started ruling the state in 2008 until now, as many as 11,596 low-cost and medium-cost housing have been built by both the state government and the private sector,” Lim (picture) said today.

The Penang government says it has built 3,421 affordable housing units while 8,175 units were built by the private sector over the three-year period.

Lim, who is also DAP secretary-general, said the Penang government has set aside RM500 million to build at least 18,000 more affordable housing units in all five districts of the island state.

The affordable housing units will be developed in two phases — with 12,000 units in Batu Kawan (200 acres of land) on the mainland and 6,000 units on the island (77 acres).

Former Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin was reported as saying recently that the departure of over 18,000 Penang Malays showed that they had been sidelined by the PR-led state government.

Mohammad Fairus, a PKR-turned-Umno member, had purportedly cited figures from the Penang Socio-Economic Research Centre’s (PreCISE) study to support his claim that high property prices were a factor for Malays leaving the state.

Zairil Khir Johari, political secretary to the Penang CM, had said the results cited by Mohammad Fairus were doubtful as they differed from Penang’s current voter registry, which shows that the state’s Malay voters grew by 34,931 between 2008 and 2011.

Lim also denied allegations that the current Penang government has caused the hike in Penang property prices, saying that his administration has not raised the land premium rate.

“BN’s accusations are false because the state government never raised the land premium rate, it is still maintained at the same level as the previous administration’s,” he said in a statement today.

“A government cannot influence the rise or fall of property prices because it is determined by market demand and public confidence,” the Bagan MP added.