Hi-5!
Welcome to the last quarter of 2008, quarter that we celebrate our 5th anniversary for CA and prepare for 2009.
We have decided to create a “special gift” to commemorate our “Hi-5” CAlebration in recognition of your supports.
We will send you some teasers from time to time before the “REAL” thing on 6 November 2008.
Have fun with the first teaser: 5 questions that you always want to ask about us but just too shy!
Budget 2009 for Malaysia
This is a hot topic now. Here are a few observations for the Real Estate Investors in Malaysia:
- You save 50% of the stamp duty applicable for both the instrument of transfer and the loan documentation, if you buy one (1) residential property priced below RM250,000.00. This is effective from 30 August 2008 to 31 December 2010. Not applicable to foreign investors as you can only buy residential property priced above RM250,000.00.
- Withholdng Tax on REIT for foreign institutional investors reduced to 10% from 20% and from 15% to 10% for individual investors. We are at least at par with Singapore now; the rest is for the M-REITs to make themselves more attractive!
- Invest in 4 or 5 stars hotels in Sabah (especially with the demand now) and Sarawak to enjoy some tax benefits.
Meanwhile, I am working on a commentary with SME focus for the members of SME International. We target to finish the same on Friday and circulate it. You can check out the official website at www.smeinternational.org in the coming weekend.
For me, self-reliance is very important. We must always create values to stay relevance. Incentives are bonus, at best!
Check Mate! “National Real Estate Convention 2008” (“NREC”) a success!
For those of you who have taken part in the NREC, I’m sure you would agree with me that the take home values are certainly much more than the time and money that you have invested.
Everyone in the organising committee shall be congratulated for a great effort especially our Chair, Previn; and most importantly, for the support that we have from the FIABCI secretariat, thank you to Su Yi, Michelle, Charlene and Siti! You deserve a medal, all of you!
My medal? I’ve got a signed copy of book by Pak Ciputra himself!
Happily ever after….
Chye En is tying the knot this month with the luckiest guy on Earth (well, after me), Andy. Congratulation!
CA Recruitment
Introducing Ee Zheng, our latest addition to the CA Family: practiced as a corporate lawyer before, she is now helping CA in the conveyancing portfolio with intention to further venture into the corporate practice after she finished her LLM in University Malaya next year. Welcome on board, Eagle!
Welcome home, Calvin! We miss you and we are sure that your soon to be released CLP result shall enable your chambering with CA.
CA is stronger with both of you; we shall soon also announce our latest paralegal, stay tuned.
As for Ryan, we respect your determination to pursue CLP full time starting end of the month. We will certainly miss your company; you are a great fun to hang around. Chambering position is available for you next year; please return and redeem your position accordingly.
CA Interns – Our intern from Vietnam shall start on 15 October 2008 for one month. Shall keep you posted.
Last Word
Quoting Dato’ Low Keng Kok from the recently concluded NREC, “The more roads we built; the more traffic jams we have.” Interesting! The answer that we always perceived to be natural and right is never the answer.
When you find yourself keep doing the same thing and getting no where, you should stop doing and start thinking!
Start NOW! I repeat my tagline in my Singapore talks recently, “Slowly, but surely…” (provided that our patient is not running thin).