Talks on property

Front row, third from left: Hong, Ho, Dr Sia and Low with the participants

The Centre for Sustainable Development and Corporate Social Responsibility in Business (CSDCSR) and Faculty of Accountancy and Management (FAM) Department of Building and Property Management organised a Property Talk Series at UTAR Sungai Long Campus on 28 March 2019. The talks saw more than 50 participants in attendance.

The talks aimed to enlighten the participants about the recent development of the local property market and to embrace the opportunities associated with the development of Greater Kuala Lumpur (Greater KL) or Smart City. It also aimed to guide the participants toward effective tenancy management.

The invited speakers were Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd Chairman Ho Chin Soon and Hong Onn Enlightens Chief Executive Officer Hong Onn. Also present at the event were FAM Dean Dr Sia Bee Chuan, Department of Building and Property Management Head Low Chin Kian, lecturers and students.

Ho (left) and Hong (right) delivering their talks

The first session was presented by Hong with the title “Managing and Understanding Tenancy in Malaysia” which covered topics such as tenancy agreement, the difference between tenancy and lease, governing laws in Malaysia and dealing with prospective tenants. She said, “The trinity in tenancy consists of elements known as property, landlord and tenant. Currently, there is no specific act that governs the legal framework of tenancies in Malaysia. In a tenancy agreement, it is important to include details of the landlord and tenant, description of the premises, duration of the tenancy, permitted use of the premises, rental amount, mode of payment, furniture and fixtures, the obligations of tenant and landlord and deposit amount.”

Ho presented his talk titled “Transformation of Greater KL” which taught the participants to determine the locational centre of gravity of Greater KL using the traditional method using maps and the new method using ‘Google Earth Time Scale’. In his presentation, he also spoke about the major players in years to come and the highways under construction commentary on high-speed rail and some of the constraints such as slow population growth rate, resistance towards outward expansions and transformation outside Kuala Lumpur.

Ho read out a message to his son and advised the students, “How you treat your parents is the key to your success in life. One should have a purpose in life and adopt lifelong learning in the new digital world.”

The talk series was followed by a Q&A session among the speakers and participants.

Dr Sia presenting the token of appreciation to Hong (left) and Ho (right)

Ho Chin Soon is a map maker, author and a fellow of the Royal Institution of Surveyors, Malaysia.  He is a registered valuer with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers Malaysia and has a Professional Diploma from the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (United Kingdom).  Ho Chin Soon Research Sdn Bhd, a property information company that specialises in land use and ownership maps, 3D Augmented Reality Maps, provides speakers with property launches, aerial photography and customised real estate reports.  He started Ho Chin Soon Research in his house from the year 1989 until 2016.

Hong Onn is the CEO of Hong Onn Enlightens, a company promoting tacit knowledge sharing, encouraging people to share knowledge acquired through life experiences, successes and challenges. Hong graduated from the University of Hertfordshire with a first class honours degree in law and completed her Certificate in Legal Practice a year later, Hong Onn has worked with reputable law firms focusing mainly on corporate and commercial matters. She regularly advises and assists international and local clients and has worked on numerous legal due diligence involving a diverse range of businesses.  Apart from her law profession, Hong Onn has presented several papers at conferences and has been invited as a speaker and moderator by institutions such as the Real Estate and Housing Developer’s Association Malaysia (REHDA) and Starfish Training.