HANDS dirty and shovels ready, Petaling Jaya is getting ready for a greener future.

As part of the PJ Half Marathon last October, Andaman property management has supported Petaling Jaya City Council’s (MBPJ) campaign, ‘Run For A Greener PJ’, directly sponsoring the planting of 500 trees across Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya and Kota Damansara.

The project has already seen more than 90 trees planted in the last three months and council workers expect all 500 trees to be planted by the end of March.

Andaman sales and marketing head Datuk Vincent Tiew said the property company wanted to direct its sponsorship specifically to the tree-planting component of the PJ Half Marathon.

Together now: The Star events and promotions head Kenny Thong, Abu Bakar of Friends of Kelana Jaya, Tiew, Andaman corporate communications assistant manager Nur Farisya getting their hands dirty to plant a tree.

“Our contribution is for a greener PJ as it falls in line with our company’s targets for corporate and social responsibility,” Tiew said.

“Tree planting serves as a reminder for business to come back to basics for the environment. Whatever you do as a property company, it involves the environment, sewerage and infrastructure.”

Dozens of young trees have taken root around Kelana Jaya Park, providing shade and scenery to the expansive park lands.

Friends of Kelana Jaya Park Club have been crucial in planting many of the trees purchased with the PJ Half Marathon Sponsorship.

The group has almost 200 voluntary members who regularly maintain, clean and monitor the surrounding lakes and gardens.

“We have an ongoing activity to access the landscape and plant trees in the park,” Friends of Kelana Jaya Park Club member Abu Bakan said.

“Planting a tree is a part of life, if you grow one tree it is like growing a human life.”

Plant varieties have included Petaling Trees (Ochanostachys amentacea), Pulai Trees (Alstonia scholaris), Jambu Laut (Syzygium grandis) and Hibiscus trees (Hibiscus tiliaceus).

MBPJ landscape director Zuraidah Sainan said the council welcomed the sponsorship given by Andaman and the PJ Half Marathon.

“We are looking at this concept of ‘greening the city’. Our target is to plant 10,000 trees per year.”

Sainan said that although some council residents had complained about trees in residential areas, the council was working “extra hard” to increase tree-planting in park areas.

The PJ Half Marathon is organised by The Star, MBPJ and the Selangor Amateur Athletics Association.

source:(http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2012/2/14/central/10722720&sec=central)

UNIQUE three-storey stand-alone commercial units developed by the Andaman Group is set to make waves at the upcoming Bandar Meru Raya township near Jelapang.

The project, known as Taipan City, would have 25 semi-detached and 15 bungalow shop office units.

Group sales and marketing director Datuk Dr Vincent Tiew said the design of the buildings were a novel concept, featuring larger display space compared to conventional designs.

Bright and ready: Shop office units of the Taipan @ Ipoh Cybercentre project which would be due for completion soon.

“This design is very suitable for businesses such as automobile showrooms, bridal houses, photography studios and fine dining outlets, which require the space and can then customise the units to their individual needs.

“A good example of this design can be seen at the vibrant Juru Autocity in Seberang Prai, Penang,” he said, adding that response had been positive since the project’s launch last month.

Dr Tiew believes that the project would be popular just like the group’s initial project, Taipan @Ipoh Cybercentre encompassing 102 offices and shoplot units, within the same area.

“In just two months after launching Taipan @Ipoh Cybercentre, all units were sold out,” he said, adding that the units had greatly appreciated in value.

“Taipan @Ipoh Cybercentre is almost completed and is due for vacant possession this month.

“Construction of two of our other projects, which are also at the township, Taipan Festival Mall and Taipan 3, has already started and would be completed at the end of the year,” he added.

Spanking new: An artist’s impression of the Taipan City semidetached shop office units with ample parking and large display spaces.

The 647.5ha Bandar Meru Raya township, due to be developed with Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status, is among the reasons behind the favourable response towards the Group’s commercial projects, said Dr Tiew.

For details, call 05-2433999.

IT WAS a night of nostalgia when a retro jazz musical charity concert relived the mood for love of yesteryears.

Inspired by Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai’s classic film, In the Mood for Love, the musical of the same name attempted to revive Chinese oldies from the 1960s.

Jazz songstress Lydia Chew gave a subtle introductory performance of the song titled My Glorious Years to begin the rendezvous at the Syuen Hotel in Ipoh last Friday.

Grand opening number: Chew singing subtly at the beginning of the musical.

Dressed in a tangy red tight-fitting cheongsam, she lifted the mood with her expressive voice telling the story of how a loving couple cherished their last date before separation through the song titled “Intoxicated in Your Embrace”.

Accompanied by virtuoso pianist Tay Cher Siang, who displayed his musical prowess by improvising the pop-jazz-styled Lover’s Tears, Chew sang her heart out to the fast-paced yet melancholic melody.

Tay and the other instrumentalists — a saxophonist, a double bass player and a drummer — left the audience spellbound by the mysterious and enigmatic Yumeji’s Theme.

Chew later dedicated the song Forever Smile to her grandmother who was absent from the concert.

“This song by Zhou Xuan is her favourite. As a child, my mother would coax me to sleep with the song, telling me that it is my grandmother’s favourite,” she said sentimentally.

For a good cause: Teoh (fourth from right) presenting mock cheques to SJK(C) Sam Tet Board of Governors chairman Rev Father Liew (second from right) and Chan (third from right).

After a short break, “Bossa Princess” Z Yan made her appearance on stage and serenaded the audience with Autumnal Night performed in a classic bossa nova beat.

Performing Teresa Teng’s I Only Care for You in her euphonious voice, Z Yan garnered rapturous applause from the crowd.

Chew once again hit the stage to duet with Z Yan on the number The Past Can Only Be Reminisced, closing the musical with a fantastic two-part harmony.

Organised by the Andaman Group, the concert raised a total of RM204,000 for SMJK Sam Tet and the John Moh Foundation.

The donations were handed out to the school’s board of governors chairman Rev Father Stephen Liew Khoay Siong and foundation president Chan Kam Leong by Andaman executive chairman Datuk Patrick Teoh.

Link: theStar - Charity concert revives Chinese jazz classics from the ‘60s