When the first phase of the Gardens by the Bay in Singapore is completed in early 2011, it will provide a much-needed breath of fresh air amid a credit crunch and a global recession.

 *This article first appeared in City & Country for the week of January 5, 2009  Lincoln Lee, Lucas Works Sdn Bhd’s executive director, currently lives with his family in Taman Tasik Kesuma in Semenyih, which is over an hour’s drive from the Kuala Lumpur city centre. He moved in just about a year ago from Melaka.

As lifestyles change so do the preferences of retail shoppers. Once, our parents or grandparents skirted murky puddles at smelly wet markets for weekly groceries; nowadays, their offspring prefer to do their shopping in air-conditioned comfort.

Change in profile but not valuesLee Yoke Har's resemblance to older brother Datuk Lee Yeow Chor is uncanny. Soft-spoken and affable, her quiet strength and firmness are very similar to her sibling's when it comes to dealing with the issues of the day.

Whatever the economic climate, be it a bull or bear market, there will always be opportunities for investors. When it comes to property investments, many prefer housing units. But what about commercial real estate?

Catching up with fashionable 'sibling'Conventional wisdom says "location, location, location" is key to success in property purchases and investment. Sometimes, however, having the right name may be just as important as the location.

Bandar Kinrara has been one of Island & Peninsular Sdn Bhd's (I & P) star performers in terms of sales when compared with other developments by the group.The freehold 1,904-acre township is now in its final phases with 526 acres yet to be developed. The township was first launched in 1991 and saw its first residents in 1992.