Malaysia: China hotel chain to start ops in Johor's Forest City

YEE XIANG YUN The Star 30 Aug 16;

GELANG PATAH: A four-star chain hotel from China will start operating in Forest City here by October.

Hotel Phoenix, which has 50 establishments throughout China, would have two towers with construction currently 60% completed.

Country Garden Pacific View Sdn Bhd (CGPV) executive director Datuk Md Othman Yusof said the first phase of the 280-room hotel, located behind the Forest City sales gallery, would be launched.

The target was to open 80 rooms by the end of September.

He said there woulf be job opportunities for locals and the inking of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with KPJ Education Group (KPYPJ) was to address such demand. The signing ceremony was witnessed by Johor Education, Information, Entrepreneur and Cooperatives Development executive committee chairman Md Jais Sarday and state Human Resources and Unity executive committee chairman R. Vidyanathan.

The agreement was signed yesterday to provide internship, scholarship and recruitment for 293 KPYPJ students by 2020, giving them job opportunities.

“It is also Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar’s wish for us to give priority and vacancies that will benefit locals and this MoU is in line with that,” said Md Othman.

The agreement would also provide scholarships as well as enable both parties to also exchange expertise in terms of knowledge and experience to fulfil the needs of the hospitality and other related fields.