Motivating Middle School Boys Free Essays

Motivation of Middle School Boys in Math Class Abstract Middle school is a time of physical, emotional and social change for boys. When students hit middle school, academics tend to take a back seat to all of the new activity in their lives. For boys, middle school is increasingly difficult. We will write a custom essay sample on Motivating Middle School Boys or any similar topic only for you Order Now In addition to the physical and emotional changes, the academic curriculum becomes more challenging and rigid. This does not align with a typical boy’s learning style. Many boys in middle school are struggling through hard times at home. Situations may include challenges such as little to no parental support, poverty, and malnutrition. With all of the possible circumstances disrupting their home lives, it is hard for these boys to concentrate on how to solve an equation in math class. Teachers need to motivate boys by providing relevant, hands-on curriculum. Three ways that teachers can do this is by including family members in the classroom, using friendly competition in the form of games and contests, and by relating mathematical lessons and material to real-life situations and interests that the boys might have. Introduction By seventh grade, most students have had years of poor attendance, little parental support, and many other issues related to poverty. They simply do not see the importance of mathematics in everyday life and how math can lead to better things for them. Males, in particular, want to continue the lifestyle they were raised in; showing little to no effort when it comes to the math classroom. This paper discusses three reasons why mathematics teachers should incorporate meaningful motivation strategies as a tool to motivate middle school males in the mathematics classroom. Including Family in the Classroom One way that teachers can help to motivate boys in the middle school classroom is to include their families in the classroom. The relationship between family and school influences the academic achievement of middle school students. These family relationships and parental involvement mold students’ educational development drastically. Murdock and Miller (2003) refer to family as a major influence in how middle school boys deal with learning, peers, and motivation. They state â€Å"families play the most important role in students’ lives as they transition from elementary school to middle school†. The absence of a parent can play a very important role in the success of a student, so when the student sees that there is a connection between the classroom and their family, they are motivated to succeed. Middle school math teachers should try their best to create a sense of family cohesion and teamwork in the classroom. Teachers can do this by always making sure parents are aware of what is happening in the classroom, keeping the lines of communication open, and even incorporating projects that might need the student to work with a member of their family to complete it. Haim Ginott’s theory of congruent communication states that teachers should always use communication that is harmonious with students’ feelings about situations (Charles, 2008). This can be applied to idea of including families in the classroom because teachers need to keep the lines of communication open not only with their students, but with their students’ families. By taking the time to talk to students about situations arising in the classroom, it will be easy for teachers to communicate with parents about similar situations and the lack of motivation within the classroom. When students know that their families are involved in their academics, they are more inclined to succeed in the classroom. Introduce Competition Next, a second way that teachers can help to motivate middle school boys while in the classroom is to include the use of different games and contests. Most boys respond well to competition with their peers. They will force one another to greater speeds, improved accuracy and higher achievement in the name of winning. Boys thrive on competition, so any type of game or activity that allows them to go against a peer in a competitive manner will motivate them to perform. In the following quote, Conti explains why he believes that competitions in the math classroom can spark an interest in math for boys. â€Å"Mathematics competitions are probably the extracurricular academic programs with the widest participation. The most immediate value of these math contests is obvious – they pique students’ interest in mathematics and encourage them to value intellectual pursuits. Boys love games, and many will turn just about any activity into a contest, or in other words, something to get good at. Math contests thus inspire them to become good at mathematics just like sports encourage physical fitness. Eventually, students put aside the games. By then, hopefully an interest in the underlying activity has developed† (Conti, 2001). Teachers should create competitions by having students race against one another to solve math problems or turning a test review into a basketball game, allowing students to shoot a basket for every correct answer. The teacher could also place students in groups and award points based on certain behaviors and completed tasks. A prize would be awarded to the group with the highest score at the end of the week. Jacob Kounin would agree with this point based on his theory of lesson momentum and withitness. Kounin believes that classroom teachers should be able to do a multitude of things at one time, including presenting motivating and engaging lessons, managing the class, and being aware of the classroom surroundings (Charles, 2008). He states that good teachers keep students from getting bored or otherwise frustrated with lessons. By including competition in the form of games and contests in the classroom, the teacher is able to keep the boys motivated with a lesson while still controlling the needs of the class. When boys know they have a chance to show off their skills by winning something, they will immediately become engaged and motivated to participate. Provide Connections to Real-Life Therefore, a third way that middle school math teachers can motivate boys within the classroom is to connect the material to real-life applications. Students, particularly those who come from backgrounds that undervalue education, will benefit from this strategy. Stein (1993) expressed his belief in real-world connections revolving around math lessons by stating â€Å"Because students often feel that mathematics is the subject least relevant to their daily lives, it is an important arena in which teachers can attempt to incorporate students’ funds of knowledge in the context of culturally relevant mathematics instruction†. For middle school boys, school itself is often the least important factor in their lives. Teachers can tap into their focus by relating topics to important interests in their lives. One way for teachers to do that is to use democratic teaching; a theory of Rudolf Dreikurs. Democratic teaching occurs in a classroom in which the teacher and students work together to make decisions about how the class will function (Charles, 2008). This applies to the idea of connecting math with real-world situations. Students want to know how what they are learning will benefit them in their future lives. By brainstorming different topics and careers that the students are interested in, the teacher can then develop lessons that explain how those interests or careers are affected by mathematics. Teachers should show boys how math affects their everyday lives in areas such as: household maintenance, calculating car mileage, budgeting, making larger purchases (cars and houses), or solving problems that are important to them. Connecting math to future careers can also help to motivate boys in math class. Many unmotivated boys do not realize the importance of math for success in college or the role that math plays in careers that are not overtly math-oriented. Stein also claimed that by using problems that interest and excite the students’ curiosity, students are keen to develop important problem-solving strategies. These strategies can be applied in everyday situations, not just in the mathematics classroom. Conclusion The use of meaningful and male-related motivational strategies in middle school mathematics classrooms are a great way to motivate and help boys succeed. Most boys are very intelligent when it comes to numbers and math, however it may seem â€Å"too cool† to get good grades and to apply yourself. Middle school is where students generally begin to find themselves, and a determined teacher can help to motivate students to choose the right path. A teacher’s responsibility is to make sure they have done everything in their power to help their students succeed. This means reaching out to parents, changing lessons to fit the needs of the unmotivated students in the classroom, and changing your classroom management strategies to help engage and excite the students. With little to no parental support or guidance for many boys in the classroom, a male math teacher may be exactly what these boys need. But will these same strategies work with a female math teacher? References: Charles, C. M. (2008). Twentieth-Century Pioneers in Classroom Discipline. Building Classroom Discipline (Ninth Edition). Boston: Pearson. Conti, R. , Collins, M. A. , Picariello, M. L. (2001). The impact of competition on intrinsic motivation and creativity: Considering gender, gender segregation nd gender role orientation. Personality and Individual Differences, 31(8), 1273- 1289 Grossman, H. (2004). Classroom behavior management for diverse and inclusive schools. (3rd edition). Maryland: Rowman Littlefield. Murdock, T. , Miller, A. (2003). Teachers as Sources of Middle School Students’ Motivational Identity: Variable-Centered and Person-Centered Analytic Approaches. The Elementary School Journal, 103(4), 383-399. Stein, S. L. (1993). Young’s vision. The Mat hematics Teacher, 86, 330-333. How to cite Motivating Middle School Boys, Papers

Describing a Mother and Her Role in Our Society free essay sample

Describing a Mother and Her Role in Our Society Understanding a Mothers Role and Encouraging Love, Adoration and Respect for Her In fact, Mothers Role in the Society is considered to be quite a sensitive and emotional topic for the discussion. Interestingly, nowadays there are many writers who highlight this issue in their literary works. In general, the mother can be described in various ways and in different situations. Some examples, which can be used in a Mother Essay, are stated elow: * Biologically, a mother is a social female parent of an offspring Collectively, it is she who fulfills the main social role in raising the child But for the various definitions, there is one thing common throughout the whole world: each mother should be loved and respected. Actually, this factor should be emphasized by the society we are living in. Indeed, there can hardly be a community which would say that the mother is nothing but a living being made to deliver children. We will write a custom essay sample on Describing a Mother and Her Role in Our Society or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page However, still there might be some humans who would think like this. But in general, every culture has a valued position for the mother. It is a well-known fact that the mother is strongly related to her children. Hence, a Mother Essay should be specially focused on a mother- child relationship. Everyone supports a view that the mother is not Just the woman who gives birth to a child, but the one who adopts the child and considers it to be hers. In reality, there are many reasons why the mother cannot bring up the child she gave birth to: * Poverty It is crystal clear that the raising a child in poverty is a great challenge. If a lonely other cannot earn her living, she may not be able to earn for the child. This makes her abandon her child. * Social problems Some communities still follow Infanticide, which is killing an infant. In such cases, each mother wants her baby to survive and hence she may give away the baby to someone else. * Superstitions In certain uneducated families, new born babies are killed or discarded because they were born with some disease. They tend to give such kid a superstitious name and throw away the baby. In any case, a mother is always unhappy about the departure f her baby. In many communities, a mother is considered an incarnation of Goddess. Therefore, she is highly praised and worshiped. People celebrate Mothers Day to commemorate the spirit of motherhood. Thanks to this approach, the Mother Essay would bring awareness among the rest of the communities to consider the image of mother as an angel who cares for all family-members equally. Traditionally, the mother is associated with the following roles: * Giving birth toa child * Educating the child with good values * Making a family circle from a house Taking care of all members of the family Dealing with a Mother Essay, it should be kept in mind that in a father-mother- children relationship the closest person for any member is a mother. She is the center towards which all other elements are closely attached. The father may not be Children might not be that close to their father, as he is most of the time away from home. Amazingly, some mothers might act even as a communicative line between the children and their father. This shows the importance of a mother in a family.

Ten tips for perfectly pitched essays

Essays are an incredibly important part of the application process, says  Stacy Blackman, an MBA admissions consultant. Seemingly straightforward questions require a great deal of introspection. Make sure you budget time to draft and redraft, try new approaches and carefully edit so that each line packs the maximum punch   1  As soon as you know that you are going to apply to business school, you can start to prepare in a low-stress way. Keep a notebook and jot down anything interesting that comes to mind. An inspiring lecture, a disappointing performance review, an enlightening conversation with a friend, a travel experience, running a marathon, a stimulating book—all of these can be terrific material for your essays. Dont agonise over whether it will make a great topic, just jot it down. You will find that you quickly have a plethora of material to choose from. 2  As you begin to approach essay-writing time, consider putting together a â€Å"brag sheet†. Write down all of the things about you that would not necessarily appear on a rà ©sumà ©: languages you speak, all extracurricular involvements, family traditions and more. This can also be mined for essay content. 3  Once you have the essay questions in hand, there may still be a few stumpers. Even with lots of content, when you are faced with answering a question such as â€Å"What matters most to you?† it is difficult to decide. Here is an exercise that stops you from over-thinking: set your alarm clock for 3am. When you wake up, ask yourself the question. The first thing that comes to mind might surprise you. Do this for a couple of nights and you may come up with a few options or find that you are building a consensus around a certain topic. 4  Before you actually write the essays, take the final step of mapping out the general topics you will cover in each essay. As you map a topic to a question, check it off on a master list of stories you want to cover. This way, you can make sure that a given school is receiving all of your key stories, and that you are spreading out different stories across an application and not being repetitive. 5  Everyone works in different ways: some work best first thing in the morning, others are night owls. Some need to outline concepts on paper, others go straight to computer. So develop a plan that supports your individual style. Many find that the first application can take around 40 hours of work—brainstorming, drafting, editing, refining. As you approach this process, make sure you have the time. Tackle one application at a go. Do not take work leave or attempt it in a single week. Essays require time to gel. Therefore make sure that you have plenty of time to do it right. You may require six weeks, or you may even want 12. 6  Many applicants are inhibited by perfectionism. They can sit at the computer for hours, unable to generate that â€Å"perfect† essay, rewriting so furiously that they dont get past the first few sentences. It is often easier to edit than to write. So just type. A page full of so-so text is less intimidating than that blank page. 7  It is essential that you research your target schools and understand how to appeal to each of them. Each will have a slightly different ethos and look for something different in their students. But†¦ 8  Ã¢â‚¬ ¦you can also save yourself a bit of work. There are certain qualities that all business schools want to see in a successful applicant: leadership team skills ethics communication skills Just saying â€Å"I am a strong leader† is not enough. Every claim you make must have supporting stories that help the reader believe you. You do not need to check off every quality on the list. Select a few that apply to you and reinforce those in an honest and compelling way. 9  Nobody is perfect. The schools know this and you need to show them that you are realistic and self-aware. Revealing your humanity—in the form of quirks, weaknesses and flaws—can often help the admissions committee to like you. A story about how you learned from a failure, improved upon a weakness or struggled with challenges can be compelling. The other side of this is the ability to demonstrate that you can really benefit from the MBA degree. If you know everything already, an admissions committee may wonder why you want to return to school. 10  Get some help. Even the most meticulous writers benefit from a second or third set of eyes. Ask someone to review your essays, look for typos and tell you if you are hitting all of the points in the right way. Is your attempt at humour coming off correctly? Do you seem too humble, too cocky, too serious, not serious enough? After you have been buried with your essays for weeks, a fresh perspective can often help you see the application as an admissions-committee member does: for the first time. Enlist someone who knows about the application process and make sure they are not just reassuring you that all is well, but are actually giving you some quality feedback.

Marita Golden is bringing up the idea if you read Essays

Marita Golden is bringing up the idea if you read Essays Marita Golden is bringing up the idea if you read more you will become a stronger writer. The major argument that she is creating is that if you read more in-depth readings you will enhance your writing skills which will make an individual a stronger writer. Golden talks about how readers now tend to read things like blog posts and social media posts rather than reading in-depth novels and other challenging materials. She says that this shows in her student's papers that they don't understand that the topics they are covering have already been wr itten about time and time again. I feel as though as if this interview has a lot of truth behind it. The more that I read, the better writer I become. Reading in-depth articles helps expand my vocabulary and m y knowledge on different topics. Reading also opens me up to different writing styles. This text would've been easier to understand if I had more background knowledge on Marita Golden to understand her background and why she chose to be such a strong reader. She answers this question, but her response was vague. I wish I knew more about her upbringing and how her parents raised her, and whether they put more emphasis on her white culture or black culture. Overall, the author uses personal experiences to bring attention to the fact that this generation is a group of poor writers. Their lack of reading shows in their lack of ability to write in-depth papers and other writings.

Strategic Management Of Ferrari Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Strategic Management Of Ferrari - Essay Example Ferrari iÃ'• known and iÃ'• highly valued everywhere in the world. From the UÐ… to Japan, from Germany and Ð…witzerland to India, to France, AuÃ'•tralia, New Zealand, RuÃ'•Ã'•ia, Brazil, and Argentina. The term ConÃ'•tructor applieÃ'• in F1 for a corporate or any well-organized body which conÃ'•tructÃ'• the car, engine or chaÃ'•Ã'•iÃ'•. The conÃ'•tructor of an engine or chaÃ'•Ã'•iÃ'• ownÃ'• the intellectual rightÃ'• to it. (Porter, 1985, 44) The title of Formula 1 World Champion ConÃ'•tructor iÃ'• given to the car that haÃ'• drawn the moÃ'•t pointÃ'• during the courÃ'•e of the Ã'•eaÃ'•on. A carÃ'• engine and chaÃ'•Ã'•iÃ'•, both are taken into account while deciding on itÃ'• pointÃ'•. If a carÃ'• chaÃ'•Ã'•iÃ'• and engine conÃ'•tructor iÃ'• the Ã'•ame, the title Ã'•imply goeÃ'• to that conÃ'•tructor. But, if the makerÃ'• of the chaÃ'•Ã'•iÃ'• and engine are different, the title iÃ'• given jointly, like Ferrari-Honda, Renault-MercedeÃ'• etc. The name of the chaÃ'•Ã'•iÃ'• conÃ'•tructor comeÃ'• before that of the engine conÃ'•tructor. The termÃ'• conÃ'•tructor and entrant have different and Ã'•pecific meaningÃ'•. An entrant iÃ'• the perÃ'•on or corporate entity that regiÃ'•terÃ'• a car and driver for a race Ã'•eaÃ'•on. Thereafter the reÃ'•ponÃ'•ibility of preparing and maintaining that car during the race weekend lieÃ'• with them. The term team iÃ'• uÃ'•ually applied to an entrant organization. The 1970Ã'• were the laÃ'•t decade Ferrari entered aÃ'• a workÃ'• effort in Ã'•portÃ'• car racing. After an uninÃ'•pired performance in the 1973 F1 World ChampionÃ'•hip, Enzo Ferrari Ã'•topped all development of Ã'•portÃ'• carÃ'• in prototype and GT racing at the end of the year, although, Enzo planned to pull out of F1, that year which waÃ'• the year of the laÃ'•t "official" Targa Florio road race Enzo regarded aÃ'• more important to him.

Different throught processes during World war 2 and vietnam a contrast Essay

Different throught processes during World war 2 and vietnam a contrast in thinking - Essay Example The speed at which life changed and the number of social issues that were in conflict made the world a very different place, thus supporting a citizenry that was in conflict with its government, a nation that was in a social civil war trying to change what would lead toward a more enlightened society. The 1940’s was a time that marked the beginning of world in which the oppressed would stand tall and the domination of the white male social group would come into challenge. However, this was not seen from inside this time, only from the retrospective point of view that represents the changes that took place during this time. The social control of the world before this time resided deeply within the group defined by white Western males who dominated in the economic and social spheres from which the world was primarily defined. However, this group had taken some damage during the press of the economic pressures during the 1930’s that had whittled away both pride and resources. As World War II took those same men far from the shores of the United States, a new world would blossom during their absence. During World War II, the support for the war extended into most aspects of life within the United States. The first sacrifice was made by the men who enlisted in droves to support the end of tyranny within the world by participating in the military efforts. However, there was a great deal of sacrifice made on the home front because of the participation of men and the use of resources that might not have been required without the existence of the war. The entry into World War II came on the heels of a Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor which incited the passions of the citizens towards revenge and preservation of the way of life that was the American culture. According to Hormats, â€Å"On the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Franklin Roosevelt proclaimed his confidence that the

Analysis of Awareness of Real Estate Investment Trusts

Analysis of Awareness of Real Estate Investment Trusts Investment in general, and property investment in particular, have been traditionally regarded more as an art than a science, where investors, decision-makers and analyst rely more on their experience, subjective judgement and quantified evidence. Real Estate Investment Trust or REITs is a new medium of investment specifically in property investment in Malaysia. Malaysia is the first country in Asia to introduce property trust and only in 1989 was listed in Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. The property trust was then facing some issues such as potential conflict of interest, a lack of focus on asset management and thin trading volume and then led the Real Property Investment Trust to be announced. REITs in Malaysia growth perfectly with stimulate the growth of property sector in this country. Malaysia then introduces the first of its new REITs, with the Axis REIT. YTL Corporation, Malaysias biggest builder, established the second REITs later, with properties in the REIT including the JW Marriott Hotel and Starhill Shopping Center in Kuala Lumpur. Besides that, other REITs that now established in Malaysia are Hektar REITs, Tower REITs, and also UOA REITs. Other companies in Malaysia that are expecting to join for REITs include Sunway City and the Landmarks Group. Most of the REITs companies in Malaysia own the real property asset such as shopping malls, hotels and also apartment buildings and they generate income from owning the building and also rental income from the buildings. The investors physically own a part of the building depending on the size of the share that they invest. Through REITs, investors can invest any amount that they want to own REITs. They can sell it anytime with the easiest way through stocks market. Compared to normal properties, the transaction cost of buy and sell REITs are much lower. But REITs does not like other unit trust, which is sold through agents or other peoples, but it is traded in stock exchange. So it gives return to investors in form of dividend and also capital appreciation from price change. This way, shows that REITs is a secured investment that protect investors interest and it works under the guidelines or frameworks that have been set up by government. Background: The investment characteristics of property are significantly different from the characteristics of assets in other investments. REITs in Malaysia is so attractive as Malaysia now is developing country. There is still a gap between Malaysia and others develop country in Asia. In order to put Malaysia in same level with Asia develop country, most of REITs managers are with option and plan to growth their property portfolio to trade or manage rental in order to achieve it. It also will give a better yield for investor if our country is same level with others. In order to improve market performance of REITs, the REITs Company should consider developing new opportunities, acquiring more properties into their portfolio and also to some countries, or joint developing property project. The relation of both legal frameworks and the market performance will give a picture to investor and other people who interested in this investment. The REITs sector need to provide more chance to other people to invest and it will help Malaysian generate more income others than monthly salary and to boost up economy in this country. Research Question: Finance in real estate is just a popular way of investment nowadays. The market performance of REITs shows the good results this few years. With the regulation that set up by government, surely REITs is the secured investment. But is there many people in Klang Valley that come from middle-income group realise about this investment in this develop country? Objectives: The main objective of this study is to determine the level of awareness towards REITs among middle-income group in Klang Valley. In line with above, this study also seeks to study types of REITs available in Malaysia Besides, these study also to discuss about the way to introduce REITs in Malaysia in order to make REITs the favourable investment medium. Scope of Study: In overall, this research is confined to REITs in Malaysia which in an attractive investment nowadays. This study covers the types of REITs available in Malaysia and also people awareness about it. Other than that, this study is carried out to know what is the way of promoting REITs that people prefer. Methodology: This research would be done in an analytic study manner. The information that is needed to examine the issue will be obtained from primary and secondary data. The primary data refers to the first-hand data, which required data collection that is the distribution of questionnaire. The questionnaire will be distributed to certain amount of Malaysian with a different background. Secondary data or desk research refers to the data that already exist, mostly in quantitative form. In this study, most of the secondary data were obtained from; Academic research on REITs and journals. Website of REITs Company. Other dissertations. Data analysis will be done through frequency analysis. Frequency analysis is used to determine the frequency of certain choice for the questions. Most frequent answer will be given the priority. The results will be shows in diagram or graph to show the popularity answers. Significance: It is hoped that the anticipated outcome of this study can benefit the: The REITs Company where they will more alert toward the middle-income people awareness of REITs and the way people wanted REITs to be promoted. The interested investor and also the student, as a reference on the information that relates to REITs. Organisation of Research: This study consists of five chapters where the first chapter provides a brief concept and view on the topic that will be studied in this research. It consists of introduction, objective of study, scope of study, significance on research and also organisation of research. Chapter two discuss on literature review about REITs in Malaysia. The discussion will be on definition of REITs, the types of REITs in Malaysia and also the list of REITs companies. Other than that, the discussion also will describe on how REITs work and also the benefit of REITs. The definition on middle-income people and background of Klang Valley also will briefly explain. The next chapter, chapter three is on methodology. In this chapter, methods used to construct the questionnaires will be outlined. This chapter will highlight how the administration of the questionnaire which will conduct to respondents. Chapter four is the finding and analysis of data obtained through questionnaires survey. The analysis of data obtained will determine the level of awareness towards REITs among middle-income people in Klang Valley. Through the survey, the preference way of promoting REITs also can be discover. The last chapter, which is chapter five, is the conclusion and limitation of this study. The best suggestion of promoting REITs also will be stated in this chapter. The weaknesses and strengths of the study may be included. Some suggestions for further study will also be included in this study. In the next chapter, a review of related information about REITs will be explained. The explanation will cover definition, types, how REITs work, REITs companies in Malaysia, the legislation of REITs Islamic REITs and also the future prospect of REITs. Chapter 2: Literature Review: LITERATURE REVIEW: REITs which stand for Real Estate Investment Trust is an investment that relates to properties. Trust fund has been introducing in this country since 1986, but REITS; a part of trust fund is a new medium investment only famous around few years back. REITs is an investment vehicle for investors to invest in large-scale income producing real estate. With the concept like unit trust, this investment gathers pool of money from all sizes of investors. REIT based companies will invest, manage and distribute rental as dividend back to the investors by yearly basis or depends on the agreement that have been signed before.REITs is a liquidity investment which It is being trade in Bursa Kuala Lumpur with ease of buy and sells back like a normal equity. As the years flow, REITs is not new to the world especially in many other developed countries. REITs usually targets for a long term investor with moderate risk such as insurance companies, unit trust funds and even individual investors. REITs invest in a variety of real estate properties such as office buildings, shopping malls, warehouses, apartments and hotels. The investor also has the added advantages of holding a liquid asset in the form of shares that can be sold on the market unlike the real estate itself which is illiquid. Investing in REITs provides the investor with dividend income and also allows them to own a real estate portfolio rather than just a single building. This chapter then will briefly explain about Klang Valley, middle-income group, history of REITs in Malaysia, types of REITs, how REITs work, and REITs companies and also about the legislation of REITs. Klang Valley: My research focus on awareness towards REITs among middle-income people in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Malaysia is located in Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and South China Sea, south of Vietnam. It is comprised of two separate geographical regions which are Malay Peninsular and the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Klang valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kulala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. Tis valley is named after Klang River, the principal river that flows through it which is closely linked to the early development of the area as a cluster of tin mining towns in the late 19th century. Development of Klang Valley took place largely in the area between Gombak and Port Klang but the urban areas surrounding Kuala Lumpur have since growth towards the border of Negeri Sembilan and the north towards Rawang. Klang Valley has a total population around 7.6 million people in 2009 and estimated to growth due to the people migrate from other states towards Klang Valley and also a population growth. Klang Valley is the heartland of Malaysias industry and commerce. Regions of Klang Valley and their corresponding local authority: Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur City Hall. Federal Territory of Putrajaya. Putrajaya Corporation. Selangor district of Petaling. Shah Alam City Council. Petaling Jaya City Council. Subang Jaya Municipal Council. Selangor District of Klang. Klang Municipal Council. Selangor district of Gombak. Selayang Municipal Council. Selangor district of Hulu Langat. Ampang Jaya Municipal Council. Kajang Municipal Council. Selangor district of Sepang. Sepang Municipal Council. For further information about the location of Klang Valley. Middle-Income Group: There are three classes of income in Malaysia. These classes indicate Malaysian monthly income and also their household. The three (3) classes including low-income people, middle-income people, and high-income people. Below is the income groups in Malaysia. Middle-class income is define as the socioeconomic class between the working class and the upper class, usually including professionals, highly skilled labourers, and lower and middle management.( Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/middle-class). Background of REITs in Malaysia: Malaysia is the first country in Asia to introduce property trusts. In 1989, the first trust was listed in Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. The regulatory framework of property trust, approved by the Bank Negara in 1986, was restrictive and provided no tax transparency. But there still an issues that arise such as lack of focus on property management and also conflict of interest which led the property trust to be private. In 1995, a revision of the property trust guidelines were done but it fail to give a good impact to investors and also to market. Then, in February 2005, there is another revision with led the property trust be renamed as Real Property Investment Trust (REITs). The major income of REITs is from rental and the profit is required to distribute to holders or investors in dividend. The guidelines also been revised to provide a good regulation for a REITs in this country. Malaysia was the first Islamic country to certify REITs and also the first country in Asia where REITs conquer agriculture land. A plantation REITs also much like conventional REITs. It will be the crops planted on the land and the success will depend on the sizes of assets injected to the trust. The potential plantation to be expected is oil palm because of the high demand on the production. Other than that, palm oil also undergoing the research to become a biodiesel product and in become more attractive after the increasing in oil prices. The plantation land or agriculture land also can be developed to residential area or commercial area due to the development of town. Types of REITs: REITs has several types with drives to a different prospect of REITs but it still relates to property as a main core to invest on. In others country they apply a lot of types of REITs. But in Malaysia we only apply three types of REITs. There are Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and also Hybrid REITs. Equity REITs: Equity REITs is a publicly traded company that, as its principal business, buys, manages, renovates, maintains and occasionally sells real properties. (block,2006).Properties are usually purchased to invest is an income-producing real estate such as hotels, shopping malls and also apartment buildings. This type of REITs is different from others because REITs usually companies will purchase or develop the property and operate it as a part of their portfolio rather than sell it. Besides, Equity REITs is a long term investment because they earn dividend from rental. In additional, this type will let investors not only just to choose the type of property they want to invest in, but also the location of the properties. (Block, 2006). It means that the investors can make a choice on their own with the advice of the agent or REITs managers in order to make a good investment and to gain a good dividend. Mortgage REITs: A mortgage REITs is a REITs that focus on makes on holds loans to the property developers. (All about Investing: The Easy Way to Get Started by Esme Faerber: page 89). Rather than investing in properties,this type of REITs sometime loans money for purchase existing mortgages. The revenue earns is from the interest charge on the mortgage loans and pass on shareholders. Mortgage REITs is more sensitive compare than other REITs because of the prices of mortgage REITs react opposite from interest rates. It is good REITs to invest if there is a rumour of dropping in interest rates. Hybrid REITs: Hybrids combine the investing principles of mortgage and equity REITs, diversifying between making mortgage loans and direct property ownership. They earn both rental and interest income. (http://www.allaboutskyscrapers.com/REIT_types.htm). They buy, develop, and manage the properties and provide financing through mortgage loans. Most hybrid REITs have a stronger position in their financing account. The most famous industry that using hybrid REITs is private healthcare industries, where the financial company will provide mortgage to healthcare company, hospital management and also to buy properties such as land and building and also medical appliances. Equity REITs seem to be the most popular REITs recently. Between three types of REITs, mortgage REITs is the most risky which in involve in lend money to developers. Every type of REITs has different level of risk so investors should study and evaluate which REITs they want to invest in. The wise result will make the investors smile widely because of the big fish. Chan, Erickson and Wang (2003) find that equity REITs pay out more dividends than mortgage REITs. The reason is that equity REITs offer the potential for capital gains in addition to current income. Structure of REITs: Source: Practice and Prospect of Islamic Real Estate Investment (I-REITs)in Malaysian Islamic Capital Market by Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. Manager: A man or woman who controls an organization or a part of organization. Property manager: A man or woman who controls the management and maintenance of the building. He or she will ensure the building in the good condition which safe to fit tenants in. Tenant: A person who pays money (rent) to the owner of a room, flat, building or piece of land so that he or she can live in it or use it. Trustee: A person who looks after money or property for somebody else. Unit holder: An owner of one or more units in a mutual fund. How REITs Works: Its true that investment most favourable today will be the one most prized tomorrow, and then real estate is definitely due for love-in. Investing in income-generating real estate can be a great way to increase your net worth. But for many people, investing in real estate, particularly commercial real estate is simply out of their budgets. REITs is a saviour to people when with REITs people can invest in small amount but with a large-scale of real estate group. REITs which means real estate investment trust essentially the organization that own and manage a portfolio of real estate and mortgages such as shopping malls, hotels, apartment buildings and also agriculture lands. REITs does not mean for a restrict group, but this share can be own buy anyone. REITs offer people the ownership of the property without any risks because all of the problems will be covered by agents or REITs managers. There are advantages when investing in REITs because of the liquidity and diversity. It is unlike actual real estate, where REITs can be easily and quickly sold. People will face less financial risk because of investing in a portfolio rather than single building because of the problems such as irresponsible tenants, economy impact to the property rental market and market value, and so on. REITs has a board of directors that elected by the shareholders. The shareholders have a power to eliminate any board of directors that does not fulfil their requirement. The board of directors usually came from a people with an investment background especially in REITs field. They will assist a REITs managers; person who will manages the operation of the property. The power to choose what types of real estate to invest in is on board of directors. REITs investment for investors starts when they invest certain amount of money in a REITs fund. The amount of money depends on the REITs managers who will arrange the investment on the properties that have been agreed by board of director. The investors can have an eyes and ideas on what types of the properties and the location. They have a choice whether want to agree or not with the properties. If they agree with the properties, they can sign a document to clarify the investment. Then the properties will be rent out or mortgage in order to earn money. REITs has a several method to measuring the profit but the suitable one called Funds From Operation (FFO). The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) defines FFO as: Net income (computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures will be calculated to reflect funds from operations on the same basis. Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/real-estate/reit2.htm. The REITs industry use FFO to measure performance and to establish dividend payouts. Kallberg et al (2003) reported that REITs consistently pay out about 85% of FFO as dividends. The payouts from REITs are consistently higher than other types of equities. In other words, FFO is defined as the net income, excluding gains and losses from debt restructuring and property sales, adding back property depreciation and amortisation, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnership and joint ventures. The net income is referring to rent and sales computed according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). However FFO is not a necessary way to determine performance and dividend payouts. Not all REITs calculate FFO according to the NAREIT definition because some of the important items are missing from the formula such as maintenance, repairs and also expenses. Thus, investors must always read a companys report and any others supplemental information in order to get an exact FFO. REITs Companies: In Malaysia, there are several amount of business runs base on REITs. These companies have been success to put property market in this country in a good condition. These companies also expend the real estate industry with so much new types of building. Below is briefly an explanation about ten (10) well known REITs companies. Al-Aqar KPJ: Al-Aqar KPJ REITs established on 28 June 2006 is a Malaysian-based unit trust. The objective of this investment is to own and invest in Syariah-compliant real estate and it has been acceptable to invest in properties which compromise Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital Building, Damansara Specialist Hospital Building, Johor Specialist Hospital Building, Ipoh Specialist Hospital Building, Puteri Specialist Hospital Building and Selangor Medical Centre Building. There are nine (9) others hospital under KPJ that potential to be injected under Al-Aqar KPJ such as Tawakal Hospital, Seremban Specialist Hospital and also Penawar Hospital. Amanah Raya: Amanah Raya REITs is subsidiary of Amanah Raya Berhad and wholly-owned by Minester of Fianace Incorporated. Amanah Raya REITs listed on Bursa Securities Malaysia Berhad on 26 February 2007 with a total asset siza of RM337 million. Today, Amanah Raya REITs has a diversification portfolio comprising hospitality, education and also commercial properties such as SEGI College, Holiday Villa Langkawi, Holiday Villa Alor Star, Wisma Amanah Raya Berhad, Wisma UEP, Permanis Factory and also Blocks AB South City Plaza. AmFirst: Established on 28 September 2006 under the Trust Deed, AmFIRST then entered into between Am ARA REIT Managers and Mayban Trustee Berhad. AmFIRST managed by Am ARA REIT Managers Sdn Bhd. Three months then, Am FIRST was listing on the Main Board of the Bursa Saham Malaysia Berhad on 21 December 2006. It shows an innovative makeover of AmFIRST, the first listed property trust fund in Malaysia. This REITS company is the largest Malaysia-based commercial REITs with exposure to the office, retail and hotel sector in Klang Valley area. Currently manages six office building, where three are located within the Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle; AmBank Group Leadership Centre, AmBank Group Building, and also AmBank Tower, and one each in Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya, and Subang Jaya. AmFIRST also manages four-star hotel and a retail mall located in Subang Jaya, The Summit Subang, USJ. Atrium: Atrium REITs is a first logistic property approved in Malaysia. The objective of Atrium REITs is to invest in portfolio in order to reward investors or unit holders a maximise income and to acquire a high quality assets to achieve a long-term growth in a net income for distribution of dividend. This REITs then was first approved by the Securities Commission in October 2006 and then listed on Main Board of Bursa Saham Malaysia Berhad in April 2007. Atrium REITs has an 809, 668 sq ft (75, 220 sq mt) approved portfolio of investment properties which comprises of four freehold industrial properties currently leased to reputable and strong financially tenants. All of their properties located in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, the fastest growing area in this country. Axis: Axis REITs is the first REITs list on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 3 August 2005. On 11 December 2008, Axis launched Islamic REITs which is the first in Malaysia. Axis own diversified portfolio of properties especially in Klang Valley, Kedah and Johor comprising of commercial offices, light industial building and also warehouse. Buildings that portray an image of Axis are Axis Tower and also Crystal Plaza. Both if this building are next door to each other and located along the busiest road, Federal Highway. These buildings are well maintain and easier accessibility. Other Axis properties are Delfi Cocoa in and BMW Asia Technology Centre PTP in Johor and also Giant Hypermarket in Sungai Petani, Kedah. Hektar: Hektar REITs is a Malaysias first retail-focused REITs. Listed on the Main Board of Bursa Saham Malaysia Securities on 4 December 2006, Hektar portfolio currently consists of shopping centres in Subang Jaya, Melaka and Muar. As of 31 December 2009, all of these properties was value of RM720 million. Hektar REITs is managed by Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd which a part of Hektar Group. QCT: QCT (Quill Capita Trust) REITs was listed in Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 8 January 2007. QCT is managed by Quill Capita Management Sdn Bhd. QCT main investment in REITs is a commercial properties. Until 31 December 2009, QCT has ten (10) properties with 1,288,149 sq ft net lettable area valued RM 788.4 million. The properties including part of Plaza Mont Kiara, Quill buildings, Wisma Technip and also tesco building in Jelutong, Penang. Starhill: This REITs was established on 18 November 2005 by a trust deed entered between Pintar Projek Sdn Bhd and Mayban Trustee and listed on Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 16 December 2005. Starhill REITs is focusing on retail and hotel properties investment. As for February 2010, Starhill REITs is the largest Malaysias real estate investment. This REITs has four (4) portfolio located in the heart of Kualu Lumpur; Starhill Gallery, JW Marriot Hotel, Lot 10 Shopping Centre and also The Residence at The Ritz-Carlton. Tower: Tower REITs is established on 21 February 2006. The objective of this company is to invest primarily in a portfolio of quality office building and commercial properties to provide regular and stable distributions of dividend to unit holders or investors and also to achieve a medium-term growth in the net income. In order to achieve their objective, Tower REITs implement several key strategies such as optimisation of capital structure, active asset management and also acquisition growth. The portfolio of this REITs company consists of three buildings located in Kuala Lumpur. First is Menara HLA, the 32-storeys office tower located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle. With a net lettable area of 396, 820 sq ft, it has a blue chip tennats such as Hong Leong Assurance Berhad. Next, HP Towers comprises of two blocks of 9-storeys and 21-storeys and 3 levels of connecting podium. Situated in Bukit Damansara, this towers has a net lettable area of 350, 056 sq ft with a Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd as a tenants. Lastly, Menara ING situated in Jalan Raja Chulan, the main central business district of Kuala Lumpur. Tower REITs only own 78.3% of the total share unit of the building and 100% leased out to ING Insurance Bhd. UOA: nbsp  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  UOA REITs was established on 28 November 2005 and listed on the Main Board of Bursa Saham Malaysia Securities Berhad two days later. UOA REITs is focusing on commercial properties. With a diversification portfolio of properties, UOA manages to maintain four building in Kuala Lumpur area. First is UOA Centre, a stylish 33-storeys office building situated between Jalan Pinang and Jalan Perak. Tenants of the building include financial services companies and also trading companies. Next is UOA II which located near to UOA Centre. With a contemporary designed, this 39-storeys building has a mixture of tenants from government agencies, multinationals insurance companies and law firms. Other than that, a 13-storeys office building located in Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights name UOA Damansara is one of the UOA properties. Law firms, international associations and trading companies are a part of tenants for this building. Last is UOA Pantai located strategically in front of Menara TM. This 7-storeys of building consists of tenants include multinational corporations and so on. Regulation of REITs: In Malaysia, REITs govern by a statutory body name Security Commission Malaysia (SC). SC was established on 1 March 1993 under the Securities Commission Act 1993 and it is a financial regulatory agency. It is the central authority to regulate and develop the capital market. SC has big responsibilities in order to ensure the safety of the investors under the Act includes: Registering authority for prospectuses of corporations other than unlisted recreational clubs. Approving authority for corporate bond issues. Regulating all matters relating to securities and future contracts. Regulating the take-over and mergers of companies. Regulating all matters relating to unit trust schemes. Licensing and supervising all licensed persons. Supervising exchanges, clearing houses and central depositories. Encouraging self-regulation. Ensuring proper conduct of market institutions and licensed persons. Source:http://www.sc.com.my/main.asp?pageid=350menuid=376newsid=linkid=type= New Islamic REITs: The introduction of Islamic REITs is viewed as one of the most significant initiatives to broaden and deepen the product base of Islamic capital market in Malaysia. It can also help to enhance competitiveness of Malaysian Islamic capital market by attracting global Islamic investors who wish to diversify their investment portfolio which are Shariah compliant. Islamic REITs regulation was outlined in the Guidelines for Islamic REITs issued on 21st November 2005 by Securities Commission. (Securities Commission,2005). The Guidelines were introduced to facilitate the development of new Islamic capital market products, making Malaysia the first jurisdiction in the global Islamic financial sector to issue such guidelines and setting a global benchmark for the development of Islamic REITs. The Guidelines essentially stipulate Shariah compliance criteria to guide management companies in their activities relating to an Islamic REITs, including the types of Shariah permissible and non-permissible rental and investment activities for such fund. Islam prohibited Muslim from investing in properties whose tenants sell alcohol, pork or allo Analysis of Awareness of Real Estate Investment Trusts Analysis of Awareness of Real Estate Investment Trusts Investment in general, and property investment in particular, have been traditionally regarded more as an art than a science, where investors, decision-makers and analyst rely more on their experience, subjective judgement and quantified evidence. Real Estate Investment Trust or REITs is a new medium of investment specifically in property investment in Malaysia. Malaysia is the first country in Asia to introduce property trust and only in 1989 was listed in Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. The property trust was then facing some issues such as potential conflict of interest, a lack of focus on asset management and thin trading volume and then led the Real Property Investment Trust to be announced. REITs in Malaysia growth perfectly with stimulate the growth of property sector in this country. Malaysia then introduces the first of its new REITs, with the Axis REIT. YTL Corporation, Malaysias biggest builder, established the second REITs later, with properties in the REIT including the JW Marriott Hotel and Starhill Shopping Center in Kuala Lumpur. Besides that, other REITs that now established in Malaysia are Hektar REITs, Tower REITs, and also UOA REITs. Other companies in Malaysia that are expecting to join for REITs include Sunway City and the Landmarks Group. Most of the REITs companies in Malaysia own the real property asset such as shopping malls, hotels and also apartment buildings and they generate income from owning the building and also rental income from the buildings. The investors physically own a part of the building depending on the size of the share that they invest. Through REITs, investors can invest any amount that they want to own REITs. They can sell it anytime with the easiest way through stocks market. Compared to normal properties, the transaction cost of buy and sell REITs are much lower. But REITs does not like other unit trust, which is sold through agents or other peoples, but it is traded in stock exchange. So it gives return to investors in form of dividend and also capital appreciation from price change. This way, shows that REITs is a secured investment that protect investors interest and it works under the guidelines or frameworks that have been set up by government. Background: The investment characteristics of property are significantly different from the characteristics of assets in other investments. REITs in Malaysia is so attractive as Malaysia now is developing country. There is still a gap between Malaysia and others develop country in Asia. In order to put Malaysia in same level with Asia develop country, most of REITs managers are with option and plan to growth their property portfolio to trade or manage rental in order to achieve it. It also will give a better yield for investor if our country is same level with others. In order to improve market performance of REITs, the REITs Company should consider developing new opportunities, acquiring more properties into their portfolio and also to some countries, or joint developing property project. The relation of both legal frameworks and the market performance will give a picture to investor and other people who interested in this investment. The REITs sector need to provide more chance to other people to invest and it will help Malaysian generate more income others than monthly salary and to boost up economy in this country. Research Question: Finance in real estate is just a popular way of investment nowadays. The market performance of REITs shows the good results this few years. With the regulation that set up by government, surely REITs is the secured investment. But is there many people in Klang Valley that come from middle-income group realise about this investment in this develop country? Objectives: The main objective of this study is to determine the level of awareness towards REITs among middle-income group in Klang Valley. In line with above, this study also seeks to study types of REITs available in Malaysia Besides, these study also to discuss about the way to introduce REITs in Malaysia in order to make REITs the favourable investment medium. Scope of Study: In overall, this research is confined to REITs in Malaysia which in an attractive investment nowadays. This study covers the types of REITs available in Malaysia and also people awareness about it. Other than that, this study is carried out to know what is the way of promoting REITs that people prefer. Methodology: This research would be done in an analytic study manner. The information that is needed to examine the issue will be obtained from primary and secondary data. The primary data refers to the first-hand data, which required data collection that is the distribution of questionnaire. The questionnaire will be distributed to certain amount of Malaysian with a different background. Secondary data or desk research refers to the data that already exist, mostly in quantitative form. In this study, most of the secondary data were obtained from; Academic research on REITs and journals. Website of REITs Company. Other dissertations. Data analysis will be done through frequency analysis. Frequency analysis is used to determine the frequency of certain choice for the questions. Most frequent answer will be given the priority. The results will be shows in diagram or graph to show the popularity answers. Significance: It is hoped that the anticipated outcome of this study can benefit the: The REITs Company where they will more alert toward the middle-income people awareness of REITs and the way people wanted REITs to be promoted. The interested investor and also the student, as a reference on the information that relates to REITs. Organisation of Research: This study consists of five chapters where the first chapter provides a brief concept and view on the topic that will be studied in this research. It consists of introduction, objective of study, scope of study, significance on research and also organisation of research. Chapter two discuss on literature review about REITs in Malaysia. The discussion will be on definition of REITs, the types of REITs in Malaysia and also the list of REITs companies. Other than that, the discussion also will describe on how REITs work and also the benefit of REITs. The definition on middle-income people and background of Klang Valley also will briefly explain. The next chapter, chapter three is on methodology. In this chapter, methods used to construct the questionnaires will be outlined. This chapter will highlight how the administration of the questionnaire which will conduct to respondents. Chapter four is the finding and analysis of data obtained through questionnaires survey. The analysis of data obtained will determine the level of awareness towards REITs among middle-income people in Klang Valley. Through the survey, the preference way of promoting REITs also can be discover. The last chapter, which is chapter five, is the conclusion and limitation of this study. The best suggestion of promoting REITs also will be stated in this chapter. The weaknesses and strengths of the study may be included. Some suggestions for further study will also be included in this study. In the next chapter, a review of related information about REITs will be explained. The explanation will cover definition, types, how REITs work, REITs companies in Malaysia, the legislation of REITs Islamic REITs and also the future prospect of REITs. Chapter 2: Literature Review: LITERATURE REVIEW: REITs which stand for Real Estate Investment Trust is an investment that relates to properties. Trust fund has been introducing in this country since 1986, but REITS; a part of trust fund is a new medium investment only famous around few years back. REITs is an investment vehicle for investors to invest in large-scale income producing real estate. With the concept like unit trust, this investment gathers pool of money from all sizes of investors. REIT based companies will invest, manage and distribute rental as dividend back to the investors by yearly basis or depends on the agreement that have been signed before.REITs is a liquidity investment which It is being trade in Bursa Kuala Lumpur with ease of buy and sells back like a normal equity. As the years flow, REITs is not new to the world especially in many other developed countries. REITs usually targets for a long term investor with moderate risk such as insurance companies, unit trust funds and even individual investors. REITs invest in a variety of real estate properties such as office buildings, shopping malls, warehouses, apartments and hotels. The investor also has the added advantages of holding a liquid asset in the form of shares that can be sold on the market unlike the real estate itself which is illiquid. Investing in REITs provides the investor with dividend income and also allows them to own a real estate portfolio rather than just a single building. This chapter then will briefly explain about Klang Valley, middle-income group, history of REITs in Malaysia, types of REITs, how REITs work, and REITs companies and also about the legislation of REITs. Klang Valley: My research focus on awareness towards REITs among middle-income people in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Malaysia is located in Southeastern Asia, peninsula bordering Thailand and northern one-third of the island of Borneo, bordering Indonesia, Brunei, and South China Sea, south of Vietnam. It is comprised of two separate geographical regions which are Malay Peninsular and the states of Sabah and Sarawak. Klang valley is an area in Malaysia comprising Kulala Lumpur and its suburbs, and adjoining cities and towns in the state of Selangor. Tis valley is named after Klang River, the principal river that flows through it which is closely linked to the early development of the area as a cluster of tin mining towns in the late 19th century. Development of Klang Valley took place largely in the area between Gombak and Port Klang but the urban areas surrounding Kuala Lumpur have since growth towards the border of Negeri Sembilan and the north towards Rawang. Klang Valley has a total population around 7.6 million people in 2009 and estimated to growth due to the people migrate from other states towards Klang Valley and also a population growth. Klang Valley is the heartland of Malaysias industry and commerce. Regions of Klang Valley and their corresponding local authority: Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur City Hall. Federal Territory of Putrajaya. Putrajaya Corporation. Selangor district of Petaling. Shah Alam City Council. Petaling Jaya City Council. Subang Jaya Municipal Council. Selangor District of Klang. Klang Municipal Council. Selangor district of Gombak. Selayang Municipal Council. Selangor district of Hulu Langat. Ampang Jaya Municipal Council. Kajang Municipal Council. Selangor district of Sepang. Sepang Municipal Council. For further information about the location of Klang Valley. Middle-Income Group: There are three classes of income in Malaysia. These classes indicate Malaysian monthly income and also their household. The three (3) classes including low-income people, middle-income people, and high-income people. Below is the income groups in Malaysia. Middle-class income is define as the socioeconomic class between the working class and the upper class, usually including professionals, highly skilled labourers, and lower and middle management.( Source: http://www.answers.com/topic/middle-class). Background of REITs in Malaysia: Malaysia is the first country in Asia to introduce property trusts. In 1989, the first trust was listed in Kuala Lumpur Stock Exchange. The regulatory framework of property trust, approved by the Bank Negara in 1986, was restrictive and provided no tax transparency. But there still an issues that arise such as lack of focus on property management and also conflict of interest which led the property trust to be private. In 1995, a revision of the property trust guidelines were done but it fail to give a good impact to investors and also to market. Then, in February 2005, there is another revision with led the property trust be renamed as Real Property Investment Trust (REITs). The major income of REITs is from rental and the profit is required to distribute to holders or investors in dividend. The guidelines also been revised to provide a good regulation for a REITs in this country. Malaysia was the first Islamic country to certify REITs and also the first country in Asia where REITs conquer agriculture land. A plantation REITs also much like conventional REITs. It will be the crops planted on the land and the success will depend on the sizes of assets injected to the trust. The potential plantation to be expected is oil palm because of the high demand on the production. Other than that, palm oil also undergoing the research to become a biodiesel product and in become more attractive after the increasing in oil prices. The plantation land or agriculture land also can be developed to residential area or commercial area due to the development of town. Types of REITs: REITs has several types with drives to a different prospect of REITs but it still relates to property as a main core to invest on. In others country they apply a lot of types of REITs. But in Malaysia we only apply three types of REITs. There are Equity REITs, Mortgage REITs and also Hybrid REITs. Equity REITs: Equity REITs is a publicly traded company that, as its principal business, buys, manages, renovates, maintains and occasionally sells real properties. (block,2006).Properties are usually purchased to invest is an income-producing real estate such as hotels, shopping malls and also apartment buildings. This type of REITs is different from others because REITs usually companies will purchase or develop the property and operate it as a part of their portfolio rather than sell it. Besides, Equity REITs is a long term investment because they earn dividend from rental. In additional, this type will let investors not only just to choose the type of property they want to invest in, but also the location of the properties. (Block, 2006). It means that the investors can make a choice on their own with the advice of the agent or REITs managers in order to make a good investment and to gain a good dividend. Mortgage REITs: A mortgage REITs is a REITs that focus on makes on holds loans to the property developers. (All about Investing: The Easy Way to Get Started by Esme Faerber: page 89). Rather than investing in properties,this type of REITs sometime loans money for purchase existing mortgages. The revenue earns is from the interest charge on the mortgage loans and pass on shareholders. Mortgage REITs is more sensitive compare than other REITs because of the prices of mortgage REITs react opposite from interest rates. It is good REITs to invest if there is a rumour of dropping in interest rates. Hybrid REITs: Hybrids combine the investing principles of mortgage and equity REITs, diversifying between making mortgage loans and direct property ownership. They earn both rental and interest income. (http://www.allaboutskyscrapers.com/REIT_types.htm). They buy, develop, and manage the properties and provide financing through mortgage loans. Most hybrid REITs have a stronger position in their financing account. The most famous industry that using hybrid REITs is private healthcare industries, where the financial company will provide mortgage to healthcare company, hospital management and also to buy properties such as land and building and also medical appliances. Equity REITs seem to be the most popular REITs recently. Between three types of REITs, mortgage REITs is the most risky which in involve in lend money to developers. Every type of REITs has different level of risk so investors should study and evaluate which REITs they want to invest in. The wise result will make the investors smile widely because of the big fish. Chan, Erickson and Wang (2003) find that equity REITs pay out more dividends than mortgage REITs. The reason is that equity REITs offer the potential for capital gains in addition to current income. Structure of REITs: Source: Practice and Prospect of Islamic Real Estate Investment (I-REITs)in Malaysian Islamic Capital Market by Dr. Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki. Manager: A man or woman who controls an organization or a part of organization. Property manager: A man or woman who controls the management and maintenance of the building. He or she will ensure the building in the good condition which safe to fit tenants in. Tenant: A person who pays money (rent) to the owner of a room, flat, building or piece of land so that he or she can live in it or use it. Trustee: A person who looks after money or property for somebody else. Unit holder: An owner of one or more units in a mutual fund. How REITs Works: Its true that investment most favourable today will be the one most prized tomorrow, and then real estate is definitely due for love-in. Investing in income-generating real estate can be a great way to increase your net worth. But for many people, investing in real estate, particularly commercial real estate is simply out of their budgets. REITs is a saviour to people when with REITs people can invest in small amount but with a large-scale of real estate group. REITs which means real estate investment trust essentially the organization that own and manage a portfolio of real estate and mortgages such as shopping malls, hotels, apartment buildings and also agriculture lands. REITs does not mean for a restrict group, but this share can be own buy anyone. REITs offer people the ownership of the property without any risks because all of the problems will be covered by agents or REITs managers. There are advantages when investing in REITs because of the liquidity and diversity. It is unlike actual real estate, where REITs can be easily and quickly sold. People will face less financial risk because of investing in a portfolio rather than single building because of the problems such as irresponsible tenants, economy impact to the property rental market and market value, and so on. REITs has a board of directors that elected by the shareholders. The shareholders have a power to eliminate any board of directors that does not fulfil their requirement. The board of directors usually came from a people with an investment background especially in REITs field. They will assist a REITs managers; person who will manages the operation of the property. The power to choose what types of real estate to invest in is on board of directors. REITs investment for investors starts when they invest certain amount of money in a REITs fund. The amount of money depends on the REITs managers who will arrange the investment on the properties that have been agreed by board of director. The investors can have an eyes and ideas on what types of the properties and the location. They have a choice whether want to agree or not with the properties. If they agree with the properties, they can sign a document to clarify the investment. Then the properties will be rent out or mortgage in order to earn money. REITs has a several method to measuring the profit but the suitable one called Funds From Operation (FFO). The National Association of Real Estate Investment Trusts (NAREIT) defines FFO as: Net income (computed in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles), excluding gains (or losses) from sales of property, plus depreciation and amortization, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures. Adjustments for unconsolidated partnerships and joint ventures will be calculated to reflect funds from operations on the same basis. Source: http://home.howstuffworks.com/real-estate/reit2.htm. The REITs industry use FFO to measure performance and to establish dividend payouts. Kallberg et al (2003) reported that REITs consistently pay out about 85% of FFO as dividends. The payouts from REITs are consistently higher than other types of equities. In other words, FFO is defined as the net income, excluding gains and losses from debt restructuring and property sales, adding back property depreciation and amortisation, and after adjustments for unconsolidated partnership and joint ventures. The net income is referring to rent and sales computed according to Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). However FFO is not a necessary way to determine performance and dividend payouts. Not all REITs calculate FFO according to the NAREIT definition because some of the important items are missing from the formula such as maintenance, repairs and also expenses. Thus, investors must always read a companys report and any others supplemental information in order to get an exact FFO. REITs Companies: In Malaysia, there are several amount of business runs base on REITs. These companies have been success to put property market in this country in a good condition. These companies also expend the real estate industry with so much new types of building. Below is briefly an explanation about ten (10) well known REITs companies. Al-Aqar KPJ: Al-Aqar KPJ REITs established on 28 June 2006 is a Malaysian-based unit trust. The objective of this investment is to own and invest in Syariah-compliant real estate and it has been acceptable to invest in properties which compromise Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital Building, Damansara Specialist Hospital Building, Johor Specialist Hospital Building, Ipoh Specialist Hospital Building, Puteri Specialist Hospital Building and Selangor Medical Centre Building. There are nine (9) others hospital under KPJ that potential to be injected under Al-Aqar KPJ such as Tawakal Hospital, Seremban Specialist Hospital and also Penawar Hospital. Amanah Raya: Amanah Raya REITs is subsidiary of Amanah Raya Berhad and wholly-owned by Minester of Fianace Incorporated. Amanah Raya REITs listed on Bursa Securities Malaysia Berhad on 26 February 2007 with a total asset siza of RM337 million. Today, Amanah Raya REITs has a diversification portfolio comprising hospitality, education and also commercial properties such as SEGI College, Holiday Villa Langkawi, Holiday Villa Alor Star, Wisma Amanah Raya Berhad, Wisma UEP, Permanis Factory and also Blocks AB South City Plaza. AmFirst: Established on 28 September 2006 under the Trust Deed, AmFIRST then entered into between Am ARA REIT Managers and Mayban Trustee Berhad. AmFIRST managed by Am ARA REIT Managers Sdn Bhd. Three months then, Am FIRST was listing on the Main Board of the Bursa Saham Malaysia Berhad on 21 December 2006. It shows an innovative makeover of AmFIRST, the first listed property trust fund in Malaysia. This REITS company is the largest Malaysia-based commercial REITs with exposure to the office, retail and hotel sector in Klang Valley area. Currently manages six office building, where three are located within the Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle; AmBank Group Leadership Centre, AmBank Group Building, and also AmBank Tower, and one each in Petaling Jaya, Kelana Jaya, and Subang Jaya. AmFIRST also manages four-star hotel and a retail mall located in Subang Jaya, The Summit Subang, USJ. Atrium: Atrium REITs is a first logistic property approved in Malaysia. The objective of Atrium REITs is to invest in portfolio in order to reward investors or unit holders a maximise income and to acquire a high quality assets to achieve a long-term growth in a net income for distribution of dividend. This REITs then was first approved by the Securities Commission in October 2006 and then listed on Main Board of Bursa Saham Malaysia Berhad in April 2007. Atrium REITs has an 809, 668 sq ft (75, 220 sq mt) approved portfolio of investment properties which comprises of four freehold industrial properties currently leased to reputable and strong financially tenants. All of their properties located in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor, the fastest growing area in this country. Axis: Axis REITs is the first REITs list on Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 3 August 2005. On 11 December 2008, Axis launched Islamic REITs which is the first in Malaysia. Axis own diversified portfolio of properties especially in Klang Valley, Kedah and Johor comprising of commercial offices, light industial building and also warehouse. Buildings that portray an image of Axis are Axis Tower and also Crystal Plaza. Both if this building are next door to each other and located along the busiest road, Federal Highway. These buildings are well maintain and easier accessibility. Other Axis properties are Delfi Cocoa in and BMW Asia Technology Centre PTP in Johor and also Giant Hypermarket in Sungai Petani, Kedah. Hektar: Hektar REITs is a Malaysias first retail-focused REITs. Listed on the Main Board of Bursa Saham Malaysia Securities on 4 December 2006, Hektar portfolio currently consists of shopping centres in Subang Jaya, Melaka and Muar. As of 31 December 2009, all of these properties was value of RM720 million. Hektar REITs is managed by Hektar Asset Management Sdn Bhd which a part of Hektar Group. QCT: QCT (Quill Capita Trust) REITs was listed in Main Board of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 8 January 2007. QCT is managed by Quill Capita Management Sdn Bhd. QCT main investment in REITs is a commercial properties. Until 31 December 2009, QCT has ten (10) properties with 1,288,149 sq ft net lettable area valued RM 788.4 million. The properties including part of Plaza Mont Kiara, Quill buildings, Wisma Technip and also tesco building in Jelutong, Penang. Starhill: This REITs was established on 18 November 2005 by a trust deed entered between Pintar Projek Sdn Bhd and Mayban Trustee and listed on Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Berhad on 16 December 2005. Starhill REITs is focusing on retail and hotel properties investment. As for February 2010, Starhill REITs is the largest Malaysias real estate investment. This REITs has four (4) portfolio located in the heart of Kualu Lumpur; Starhill Gallery, JW Marriot Hotel, Lot 10 Shopping Centre and also The Residence at The Ritz-Carlton. Tower: Tower REITs is established on 21 February 2006. The objective of this company is to invest primarily in a portfolio of quality office building and commercial properties to provide regular and stable distributions of dividend to unit holders or investors and also to achieve a medium-term growth in the net income. In order to achieve their objective, Tower REITs implement several key strategies such as optimisation of capital structure, active asset management and also acquisition growth. The portfolio of this REITs company consists of three buildings located in Kuala Lumpur. First is Menara HLA, the 32-storeys office tower located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle. With a net lettable area of 396, 820 sq ft, it has a blue chip tennats such as Hong Leong Assurance Berhad. Next, HP Towers comprises of two blocks of 9-storeys and 21-storeys and 3 levels of connecting podium. Situated in Bukit Damansara, this towers has a net lettable area of 350, 056 sq ft with a Hewlett-Packard (M) Sdn Bhd as a tenants. Lastly, Menara ING situated in Jalan Raja Chulan, the main central business district of Kuala Lumpur. Tower REITs only own 78.3% of the total share unit of the building and 100% leased out to ING Insurance Bhd. UOA: nbsp  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  UOA REITs was established on 28 November 2005 and listed on the Main Board of Bursa Saham Malaysia Securities Berhad two days later. UOA REITs is focusing on commercial properties. With a diversification portfolio of properties, UOA manages to maintain four building in Kuala Lumpur area. First is UOA Centre, a stylish 33-storeys office building situated between Jalan Pinang and Jalan Perak. Tenants of the building include financial services companies and also trading companies. Next is UOA II which located near to UOA Centre. With a contemporary designed, this 39-storeys building has a mixture of tenants from government agencies, multinationals insurance companies and law firms. Other than that, a 13-storeys office building located in Jalan Dungun, Damansara Heights name UOA Damansara is one of the UOA properties. Law firms, international associations and trading companies are a part of tenants for this building. Last is UOA Pantai located strategically in front of Menara TM. This 7-storeys of building consists of tenants include multinational corporations and so on. Regulation of REITs: In Malaysia, REITs govern by a statutory body name Security Commission Malaysia (SC). SC was established on 1 March 1993 under the Securities Commission Act 1993 and it is a financial regulatory agency. It is the central authority to regulate and develop the capital market. SC has big responsibilities in order to ensure the safety of the investors under the Act includes: Registering authority for prospectuses of corporations other than unlisted recreational clubs. Approving authority for corporate bond issues. Regulating all matters relating to securities and future contracts. Regulating the take-over and mergers of companies. Regulating all matters relating to unit trust schemes. Licensing and supervising all licensed persons. Supervising exchanges, clearing houses and central depositories. Encouraging self-regulation. Ensuring proper conduct of market institutions and licensed persons. Source:http://www.sc.com.my/main.asp?pageid=350menuid=376newsid=linkid=type= New Islamic REITs: The introduction of Islamic REITs is viewed as one of the most significant initiatives to broaden and deepen the product base of Islamic capital market in Malaysia. It can also help to enhance competitiveness of Malaysian Islamic capital market by attracting global Islamic investors who wish to diversify their investment portfolio which are Shariah compliant. Islamic REITs regulation was outlined in the Guidelines for Islamic REITs issued on 21st November 2005 by Securities Commission. (Securities Commission,2005). The Guidelines were introduced to facilitate the development of new Islamic capital market products, making Malaysia the first jurisdiction in the global Islamic financial sector to issue such guidelines and setting a global benchmark for the development of Islamic REITs. The Guidelines essentially stipulate Shariah compliance criteria to guide management companies in their activities relating to an Islamic REITs, including the types of Shariah permissible and non-permissible rental and investment activities for such fund. Islam prohibited Muslim from investing in properties whose tenants sell alcohol, pork or allo