Corporate Story - Building Legacies For Future Generations

IJM Land managing director, Edward Chong

Corporate Story

Building Legacies For Future Generations

IJM Land nurtures communities and ensures harmonious co-existence between nature and society.
IJM Land nurtures communities and ensures harmonious co-existence between nature and society.

“Our dream of building Bandar Rimbayu was to create a fully integrated and connected community set amidst and at home with nature. We fully appreciate that integrated and honsticliving environments need first to offer convenience to the people within its ecosystem,” - IJM Land managing director, Edward Chong Sin Kiat

EVELOPERS are builders of the nation. IJM Land goes beyond this by being responsible to stakeholders, communities and the environment with the intention of building legacies for future generations.

According to IJM Land managing director Edward Chong, the spaces that they design and build are not limited by the structures upon which they stand, but are liberated by the purpose of what they mean.

Their push towards constant revolutions in environmentally sound property development projects reflects their commitment to eco-innovation in building design and sustainable integration.

Rather than an add-on, the purpose of benefiting their residents and communities is reflected in their innovation and creativity that is evident across all their developments and properties.

They are guided by the principle that the perfect living space does not solely consist of architecture and surrounding landscape within its walls, but rather, it thrives on the liveability and sustainability within an ecosystem that extends to all aspects and touchpoints within the immediate community.

Where commercially feasible for their developments, features that offer better air quality, reduces carbon emissions, provides lush greenery and landscaping, and investments in equipment that reduce consumption of energy and water have been incorporated.

This comes in the form of township value creation, community development and support, access and connectivity provision, capacity enhancement, rain harvesting, renewable energy, waterways protection and rehabilitation, landscaping, waste recycling and others.

He added, “As a responsible developer, we aspire to go beyond architectural excellence and the bounds of conventional thinking to create sanctuaries of comfortable and holistic living environments that are mindful of the lives and lifestyles of the communities we serve.”

Nurturing communities

Value creation to buyers does not end with the completion and handing over of units with vacant possession. It continues with sensitive and continuous enhancements to neighbourhoods and townships to provide a better living experience.

“It is by our nature that we foster close- knit communities in our properties. After all, homeowners are at the heart of all that we do,” he said.

Their neighbourhoods and townships emphasise a healthy, conducive and safe community living environment, with amenities such as parks, recreational areas, jogging tracks and bicycle lanes within developments being focal points.

Much attention has been devoted to creating user-friendly facilities and promoting green and outdoor living for communities.

With housing as one of the largest commitments in the lives of most Malaysians, IJM Land is compelled to act responsibly by delivering on their promises on time and every time.

“The work at IJM Land is driven by the values that we have and principles that we practise, where the customer is always at the heart of our business.

“We take pride in building properties or families, businesses and communities that resonate with them. It is a privilege for us to engage with them and an honour to gain their trust. We see our properties as destinations for our residents rather than shells, and we are here to help them on their journey.

“We do this as we believe that it benefits the livelihood and well-being of our communities. Our commitment in creating a harmonious and liveable community can be seen in some of our townships like Seremban 2, S2 Heights, Bandar Rimbayu and Shah Alam 2, where we make continuous efforts to improve and maintain existing infrastructure and amenities in the townships,” he said.

Chong cited Seremban 2 as a thriving community where lives and relationships blossom. This is a fully integrated and sustainable township held up by great people and cultures with strong community ties and respect for the environment.

Seremban 2 was launched 21 years ago, and the developer has continued to stay invested in the neighbourhood and community. In order to help residents to build a stronger emotional connection to the township, the developer has been making subtle tweaks to the Seremban 2 township through the decades.

The developer’s biggest innovation and creative solutions occur in planning, problem solving and green initiatives that benefit the community and creating opportunities for homeowners and families to celebrate the joy of life.

They had introduced a number of community and environmental-friendly initiatives to serve their township. This included dedicating large parcels of land to open areas and parks that serve as the township’s green lungs, fitting eco-friendly applications and equipment into homes,

composting vegetation waste and harvesting rainwater.

A wide range of essential, retail, commercial and recreational amenities has also been introduced to the township over several years.

Seremban 2 has met its goal of becoming the township that would change the landscape of Seremban. It has been the catalyst in uplifting the Seremban address and has become a benchmark for future development, not only for the vicinity, but also for prime locations throughout the country.

“As we have played a big hand in nurturing this for so long, for us, Seremban 2 is nothing short of a place called home.

We are proud to be a part of the Seremban 2 community as it is something that we have continually worked for - to develop a close-knit family where relationships not only blossom but last as well,” he said.

“In customer surveys, we discovered that buyers of the project’s initial launch had in fact returned to purchase new homes for their children. This indicates that there is a sense of belonging here within the Seremban 2 community and it comfojjg^ us that we have done something rightfne added.

Symbiosis of nature and society

Built and natural environments can co-exist with one another in a harmonious manner. IJM Land leads by example with exceptional developments such as Bandar Rimbayu, Pantai Sentral Park and The Light Waterfront.

The Light Waterfront is part of a greater development plan conceived especially for the growth of Penang. Dubbed The Jewel in Penang’s Crown’, The Light Waterfront Penang is an iconic and fully integrated seafront eco-friendly property development set on the shores of the eastern coastlines on Penang Island with breathtaking views of the historic Malacca Straits and Penang Bridge.

Designed to complement Penang’s unique cultural identity while amplifying its love for the arts and stimulating eco-centric thinking and living, it fuses visionary architectural amplifying its love for the arts and stimulating eco-centric thinking and living, it fuses visionary architectural concepts with eco-friendly elements, offering a unique, nautical-themed lifestyle.

This development is highly regarded internationally with accolades such as FIABCI World Prix d’Excellence Awards 2015 (Silver - Master Plan Category), FIABCI Malaysia Property Awards 2014 (Winner - Master Plan Category), The Edge Notable Property Achievement Award 2015 and StarProperty.my Awards 2016 (Excellence - The Wow Award).

The Light Linear and The Light Collection series are Penang’s first green homes, having been the first residential development in the state to be awarded with certifications of Green Building Index.

The Light Waterfront Penang is designed to help reduce carbon trails and decelerate global climate change by adopting green measures and installing green technology items in every unit, as well as in the vicinity.

The most unique feature within The Light residential development is the self-sustaining marine ecosystem in the form of the salt waterways.

The waterways weaves around and interconnects the cluster of buildings, teeming with corals and fish.

Besides creating awareness of a coral reef’s natural habitat, the waterways would also serve to reduce the ‘heat island’ effect and cool the surrounding area, as well as act as both a conservation and the waterways would also serve to reduce the ‘heat island’ effect and cool the surrounding area, as well as act as both a conservation and education tool for future generations.

The Turtle and Marine Ecosystem Centre supports this effort, and there are collaborative efforts in the pipeline for future marine life breeding and rehabilitation programmes. This feature has earned IJM Land a place in The Malaysia Book of Records 2015 for the first marine ecosystem in a residential precinct.

The development is also Penang’s first residential development to install wind turbines. Penang’s tropical climate and constant sea breezes are used as sources for wind turbines and solar panels to produce electricity for the clubhouse compound.

Bandar Rimbayu is another example of a sustainable township development, inspired by nostalgia for a time when life was simple and people lived close to nature, in a safe and supportive neighbourhood.

Bandar Rimbayu’s identity as a green township is expressed by sustainable use of natural resources and environmental consciousness.

The entire development is lush with greenery and water features, and this has a profound effect of cooling the ambient heat of the development as a whole.

The Arc is an iconic landmark in the property development landscape that serves as a social hub and sustainable centrepiece, drawing in members of the community into 10,000 sq m of elevated green deck a football field, herb and flower garden, green walls with over 50,000 trees, a scenic creek and board walk, as well as the future Bandar Rimbayu club house.

“Our dream of building Bandar Rimbayu was to create a fully integrated and at home with nature. We fully appreciate that integrated and holistic living environments need first to offer convenience to the people within its ecosystem,” he said.

“Residents also won’t need to travel far as it will have the advantage of connecting to a full suite of services on the development itself. This will allow residents time to dedicate themselves to more important things like family, work, study and health. It helps to reduce the community’s carbon footprint as people would not need to travel far to get the services they require,” he added.

Touting Pantai Sentral Park as Kuala Lumpur’s one and only urban forest city, its eco-innovation proposition of modern-day conveniences with nature- inspired living has attracted keen interest from homebuyers and investors alike.

Set against the stunning backdrop of a 200-acre forest in Bukit Kerinchi, the township is designed to integrate residential, commercial and recreational touchpoints with the serenity of nature.

The natural landscape, green canopies and predominandy north- south orientation of the infrastructure avoids heat gain. The development employs a rainwater harvesting system to collect rainwater for reuse in irrigation and landscaping.

Homeowners can enjoy the outdoors with direct access to a number of gardens, parks, a lake on the property, hiking trails, flora education parks and natural streams.

“Here at Pantai Sentral Park, one can truly step out from their doorstep and straight into the adventures of the outdoors, something no other property development in the Klang Valley can offer,” he commented.

Serving stakeholders

As a developer with a strong legacy, IJM Land is driven with the aspiration to provide a truly unique lifestyle experience for its customers, connecting them to nature and each other, balancing exclusivity and inclusivity seamlessly and nurturing a strong sense of community and family within a safe and secure environment.

“At the very core, we are a service- centric company with a culture that places great emphasis on delivering the needs of others and exceeding stakeholder expectations. This is our premier priority, key differentiator and competitive advantage.

“Acting upon this in all comers of our organisation, it touches all interactions with personnel, partners, customers and the community. It is with this focus on service excellence that we create positive legacies and bring life to ordinary spaces.
“With each development, we build on our reputation as the developer for the people. Within our local community, we aim to support various meaningful causes for children, youth, the less privilege, education, sports and the arts,’ Chong concluded.

Area Focus

Booming Southern Klang Valley

Growth in demographics, economic activity and infrastructure development shapes property landscape.

THERE is a wide range of factors that is driving growth in Southern Klang Valley, and such factors make this region an attractive place for homebuyers, investors and businesses alike to settle in.

IJM Land managing director Edward Chong commented that some of Klang Valley’s southern corridor’s traction and appeal lies in its connectivity and improved accessibility, making this corridor an accessible residential address. The convenience and ease of travelling to the southern corridor of Klang Valley increases its attractiveness as a place to live and work.

Property investors and buyers are also drawn to this corridor because of the availability of landed houses, the most sought after residential type and lower house prices compared to properties in prime areas in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya and Subang Jaya.

Mah Sing Group C Suites chief sales officer James Bruyns shared that Southern Klang Valley is a preferred alternative living area for many. There are many new townships mushrooming from Semenyih to Bangi and Dengkil with affordable homes priced from RM300,000 onwards.

Compared to other areas such as Bukit Beruntung and Serendah, Southern Klang Valley offers more established road networks and multiple access points for ease of accessibility.

Maturing Communities

SK Brothers general manager Chan Ai Cheng cited that many expressways such as the Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong (LDP) in Puchong, South Klang Valley Expressway (SKVE) in Seri Kembangan, Central Link KL- Putrajaya Highway, North-South Expressway (NSE) and Maju Expressway were created to ease traffic accessibility.

A LBS spokesperson commented that the area has great potential due to its close proximity to educational institutions, medical, recreational and retail facilities such as Sunway University, Taylor’s University Lakeside Campus, Columbia Asia Hospital, Hospital Putrajaya, Sunway Lagoon Theme Park Putrajaya Botanical Garden, IOI Mall and

Chong commented that the continued population growth of the Klang Valley is driv by the large young Malaysian population tha could unlock a potential source of domestic demand and growth.

With the continued maturity of the developments located within the Klang Valle Southern Corridor, the demand and popular of the developments within this corridor will only improve. The implementation of the high-speed rail link to Singapore may provid a further impetus to the development of this corridor.

Bruyns commented that there are many major industrial hubs, multinational corporations and educational hubs surrounding the Southern Klang Valley that create job opportunities.

With the increase in population and convenient accessibility, there is more dema: on properties in the area. Property prices have escalated over the years. A linked homi has risen in price from RM200,000 in 2011 to RM700.000 onwards currently.

Transformation beneficiaries

Chan commented that in the real estate sectc the sole motivation for developers to go into and explore the southern part of the Klang Valley is because they could increase their la banks for future developments at cheaper prices.

“These land banks are located in areas where there will be plenty of amenities and infrastructure growth that will materialise ii a few months to a few years’ time. One good example is the Sungai Buloh to Kajang MRT line that will be operational soon. These fact will transform Southern Klang Valley into a strategic location for businesses to boom,” added.

With Mah Sing’s 428-acre Southville City @KL South is located on the main stream of Klang Valley’s southern corridor, Bruyns sail that its strategic location and high visibility along the North-South Expressway, business and the commercial component of the development will be positively impacted.

Bruyns said, “The convenient accessibili

interested buyers and investors, which will then increase the market demand. The development is targeted to be the main attraction of Southern Klang Valley with Mah Sing Group as one of the major property players in the area.”

LBS’s spokesperson commented that the development of their flagship township, Bandar Saujana Putra ( ESP), features quality properties that caters to purchasers from different income levels. The development also provides a full range of faculties including schools, shops, a police station and parks, with a hypermarket and hospital in the pipeline. This makes BSP a self-contained township that offers a safe and relaxing environment to live in.

Chong shared that Seremban 2 is strategically located 1km from the Seremban toll plaza and 4km from Seremban town. Accessibility to the township is facilitated by North-South Expressway, Elite and Lekas highways, connecting Seremban 2 to locations such as Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya. A stop in Seremban for the KL- Singapore high-speed rail will further enhance its appeal.

Similarly, with a lot of development projects and expressways such as Kesas, LKSA, Elite, SKVE and WCE linking Bandar Rimbayu to neighbourhoods such as Petaling Jaya, Bandar Sunway, Subang Jaya, Puchong, Shah Alam and Klang, the development is poised to become the next vibrant township in the vicinity.

The Golden Triangle Renaissance

Kuala Lumpur's leading commercial, shopping and entertainment hub will continue to prosper.

THE Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur has seen rapid growth over several decades. Unique synergy between different economic sectors has resulted in a multiplier effect on growth within this region. With the region undergoing a regeneration, the Golden Triangle will continue to experience growth in the future.

The Golden Triangle is Malaysia’s leading commercial, shopping and entertainment hub, located at the north east of Central Kuala Lumpur and roughly covering the areas north of Jalan Pudu and Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah, west of Jalan Tun Razak and south of Jalan Ampang.

It is already hosting both national .and global headquarters of several multinational companies, an internationally renowned shopping

Golden Wangle’s regeneration

Azmar commented that TRX is a catalytic development for the regeneration of the Imbi area, and in extension, the Golden Triangle itself. Located at the crossing of Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan Sultan Ismail, it will serve as the new southern gateway to Kuala Lumpur and will extend the current KL CBD and the Bukit Bintang shopping belt.

TRX will also host Line 1 and Line 2 of the MRT at the TRX interchange station. It is expected to be the busiest MRT station in Kuala Lumpur, due to its central location and pedestrian connectivity to Bukit Bintang that will enable it to draw high pedestrian traffic to the surrounding area.

TRX can create a huge potential in expanding the existing Golden Triangle's shopping destination by enhancing the existing Bukit Bintang shopping belt and extending it all the way into the Imbi area and the TRX retail section.

Shoppers can enjoy a dedicated vibrant pedestrian walkway that seamlessly connects major shopping points within the Golden Triangle, boosting its profile as a major international destination.

It is foreseen that these changes will enhance the quality of the area, transforming Imbi into the most preferred location in KL city centre.

The Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCQ is expected to contribute to the Golden Triangle's vibrancy in the future. This 19.4-acre development, located at the crossroads of Jalan Imbi and Jalan Pudu, is master-planned byjerde Partnership and will comprise six blocks of serviced apartments, a retail and entertainment block, four-star and five- star hotels, branded residences, serviced residences, strata and corporate offices.

BBCC is expected to appeal to the new generation of house seekers who want a convenient and comfortable lifestyle environment. It already enjoys the presence of the existing KL Monorail and light rail transit (LRT) on site, but the BBCC management has had positive discussions with Prasarana to create an upgraded transit hub to seamlessly connect the LRT together with the existing and future monorail.

Bukit Bintang City Centre chief executive officer Datuk Richard Ong is excited what the future holds with BBCC. The development takes a cue from the Government's vision to restore inner city living through regenerating the city and improving the social fabric of the urban landscape.

In other parts of the world, properties in the capital city are highly coveted as they provide very conducive and liveable conditions for its inhabitants. In Malaysia, people typically work in the city but stay in the suburbs.

This could be due to the prohibitive price of the existing residential supply or the lack of truly integrated offerings that can fulfil the lifestyle needs of new generation of house buyers.

"We believe this is an opportune time to transform the site by creating comprehensive amenities such as modern workplaces,

sophisticated dwellings, exciting entertainment and leisure offers that are also close to nature.

"City developments usually lack green features, but we have taken great pains to create a huge rooftop park on top of the mall to ensure that our dwellers can be close to nature. This rooftop park will be one of the largest green oasis in the city centre.

"We believe that BBCC will become an integrated development in the true sense of the word, by virtue of the fact that it has the most comprehensive offers all under one roof," Ong said.

Kua expects the Golden Triangle to continue experiencing changes in the form of new developments, as well as the mushrooming of more high-rises in place of the old.

Plans are already underway to redevelop certain parcels of land along Jalan Sultan Ismail. This includes the Concorde Hotel site, the old Equatorial Hotel and the MAS building, which has been bought by the Employees Provident Fund (EPF).

The Tradewinds Square mega­development may see the Triangle's tallest building, comprising a 110-storey corporate office tower, a 61-storey mixed use tower, and a shopping mall with a floor space of 1 million sqft.

Kempinski Hotels, a world-leading European luxury hotelier, has chosen to open their first hotel in Kuala Lumpur by 2020. The Kempinski Hotel Kuala Lumpur was recognised by PEMANDU as one of the Entry Point Projects (EPP) under the tourism national key economic areas (NKEA).

The Kempinski Hotel Kuala Lumpur, with a committed investment value (excluding land cost) of RM360mil, is expected to provide more than 700 new job opportunities.

The new MRT lines will also boost the overall development of the Golden Triangle, enhancing its appeal as a leading retail and tourist destination. In fact, land and properties in the vicinity of the MRT lines have enjoyed an increase in value. New developments in the surrounding area, including 8 Conlay, are expected to enjoy the same price appreciation spillover effects.

The Golden Triangle is also benefiting from the spillover impact from rapid development around the KLCC area, notably the mushrooming of new branded residences.

"KSK Land is proud to be partnering YOO and Kempinski Hotels to bring more options and vibrancy to this area through Y008 serviced by Kempinski, the branded residence component of 8 Conlay.

"We believe 8 Conlay will be an exclusive piece that property buyers and investors would like to add to their portfolio. In fact, it is very rarely you get a branded luxury residence sitting on a retail podium, on top of great location and premium services.

"In summary, Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle is not a static developed area. It is transforming, in line with the nation's transformation to make Kuala Lumpur a liveable and vibrant city," Kua concluded. 

Adapted From The Star/August 3rd, 2016/Corporate Story/Area Focus