(From left) Bakker, Goh and Mirea during the official unveiling of Klippa.

PENANG: Ikano Centres officially unveils the name of its retail destination and mixed-use development in Batu Kawan, Penang, establishing its first north Malaysian presence as Klippa.

“Klippa means rock or friend in Swedish and is the perfect wordplay to describe Batu Kawan. With Klippa, we aim to be the rock in this growing community and transform Batu Kawan into a successful commercial and leisure hub in Penang,” Ikano Centres shopping centre and mixed-use director Adrian Mirea said.

“The emphasis of this meeting place development is to provide visitors in the region a holistic customer experience, enhanced with convenience for all their shopping, dining, entertainment and leisure needs. In addition, Klippa will also create 5,000 job opportunities for locals to uplift the social-economic well-being of Penangites,” Mirea added.

The development also intends to drive the local arts and culture scene. This goal is in line with the Penang state government’s vision to encourage Penang’s reputation for street art, bringing arts and culture to Batu Kawan.

“Since its opening, the first phase of Klippa has enjoyed a 98% lease rate, with established tenants such as Ikea, Harvey Norman and McDonald’s who have given us the motivation to continue developing and creating spaces for our communities,” Ikano Centres commercial director Arnoud Bakker said.

In addition to retail brands, Klippa will soon host food and beverages outlets such as KFC, Tealive, Chicago Chicken City and Starbucks.

Bukit Tambun assemblyman Goh Choon Aik was also present at the event.

In celebration of its name reveal, the Klippa team is organising its Creative Spark bazaar which includes a range of upcycling workshops. In conjunction with the relocation of the Penang Container Art Festival graffiti artwork to Batu Kawan, they will also be hosting Klippa Art Run on July 31. Interested participants can register online at https://bit.ly/KlippaArtRun2022

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