Nice to meet you: Lim (left), who represented Malaysia in his capacity as Federation of Malaysian Lim Associations president, shaking hands with All-China Federation of Returned Overseas Chinese chairman Lin Jun during the Lianghui in Beijing, China, last month. The event was organised by the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and National People’s Congress.

IT’S not often that one gets chosen to represent the country at an annual, prestigious Government conference. But LBS Bina Group Bhd managing director Tan Sri Lim Hock San proudly holds that honour.

To quote Lim, the Malaysian banner was “flying proudly” at China’s annual parliamentary and consultative sessions held last month.

The event, called the “Lianghui” (which literally translates to “two meetings” in Mandarin), was organised by the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and National People’s Congress (NPC).

Lim, who is known more for his role in spearheading property group LBS Bina, actually represented Malaysia at the annual plenary sessions last month in his capacity as president of the Federation of Malaysian Lim Associations.

Lim was among 38 non-voting Chinese delegates from 30 countries around the world who attended the 11-day meeting. He represented Malaysia in the exchange of ideas with leaders from various organisations in China.

“It was the ultimate honour to contribute to this year’s Lianghui meeting as a Malaysian and a Chinese descendant. This was truly a once in a life time opportunity I will cherish for the rest of my life.

“I have gained much insight into the Chinese government policies in relation to foreign citizens of Chinese descent. I believe the China government will continue to develop the nation into a people-centred and practical country.”

He added that China’s peaceful and steady development will in turn greatly benefit the economies of neighbouring countries and ultimately, the world.

Bilateral trade between Malaysia and China from January to October 2016 hit RM191.65bil, up 1.2% from the same period last year.

Malaysia’s total trade with the world’s second-largest economy is expected to gain traction and reach RM443.78bil this year.

Meanwhile, the Tourism Ministry reported a total of 2.2 million tourists from China to Malaysia in 2016, with the average spending per traveller at RM3, 500.

This year, the ministry is targeting to attract three million tourists from China, said Lim.

Notable efforts

“When I was there, the Chinese praised Malaysia and are actively promoting our country. They respect our Prime Minister and also believe that Malaysia is located very strategically.”

During Lianghui, Lim highlighted notable efforts by the Chinese community in Malaysia, following their migration, in preserving and promoting Chinese culture.

He also highlighted the evolution of Chinese culture in Malaysia, citing examples like the popular 24 Festive Drums concept created by two talented Malaysians.

“To date, there are 1,297 Chinese primary schools and 60 Chinese independent high schools, numerous Chinese associations and media houses in the country,” Lim pointed out.

In addition to expressing his optimism towards China’s investments in Malaysia, Lim contributed a number of proposals at the meeting.

Among them was that the “One Belt One Road” (OBOR) initiative be taken to a higher level with the Chinese central government, and that it be promoted progressively to people of various ethnicities in different countries.

The OBOR initiative is a signature foreign and economic policy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, which envisions massive infrastructure spending to link China to Asia and beyond.

Lim also made a proposal that the Chinese government strengthen its policies on food safety by enforcing its laws on the catering industry, and taking action on unscrupulous food merchants to protect the safety, rights and interests of consumers.

He also echoed Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s call that agreements should not be changed indiscriminately, and that newly appointed officials should not ignore the agreements made by previous officials.

Additionally, Lim urged that a system be put in place to enable foreign investors to follow-up on the status of stalled projects as a result of a change in leadership.

“This would promote equal treatment among foreign and domestic investors by the Chinese government,” he said.

Lim added that he also suggested that visa procedures be relaxed for Malaysian visitors to encourage greater promotion of trade and cultural exchanges between both countries.

Boosting property business

Lim admitted that travelling to China for the Lianghui also provided opportunities to grow the group’s business both locally and internationally.

“The event provided me with an opportunity to grow my network of contacts and meet potential business partners.

“It could provide an avenue to collaborate for future property projects via a joint venture,” he said.

“We also have land in Johor and Kota Kinabalu. If the opportunity is right, we could consider jointly develop with Chinese.”

Noteworthy is the fact that LBS Bina has been involved in the management and consultancy services of Zhuhai International Circuit (ZIC), China since 1993.

Last year, it announced that it was participating in the launch of the Malacca Cultural and Trade Centre in conjunction with Malacca Cultural Festival in ZIC.

“The Zhuhai area is becoming prime land,” says Lim, who adds that the group’s involvement there would bode well for LBS Bina.

The group has also tied up with China’s Zhuhai Jiuzhou Group Holdings Ltd to upgrade and transform multiple zones at the Zhuhai International Circuit (ZIC).

“The launch of the Malacca Cultural and Trade Centre in ZIC, officiated in 2016, is set to boost the economic and cultural exchanges and development in both countries,” said Lim.

The ZIC upgrading and transformation plan comprises two additional functional areas. In addition to the centre, plans are in place to establish a Motor Sports and Services Amenities Zone which consists of upgrading the existing race track, developing of a motorsports-themed hotel and an exhibition hall which caters to the racing industry.

“The plan will also see the inclusion of a Tourism Zone which will feature a world-class theme park and factory outlet for premium brands as part of the racing circuit.

The Malacca Cultural and Trade Center meanwhile will consist of a museum themed after the historic voyage of ZhengHe to the Far East, offering visitors the opportunity to re-live this journey through a series of immersive multimedia displays.

One-stop centre

There will be a village modelled after the historic town of Malacca with retail spaces to showcase the best of Made-in-Malaysia products.

Additionally, there will be a one-stop centre to facilitate the development of trade and tourism between Guangdong and Malacca.

According to reports, LBS Bina is targeting a 21% year-on-year growth in sales to RM1.5bil this year, as it plans to launch a number of affordable housing projects with total gross development value amounting to RM2.3bil.

The group is planning 12 launches comprising 5,543 units, of which 4,284 units would consist of affordable homes priced below RM500,000 this year.

At a media briefing in January, Lim said more than 70% of its projected sales this year will come from projects below RM500,000.

Most of the projects to be launched will be in the Klang Valley, with other developments in Pahang and Johor.

Based on reports, the projects in the Klang Valley are Bandar Saujana Putra, Puchong, comprising D’ Island Residence, Langit and Lake and Desiran Bayu as well as Bukit Jalil, Alam Perdana and CyberSouth.

Other projects included Cameron Centrum and Cameron Golden Hills in Cameron Highlands, Pahang, as well as Bandar Putera Indah in Batu Pahat, Johor.

According to Lim, LBS Bina has a landbank of about 3,955 acres as at March 2017. The plots of land are located in the Klang Valley (43%), Johor (40%), Perak (11%), Pahang (5%) and Sabah (1%).

For its financial year ended Dec 31, 2016, the unaudited net profit increased to RM85.17mil from RM70.50mil while revenue grew to RM993.62mil from RM680.30mil a year earlier.

On its prospects for 2017, the group, in its notes accompanying its full-year earnings, says it plans to launch new projects in the Klang Valley, Pahang and Johor.

It also aims to continue to source for strategic development lands to further enhance its financial performance.

As at April 6, 2017, the group has 16 ongoing projects with a gross development value of RM2.9bil.

The unbilled sales of the group as at 28 Feb 2017 amounted to RM1.42bil with the new project launches in the year 2017, the group is confident of achieving further improvement in its financial performance for 2017,” it said.

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