Premier property developers honoured at StarProperty.my awards 2017
By VIKNESH ASHLEY
vikneshashley@thestar.com.my
MARCH 21 was a monumental day for a handful of distinctive property developers in Malaysia because their efforts in shaping the property industry and catering to the needs of property buyers were recognised at StarProperty.my Awards 2017.
Of the many contenders taking part in the annual awards, 30 outstanding developers were handed accolades for several categories. It showed the depth of the property industry in Malaysia.
It takes strength to be a resilient developer to withstand the waves of the property industry as well as face the challenges that are hurled by stakeholders.
A starry awards right to honour the heavyweights in the property industry.
Striving for excellence
For most, the accolades meant greater responsibility towards the community in the future.
“The responsibilities of a developer are many. It is crucial to ensure that projects are built with proper concepts, with a basis of protecting customers and the environment, with conservation at heart,” said Mah Sing Group Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Ho Hong Sang.
“Moving forward, we are targeting a new group of customers, the Gen-Y group of property buyers who are focused on creating a friendlier environment. We are skewing our future developments with these values applied,” Ho added.
“We are delighted and proud of the KL Sentral CBD as it is an iconic project not just for MRCB but also for Malaysians. It is the largest and the biggest TOD in the country,” said Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd chief corporate officer Amarjit Chinna.
“The fact that we won this award is proof of the hard work we have put in over the past 15 years to get the company to where it is today," he said. "We remain committed to improving MRCB and enhancing our developments all the time, as we are doing now by improving access to buildings and integrating all of them within KL Sentral to the station.”
Koong receiving The Neighbourhood Honours Award for Sunsuria City.
Sunsuria Bhd chief executive officer Koong Wai Seng gave a different take on what has led to success: focus on the satisfaction of customers first.
“Customer contentment is our first belief. It actually has become our main success, ultimately driving the company to its peak,” said Koong.
Sunway Property Bhd deputy managing director Tan Wee Bee shared similar sentiments. The developer has invested and continues to invest heavily on its customers, as much as it invests on its existing and upcoming townships.
“We are also moving along with the trend of producing sustainable developments, since recently adopting UN's 17 goals for development,” said Tan.
Master developer of the Malaysian Vision Valley, Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd’s group deputy managing director Ho Kong Soon, said the company looked beyond profit to ensure that its township development of Bandar Sri Sendayan achieves a unique masterpiece status.
IOI Properties Group Bhd chief operating officer Teh Chin Guan believes that the responsibility of a developer lies in producing quality products.
“When it comes to developer responsibility, a property craftsman should deliver all its projects, including its residences, on time and with excellent quality painted upon each and every individual development. This is the way that we contribute to the country,” said Teh.
Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd CSO Idzham Mohd Hashim receiving The Wow Excellence Award from Fu.
Naza TTDI owes its glory to the workforce fueling the developer. Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd executive director Idzham Mohd Hashim refers to them as the company’s biggest asset.
He explained: “What we have been doing all along is trying our level best to invest more in our workforce, ensuring that this group of people are the engine of growth for the company. It is one of the key growth catalysts for the company.”
SkyWorld COO Lee Chee Seng (fourth from right) and the SkyWorld team.
Raising the bar
“As far as the property industry is concerned, we have not really reached the mature stage yet. There is still a lot of room for improvement,” said Sime Darby Property Bhd chief operating officer Datuk Wan Hashimi Albakri.
He explained that the bar could still be raised with regard to its property developments.
On the other hand, Ekovest Bhd’s goal was to create affordable property offerings for the property buyers of today.
Ekovest Bhd managing director Datuk Seri Lim Keng Cheng said: “Our approach in creating our property developments is that we use cost-saving materials that are high in quality, aside from cutting down manpower during the conception of our developments.”
He added that the company created hassle-free and simple properties that were attractive and budget-friendly.
UEM Sunrise Bhd managing director Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib said a sustainable developer had to do much planning.
“Moving forward, it is about making sure that we have the right land banks, the right kind of property products and understanding the customers’ requirements.
“There are many factors that must get together to ensure sustainable growth for an organisation. Many developers within the property scene focus on the launches.
"We place equal emphasis on our launches throughout the year, but we have to ensure that when we launch a product we are very comfortable with it. That will be reflected in the take-ups reaped by the development,” said Anwar Syahrin.
SkyWorld Development Group chief operating officer Lee Chee Seng broke down into three parts the method to remain an outstanding developer.
“An outstanding developer must be reliable, which means holding good before and after sales.”
“Additionally, a developer of this stature must ensure that it holds quality land banks and properties that provide greater value and enhanced with great features," said Lee.
“Innovation is also important. Featuring practical layout and functional designs is a must in the challenging market that the property industry is currently facing.”
More upcoming projects
Gamuda Land chief operating officer Ngan Chee Meng reckons that 2017 will see the growth of many of Gamuda Land’s projects.
“This year, we launched Kundang Estates in the north of the Klang Valley as well as Gamuda Gardens,” Ngan said.
LBS Bina Group Bhd executive director Datuk Cynthia Lim said the company had achieved RM1.23bil in sales last year, which is a record for the developer.
Good news for those looking forward to properties crafted by this developer – LBS aims to increase its sales mark by another 25% for 2017.
Ung receiving excellence award in The Niche & Unique category for Tropicana Residences.
“What we focus on is in our planning and investment in delivering products that are suitable for our buyers in terms of lifestyle and quality,” explained Tropicana Corporation Bhd executive director Ung Lay Ting.
“Within 2017, we will have a number of products that are being handed over. These property products will be a testament to the DNA that our company has adopted when shaping each and every development, including such key qualities as accessibility, connectivity, spacious green areas and security.
“In addition, we implement much innovation into our property products. It is another key factor of the Tropicana DNA that further boosts the visibility of developments to future and existing property buyers,” added Ung.
The winning developers of 2017 include Asia Green Group, Aspen Group, Binastra Land Sdn Bhd, Bon Estate Sdn Bhd, F3 Capital Sdn Bhd, Gamuda Land, Ideal Property Group, IOI Properties Group Bhd, Ivory Properties Group Bhd, LBS Bina Group Bhd, Mah Sing Group Bhd, Matrix Concepts Holdings Bhd, DK-MY Properties Sdn Bhd, Naza TTDI Sdn Bhd and Paramount Property.
Adding to the prime list were Sime Darby Property Bhd, SkyWorld Development Group, Ekovest Bhd, SouthKey City Sdn Bhd, Sunsuria Bhd, Sunway Property, Tropicana Corporation Bhd, Worldwide Holdings Bhd, Kobay Property Development Group, Perfect Eagle Development Sdn Bhd, Eco World Development Group Bhd, UEM Sunrise Bhd, IJM Land Bhd, MSL Properties Sdn Bhd, Malaysian Resources Corporation Bhd (MRCB), Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd and SP Setia Bhd.
Follow us on Wechat or Facebook for the latest updates.
Download StarProperty.my e-Mag(bit.ly/StarProperty_Emag) for more articles.
Want to contribute articles to StarProperty.my? Email editor@starproperty.my.
[slider id='81590' name='StarProperty' size='full']
