AP Land to maximize value of land assets through JV with HELP

KUALA LUMPUR: Property developer Asia Pacific Land Bhd (AP Land) is partnering HELP International Corp Bhd (HELP), by identifying education business opportunities worldwide, including in Malaysia and China.

AP Land’s Joint Managing Director, Low Gee Tong said the 50:50 joint venture would enable AP Land to maximize its land assets here and overseas and allow both groups to exploit their respective expertise to complement each other.

The joint venture will among others explore the development of a new educational facility in Changshu, China focusing on vocational training and English for specific purposes.

“Our collaboration with HELP will complement our recent venture in Changshu,” Low told reporters in a media briefing on Thursday, June 17. AP Land has a RM800 million commercial development known as Platinum Galaxy Boulevard on a 65,421 sq m in Changshu City in the province of Jiangsu.

Low said with multinational companies and factories growing in Changshu, demand would be good for education providers catering to the development needs in China.

He said, the campus would take up 20, 000 sq ft of the total 400,000 sq ft in the project’s phase one which is set to be completed in August. The gross development value for phase one and phase two totals RMB500 million.

HELP Group President, Datuk Dr Paul Chan said besides tapping on AP Land’s assets, the JV will also involve operating the Victoria International College in Kuala Lumpur and in Bandar Tasik Puteri Rawang, Selangor.

AP Land and HELP will also be in partnership in other priority areas including the setting up and the management of retirement homes in Bandar Tasik Puteri as well as the development of a 50-acre university college within the Rawang township in the next three to four years. The college will offer courses in the Allied Health Sciences to support the retirement home project.