News by Racheal Lee

"What I like the most about the job is designing. It is something you can dream about and you can put in your talent, aspirations for the future and what you would like to see in Malaysia. It allows you to create things that tell stories and inspire. Isn’t it important that you can inspire? How many people have the opportunity? It is more than just earning money,” renowned architect Hijjas Kasturi tells City & Country recently.

Bukit Jalil in Kuala Lumpur is a property hot spot. Since the area was chosen as the location for the National Sports Complex — one of the venues of the 1998 Commonwealth Games — it has seen much construction activity.

Ireka Group of Companies has been keeping a relatively low profile in the property development sector in the past few years. Infrastructure and construction have always been key income contributors to the group.

Established as a timber company back in 2002, Exsim Group of Companies ventured into property development in 2009, focusing on residential, commercial and industrial projects in the Klang Valley. Its completed developments include Nouvelle Industrial Park @ Kota Damansara, Nouvelle Kemuning Industrial Park Phases 1 and 2 in Kota Kemuning, The Treez @ Bukit Jalil, The Leafz @ Sungai Besi and Twin Arkz @ Bukit Jalil.

Despite the slow property market, OSK Property Holdings Bhd believes there is still demand for properties targeted at end users. And the homebuyer market is what is it aiming at with Luminari, a serviced apartment project launched recently at its Harbour Place township in Butterworth, Penang.

ECO World Development Group Bhd is scheduled to hand over the first phase of the 1,089-acre Eco Majestic township in Semenyih, Selangor, by October. In addition to landed properties, a couple of high-rise developments have been launched and there are plans for more.

THE Johor market has been quiet in the past year. Both property prices and rent have seen minimal movements, and there have not been many new launches. KGV International Property Consultants (Johor) Sdn Bhd executive director Samuel Tan expects the situation to remain the same for at least the next two years, with some bright spots in between.

Gamuda Land Sdn Bhd, the property arm of construction group Gamuda Bhd, is known for its successful township developments such as Kota Kemuning, Bandar Botanic, Valencia and Jade Hills in the Klang Valley as well as Horizon Hills in Johor. Kota Kemuning, Bandar Botanic and Valencia, with a total area of more than 3,000 acres, have been fully developed.

A group of businessmen, including an Indonesian and four Malaysians are looking to draw more visitors to the northern part of the island with a new project — Margarana Dream City.

OCR Land Holdings Sdn Bhd, formerly Ong Chong Realty Sdn Bhd, has been a low-key developer since its establishment almost 27 years ago. It hardly made news until it emerged in 2014 as a substantial shareholder in the then loss-making Takaso Resources Bhd — public-listed manufacturer and exporter of rubber and baby products.