News by Rachel Chew

“I found this budget has really addressed what the country needs... I like the incentives for businesses to establish themselves in Malaysia, focus on improving infrastructure for existing industrial estates, and of course, spending money to develop new infrastructure,” said Previndran.

CGS-CIMB Research analyst Sharizan Rosely said the tenancy drop-out for Robinson’s outlet in The Gardens Mall will negatively impact IGB Real Estate Investment Trust (IGB REIT). However, he believed that the damage is manageable

Repurposing the vacant spaces to generate income

The appointment is following the resignations of Subimal Sen Gupta Sen and Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib last month.

Chris Chong, IOI Properties Group Bhd’s Mall Operations senior general manager: We remain resilient and are prepared to manage our workforce under different scenarios while maintaining efficiency and high service levels to our shoppers, tenants and business associates as the mall remains open throughout this difficult time.

Sara Fang Horton, UEM Sunrise Bhd’s head of retail strategy:  The Covid-19 pandemic and the previous MCO have shown that we need to pivot our placemaking strategies to continue building top-of-mind awareness in the community and among our loyal customers who appreciate Publika’s unique experiential and creative retail concept.

HC Chan, CEO of Sunway Malls & Theme Parks: Overall, the long-term outlook of the industry will remain healthy, resilient and robust albeit in a very different business model.

Despite the negative news, mall operators have remained calm and seen the current slow time as an opportunity for them to restrategise for future needs.

Henry Butcher Retail managing director Tan Hai Hsin believes that the shopping traffic will return gradually after the end of the second CMCO, when Malaysians get used to the current SOPs as the new normal.

Indeed, CMCO has restricted people’s movement, causing fewer people to visit the malls, but the main deterrent now is actually people’s qualms of malls’ safety, especially since the majority of the shopping malls have reported Covid-19 positive cases since end- September.