The Penang Development Corporation (PDC) is planning to set up two more Global Business Services (GBS) buildings in the state to meet the growing needs of the GBS market.

One of them will be located near the existing GBS@Mayang, while the other will be situated in the Bayan Lepas industrial area.

Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow said the total area, combining both buildings, is about 600,000sq ft. Each GBS facility is set to provide 300,000sq ft of space.

“There was already a plan to set up these two GBS buildings, but it was postponed due to the market situation.

“Now that the demand is here, PDC will reactivate the plan. We hope to get the two GBS facilities ready in two to three years,” Chow told reporters after opening GBS@Mahsuri yesterday.

PDC has established its first GBS space at the former Mayang Mall, a MSC-status building renamed as GBS@Mayang. The corporation later set up the GBS@Mahsuri.

GBS@Mahsuri, which sits on a 3.1-acre land, was completed on Oct 1 last year at a cost of about RM21 million. It is a two-storey building with a gross area of 102,452sq ft. It has a net lettable area of 80,116sq ft.

Chow said when GBS@Mahsuri (the latest GBS building by PDC) was built, the corporation had thought that 80,000sq ft of space was sufficient.

“However, before the building was completed, the entire space had been taken up,” he said.

Four prominent multinational corporations fully occupied GBS@Mahsuri. They are Cisco Systems (M) Sdn Bhd, Clarivate (M) Sdn Bhd, Emerald Global Services Sdn Bhd, and Teleperformance Malaysia Sdn Bhd.

Chow said currently, the state houses more than 60 GBS companies.

“GBS is the evolution of Shared Services and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) – both of which are focused on improving process efficiency and lowering costs.

“The Digital Global Business Services (DGBS) industry is one of the key contributors to our country’s digital economy.

“About 20% of active GBS companies account for the total active MNC Malaysia companies. It is the largest contributor to the overall performance of MNC Malaysia, accounting up to 50% of investments, 66% of exports and 61% of jobs created.

“According to a recent report from Global Data Findings, Malaysia’s GBS market is expected to grow from US$1.3 billion in 2019 to US$1.5 billion by the end of 2024,” he said.

He added that the effort to improve the GBS ecosystem in Penang has resulted in the formation of GBS Focus Group Penang.

“The focus group is represented by Penang’s industry players in the GBS sector and key stakeholders from Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) and Outsourcing Malaysia (OM), with InvestPenang serving as the lead agency.

“GBS Focus Group Penang provides a platform for various stakeholders to share industry-related information, ideas, and concerns,” Chow said.

He also said that GBS office space is still relevant despite some companies practice ‘work from home’.

“Take Teleperformance as an example. The company took up 40,000sq ft at GBS@Mahsuri, and the company still practices ‘work from home’ for some of its staff,” he said.

Chow added that some property developers were also looking at establishing these ‘Grade A’ offices.

Source: Buletin Mutiara

Yet another proposed serviced residence by Tambun Indah Group at Pearl City township in Simpang Ampat. Located along Persiaran Mutiara 8, this will be the third high-rise development within the vicinity of Pearl City. It is adjacent Palm Garden,  just across the street from Pearl City Mall and GEM International School.

This development comprises a 21-storey serviced apartment, featuring 359 residential units with six levels of multi-storey car parking podium. There will also be 10 units of 2-storey shoplots located at the ground level.

The project is still pending approval. More details to be available upon official launch.

Project Name : (to be confirmed)
Location : Simpang Ampat, Penang
Property Type : Serviced apartment
Total Units: 359
Land Tenure: Freehold
Indicative Price : (to be confirmed)
Developer : Palmington Sdn. Bhd. (Tambun Indah Group)

Location Map:

DISCLAIMER: This article is solely based on research done using publicly available data. This is not an advertisement. Any claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a project or service should be verified with the developer, provider, or party in question.

Kerjaya Prospek Property Bhd’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Pixel Valley Sdn Bhd (PVSB), is acquiring a 1.97 hectares freehold land from Aspen Vision City Sdn Bhd (AVC) in Penang for RM27.57 million.

In a filing with Bursa Malaysia today, it said PVSB has entered into a purchase and development agreement with AVC following the proposed acquisition.

It said the proposed acquisition would enable Kerjaya Prospek Property to focus on its core business of property development as well as expand and strengthen its landbank size.

“It is strategically located at Bandar Cassia, Batu Kawan, Penang. The proposed development of the property is a mixed development comprising serviced apartments and some commercial/retail lots,” it said.

It added that barring any unforeseen circumstances, the proposed acquisition is expected to be completed within 90 days from the unconditional date, which is expected to be completed by July 2022.

Source: Bernama

About Nusacinta @ Setia Fontaines

The second residential component to be launched in the 1,675-acre Setia Fontaines master-planned township development by SP Setia. This will be the first gated residential precinct located next to the 63-acre man-made lake with a musical fountain. It comprises a total of 294 landed residential units, offering a few types of landed houses with built-up size ranging from 1,332 sq.ft. up to 2,943 sq.ft. Indicative price starts from RM420,000 onwards.

Find out more about Nusacinta @ Setia Fontaines

Despite the bad press and claims by non-governmental organisations that Penangites are generally against reclamation projects, many people and local businesses have benefited from such developments.

Reclamation projects have given locals a place to call home and access to important infrastructure, and businesses new opportunities that generate new economic activities.

Lee Wan Tong, 70, a long-time Pengkalan Weld resident, said the reclamation project in George Town created more land in the city to provide more homes for the people.

His village home on TOL (temporary occupancy licence) land off the Raya Merdeka Highway near the iconic floating Hean Boo Thean Kuan Yin Temple was built on land reclaimed by the state government more than 50 years ago.

“There was nothing here but rubbish until the area was reclaimed. Over 200 homes were built on the manmade land.

“When I first lived here, all the houses had no utilities. We had to get water from outside the village.

“The reclamation gave us a place to build our homes. It was certainly better than staying in a flat. Today, it is not so easy to find a Chinese village like this elsewhere in the city,” he said.

The reclaimed land where Lee’s home stands today is a stone’s throw from George Town’s earliest reclamation project, which took place in the 19th century when Penang was under colonial rule.

The British administration reclaimed Pengkalan Weld for harbour trade activities. Piers and warehouses were built there, as well as historic and heritage landmarks such as the Malayan Railway Building (now Wisma Kastam) and the famed Clan Jetties.

From the 1960s onwards, more land reclamation projects were carried out to meet urbanisation demands – altering the island’s turtle-shaped outline.

From Pengkalan Weld, reclamations have extended along the island’s eastern shoreline, all the way south to the Penang Bridge and beyond.

The reclamation along the island’s eastern shoreline, which is still ongoing today, first began in the 1990s when developer IJM built the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway (previously known as Jelutong Expressway).

The project to create Penang Island’s sole expressway linking George Town and Bayan Lepas was undertaken by IJM in exchange for rights to reclaim the Jelutong seafront for its massive mixed development projects.

Among the projects completed by IJM over the last 20 years in the Bandar Sri Pinang development are low- and low-medium cost flats, apartments, condominiums, three-storey link houses, shop lots, light industrial lots and others, including an international school.

The development also gave Penang island one of its most vibrant seafront promenades and commercial areas – the iconic Persiaran Karpal Singh and Automall Karpal Singh Drive, which have grown into popular lifestyle attractions.

Derick Ooi Tze Wei, 41, who owns a hair salon at Automall, said Persiaran Karpal Singh was attractive because of its strategic location next to the expressway and halfway between George Town and the Penang Bridge.

Because of this, businesses at Automall also recovered quickly after the pandemic movement restrictions were lifted, he said.

“We get good crowds throughout the week, especially on weekends when there are 20% more people.

“I think being in front of the sea is a contributing factor. People like the environment. So business is good here,” he said.

Ooi said he also had reservations at the beginning when he set up his shop but when he heard Starbucks was also opening on Persiaran Karpal Singh, he was certain his decision was right.

“When we first opened in 2014, we were one of the pioneers. There were only two other shops. But within a year, boom! Others started coming,” he said.

Ooi said it was inevitable for Penang island to reclaim more land for better development in the future.

“We don’t have enough land, so that is our only option. Look at Singapore,” he said.

Leon Lee, founder of integrated property solutions consultancy Zeon Properties, whose office is also on Persiaran Karpal Singh, said reclamation projects helped spur development and stimulate economy in their respective areas.

Such projects, said Lee who is a member of the Malaysia Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry national council, offered more than just high-end residential and commercial properties.

“The Bandar Sri Pinang project also built the Fisherman’s Wharf food court, which has given local hawkers a place to make a living for their families.

“When the Automall opened, many businesses opened their first outlets like Coffee Smith for example. If a new business becomes successful, it will expand and create more jobs.

“Look at the promenade, which has given many families a place for recreation and leisure. The promenade also hosted the New Year countdown three times in past years,” he said, pointing out how the reclamation project had benefitted many Penangites in both economic and social aspects.

Leon acknowledged that some people had prejudices against reclaimed land.

“They say reclaimed land is not real, not good, and unsafe because it is built over dumpsites. But so many countries around the world have reclaimed land to build.

“Reclamations are also not done with the purpose of destroying the earmarked sites and their surroundings. They are to bring development and generate growth for the people’s benefit,” he reiterated.

As an economy that depends on the services and manufacturing sectors, Leon said Penang must continue to develop and provide the right environment to attract investors, visitors, and talent.

“We want international investors and visitors to come. We want to attract international brands to our FIZ (free industrial zone). They are not going to come if Penang has no development.

“Even if we have land to develop in Seberang Perai, it will not be the same because the location is different and some investors may not be interested.

“Penang Island is just special because it is an island, and that is the selling point.”

Source: TheStar.com.my