S P Setia Bhd’s Setia Alam township, which spans 4,000 acres, has come a long way since it was established in 2004. After selling off part of the former oil palm plantation, S P Setia was left with 2,525 acres, of which about 80% has been developed, says divisional general manager Tan Siow Chung, who has been involved in the Setia Alam development since the beginning.

Setia Alam is easily accessible via various highways and expressways such as the New Klang Valley Expressway, Federal Highway, the upcoming Damansara-Shah Alam Elevated Expressway and West Coast Expressway.

In an interview with City & Country over Zoom, Tan relates how the township has grown over the years, based on the four pillars of Live, Learn, Work and Play.

Under the Live element, there are various residential types for all income groups. Under Learn, there are international schools such as Tenby International School, Idrissi International School and Peninsular International School, and national schools SMK Setia Alam, SK Setia Alam, SJK (C) Pin Hwa 1 and SJK (T) Ladang North Hummock.

Under the Work pillar, several top companies are setting up their head offices in Setia Alam. They include latex glove manufacturer Kossan; car companies such as Audi, BMW, Honda, Mercedes and Toyota; the National Institute of Health and S P Setia itself.

For Play, there are numerous parks and amenities such as the Urban Park, Setia Alam Pasar Malam or night market, and Setia City Mall. Phase 2 of the mall has been completed and it will open in 1Q2021.

According to Tan, these elements have enhanced the popularity of the township. The current population is 80,000 and it is estimated to grow to 170,000 when everything is completed. The latest products at Setia Alam are 2-storey semi-detached houses called Leegeana and 2-storey terraced houses called Conicus in the Bywater Homes precinct.

The 80-acre Bywater Homes precinct features homes and elements that encourage residents to spend time outdoors. After a soft launch in 2019, S P Setia launched two phases of terraced and semi-detached houses. The third phase was launched in October 2020 (Conicus) and November 2020 (Leegeana).

Leegeana comprises 52 units of 2-storey semi-detached houses measuring 32ft by 75ft. Type E has a built-up of 2,463 sq ft and a starting price of RM1.065 million while Type F has a built-up from 2,530 sq ft and a starting price of RM1.093 million. The units have a bedroom on the lower level that is ideal for elderly parents. All bedrooms have attached bathrooms. Leegeana has a gross development value (GDV) of RM57 million.

Conicus, meanwhile, has a GDV of RM59 million. There are 75 units of 20ft by 70ft 2-storey terraced houses for purchase. Type E has a built-up of 2,006 to 2,364 sq ft and a starting price of RM753,000 while Type F has a built-up of 1,902 to 2,216 sq ft and a starting price of RM723,000. There is also a ground floor bedroom while all bedrooms will have an attached bathroom.

Tan says because of the successful take-up of previous launches in the precinct of between 90% and 98%, he is confident that the new products will do well, even in the current market conditions.

“There is demand,” he says. “The previous two phases have almost sold out and there is a waiting list for the next launch.

“[Bywater Homes] will be the last parcel in the northern part of the Setia Alam development. What makes Bywater Homes so special is that it is sandwiched between beautiful landscaped areas, waterways and a lake.”

The water elements include the Wetlands Park, which covers 24 acres of the total precinct area, and a stretch of water along the side of the development facing Persiaran Setia Perdana where Gardens of the World is situated. This landscaped tract will incorporate elements inspired by parks and gardens in America, Europe and Asia.

Sandwiching the residential components is the Active Park, which will have a recreational area.

“We noticed that throughout the Setia Alam developments, all the parks are mainly for leisure and there is exercise equipment installed. We realised that there is a lack of amenities for teenagers. Teens like biking, skateboarding and other active sports. These elements will be included in Active Park,” adds Tan.

The name Bywater Homes is derived from the location of the homes by the water. The names of the different products in the precinct, meanwhile, are based on elements of nature.

“In Setia Alam, we are in touch with nature, so we have to get our product names from nature. And the best is to look for botanical names,” he explains.

According to Datuk Siders Sittampalam, managing director of PPC International Sdn Bhd, “Setia Alam is a relatively new and well-planned township with a wide array of amenities and good accessibility.”

He believes it has potential for value appreciation owing to its low density and freehold title, as well as its well-thought-out layout.

“Since the first phase of Setia Alam was launched, the pricing and sales volume of the properties have grown positively.”

Based on PPC International’s research data, houses that are similar in size to those in the third phase, with built-ups of 1,959 sq ft and land area of 1,650 sq ft, were transacted at around RM428,000 in 2009 and RM670,000 in 2020.

“This value appreciation can be attributed to the [fact that it is a] well-planned and self-contained township as it provides good facilities and amenities served by a good network of roads. We believe Setia Alam has enormous potential for value creation in the years to come,” Siders states.

Setia Alam will soon have its own specialist hospital.

“This is the missing piece in our township,” says Tan. Over two acres, or 90,900 sq ft, of land was sold to and will be developed by Setia Alam Specialist Hospital Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sena Healthcare Services Sdn Bhd.

The hospital will have nine storeys and two basement levels. It will have 131 beds, four operation theatres, a cath lab and 22 specialist clinics. The gross floor area is about 393,000 sq ft.

About a 10-minute drive from Bywater Homes is another amenity — a wet market called Pasar Muhibbah. Tan says it was built by S P Setia and will be operated by the local council. The market will provide residents with an alternative location to buy their fresh produce and daily necessities.

Tan estimates the township will be completed by 2030. S P Setia already has plans to develop a 400-acre parcel not far from Setia Alam called Setia Alaman, just across from Jalan Meru.

“We will replicate Setia Alam’s template there and we will launch some time at the end of this year,” he concludes.