Built by SHL Consolidated Bhd on a former rubber plantation in 1989, Bandar Sungai Long is a self-sustaining township in Cheras, Selangor, and comprises a mix of residential and commercial properties, says Landserve Sdn Bhd managing director Chen King Hoaw.

The locality is notable as home to Sungai Long Golf & Country Club, which was opened in 1992. “It is the first international championship golf course in Malaysia designed by golf master Jack Nicklaus, and this raised Bandar Sungai Long a notch above many other housing schemes in the Klang Valley during that era,” says Chen.

Jalan SL 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4 in the township comprise mainly 3-storey shopoffices and is located adjacent to Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman (UTAR), which was opened in 2002.

According to Metro Homes Realty Bhd executive director See Kok Loong, transaction records show that the shopoffices with an average built-up of 4,450 sq ft in these three streets were sold for RM2.2 million to RM2.6 million last year. “Monthly rents for ground floor units are RM5,500 to RM6,000 while the first and second floor units are RM1,200 to RM2,000. These translate into a yield of 4% a year,” he says.

As for residential properties in the surrounding area, Chen says the landed properties with built-ups of 1,638 to 5,511 sq ft were sold at between RM300,000 and RM3 million from 2017 to 2019. Rental rates range from 56 sen to RM1.82 psf a month, giving yields of 2.7% to 3.8% a year. “The high-rise units, with built-ups of 592 to 3,434 sq ft, were sold at RM138 to RM494 psf during the same period. Rental rates range from 81 sen to RM1.93 psf a month, yielding 3.2% to 4.8% a year.”

There are many food options to be found in Jalan SL 1/2, 1/3 and 1/4. Restoran Mrs Yau Hong Kong Style Canteen offers a wide variety of Hong Kong comfort food. “I will always opt for the beef noodle soup pot. The beef has the right amount of tenderness and is complemented by the rich and flavourful soup,” says Jian, a student at UTAR.

Popular dishes include grilled chicken soup with rice, grilled pork and chicken with rice, and pork ball and seafood ball soup with rice.

Other landmarks along these streets include Pre-Tea Q, Shifen Station, Sushi Mentai, Restoran Asian Food Recipe, Restoran Secret Penang Café, Restoran 5G Fish Noodles, Restoran Centrepoint, KK Supermart, Family Mart and All Day Pharmacy.

Metro Homes’ See notes that the outlook for Bandar Sungai Long appears positive, as the nearby UTAR will provide a constant flow of students and increase the demand for rental accommodation. “The area was affected during the Movement Control Order, esp0ecially by the schools’ closure, but should revert to normal once school resumes. The vibrancy of the locality and the mature township should augur well for property prices, which are quite stable at present and [should] improve once the economy starts to recover in 2021,” he says.

Chen agrees, saying that property values in the area will remain positive in the future, as it is located along the Cheras-Kajang Expressway and well served by a modern network of roads and highways, as well as the MRT Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line.