This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on August 19, 2019 - August 25, 2019

Surrounded mature trees and greenery, Subang Jaya is a well-established neighbourhood that is filled with amenities. A former rubber estate developed Sime UEP Properties Bhd in the 1970s, it has witnessed tremendous transformation and is now known as a thriving, self-sustaining urban hub in the Klang Valley.

Subang Jaya comprises SS12 to SS19, Taman Wangsa Baiduri, Taman Mutiara Subang and Taman Bukit Pelangi. In the late 1980s, Sime UEP Properties Bhd also developed an extension of the Subang Jaya township, UEP Subang Jaya, or better known as USJ. USJ is made up of 27 sections (USJ 1 to USJ 27) besides USJ 3A to 3D, Subang Heights and USJ Heights.

The township has excellent accessibility as it is connected to Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya via a network of expressways and rail transit. The Subang Jaya KTM Komuter station in SS16 is linked to the KTM Port Klang-Tanjung Malim line, and was recently renovated to accommodate Rapid KL’s expansion of the Kelana Jaya LRT line.

It serves as an interchange as well as a bus stop, and there is also a LRT station in SS15, says Rahim & Co International director of research and strategic planning Sulaiman Saheh.

The residential supply in Subang Jaya comprises terraced houses with some condominiums clustered around SS16 and SS15 as well as around Subang Jaya Lake in SS12. Subang Jaya neighbours Shah Alam, Puchong, Putra Heights and Petaling Jaya.

“The increasing number of property developments in Subang Jaya, and the readily available infrastructure as well as those provided developers could add value to the properties there,” says Sulaiman.

The rental yield in the past five years ranges from 4.5% to 4.9%, he adds.

“Subang Jaya, being an established area with international and local universities nearby, allows potentially healthy rental yields from a steady and ready tenant market.”

According to EdgeProp.my, a 1,647 sq ft terraced house in SS 19 Sime UEP was sold for RM685,000 or RM416 psf and a 1,830 sq ft terraced house in SS 17 went for RM280,000 or RM153 psf in December last year.

Meanwhile, a 990 sq ft condo in Saujana Residency Saujana Heights Sdn Bhd (a subsidiary of Lion Group) was sold for RM400,000 or RM404 psf in December last year and a 1,518 sq ft unit in Subang Olives Residence Everest Point (a subsidiary of AmanahRaya Development) fetched RM650,000 or RM428 psf in May.

The average price for non-landed and landed properties in the area are RM498 and RM1,949 psf, compared with the state average of RM237 and RM2,085 psf respectively.

Two upcoming projects are Paisley@Tropicana Metropark Tropicana Corp Bhd and Lot 15@ Subang Jaya City Centre Sime DarProperty Bhd. Both projects are due to be completed in 2021.

A mix of city and suburban life

Subang Jaya offers a good blend of city and suburban life. One of the more notable landmarks in the area is the iconic Subang Parade, the first shopping mall in Subang Jaya. Located next door is the trendy Empire Shopping Gallery, where visitors from areas as far as Bangsar and Ampang often stop for a quick cuppa.

Meanwhile, Subang Jaya’s commercial properties, amenities and connectivity has catapulted it into the bustling neighbourhood it is today.

It offers a variety of amenities, including more than 30 public and private schools and tertiary institutions such as INTI International College Subang and SEGi College Subang Jaya.

The SS15 commercial hub has many restaurants and offers services catering to the locals and the student community. Situated in SS12 is the Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC), one of the country’s leading private medical centres.

The neighborhood also offers a wide selection of hypermarkets, shopping and dining amenities. In neighbouring Bandar Sunway is Sunway Pyramid, one of the Klang Valley’s top shopping destinations.

Another notable place is the newly renovated The Summit USJ. Built in 1998, the freehold mixed-use development is among the oldest landmarks in Subang Jaya. It underwent a RM70.48 million upgrade in 2016. The Summit USJ has a total of 800,000 sq ft net lettable area (NLA) and comprises a six-level retail podium, a 13-storey office tower, a 17-storey hotel as well as a basement car park.

Next to The Summit USJ is Da Men, a shopping centre that boasts restaurants and tenants such as Jaya Grocer and Popular Bookstore. The freehold mixed-use development has 420,920 sq ft of NLA, including a two-level basement car park with 1,672 bays, as well as two blocks of 480 apartments.

The township is connected to highways such as Federal Highway, New Pantai Expressway, Lebuhraya Shah Alam, Lebuhraya Damansara-Puchong and North-South Expressway Central Link.

The Kelana Jaya light rail transit (LRT) extension line in Subang Jaya was completed in 2017 and included stations in SS15, SS18, USJ 7 and USJ 10.

Subang Jaya attracts a good mix of owner-occupiers and investors, and the demand for landed properties remains strong.

There is plenty of choice for foodies. One popular spot is SS15, where Jibril restaurant is located. Known for its signature butter chicken, it draws long queues eager to tuck into its specialities such as red butter chicken, coconut butter chicken and salted egg butter chicken.

Gold Chilli, also in SS15, is best known for its butter milk chicken and signature nasi lemak while a famous hawker stall, Rojak & Cendol SS15, is famed for its rojak sotong and telur, and cendol pulut.

Subang Jaya has also become a hot spot for the current bubble tea craze. In the last few months, several new bubble tea joints from Taiwan and Hong Kong have popped up in SS15, earning it the moniker of bubble tea street. They include JLD Dragon, Xing Fu Tang, The Alley, Daboba, Gong Cha, Tealive and Chatto. Moge Tee not only serves bubble tea but also souffle pancakes that are topped with pearls.

 Apart from the usual mamak eateries and restaurants, there are quite a few cafés and spots to hang out, among them, Alchemist Dessert Café, Tryst, Meteora Café, Naj & Belle, Upstairs Café, Coffee Coffea and Souka Bake Shop.

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