This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on February 6, 2023 - February 12, 2023

TSLAW Group, founded by executive chairman Tan Sri David Law Tien Seng, is a low-profile company with core businesses in steel, mining and property. It owns the Marriott Hotel in Nanning, China, Plaza Sentosa, a shopping centre in Johor Baru, and TS Law Tower in Imbi, KL.

While the group is mainly known for its business-to-business segment, its property division — albeit a little quiet — has been developing projects in the Klang Valley and Seremban. In recent years, its property development company TSLAW Land Sdn Bhd has focused on product branding. 

In an interview with City & Country, TSLAW Land director Law Wai Cheong says that the company’s branding strategy allows it to launch different types of products. It launched the Skyline series in 2022 with Skyline KL in Pudu. 

“Branding is very important. We have been in the steel business, which is very much B2B, where branding is not so important. However, property development is more on the end-users, whereby branding is important for them to know who we are and what we do. At TSLAW Land, we break it down to several series, like the automobile industry, so we can do all ranges of development,” he explains.

“Skyline is akin to the BMW 5 series. It is, in a way, luxury but yet not super-high in price. We started the Skyline series about seven to eight years ago, beginning with land acquisition, and the process took us quite a while. So, now we are doing the 5 series, and later we will do projects akin to the 3 series and the 7 series.”

He adds that TSLAW Land emphasises facilities and layout for its projects, and always designs them from the inside out. The focus is first on the internal space, and then the façade. Products in the Skyline series are required to be transit-oriented developments (TODs).

Launched in 2022, Skyline KL is a RM1.2 billion mixed-use project located on a 2.99-acre parcel. It comprises more than 2,200 units sized from 480 to 1,080 sq ft, with a starting price of about RM360,000. The project is scheduled for completion in 2026.

“Skyline KL is next to the Pudu LRT station. We crafted something that suits the location, so we have total retail space of about 15,000 sq ft. There is a walkway to the LRT station and we are also spending money to upgrade the station. We will upgrade the whole place and turn it into a proper TOD. The whole parcel, including the station, is seven acres,” Law says.

Due to the overwhelming response to Skyline KL, TSLAW Land plans to unveil the second product in the series, Skyline Kuchai, in March. The 4.56-acre development, located next to the former Ajinomoto factory on Jalan Kuchai Lama, will be 400m from the upcoming Kuchai Lama MRT station, which is part of the Putrajaya Line. 

While Skyline KL is a mixed-use development, the RM1 billion Skyline Kuchai will be a fully residential project with 1,838 apartment units in two blocks. The units are sized from 550 to 1,470 sq ft and will come in layouts of 1+1 bedroom and 1 bathroom; 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms; 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms; as well as 4 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (dual-key units).

At an average price of RM742 psf, the units are going for RM360,800 to RM1.018 million. Law says Skyline Kuchai has been more than 90% taken up since its preview in December, with the smaller units sold out. The development is scheduled for completion in 2028.

He explains that Skyline Kuchai is an upgrade from Skyline KL and has been designed to suit the demographic of the Kuchai Lama area. It will stay true to the Skyline series’ DNA, where the emphasis is on the facilities and space. 

The entire facilities area will occupy a total of 100,000 sq ft and will have facilities such as a 50m infinity lap pool, barbecue area, children’s playground, outdoor gymnasium, podcast room, sky lounge, sky lawn and playfield. The maintenance fee will be 35 sen, inclusive of sinking fee. 

“It is probably the tallest building in Kuchai Lama [with Tower B at 59 storeys]. We have a sky lounge here, a Skyline DNA. There will also be a jogging track [like at Skyline KL]. In Skyline Kuchai, it is an elevated jogging track at over 700m long called Sky Track. 

“We designed the pool to have a resort feel, the multipurpose hall to fit three badminton courts, and will provide Technogym equipment at the gymnasium. We also have podcast rooms for the residents to do live streams. Tower A [with 56 storeys] has a sky garden, which is a quieter area, while Tower B has a sky lounge and sky dining area where residents can host small parties,” he adds.

“The smallest unit in Skyline Kuchai is an upgrade from Skyline KL’s. The one in Skyline Kuchai is over 500 sq ft and the layout is 1+1 bedroom, compared with over 400 sq ft in Skyline KL. The units are partially furnished — there are air-conditioning units in all bedrooms and the living room while the kitchen comes with top and bottom cabinets. We put in the fittings to add value to the property. We give branded items and owners don’t have to renovate.”

Law reiterates that quality comes first, hence the brands that will be provided at Skyline Kuchai include Daikin air-conditioning units, Electrolux hoods and hobs, Legrand switches and Signature Kitchen cabinets. 

The development will also be equipped with a garbage chute system while the lift buttons will allow for contactless operation. 

Law says TSLAW Land plans to launch one to two projects each year. In 4Q2023, it is looking to launch one in Kepong under a new series that is akin to the BMW 3 series.

“It is more modest than the Skyline series but will still be attractive … We are still finalising the product. 

“Next, we have a piece of land adjacent to our office [TSLAW Tower], about seven to eight acres. We plan to launch the project by the end of this year or the first half of next year. Due to its location in the city centre, the project will be our 7 series [offering],” he elaborates.

“The target [market] is foreign buyers and it depends on how [much] foreign investment is coming in. We are quite positive about it. It is a mixed-use development, at about RM4 billion. There will be mainly serviced apartments and tentatively, a hotel. The buildings will be linked via a sky bridge, connecting Bukit Bintang on one side and Tun Razak Exchange on the other.”

TSLAW Land has a land bank of over 600 acres, the bulk of which is in Senawang, while the rest is in Taman Desa and Subang Jaya in the Klang Valley. The company is still looking to acquire more land, especially for TODs.

“We don’t want to just focus on one product range, hence the reason we have several series. We will launch projects according to the need because every series has its own DNA and uniqueness. We want to improve and develop a competitive advantage in the market. This is how we stand out and we are going to be active going forward,” Law says.

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