This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on July 29, 2024 - August 4, 2024

The Edge Malaysia Best Managed & Sustainable Property Awards (BMSPA) are back for the eighth instalment this year. The awards seek to recognise and celebrate real estate that is managed with excellence and sustainability.

The 2024 awards gala dinner was held at One World Hotel in Petaling Jaya on July 15. In his welcome speech, The Edge Media Group publisher and group CEO Datuk Ho Kay Tat said the awards were judged by a panel of experts from the Malaysian and Singaporean real estate industries, and based on a rigorous set of criteria that include property management practices, cost management, sustainability and overall excellence.

He noted that the record number of submissions this year was a heartening sign of growing awareness and commitment to best-in-class and sustainable property management practices.

“It signifies that more and more industry professionals are recognising the critical impact of property management on the value of properties and the standard of living for those who inhabit them,” he added.

BMSPA 2024 received a record 75 entries from all over the country, compared with 52 last year. Of these, 49 were shortlisted for the awards, 11 more than last year. Eventually, 34 projects received recognition for their outstanding achievements in property management.

This year, there are 10 categories of awards, covering residential, office, mixed development, retail and specialised properties. Each category is divided into two segments to reflect the age of the properties — Below 10 Years and 10 Years and Above.

In addition to the anchor awards, The Edge Malaysia-ILAM Sustainable Landscape Awards 2024 and the Editor’s Choice Awards 2024 were presented at the event.

Having shone at the inaugural awards in 2017, the Petronas Twin Towers was once again in the spotlight, bagging Gold at The Edge Malaysia BMSPA in the 10 Years and Above — Non-strata Office category.

Managed by KLCC Urusharta Sdn Bhd, the development was also the recipient of the Editor’s Choice award for Timeless Excellence.

In 2017, the towers was awarded Gold in the Non-strata — Commercial category and the Editor’s Choice award for Iconic Innovation.

Properties that previously won gold at the BMSPA can resubmit their property for consideration only after three years.

Meanwhile, KLCC Park, also managed by KLCC Urusharta, retained its Gold status this year in the 10 Years and Above – Specialised category and The Edge Malaysia-ILAM Sustainable Landscape Awards 2024 under the Landscape Planning category. It also took home the Editor’s Choice award for Exemplary Community Magnet.

The park had previously won in 2018 in the same Specialised category and garnered the Editor’s Choice award for Exemplary Contribution to the Nation.

Other properties that received the Editor’s Choice awards this year were Menara UOA Bangsar (managed by Henry Butcher Malaysia [Mont Kiara] Sdn Bhd, or HBMK) for Sterling Stakeholders Partnership, Sunway SPK Damansara (managed by its own residents’ association) for Exemplary Commitment to Excellence and Lakefront Homes @ Cyberjaya (managed by Avaland Bhd) for Malaysia’s Outstanding Affordable Homes.

The Editor’s Choice winners were also awarded Gold in their respective main categories: Menara UOA Bangsar in the 10 Years and Above — Mixed Development (Entire) category; Sunway SPK Damansara in the 10 Years and Above — Non-strata Residential category; and Lakefront Homes @ Cyberjaya in the Below 10 Years — Sustainable Affordable Housing category.

Other Gold award winners in the main categories for BMSPA were UOA Business Park Tower 7 (managed by HBMK) in the Below 10 Years — Single-owned Office in a Mixed Strata Development; The Park Residences 1 (managed by Laurelcap Property Management (Sel) Sdn Bhd or Laurelcap) in the 10 Years and Above — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; 11 Mont’Kiara (managed by HBMK) in the 10 Years and Above — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; Pavilion Suites Kuala Lumpur (managed by HBMK) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; Ryan & Miho Residence (managed by HBMK) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-Owned Strata Residential; Essex Gardens, Setia Eco Templer (managed by Laurelcap) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-Owned Strata Residential; Jade Hills (managed by Gamuda Land Services Sdn Bhd) in the 10 Years and Above — Non-strata Residential; Menara KWSP (managed by Knight Frank Property Management Sdn Bhd or KFPM) in the Below 10 Years —Non-strata Office; and The Astaka @ One Bukit Senyum (managed by KFPM) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-owned Strata Residential categories.

Silver award winners in the main categories were Residensi Duta Kiara (managed by HBMK) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; Island Hospital (managed by Island Hospital Sdn Bhd) in the 10 Years and Above — Specialised; Panorama KLCC (managed by HBMK) in the 10 Years and Above — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; Setia City Mall (managed by Lendlease Malaysia) in the 10 Years and Above — Retail; and The Pearl @ KLCC (managed by HBMK) in the 10 Years and Above — Multiple-owned Strata Residential categories.

Meanwhile, Bronze award winners included Jesselton Residences & Mall (managed by KFPM) in the Below 10 Years — Mixed Development (Entire); Urban Residences (managed by Narra Realty Services Sdn Bhd) in the Below 10 Years — Mixed Development (Entire); Paradigm PJ (managed by HBMK) in the 10 Years and Above — Mixed Development (Entire); Ativo Plaza (managed by TA Global Bhd) in the 10 Years and Above — Mixed Development (Entire); SkyMeridien Residences (managed by Transpacc Property Management Sdn Bhd) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; M Centura (managed by Mah Sing Group Bhd) in the Below 10 Years — Multiple-owed Strata Residential; Design Village Outlet Mall (managed by Design Village) in the Below 10 Years — Retail; KL East Mall (managed by Sime Darby Property Bhd or SDP) in the Below 10 Years — Retail; and Crystal Plaza (managed by Axis Facilities Management Sdn Bhd) in the 10 Years and Above — Non-strata Office categories.

For The Edge Malaysia-ILAM Sustainable Landscape Awards 2024, TNB Platinum Bangsar and KLCC Park were awarded Gold for Landscape Design and Landscape Planning respectively, while KL East Park (Phase 1) took home Silver for Landscape Planning.

Four developments received Special Mention: PJ8 (managed by KFPM) in the 10 Years and Above — Mixed Development (Entire); Menara AmBank (managed by KFPM) in the 10 Years and Above — Non-strata Office; Cendana (managed by SCM International Property Management Sdn Bhd) in the 10 Years and Above — Multiple-owned Strata Residential; and PARC @ Taman Subang Ria (by Sime Darby Property Bhd) in the Below 10 Years — Specialised categories.

“Over five weeks, the judges conducted site visits to projects in the Klang Valley, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. It was an extensive and intensive judging process. Each visit takes up around two hours; so, just over 100 hours have been put in by our judges and they were doing it pro bono. Our judges deserve a big hand!” said Ho, explaining the judging process.

“Lastly, I want to extend my congratulations to all the winners for 2024. Your achievement reflects your dedication to excellence and a commitment to creating a higher standard for property management in Malaysia.”

The judges for this year’s awards were The Edge Malaysia editor emeritus and the awards’ chief judge Au Foong Yee, City & Country senior editor E Jacqui Chan, Real Estate and Housing Developers’ Association (Rehda) Malaysia president Datuk N K Tong, Association of Property and Facility Managers (APFM) president Lim Lan Yuan, Architect Centre Sdn Bhd accredited architect Anthony Lee Tee, Chur Associates founder and managing director Chris Tan, Malaysian REIT Managers Association (MRMA) vice-chairman Tan Choon Siang, Malaysian Institute of Property and Facility Managers (MIPFM) president Ishak Ismail, Building Management Association of Malaysia (BMAM) committee member Richard Chan and Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM) president Nor Atiah Ismail.

This year’s sponsors were Nippon Paint Malaysia as the main partner, with support from APFM, Architect Centre, BMAM, EdgeProp Malaysia, ILAM, MRMA and Rehda.

The results were audited by Deloitte Malaysia.

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