This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on November 18, 2024 - November 24, 2024

When Bukit Jalil in southern Kuala Lumpur was still a rural area covered by rubber plantations in the 1980s, multi-industry conglomerate Berjaya Group emerged as a pioneer developer of the area, securing approval for a 400-acre freehold master plan, which included its first and only golf course called Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort.

This 165-acre, 18-hole golf course is strategically positioned at the heart of the master plan, marking a key milestone in transforming this part of Bukit Jalil into a tranquil and serene enclave, which many are now desiring to call home.

“During the planning stage, our predecessors already had the idea to let future [residential] developments be built around the golf course, so every project would have an open golf or green view,” Berjaya Hartanah Bhd CEO Syed Ali Shahul Hameed tells City & Country.

A wholly-owned subsidiary of Berjaya Land Bhd (KL:BJLAND), Berjaya Hartanah is the owner and operator of Bukit Jalil Golf & Country Resort. It is also the developer behind the 12 completed and ongoing residential and commercial projects in its Bukit Jalil master plan, such as Green Avenue, Savanna and Savanna 2, Jalil Link @ Bukit Jalil and The Link 2, KM1 West and East, and The Tropika, just to name a few.

Syed Ali, who is also the CEO of Berjaya Land, says: “The golf course [view] is something that our competitors do not have here in Bukit Jalil. It is the unique selling point for our projects here in the past, present and the future, and there is no exception to our upcoming launch, Oaka Residences — the first phase of the last 12.2 acres we have left here in the Bukit Jalil master plan.”

The 12.2-acre parcel, which includes the site of Berjaya Property Gallery Bukit Jalil, has been subdivided into four plots for four individual developments with a combined 1,500 estimated units and gross development value (GDV) of RM1.3 billion. All four developments are residential projects that are designed for mid- to high-income earners, growing families and retirees. The first plot will feature the 2.2-acre freehold Oaka Residences, set to be officially launched on Nov 22.

Oaka Residences is an upmarket condominium with a GDV of RM383 million. The low-density development offers 350 units spread across two 30-storey towers. There are four layouts with built-ups ranging from 882 to 1,509 sq ft. All the units come with at least two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a storeroom/utility room and two side-by-side parking bays. The selling price starts from RM785,000 or RM890 psf.

The common facilities include a half basketball court, electric vehicle charging station, 40m infinity lap pool, whirlpool tub, children’s playground, gymnasium, yoga and dance studio, theatre, barbeque deck, sky lounge, designated e-hailing waiting area and dedicated parcel room. The maintenance fee for this pet-friendly development is 46 sen psf, excluding the 10% sinking fund.

“The design of Oaka Residences is inspired by Japan’s Zen and minimalist lifestyle. Hence you will see very clean architectural lines, and open and elegant design elements, such as the spacious living area that seamlessly extends to the balcony or lanai area,” Syed Ali says.

Tan Tee Ming, executive director at Berjaya Land and Berjaya Hartanah, chimes in, saying that having a lanai in a high-rise development is in trend now for its practicality. About 40% of the units in Oaka Residences come with a lanai.

“For the bigger layout, we offer a spacious balcony where a coffee corner can be set up comfortably, while for smaller built-ups, we do not discount the importance of inviting the outdoors into the indoors. However, instead of a balcony, we provide a lanai with a full height window, which the residents can turn into a functional space without compromising the open green or city view and natural sunlight,” Tan shares.

The units are designed for homebuyers who desire quality family time and a sustainable lifestyle. Therefore, apart from the open layout that encourages family bonding time, most of the units come with separate wet and dry kitchens, a hackable wall for flexible living, as well as a store or utility room.

“When we design the project, we always have the end users in mind — the modern small families, young professionals or couples, who shop online more often [hence the e-hailing waiting area and parcel room] and cook more often. So, on top of the yard, the majority of our units have a separate wet kitchen. And all of our units have a utility room to store away big, bulky household items, such as a baby stroller or vacuum cleaner,” Tan says.

He adds that Oaka Residences is a family-oriented development that is aiming for the GreenRE Gold rating. The project has been open for registration since October and has garnered close to 1,000 registrations of interest. About 25 units were booked within two weeks.

When asked about the sales expectation, Syed Ali is very optimistic due to the project’s strategic location, mature amenities and strong market demand for products like Oaka Residences.

“For every new project that we launched, about 10% were sold to our loyal buyers. It is true that there are some new launches around here, but not in this part of Bukit Jalil, where you can enjoy both city and green views while surrounded by mature amenities. The demand for such a product in this enclave is strong and we believe the project will be fully taken up during the construction period itself,” says Syed Ali, adding that the project is slated for completion in early 2028.

Once the project achieves 80% take-up rate, it will be the right time to roll out the second development in the 12.2-acre development plan, he says.

“We will have bigger layouts for the second plot, emphasising elder-friendly features such as ramps in common areas, bigger passenger lifts, larger entryways and so on, catering for retirees and upgraders or right-sizers from the surrounding area,” Syed Ali says, declining to share more as the plan is still being approved by the authorities.

Meanwhile, Tan reveals that the remaining three developments will be purely residential without any commercial component, aligning with the current atmosphere and lifestyle in this part of Bukit Jalil.

“Overall, Bukit Jalil is very mature with all the amenities you need. However, this part of Bukit Jalil has always been quiet, serene and private, with mostly mid- to high-end residential projects. We will keep it as it is. So, there will not be any commercial component in this last tract we have here,” he says.

On a wider scale, both men reveal that a property sales target of RM800 million has been set for 2024 and Syed Ali says it is well on track with 70% achieved as at October. “There are more sales coming in from Berjaya Times Square 2 and Jesselton Courtyard [in Penang], which we launched earlier this year. We are also expecting some contribution from Oaka Residences and other ongoing projects launched much earlier. We are quite bullish in achieving the target.”

The RM625 million luxury serviced apartment Berjaya Times Square 2, Kuala Lumpur, was launched in the second quarter of this year, followed by the soft launch of premium landed development, Jesselton Courtyard, in George Town, Penang, with a GDV of RM862.7 million, in July.

According to Syed Ali, some 70% of the units in Berjaya Times Square 2 Phase 1 (Level 8 to 26) were sold, while Phase 2 (Level 27 to 39), which was just opened for sale in October, registered an encouraging market response. “We are focusing on the overseas buyer for Phase 2 due to its higher absolute price. We have just completed the project’s road show in Taiwan and will be going to Singapore soon. The response has been encouraging.”

A similar situation was seen in Jesselton Courtyard, where 70 of the 239 units have been booked since the soft launch, even though the show unit is still under construction. “The show unit will only be ready early next year, but some buyers have already put down their deposit because both the site and product type are very premium in the local market,” says Syed Ali.

There are plans to launch Bayu Timur @ Berjaya Park, an affordable condominium in Shah Alam, Selangor, before the end of this year. It is a freehold development featuring 518 units with built-ups ranging from 1,000 to 1,280 sq ft and selling from RM536 psf. The development has an estimated GDV of RM308 million.

“We have more projects in the near future. We always make sure that we do not flood the market with the same type of product. Hence, you see the premium high-rise Berjaya Times Square 2; the premium landed Jesselton Courtyard; the mid- to high-end Oaka Residences; and Bayu Timur, which is designed for the mass market. Diversifying the product type and location will continue to be our business expansion strategy moving forward,” says Syed Ali.

Moving into 2025, Syed Ali and Tan reveal that they and the team is working on new projects in Johor, one of which is located on a 4.8-acre site in Stulang Laut, adjacent to Berjaya Waterfront Hotel Johor in Johor Bahru.

“We can build up to 2,000 units there but we are going to do it progressively. The site is about 2km from the RTS (Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System) station and CIQ, so one of the project’s unique selling points is the shuttle service to and from the station. We are aiming for Malaysians who are working in Singapore as well as investors,” says Tan.

He adds that RTS will be the “game changer” for Johor’s property market. Hence, the site is ideal for a mid-range, smaller built-up development.

“We will not provide fancy facilities for that project, but invest in something practical for the end user, such as the shuttle service and convenient lifestyle package. We are quite excited for the Johor market in the next few years, especially when the RTS is completed in the next two years. It will be the market’s game changer. Apart from this piece of land, we have more in the planning stages for Johor. However, we would rather keep them under wraps for now until the next interview,” Tan says.

Apart from the residential product, Syed Ali and Tan are looking to launch an industrial park in the Klang Valley at the end of next year or early 2026. As for developing commercial properties, the focus will be on the street mall concept.

“We are not so keen on doing big shopping malls anymore because [the current property market] has too many now. Street mall is something that we will focus on. Something like the commercial component in The Tropika — not too big, yet it has everything needed to serve the residents and the surrounding community, as well as more sustainable design features such as maximum natural lighting and ventilation to reduce the use of air conditioning and lighting in the common area,” Tan says.

Asked about the property market outlook for 2025, Syed Ali and Tan remain positive, especially for products in well-connected suburban areas.

“Key opportunities lie in delivering quality, spacious living options that cater to families and young professionals seeking affordable, well-designed homes with sustainable features,” Syed Ali says.

Meanwhile, Tan does not deny that market challenges such as high land costs, competition and economic uncertainty remain, and it will require a proactive approach, such as mitigating these risks by choosing strategic locations, adopting cost-efficient and sustainable designs, offering flexible financing, and adapting the products to meet market needs.

“Every [property developer] is upping their game to meet market expectations. We need to listen to the market and provide what is in need with the right location and right price point. It is the formula for a successful launch in the current market,” Tan says.

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