This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on March 17, 2025 - March 23, 2025

I was pleasantly surprised when I stepped onto Level 26 of the newly opened Menara Chin Hin at 8th & Stellar in Sri Petaling — the office of Chin Hin Group Property Bhd — for an interview with Chiau Haw Choon, group managing director of its parent company, Chin Hin Group Bhd (KL:CHINHIN).

The showroom-like, double-volume office floor is sleek and modern, yet cosy, thanks to the timber wall panels and comfortable sofa in the waiting area. This is not your typical office, but one that could rival the offices of some top property developers in the country.

For Chin Hin, Menara Chin Hin is not merely headquarters; it is also a showcase for the company and its capability and quality.

Chin Hin started as a hardware shop in Kedah, in 1974. Today, the group is involved in building materials manufacturing, construction engineering, property development, commercial vehicle provision, and home and living. The group’s wholly-owned companies are PP Chin Hin Sdn Bhd, Chin Hin Concrete Holdings Sdn Bhd, Starken AAC Sdn Bhd, Metex Steel Sdn Bhd and Stradaverse Sdn Bhd (formerly Chin Hin Home Three Sixty Sdn Bhd). Other subsidiaries include Chin Hin Group Property Bhd (KL:CHGP), Ajiya Bhd (KL:AJIYA), Signature International Bhd (KL:SIGN) and associate company Fiamma Holdings Bhd (KL:FIAMMA).

The idea for the new corporate headquarters started a decade ago. Says Chiau: “The idea has since evolved, and when it came to execution, I started to think: what kind of office can represent us? We are a property developer, a contractor, one of the largest building material groups in the country, and we do customised furniture. What can represent us? That was the first question I asked.

“Then the second question I asked was: what kind of work environment can demonstrate our focus on talent, inspire people to work as a corporation and allow people to enjoy coming to work? And, of course, a workplace that can prepare us for growth over the next three decades. So, I was asking myself these three big questions.”

The interior of Menara Chin Hin features Signature design under the company’s Signature International brand, and electrical appliances from brands under Fiamma.

The open-concept workspace at the new office is designed to encourage open discussions. There are various amenities and facilities for employees’ welfare, such as a 10,000 sq ft gymnasium, 200-seat theatre, 300-seat auditorium called Stellarium, 200-seat staff restaurant, nursing room, medical room and surau.

Chiau says these facilities demonstrate the company’s recognition of the importance of talent. “We want to create an environment in which people can demonstrate their skills and grow their careers at Chin Hin. In this building, we will have about 600 employees in total, mainly from property development, construction and building materials businesses.”

Sitting on a more than 2.2-acre leasehold tract in Sri Petaling, 8th & Stellar is a two-tower, mixed-use development comprising 522 serviced apartments, 138 duplex lofts, 120,000 sq ft of office space and seven shoplots. Launched in 2019, the serviced apartments have built-up areas ranging from 818 to 1,238 sq ft, and the duplex loft units measure 711 to 1,238 sq ft. Chin Hin Group occupies all eight office floors.

Chiau says: “I used to tell my friends that I may look corporate, but I’m a Chinaman at heart. I grew up in a kampung, where my grandfather started a hardware shop and we lived above the shop. When we moved to Alor Setar, our trading office was at the front, and we stayed behind the office. Subsequently, when we moved to KL, with the office in Kuchai Lama, my house was less than five minutes away. So, when I think of my new office, I don’t think of distant locations like KLCC. I think about where I stay.

“To me, I never thought of life and work as separate. I believe life is about integration. I want to be able to go home to see my kids and then return to work. Also, location-wise, Sri Petaling and Kuchai Lama are easily accessible via many highways.”

Chiau acknowledges that Menara Chin Hin may have had better commercial prospects if it were located in a more commercial area. This concern has been addressed, however, by the inclusion of an in-house staff restaurant.

Why the name 8th & Stellar? Chiau says the number eight is “always good”, and Stellar indicates that Chin Hin is always aiming for the stars, aspiring to set high standards.

Chin Hin Group Property is setting a sales target of RM2 billion for 2025, in view of the encouraging sales achieved last year, he says.

“I’d like to think it was an exciting year for us. We had three major launches, and we also had our first launch in Penang. We hit about RM1.3 billion in sales. It was a good result; it was what we expected and what we wanted the team to achieve,” he says.

“We will have four launches this year. With these launches, along with our existing projects, we aim to hit RM2 billion in sales this year. It seems like a big jump (almost 50%), but RM1.4 billion will come from our existing projects, and we aim for RM600 million from new launches. In fact, our target is very conservative.”

The four new launches are expected to have a total gross development value (GDV) of more than RM2 billion and will also see Chin Hin venturing into two new states — Melaka and Johor. These include Phase 1 of Avalton By The Water on Jalan Melaka Raya 35, (launched last month); Botanica Hills — a 60-acre township in Templer Park, Rawang (to be launched in 2Q2025); and a Johor Bahru project and a KL project in the second half of the year.

Spanning 19.25 acres, Avalton By The Water will have a total of four phases, comprising condominiums and serviced apartments. Phase 1, with a GDV of RM235.3 million, will be spread across a 6.619-acre tract, offering 539 units across seven residential blocks, sized from 760 to 850 sq ft. Prices start from RM508,000.

Botanica Hills, spanning 55.72 acres, will have 2-storey terraced homes.  Phase 1 will see the launch of 91 units. Meanwhile, the Johor Bahru project — located in the city centre — is a joint-venture development. There is no concrete information on the KL project.

Chin Hin’s ongoing projects include Aricia Residences in Sungai Besi (serviced apartment project with 787 units), Avantro Residences in Bandar Kinrara (serviced apartment and Mampu Milik project with 1,050 units), Ayanna Resort Residences in Bukit Jalil (serviced apartment project with 824 units), Crown Penang (serviced apartment with 588 units), Dawn KLCC (492 office suites and 468 serviced apartment units), Quaver Residence in Sungai Besi (serviced apartment project with 684 units) and Solarvest Suites near Bangsar South (office suite project with 345 units).

Chin Hin ventured outside the Klang Valley with the launch of Crown Penang last year. Chiau notes that, as the company has set a minimum standard across all projects, in terms of specification, design and concept, the new projects will be priced between RM400,000 and RM700,000. Therefore, it will target only cities where people can afford this price range.

Chiau believes these areas will see significant opportunities because of their continued urban expansion and a strong appetite for well-located, high-quality developments.

He explains: “These locations have been selected based on their dynamic economic growth, increasing infrastructure investments and rising demand for quality residential and commercial developments. 

“Penang and Johor continue to benefit from strong domestic and international interest, particularly with Johor’s proximity to Singapore and Penang’s positioning as a key economic and tourism hub. 

“Melaka, with its rich heritage and ongoing developments, offers a unique opportunity to build lifestyle-driven properties.”

Nevertheless, Chiau reckons that, as the economic heartbeat of the country, the Klang Valley will remain a core market for Chin Hin Group Property.

In the long term, Chin Hin is looking at Singapore. Chiau reiterates the importance of setting a firm foundation in the home market first before venturing overseas.

“That will probably be after 2027. The benchmark is when we consistently hit RM2 billion in sales every year,” he explains.

“In Singapore, our business has a strong presence with our home-and-living brand [Signature]. This business unit captures 60% of the country’s market share for kitchen and wardrobe sales. Essentially, 60% of condominiums are fitted with our kitchens and wardrobes. So, we understand a little about what customers want in Singapore. But Singapore is a very competitive market and very expensive. That’s our inspiration for the future.”

Currently, the group’s undeveloped land bank is more than 35 acres, with a total GDV of RM5.9 billion, and it will be developed over the next three years. Chiau also expresses an interest in industrial developments, though there are no concrete plans yet.

Recently, Chin Hin Group Property saw changes in management. Group CEO of the property development division, Ngian Siew Siong, has been redesignated as board adviser, and chief operating officer Chang Tze Yoong succeeds Ngian as group CEO.

Chiau believes the group should be managed by professionals rather than family members.

“We believe businesses should be run by professionals. As an owner, we can have a big vision and focus on strategic execution, but when it comes to running a project, you need a team. Likewise, Chang cannot do it by himself; he needs multiple managers to take care of different functions.”

Chiau is optimistic that 2025 will see the economy experiencing double-digit growth, similar to what was seen in 2024. “As a developer, I don’t wish for high growth. High growth encourages unrealistic supply, which is not healthy for the country. Double-digit growth, of less than 20%, is good enough.”

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