This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on October 13, 2025 - October 19, 2025

The 3.9km road-widening works on Federal Route 54 (Jalan Kuala Selangor–­Kepong), from Sungai Buloh towards Bandar Seri Coalfields, had just begun when City & Country visited the township in mid-­September.

The expansion will cater for the increased traffic and footfall once Coalfields Retail Park is completed in 2Q2026 and as the area’s population grows.

“When we started developing this place, it was just a two-lane road. Some stretches didn’t even have working streetlights. Driving here at night was dangerous back then,” recalls KLK Land Sdn Bhd managing director Lee Wen Ling. “We upgraded the infrastructure, including widening the main access road to four lanes. Now, we’re moving into the second phase of widening to six lanes as we prepare for the next wave of growth.”

KLK Land, the property development arm of Kuala Lumpur Kepong Bhd (KL:KLK), is one of the pioneer developers in the northwest of Sungai Buloh, Selangor. The group’s 6,600 acres of plantation land there have been earmarked for development under its Coalfields master plan, conceived with the promise of improved connectivity through the Guthrie Corridor Expressway and the ­Kuala Lumpur–Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR Highway) in the 2000s.

The master plan includes Desa Coalfields (230 acres, completed in 2009), the ongoing Bandar Seri Coalfields (1,001 acres, launched in 2011) and Caledonia (202 acres, launched in 2022).

Bandar Seri Coalfields, which has a gross development value (GDV) of RM5.5 billion, is about 70% completed. It comprises mainly landed homes — terraced houses, cluster homes, semi-detached houses and bungalows, along with landed units under the state government’s affordable housing scheme. The township also has a commercial hub, public and international schools, a 50-acre central park, petrol stations and a clubhouse with facilities including a swimming pool; gymnasium; pickleball, basketball, tennis and badminton courts; and multipurpose halls.

“Despite the interruption during the [Covid-19] pandemic, we are making good progress at Bandar Seri Coalfields,” says Lee. “For the remaining 30% of land, we are planning more premium products, such as semidees and bungalows. This reflects growing demand as the population grows, amenities mature and connectivity improves.”

Guided by its community-building ethos, KLK Land completed the clubhouse in 2019. The pool and gym are reserved exclusively for residents through affordable subscriptions, while other facilities can be used by the public for a fee.

“Our goal is to make Bandar Seri Coalfields not just a home but our buyers’ kampung [hometown]. That is why we didn’t slow down on upgrades and enhancements post-pandemic,” says Lee. “We improved BSC Central Park, added another petrol station, signed an MoU with Kuen Cheng Holistic Education Bhd to build a secondary school, and started work on our retail park.”

Although KIPMall Desa Coalfields — developed by KIP Group on land purchased from KLK Land and which has Econsave as the anchor tenant — serves the area and is just across the road from Bandar Seri Coalfields, Lee believes the township still lacks a social hub.

“We have shopoffices and grocery needs covered, offering plenty of F&B (food and beverage) choices. But we don’t yet have a place for families to hang out, do window shopping or spend weekends with visitors. A mid-sized retail mall has always been in the township’s master plan, and now is the right time to realise it.”

Coalfields Retail Park will be a hybrid mall incorporating an outdoor and an indoor retail and dining experience. Scheduled for completion next year, the mall will have a total gross floor area of 660,000 sq ft, comprising 135 retail lots and 860 parking bays, and will be connected to a seven-acre park with a lake. KLK Land expects to welcome six million visitors annually.

“We have secured several key tenants, including a supermarket, an international children’s playland, ice-skating rink operator, a pickleball facility operator, fitness centre, fashion and F&B brands, and an exclusive restaurant. The first mainstream bank branch in the area will also open here. Unveiling of the official tenants will be held at the end of October,” says Lee.

The mall is more than a project, she says, it is part of a promise to residents to make Bandar Seri Coalfields a “hometown” they are proud of.

“We never build for the sake of building. We study the market, listen to residents and design thoughtfully. This is our first mall. We can’t let it fail, and we won’t fail our buyers.”

This explains why, instead of a cinema, the mall will feature an ice-skating rink and a children’s playland as the main entertainment components.

“Some people asked why not a cinema? First, it’s a tough market now for the operator; the market has signs of shrinking. Some brands are consolidating their outlets. More importantly, we wanted facilities that cater for all ages — from toddlers to adults — because this mall is for the community,” Lee says.

In July, KLK Land announced a partnership with Kuen Cheng Holistic Education to establish Kuen Cheng High School 2 in Bandar Seri Coalfields. This expands the township’s education offerings, which already include Wesley Methodist Private School, SJK (T) Ladang Coalfields and the upcoming SJK (C) Lee Loy Seng (expected to be completed in 2028).

“At KLK, we believe education is vital in shaping new generations and creating sustainable townships. We are honoured to host Kuen Cheng’s new campus, which will include a hostel and is targeted for completion in 2027,” Lee says.

In addition, KLK Land signed a partnership agreement with AME Elite Consortium Bhd (KL:AME) last October to develop a 151-acre industrial park called i-Park @ Coalfields. It is AME’s first industrial park outside of its home ground of Johor.

“We aim to launch the industrial park very soon. Full development will take five to seven years. We are confident that AME’s expertise in designing successful parks will attract quality buyers and create more job opportunities here, further enhancing liveability,” says Lee, adding that the park will be a green industrial hub with build-to-suit, build-to-lease, and standard factory lots.

KLK Land is also in talks with two medical groups to establish a medical centre, to be upgraded later to a hospital, in the township. “Healthcare is part of our long-term plan. We have allocated land for the development, but the timing must be right. The nearest hospital now is UiTM Puncak Alam, which is just 6km away. For now, we do not see the urgency to have another hospital in the area,” she adds.

In 2022, KLK Land launched Caledonia, a 202-acre township in Ijok, Selangor, located about 10 minutes’ drive from Bandar Seri Coalfields. With a GDV of RM800 million, the township targets the mass market as Bandar Seri Coalfields shifts towards premium products priced between RM800,000 and RM2.6 million.

The first phase, Ayana (394 two-storey terraced units priced at RM500,000 each), was fully sold and completed last year. Iris 1, comprising 154 affordable homes under the state’s affordable housing scheme, is 85% taken up and awaiting approval for the release of the rest of the project.

Kamelia comprises 132 two-storey terraced houses launched earlier this year and market response has been encouraging. Priced from RM530,000, the homes have a standard lot size of 20ft by 65ft and a built-up of 1,696 sq ft.

“Just like Bandar Seri Coalfields, we want ­Caledonia to be a community. We have also built 47 shoplots fronting the main road, all of which have been sold and recently handed over. Some are now being renovated. Meanwhile, we have closed a deal with Caltex. So, a petrol station will be coming soon to the township, too,” Lee says.

Encouraged by the overwhelming response, KLK Land expects Caledonia to be fully launched and developed in 2030. As such, the team is busy preparing to roll out a new township adjacent to Bandar Seri Coalfields next year.

“It is also part of the Coalfields master plan, under a different name and design concept. We may introduce our first stratified residential project for this area in this new township. Details will be announced in due course,” says Lee.

From 2024 to 3Q2025, KLK Land rolled out projects worth more than RM300 million in GDV at Bandar Seri Coalfields and Caledonia. For the rest of this year, Lee is aiming for more launches, worth RM520 million in GDV, including Iris 2 and 3 in Caledonia, Quinton Phase 2 (superlink homes) in Bandar Seri Coalfields, and KLK TechPark Phase 2 in Tanjong Malim.

Phase 1 of Quinton, launched earlier this year, offers 128 semidee cluster homes on 32ft by 65ft lots, with a built-up of 2,016 sq ft. Priced from RM1 million, they are 80% taken up.

“Owing to popular demand, Phase 2 will feature 24ft by 80ft superlink homes. We will disclose more details closer to the launch date,” Lee says.

Details of the 200-acre KLK TechPark Phase 2 have yet to be finalised.

In September, KLK Land unveiled the KLK TechPark master plan, its first independently developed industrial hub, in Tanjong Malim, Perak.

The 1,500-acre project, which has a GDV of RM3.5 billion, comprises a 1,300-acre industrial park and 200-acre residential development. Chinese automotive giant BYD is an anchor investor, taking up 150 acres in the first phase of the industrial park. Infrastructure works are expected to be completed by end-2026.

“Our land is near AHTV (Automotive High-Tech Valley), with direct North-South Expressway access just minutes from Tanjong Malim and the Behrang toll plaza. It is ideal for an integrated industrial hub with supporting residential and commercial components,” says Lee.

She adds that there are plans for another industrial hub in Kulai, Johor, to be launched in 2026/27.

“For the industrial segment, we are focusing on two growth corridors — Tanjong Malim and Kulai. Both will follow the same model: residential adjacent to industrial, complementing each other.”

Last year, KLK Land bought UEM Sunrise Bhd’s (KL:UEMS) remaining 40% stake in the jointly owned 2,500-acre tract in Kulai. The joint venture was established in 2014 to undertake the development of Fraser Metropolis, comprising mixed residential, commercial and industrial properties, in the area.

“Township development is our bread and butter. But we will also seize opportunities, such as KLK TechPark and the Kulai hub. Nonetheless, whatever we build, we ensure that it is thoughtful and sustainable because we believe that only through such principles will profit follow,” Lee concludes.

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