Property Hunter Magazine October Issue 2014 | Page 48

/// Feature Property Event

Overview of Samalaju Industrial Park with its impressive water features

Building a new township

SHEDA
Property Expo 2014

Midway along the coast of Sarawak is Bintulu, a town with a
historical past that dates back
to the rule of the White Rajahs.
Its modern day history is however firmly tied to its enormous
oil and gas resources. The
many businesses that hinge
on this have created a bustling
town with a huge expatriate
workforce that has brought
significant changes to housing
demand in Bintulu.

/// FEATURE PROPERTY EVENT

The timber and oil palm industries have also played a big role
in the economic development of
Bintulu but it will be the energy
intensive industries that will sustain it far into the future.

I

t was an activity packed three days at the
Borneo Convention Centre Kuching where the
annual SHEDA Property Expo was held from 22
– 24 August, 2014.
SHEDA (Sarawak Housing and Real Estate
Developers’ Association) was formed in 1993 to
provide a forum for the advancement of interest
of companies engaged in property development
with a view to raise the standard of the industry,
establish a code of conduct and ethics, and
promote goodwill among members.
The first Sarawak Builders’ Expo (SARBEX)
was held in 1998 as a proactive approach to
stimulate the recovery of the industry through
the economic downturn at that time. Through
the years, it has matured to become one of
the most important and anticipated property
events in Sarawak and continue to draw huge
crowds to view the many new developments and
opportunities for home buyers and investors.

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SARBEX was renamed SHEDA Property Expo this
year but continues its long tradition of offering
an exciting and rewarding property hunting
experience for all.
Sarawak’s top drawer list of housing and property
developers were at the SHEDA Property Expo
2014 to impress potential buyers with a range
of properties including condominiums, villas,
residential houses, retails lots, shop houses,
resort property and inner-city apartments.
Exhibitors also included manufacturers and
suppliers of building materials, home and lifestyle

furnishings, bankers and other related services
to complement the needs of home buyers and
property investors.
Visitors thronged the venue throughout the event
with a multitude of side activities to keep the
young and young at heart entertained in between
browsing excursions of the various exhibitor
booths.
Property Hunter was there to take in all the
excitement and spoke to several exhibitors to get
their views about the property market in Sarawak.

Already having one of the highest cost of living in Sarawak, a
new township taking shape in
Bintulu will prepare it for the
even greater expansion of its
borders, population growth and
quality of life.
Ryan Jalla Ridu of Samalaju
Properties talks about the longterm plans of this new centre of
activity that embraces the company’s dictum – building sustainable & vibrant communities.
“Samalaju Township is being
built to cater to the new industrial park that’s coming up on
site,” he says.

There is a land bank of 2000
acres to construct a township
with all the necessary economic,
social and recreational infrastructure to support a thriving
population.”
“Samalaju Industrial Park which
sits on 8000ha of land is the
cornerstone of SCORE and presently has four industries on site
and a further commitment of
about 13 industries in various
stages of negation with the government,” he adds.
Construction workers currently
have to commute the 62km
from Bintulu town to the site
daily. The developer is targeting to complete the first batch
of housing units which include
600 walk-up apartments and a
mix of double-storey and singlestorey terrace houses by 2016
to reduce commuting time and
boost safety and work efficiency
among its staff.
Ryan points out that the new
township is not all about housing and industries but making
these two essential components
sustainable. A Singapore-based
consultancy firm has been engaged to obtain green certification for the project and when
this happens, Samalaju will be
the first green certified township in Sarawak.

“We have gone out of our way
to plan the township and have
included a canal system within
the industrial park with heavy
influences from San Antonio,
Texas and Seoul’s River of Life,”
says Ryan.
The whole area used to be an
oil palm plantation so now we
need to revitalise the landscape
and make it liveable for the
community that is expected to
grow here.”
Residential and commercial
shoplots fronting the canal is
expected to be completed by
the second or third quarter of
2016. Samalaju Properties has
earmarked land for schools and
hospitals which would potentially be built on a turnkey basis
with the government to ensure
that necessary facilities are developed in tandem with the current industrial expansion.
The present on-site population
of zero is expected to develop
and grow between 30,000 to
40,000 people by 2018 once all
the necessary facilities are in
place.
The new Samalaju Township will
cost an estimated RM5 billion
and will see completion in the
next 20 years.

Ryan Jalla Ridu, Sales & Marketing Executive,
Samalaju Properties

www.PropertyHunter.com.my

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