Shop Till U Drop - Malaysian Shopping Malls

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1Utama owner wants to run own mall
By Vasantha GanesanPublished: 2009/01/20




SEE Hoy Chan Holdings is unlikely to renew a lease that lets Aeon Co (M) Bhd manage the first phase of the 1Utama shopping complex in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

The 15-year lease between Aeon and See Hoy Chan, which owns the shopping complex, will end sometime next year.

Aeon, operator of the Jusco department stores, manages the first phase, which opened in 1995, handling two million sq ft of gross space and 680,000 sq ft rentable area.

The second phase, with three million sq ft of gross space and 1.2 million net rentable area, is owned and operated by the developer See Hoy Chan. It opened in December 2003.

"We are negotiating a new arrangement with Jusco," See Hoy Chan director Datuk Teo Chiang Kok told Business Times.

"We prefer to run it on our own to present the mall as an integrated and wholesome centre," Teo said.

Nevertheless, See Hoy Chan would like Aeon to continue being its anchor tenant.

Apart from the department store and supermarket, Jusco also operates the Jusco Home Centre and Jeans Studio in 1Utama.

Aeon derives its revenue both from retail sales and mall management.

According to Aeon's website, there are 21 Jusco stores in the country, of which 16 are located in shopping complexes which it also manages.

In the first nine months ended September 30 2008, Aeon posted RM75.77 million profit on RM2.5 billion revenue.

Profits from retail operations (before tax) accounted for RM70.66 million and from property management, RM46.49 million.

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An IT hub for USJ residents
By LIM CHIA YING
http://www.digitalmall.com.my



USJ residents can now check out the latest in digital gadgets and products following the recent soft opening of Nineteen DiGi Mall located just below the Rhythm Avenue Apartments in USJ19.

S.M. Mahasalam, the contractor that helped revive the previously abandoned apartment units just above the mall, had undertaken the project and once it is fully completed, it is expected to cater to the IT needs of nearby neighbourhoods.

S.M. Mahasalam chief executive officer Lai Yeng Fock said the mall’s concept was a purpose-built digital hub that functioned as a one-stop IT centre.

“After analysing the demographic profile here, we realised that there was no dedicated IT centre in USJ. The nearest place people go to is either Sunway Pyramid or Subang Parade.


All set: A promotional banner advertising the new mall in USJ19.

“We saw it as an opportunity to fill the gap,” Lai said during a recent site visit.

He said about 50% of tenants were expected to be in by Jan 15 and that it should be 80% occupied come March.

Carrefour has also been roped in as well. Although the mall is physically up with the CF issue settled, some renovation work is still being carried out and a few tenants were already open for business. Lai said the concentration was on the ground and first floors of the three-storey mall as the units on the top floor had already been sold by the previous developer.

“We can only talk to the owners to see how they can fit in with our overall concept,” he said.

He said there were 900 parking bays for visitors while the apartment units were allocated 1,200 spaces.

Rhythm Avenue buyers committee chairman Pritpal Singh said 300 apartment units had been occupied from the total of 1,100.

“With the mall’s opening, we are expecting more people to move in,” he said.

Lai hoped everyone concerned would bear with shortcomings that were bound to occur as his company had rehabilitated the project.

“The structural work is completed and have been in place since 1999. Because of this, things may not be as up-to-date, but we are looking to make improvements from time to time,” he said.

He added that the company had submitted a letter to the Public Works Department (JKR) to request for direct access from Jalan Kewajipan into the mall to help smoothen traffic flow.

The mall’s grand opening is in March.

Meanwhile, its exterior had been decorated with Chinese red lanterns to celebrate the Chinese New Year.

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Midnite Sale sasar RM15 juta

Oleh MAZNAH MOHD. ARSAD
utusanjohor@utusan.com.my

JOHOR BAHRU 19 Jan. - Program Chinese New Year Midnite Sale 2009 @ Johor Bahru di tiga pusat beli-belah di bandar ini dijangka mampu mengumpul perolehan jualan sehingga RM15 juta.

Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Pelancongan, Datuk Dr. Ong Hong Peng berkata, ia mampu dicapai dalam program yang berlangsung tiga hari mulai Jumaat lalu itu berdasarkan kedudukan Johor Bahru yang berhampiran dengan Singapura.

"Kedudukan itu memberi kelebihan kepada kita kerana warga Singapura dan pelancong asing memilih bandar raya ini sebagai syurga membeli-belah.

"Kita turut memperoleh keuntungan dari segi pertukaran wang asing, kuasa beli yang tinggi di kalangan masyarakat tempatan juga menjadi penyumbang besar kepada perolehan jualan," katanya.

Hong Peng berkata demikian kepada para pemberita selepas menghadiri Pelancaran Zoom Chinese New Year Midnite Sale 2009 @ Johor Bahru di Danga City Mall di sini malam tadi.

Program itu dirasmikan oleh Menteri Pelancongan, Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.

Hadir sama Pemangku Ketua Pengarah Kementerian Pelancongan, Amirrudin Abu dan Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif Danga Bay Sdn. Bhd., Datuk Lim Kang Hoo.

Hong Peng berkata, perolehan itu dijangka dicatatkan oleh peniaga yang membuka premis jualan di Danga bay City Mall, City Square dan Plaza Pelangi dalam tempoh tiga hari.

Katanya, jumlah itu tidak termasuk jualan di pusat dan pasar raya besar lain di bandar raya ini.

"Pusat-pusat jualan ini juga sentiasa sesak terutama pada hujung minggu dan menjelang musim perayaan," katanya.

Sementara itu, Amirrudin berkata, Johor Bahru dipilih sebagai lokasi jualan tengah malam kerana ia mempunyai potensi dan kekuatan tersendiri sebagai tarikan pelancong.

"Johor Bahru mempunyai banyak kompleks beli-belah yang sesuai dikunjungi golongan rendah, sederhana dan kaya.

"Faktor itu menjadikan ia pilihan pelancong dari Singapura dan warga tempatan untuk membeli-belah," katanya.

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Malls told to think of shoppers


KUALA LUMPUR: Developers of hypermarkets should consider the needs of shoppers if they want to keep pulling in the crowds.

Regroup Associates managing director Allan Soo said with the weaker market sentiment currently, hypermarkets needed to be more than just “faceless big boxes”.

“There are too many poor quality malls around. Many of them are not well planned or family-orientated. Developers need to change the architecture and not just build a shoe box,” he said in his presentation at the property summit yesterday.

He said many malls were monotonous and had the same problems, such as insufficient parking space, which often deterred people from shopping.

Soo added that developers of hypermarkets should conduct surveys with shoppers before starting construction and not just go by their “gut feeling.”

“Shoppers also should be more vocal about what they want,” he said, adding that hypermarket developers needed to consider issues such as size, location and accessibility.

On another note, Regroup Associates executive chairman Christopher Boyd said hypermarkets should have a different mix of brands to attract a wider audience.

“Every mall has the same brands. This creates mall and brand fatigue. There should be a better mix of new brands, products and merchandise,” he said, adding that there were too few local brands in hypermarkets.

“There aren’t enough Malaysian brands in a conventional mall. All it takes is a sense of adventure and a little bit of skill.

“Alternatively, they can always outsource if they lack the skill.” Soo said.

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Parkson plans 10 new stores in China
Published: 2009/01/22



DEPARTMENT store operator Parkson Holdings Bhd (5657) aims to open 10 stores in China this year, its chairman and managing director Tan Sri William Cheng says.

Although sales growth there has been slowing, a double-digit growth rate is still possible this year, he said.

"Our target is to open about 10 Parkson stores (as) we still expect double-digit growth in China this year. Last year, we opened about three or four," he told reporters in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.

Parkson Holdings is the parent company of Beijing-based Parkson Retail Group Ltd, which runs 40 stores in China.
Cheng expects the group's retail sales in Malaysia to also increase this year, but in the single-digit range as in previous years.

In Vietnam, sales remains robust. "People there are buying ... you don't feel like there's a recession," he remarked.

Cheng advised retailers to sell cheaper, affordable pro-ducts to boost sales in these difficult times.

"Sales of expensive pro-ducts will drop, so you must think of selling something cheaper and affordable to the people. This is the way to survive," he said.

Parkson Holdings' net profit surged to RM448 million in the fiscal year ending June 30 last year, compared with RM132.3 million previously. - By Adeline Paul Raj

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AEON To Invest Rm250 Mln To Build Three Outlets


KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 22 (BERNAMA)-- AEON Co. (M) Bhd, which operates the Jaya Jusco chain of stores, will invest RM250 million to build three more outlets,of which construction for one in Cheras here, is already in progress.

Its chairman, Datuk Abdullah Mohd. Yusof said, the investment for its expansion plan would cover the next two years.

Currently, the group has 25 outlets including one in Taman Setiawangsa, which was launched today by the Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique.

Abdullah told reporters that the company would dedicate a special area at the RM135 million Taman Setiawangsa Jaya Jusco store to market and promote local products manufactured by Bumiputera entrepreneurs.

Local entrepreneurs could hold exhibitions, product launches as well as promotional activities in this area, he added.

Towards this end, he said the company would work hand in hand with the Ministry of Agriculture and Agrobased Industry as well as government agencies such as the Muda Agricultural Development Authority (MADA), Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) and the Malaysian Agricultural Research and Development Institute (Mardi).

In his speech, Zulhasnan commended AEON for going green last year whereby some 4,600 trees were planted around the shopping centre.

-- BERNAMA

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New mall for PJ residents
By JADE CHAN


BRANDED as the New Pulse of Petaling Jaya, the Tropicana City Mall (TCM) is a neighbourhood mall that is set to provide the Damansara and PJ community the convenience of shopping and lifestyle entertainment under one roof.

Located at the intersection between the Sprint and LDP Expressways, TCM is part of a mixed commercial development that includes Tropicana City Business Park (formerly known as Damansara Intan e-Business Park), Tropicana City Tropics Service Suites and Tropicana City Office Tower.

TCM is owned by Dijaya Corporation Bhd and offers four floors of retail space.

Among its unique features is the signature glass portal with changing colour hues that light up at night and a glass-domed skylight.


Dancing lights: One of Tropicana City Mall’s unique feature is its signature glass portal with changing colour hues that light up at night.

The mall had its soft opening on Dec 18 last year.

Dijaya Corporation Bhd and Tropicana City Sdn Bhd managing director Tong Kien Onn said a neigbourhood mall should have three elements – convenience for grocery shopping, places to eat and entertainment outlets.

As such, TCM has the Carrefour hypermarket as its main anchor on the lower ground floor and GSC cinemas with eight halls on the second floor.

Carrefour is already open for business while GSC cinemas is expected to be opened in late June.

TCM’s mini anchors include fashion and lifestyle retail outlets like Nichii, Kitschen, Shop-A-Lot, Best Denki, Borders, Gymboree and Toys “R” Us.

Among the one-of-a-kind outlets at TCM are Sorella’s first boutique, Storybook’s photo compilation services store, BodyBar Natural Skincare’s organic skincare shop, Kid’z Spot’s speciality store for children, as well as F&B outlets Sushi Tei, Good Taste Cafe and Bad Ass Coffee.


Miniature version: A model of how Tropicana City Mall would look like with the soon-tobe- completed ramps.

Shoppers will be spoilt for choice with the variety of F&B outlets that includes Santini, San Francisco Steakhouse, Bangkok Twist, Esquire Kitchen, Penang Village, Papa John’s Pizza, Pho Hoa, Subway, Otak-Otak House and Sumptious Corner.

The mall’s other stores offer a variety of products and services related to beauty and personal care, fashion, IT, jewellery, entertainment, home living, gifts, toys and hobbies, sports, optical, as well as other facilities.

“About 85% of TCM’s total lettable area has been leased out. This includes one hypermarket and about 200 retail lots,” Tong said.

“Out of that number, 65% have been opened for business and we expect another 12% to be open in the next two months.”

He said the 12-storey Tropicana City Officer Tower is set to be completed by the second quarter of 2009, while the 601-unit Tropics Service Suites is expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2010.

The gross development cost for the entire Tropicana City development is RM310mil.

For details on TCM, including its Chinese New Year promotions, visit www.tropicanacitymall.com or call 03-7710 0101.

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Snow In 1Borneo Hypermall

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AEON to invest RM250m to build 3 outlets

Email us your feedback at fd@bizedge.com


KUALA LUMPUR: AEON Co (M) Bhd, which operates the Jaya Jusco chain of stores, will invest RM250 million to build three more outlets, of which construction for one in Cheras, is already in progress.

Its chairman Datuk Abdullah Mohd Yusof said the investment for its expansion plan would cover the next two years.

Currently, the group has 25 outlets including one in Taman Setiawangsa, which was launched yesterday by the Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Zulhasnan Rafique.

Abdullah told reporters that the company would dedicate a special area at the RM135 million Taman Setiawangsa Jaya Jusco store to market and promote local products manufactured by bumiputera entrepreneurs. — Bernama

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Mall saved by its flea market
Photos by ART CHEN and CHAN TAK KONG


THE Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya is synonymous with the weekend flea market that has made the mall a household name.

What is less obvious to the man on the street is that the mall with its two office blocks and service apartments has actually come a long way since its launch in 1995, surviving the 1997 financial crisis

“When the mall was completed in 1997, it was at the start of the crisis,” said Melawangi Sdn Bhd (a wholly owned subsidiary of Arab-Malaysian Corporation Bhd) executive director Azlan Baqee Abdullah.


Popular landmark: The Amcorp Mall.

He said that the traits of shoppers changed when the economy took a turn in the middle of 1997.

“It was a buyers’ market and they became more demanding. Shoppers wanted a place that was comfortable, safe and clean and all these were the primary duty of the developer or caretaker and involves a lot of cost. We have to meet demands of shoppers or they’ll just go to some place else,” said Azlan.

While it was the start of the recession, it was also the end of a boom and many malls came into completion, thus increasing competition.

“The shop owners, the tenants and the shoppers all have different expectations and demands. That’s why you need a management that can combine these three parties together,” he said.

The offices and apartments had its own sinking funds and not much upkeep was needed.

“However, we need to keep up with the competition as a mall so we need to do new things all the time,” he said.

The developer added a pledge to their sale and purchase agreement that the more units of the mall it sold, the more money they would put into a refurbishment fund.

About 30% of the mall was sold in the beginning and about RM4mil was put into the refurbishment fund, which has accumulated interest of about RM1.3mil over almost ten years.

Purchasers were also offered a leaseback due to the difficulty in getting tenants for the units.

“Not everyone took up the offer because they felt that what we offered was too low. Those who did gained because the crisis was worse than what they had anticipated,” said Azlan.

Those were hard times as occupancy level was low with tenants changing almost every six months with lapses in between.


Well patronised: The weekend flea market has been a trademark for the Amcorp Mall in Petaling Jaya.

To make matters worse, the number of defaulters was on the rise.

“Purchasers had to contribute to service charges. Those who didn’t rent out their units could not pay us. The default went up to as high as RM7mil, which was about one year’s operating cost and we had to come up with the money for that.

“In order to bring the default rate down, we gave a 20% reduction in service charges in 2000 and we have not increased it since.

“The loss to the sinking fund was about RM10mil because our operating costs did not go down,” he said.

To mitigate the loss, they started the Advertising and Promotion revenue coming in by leasing out common areas for events and promotions.

“We started the flea market in 1998 by renting out tables for about RM30 to RM40. It’s not a big revenue but it creates a lot of recall factor.

“There were so many malls so the flea market was our identity and it brings in the people. It’s been successful until today,” said Azlan.

He said that some of the traders actually moved on to being a tenant in the mall.

“We’re in the heart of old PJ and there are a lot of people around here who like these things. That’s why it has sustained for so long. it’s our branding. It started on Sundays only and then moved on to Saturdays as well and now we’re even having it on Friday onwards,” said Azlan.

There was still a block that was approved as a 425-room hotel but was not completed because of insufficient funds.

To increase the volume of adult population and working crowd in the mall, they decided in 2004 to change the concept to a block of 400-unit service apartments and 300-unit of business suites.

The mall was flourishing by 2006 and they dug into the refurbishment fund to refurbish the mall in time for their tenth anniversary.

They further closed down the anchor tenants and converted those into the offices for Amcorp and its subsidiaries.

With a hazy economy looming ahead, Azlan remains confident that their track record of steering the ship out of stormy waters would guide them through the uncertainties.

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What the mall’s owners and tenants say


Fong Pei Cheng, 37

Victoria Music Centre owner

I’ve been operating here since August 1999. In the beginning, there was not much crowd but with the flea market, the shoppers have increased and it can get quite busy.

Eddy Tan, 47

Rak Thai Restaurant owner and operator

I came in as a tenant about three years ago and I decided to buy the unit because business was good. I see potential in the mall because of how the developers have been managing it.

Daniel Tan, 48

The Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corp operations manager


Daniel Tan: Famous Amos Chocolate Chip Cookie Corp set up a kiosk at Amcorp Mall in late 2006 and business is getting better.

We came in late 2006 to take up a promotion space to try out the market here. Business is getting better and we’re putting up a brand new store here. The rental is reasonable for the location.

Mikki Yoon, 55

Service apartment owner

I have a unit in the mall selling home interior items and there is a lot of potential in the mall. I also invested in a service apartment and was very happy because the management took the initiative to get agents to help owners rent out their apartments. They were also always trying to upgrade the place to make sure our property appreciated in value.

Francis Louis, 46

Certified real estate negotiator

The Amcorp management actually sought for agents to help owners rent their place, which you don’t usually find. The occupancy here is quite high because of the easy accessibility to the LRT station.

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Mall unveils six new lion heads for CNY


KUALA TERENGGANU: An eminent shopping mall here is not missing out the joy of ushering the Year of the Ox.

Mydin Mall of Kuala Terengganu has decided to join the festive cheers by being the main organiser for a launching of six new lion head and a set of drums which for the Lunar New Year.

The mall’s deputy manager S.Balasundram said Mydin Mall felt it was part of the comapny’s social obligation when conceding to the request by a local lion dance troupe for the mall to participate in the event, “We too want our premise here to be blessed with prosperity and good fortune brought by the Year of the Ox,” he said.

The multi-coloured lion heads, created by Kuala Terengganus Culture and Sport Club, and will be unveiled during the launching together with the drums.

Club’s president Datuk Alex Yong said his lion dance troupe with the strength of 68 members would go on a state-wide tour during the Chinese New Year period.

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Malls’ holiday cheer


A FESTIVE mood reigns at shopping malls in Penang which are bedecked with Chinese New Year decor.

Shoppers are greeted with 14 Chinese drums at the main entrance of Gurney Plaza which also has a golden ox figure decorated with golden ingots and coins symbolising prosperity at its central atrium. Red and golden tassels dangle from the roof.


Shoppers at Gurney Plaza are greeting with festive Chinese New Year decorative lanterns.

At Queensbay Mall in Bayan Lepas, lanterns of all shapes and sizes are seen hanging there.

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amcorp mall/tower



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Wangsa Walk Mall Wangsa Maju
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Shopping haven in Iskandar Malaysia
By ZAZALI MUSA


Competition in the retail sector is getting intense

THE retail sector in Iskandar Malaysia is in for exciting times with more investments and new players expected to enter the market in the future.

Southern region representative of the Malaysian Association for Shopping and Highrise Complex Management (PPK), Jenny Chan, said competition in the sector had become more intense in recent years.

Five new shopping complexes and hypermarkets were opened in the second half of 2008 in Iskandar Malaysia. They are Tesco Extra Plentong, Sutera Mall, Danga City Mall, Tesco Tebrau City and AEON Bukit Indah.

This year will see the opening of Ikea Tebrau City, Tesco Bukit Indah and Komtar (now undergoing upgrading works). KSL City, Hilltop Nusajaya and Ponderosa Mall@Taman Impian Emas will open in 2010.


In the pipeline are Nusajaya shopping mall and the expansion of IOI Mall II at the existing IOI Bandar Putra Kulai by IOI Properties Bhd, but the opening dates have not been decided.

“Competition is good, as it helps raise the standard in the sector and consumers too can look forward to having more choices in terms of products and pricing,” Chan said.

She said existing complexes must upgrade in terms of physical set-up and product offerings in view of more new players coming into the market.

In the past, Johor Baru was not seen as offering much choice in the retail segment; even its denizens went to Kuala Lumpur or Singapore to shop.

However, Chan disagreed that shopping was actually localised and said most of the times, residents would shop locally unless they happened to be outside their residential area.

The retail sector in Iskandar Malaysia has transformed tremendously over the past 10 years and now the denizens are spoilt for choice when it comes to retail therapy.


The atrium of Johor Baru City Square shopping centre

There are more than 25 shopping complexes and hypermarkets within Iskandar Malaysia.

The shopping complexes and hypermarkets here are popular among Singaporeans due to the strong Singapore dollar and they do not mind the daily traffic congestion at the causeway.

Soon, Iskandar Malaysia will also have the Malaysian Premium Outlet (MPO) centre, to be built on 20ha in the Asiatic Indahpura Kulaijaya township.

The project is a joint venture between Asiatic Land Development Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Asiatic Development Bhd and a member of the Genting group, and US-based Simon Property Group Inc’s division, Chelsea Property Group.

It is reported that the MPO would be Chelsea’s first premium outlet in South-East Asia, offering international branded items at discounted prices.

Chelsea Property is the world’s largest owner, developer and operator of upscale outlet centres with 38 outlets in the United States, six in Japan, and one each in South Korea and Mexico.

“Prospects for the retail sector in Iskandar Malaysia are good as the stakeholders want to transform south Johor into a retail hub in the southern region,” Chan said.

Iskandar Malaysia covers 2,216.3 sq km within the southern most part of Johor covering Johor Baru, Senai-Kulai, Gelang Patah-Pontian and Pasir Gudang-Tanjung Langsat.

Chan said suburban Johor Baru had a lot of choices in terms of shopping now, probably more than the city centre as growth was spilling over into the suburban areas.

Johor Baru is the fourth most populated city in Malaysia with a population of 876,000 (2006 census) while the district has a population of 1.73 million and the Singapore-Johor Baru conurbation 6.49 million, which is one of the highest in South-East Asia. The population growth rate is also among the highest in Malaysia.

Under the Iskandar Malaysia master plan, Johor Baru is expected to grow into a large urban area with over three million residents by 2025, second only to the Klang Valley.

“Retailers here are anticipating a slowdown this year, but PKK believes that sometimes a slowdown is an opportunity for them to re-strategise to emerge even stronger when the economy recovers,” Chan said.

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Originally Posted by nazrey

by uthmbox

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Another cineplex joins the lineup in Batu Pahat
MOVIE buffs are now spoilt for choice when it comes to picking the place to catch a movie with the opening of MBO Cineplex in Square One shopping mall.


The lobby of MBO Cineplex, which was built at a cost of RM4 million. — Pictures by Mustapha Ismail


Customers can relax at the lounge before the movie starts.

It is the third cineplex to open in Batu Pahat after Golden Screen Cinemas in The Summit and BIG Cinema in BP Mall.

Ikmal Nizam Ariffin, chief operating officer of MCAT Box Office Sdn Bhd, the owner of MBO Cineplex, said Batu Pahat needed more cineplexes to cater for its big population.

"The market in Batu Pahat is big enough for three cineplexes. We believe we have an advantage due to our location, which is near the Carrefour hypermarket, and the unique design of our screening halls," said Ikmal.


There are eight screening halls with a combined capacity for 1,217 patrons, making MBO Cineplex the biggest cineplex in Batu Pahat.

MBO Cineplex uses recycled paper at its concession stand so customers can enjoy their boxes of popcorn while knowing they are also doing their bit to protect the environment.

"We invested about RM4 million in this cineplex, which is our fifth after those in Ampang, Seremban, Malacca and Kluang," said Ikmal.

He said MCAT planned to open three more cineplexes this year, including one in Kuching and one in Skudai. Both are slated to be open in May in time for the Hollywood summer blockbuster period.

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'Take a leak' at these waterless urinals
Naveen Mathew Menon


The ecologically friendly waterless urinals are odourless.

PETALING JAYA: The next time you are at the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall and have an urge to use the toilet, be prepared for a whole new experience.


The state-of-the-art, unique car parking system at Sunway Pyramid makes parking a breeze! The green light near the ceiling indicates to drivers from afar that there is an empty slot.


Sunway Pyramid’s assistant manager of marketing communications Darren Chear showing the paper recycling bin.

The mall prides itself as being one of the first malls in the country to have waterless urinals in its toilets.

The waterless urinals, which do not need to be flushed, is one of the mall's green initiatives, said Sunway Pyramid general manager (marketing and leasing) Kevin Tan Gar Peng.

"We have put in place various measures to fulfil our corporate social responsibility (CSR)," he said.


Sunway Pyramid had spent RM10 million on its environmentally friendly toilets which save the mall at least 30 per cent in terms of water usage.

"We use a special chemical compound which breaks down urine so it does not smell and becomes harmless.

"The Biocare compound, which is environmentally friendly, has to be replenished only after a urinal is used about 1,000 times.

"However, for hygiene purposes, we do clean the urinals as well," said Tan.

Apart from the "green" toilets, Sunway Pyramid has also introduced several environmental-friendly measures.

The mall has set up a unique parking system at a cost of RM4 million.

Red and green lights which can be seen from afar indicate whether there is parking space or not. Red means that the parking spot is taken.

The technology behind it is simple. A beam from a sensor falls on the parking spot and if it is not broken, the light will be green. When an object, like a car, drives into the parking bay, the beam is broken and causes the light to turn red.

Carbon monoxide emissions are reduced in the car park because of the parking guidance system which eliminates unnecessary driving around looking for parking bays.

"Furthermore, we also have space counters which inform people how many bays are vacant on a particular level. So, if that car park is full, people don't have to waste time and fuel going to that level and can make their way to the next parking level," Tan said.

There is also a recycling, buy-back centre near the ice-skating rink on car park level B1.

The centre, which was built by Sunway Pyramid and run by Alam Flora, is said to be the biggest buy-back centre in the country.

It buys plastic (10 sen a kg), newspapers and magazines (10 sen a kg), aluminium tins (RM1.80 per kg), computer monitors and CPU (RM4 per unit) and other recyclable items.

"The Sunway Group is also trying to promote a smoke-free zone. There are subtle messages, even in the toilets, to tell people about the detrimental effects of smoking. To drive home the point, rather than just putting up 'no smoking' signs, there are messages such as 'If you smoke, you lose weight very fast, one lung at a time'," Tan said.

Last year, Sunway Pyramid won the New York-based International Council of Shopping Centre's Asian Award For Design And Development and the National Quality Toilet Award.

The mall which receives about 3 million visitors every month was also bestowed the "Most Supportive Shopping Mall" award by the Malaysian Retailer-Chains Association.

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Pawagam enam skrin di Kluang Mall



PENDUDUK Kluang kini berpeluang menonton wayang melalui pembukaan panggung wayang baru, Big Cinemas Lotus Five Star di Kluang Mall.

Panggung berkenaan dilengkapi enam skrin dengan 1,048 tempat duduk sekali gus menyediakan peminat filem di Kluang pengalaman menonton wayang dalam panggung berteknologi tinggi dan selesa.

Panggung berkenaan mula dibuka pada 23 Januari, hari sama dengan tayangan filem baru China, Red Cliff 2 serta akan menayangkan beberapa filem Hollywood, Kantonis, Melayu dan Mandarin.

Sempena sambutan Tahun Baru Cina, pengunjung berpeluang menerima tawaran dan hadiahyang menawarkan 88 tiket wayang kepada pemenang bertuah atau mereka yang membeli empat tiket wayang akan mendapat satu tiket percuma.

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1Borneo Hypermall

4 international & regional hotels

Autocity

Seaworld Marine Park

Rainforest Cultural & Handicraft Centre

YuYuan Garden - Largesst SEA Indoor Chinatown

The Bazaar

Boobooland Amusement Centre

Terminal Amusement Centre

U-bowl 30 lanes entertainment Centre

GSC 8 screens Cineplex

Tasty Food Village

Gourmet Lane

IT centres