Cahya Mata unit in RM380mil JV to build hotel, apartments

PETALING JAYA: Cahya Mata Sarawak Bhd, through 51%-owned subsidiary CMS Land Sdn Bhd, has signed a joint-venture agreement to build, own and manage a four-star hotel and service apartments at the Kuching Isthmus in Sarawak.

It told Bursa Malaysia yesterday that it had signed the agreement with Premier Cottage Sdn Bhd (PCSB), Boulevard Jaya Corp Sdn Bhd (BJSB), Hikmat Majusama Sdn Bhd (HMSB) and Isthmus Developments Sdn Bhd (IDSB).

The building, comprising 381 hotel rooms and 96 service apartments, will cost about RM380mil, including outfitting, furniture, fittings and equipment, but excluding financing costs and contingencies.

IDSB, which will undertake the development, will finance it via a combination of share issuance, borrowings from banks or financial institutions, as well as advances from the joint-venture partners, except CMS Land, totalling up to RM50mil.

CMS Land will inject two parcels of vacant land in Kuching, totalling 4.25ha with a lease period of 99 years expiring in 2109 to IDSB for a total consideration of RM10mil to be satisfied via the issuance of 10 million new shares in IDSB, which will undertake the hotel development, at their par value.

Based on the audited financial statements as at Dec 31, 2009, the net book value of the land was approximately RM5.106mil. The land has not been income generating and thus no profit is attributable to the land, it said.

CMS Land will eventually own 10.3% in IDSB, while PCSB, BJSB and HSMB will hold 50.5%, 19.6% and 19.6% respectively.

CMS Land will subscribe for 300,000 new RM1 shares in IDSB, while PCSB, BJSB and HSMB will subscribe for 5.05 million new shares, 1.96 million new shares and 1.96 million shares respectively.

Building works for the hotel is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2011 and completed by December 2013.

CMS Land is the land owner and property developer for the Kuching Isthmus development project, which is intended to become Kuching's new central business district.

It is a proposed mixed commercial and residential development project that includes convention and exhibition centre, transport hub, tertiary educational institutions, marina and other housing/commercial developments.

By The Star