Sime eyeing more projects in Singapore

SINGAPORE: Malaysia's largest property developer, Sime Darby Property Bhd, is eyeing for new projects, especially redevelopment projects in Singapore, said managing director Datuk Tunku Putra Badlishah Ibni Tunku Annuar.

“We are constantly looking for new projects, but obviously as you see the land here is very scarce and expensive, so we are doing more on redevelopment projects. We have old warehouses, we convert them into office buildings that kind of projects but we own quite a few buildings in Singapore, so we collect rental,” he told Bernama.

For the tenants, Tunku Putra Badlishah cited one of the buildings the company had in Dunearn Road, Bukit Timah. “We rent out a lot of buildings to our own companies. The motor division, for example, is big in Singapore,” he said.

Asked whether Sime Darby Property is looking for more land for its future projects, Tunku Putra Badlishah said most of the land here was standard in that they are mostly government tendered. “We have tried in the past and we will continue to bid for them,” he said.

He said Singapore was a good market for Sime Darby Property. “We've been successful in Singapore. We have a team here already, so it makes sense for us to continue looking at Singapore,” said Tunku Putra Badlishah, who is here for the Building and Construction Authority Awards (BCA Awards 2011), which recognises excellence in the built environment.

Sime Darby Property's Idea House has been awarded the “Platinum Green Mark” recognition, the first time that the state-run BCA is awarding a platinum recognition in the residential category.

Tunku Putra Badlishah received the award on behalf of the company from the National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan, who also launched the inaugural Construction Productivity Award last night.

He said the Idea House was a prototype project. “It is a research and development project because all the learning that we got in this project, we will try to implement and incorporate as many features of the Idea House in our products.”

Tunku Putra Badlishah said from the Idea House, Sime Darby Property was able to produce photovoltic cells enough to produce to power the house.

“We've been implementing a lot of this switches almost six months ago. So all of our future projects will have some elements of sustainability,” he added.

Meanwhile, the BCA Award is an annual event to honour and pay tribute to displays of excellence in the built environment in the areas of safety, quality and sustainability and user-friendly. This year, it marks a few firsts in the building and construction industry.

By Bernama