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MONDAY | JAN 27, 2025

U Mobile to double local retail footprint within next two years

that make it easier for multinational companies to establish a presence in Malaysia – with more adaptable membership options and tech enabled workspaces, these spaces are now better equipped to support the diverse working models encouraged by the government’s new policies,” she added. Ping said coworking spaces are upgrading their facilities with artificial intelligence-driven solu tions, high-speed internet, and smart office solutions to provide a seamless, modern working environ ment for employees. “These will become commonplace, slowly replacing more traditional office spaces as businesses look to either completely replace or supplement their offices with coworking options.” - by HAYATUN RAZAK ‘Asean embraces green, digital strategies amid US-China dynamics’ KUALA LUMPUR: Asean is intensifying green energy initiatives and digital innovation to bolster supply chain resilience and maintain its role in global trade amid evolving US-China dynamics. Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz said industries across the region are redesigning supply chains with a focus on resilience, while policymakers are fostering collaboration to mitigate risks and seize new opportunities. “Navigating US-China relations is going to be important for Malaysia and Asean because the supply chain is so critical to the region. Companies are engaging with us. They are redesigning it based on resilience, security, and commercial considerations. “As policymakers, when we engage with our neighbours and partners, we must diversify and mitigate risks,” he shared in a brief posting on X following the recently concluded World Economic Forum 2025 held in Davos, Switzerland. Tengku Zafrul said Malaysia’s National Energy Transition Roadmap aligns with regional efforts such as the Asean Power Grid to ensure accessibility to renewable energy. He noted that advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and digital technologies also present growth opportunities, despite challenges such as chip export restrictions. He highlighted Malaysia’s position as a small, open economy with a trade-to gross domestic product (GDP) ratio of around 180%. “For Malaysia, 80% of exports are in manufacturing, while only 20% are in agriculture. The manufacturing sector contributes a quarter, or 25%, of our GDP,” he said. Tengku Zafrul also emphasised Asean’s collective strength as the fifth largest economic bloc globally, with a GDP of US$3.8 trillion (RM16.6 trillion) and a population of 680 million. “With that trajectory, we should become the fourth-largest economic bloc,” he added. – Bernama

o Mobile service provider‘s newest flagship store at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall features immersive retail experiences that leverage advanced technologies such as 5G and AI

Ű BY HAYATUN RAZAK sunbiz@thesundaily.com

out for that,” Navin said. Currently U Mobile operates 14 stores including two flagship outlets, the newest in Sunway Pyramid follows the one in Berjaya Times Square, Kuala Lumpur. The flagship store in Sunway Pyramid, spanning 3,500 square feet, features immersive retail experiences that leverage next generation technologies such as 5G and artificial intelligence (AI) into the shopping journey. It also utilises smart retail functions such as digital price tags and AI-powered closed-circuit television with smart security functions. Another highlight is that it features Malaysia’s first in-store immersive dome, a high-tech initiative that uses high-quality video, audio systems, virtual reality, augmented reality and mixed reality to create a shared, immer sive experience for any visitor to the store to enjoy for free. U Mobile believes it has made the right choice in making Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall the location of its second flagship store as the mall attracts many families, a target segment that the company is rapidly growing. The latest retail initiative is also part of the company’s overall strategy to expand its reach to provide a more elevated customer experience. “U Mobile is always seeking to raise the bar, and in line with our

BANDAR SUNWAY: U Mobile, Malaysia’s future second 5G network provider, aims to double its retail footprint across the country within the next two years. Chief marketing officer Navin Manian said the expansion is in line with the company’s efforts to meet the growing demand in its postpaid, broadband and enterprise segments. “We are expanding aggressively to enhance customer experiences and meet the needs of our growing postpaid, broadband, and enter prise segments,” he told reporters at the launch of its newest flagship store at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall here on Friday. Navin said U Mobile has historically focused on youth and prepaid customers which required a different sales approach. “Over the last two to three years, we’ve shifted focus to postpaid, broadband, and enterprise services. To support that, we believe we need our own fully operated stores.” U Mobile recently opened stores in IOI Mall Puchong, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching, with plans for further expansions in the East Coast and other regions, he added. “So this year it is going to be a continuous focus, what we want to do is have a proper good retail footprint across Malaysia, so a lot more stores will be open, so watch

U Mobile CEO Wong Heang Tuck (left) and Navin at the flagship store grand launch. – AMIRUL SYAFIQ/THESUN

interact with the holographic avatar of Stacy Anam, U Mobile’s brand ambassador, for service. The HoloBox also serves as a photo booth, allowing visitors to capture a photo. An AI-generated image of them is then projected in real time onto the Immersive Dome, creating a unique and interactive experience. U Home Zone: As part of U Mobile’s growing focus on families, the zone showcases a smart home concept and highlights the key benefits of its family-centric plans such as U Family 128 and U Home 5G bundles. U Business Corner: As part of U Mobile’s commitment to enterprise digitalisation, this zone will show case interesting business solutions that leverage 5G and other technologies. Lifestyle Zone: Featuring VR Gaming for all-ages enjoyment as well as a showcase of U Mobile’s exclusive premiums and collaborations.

unbeatable ethos, we are com mitted to elevating our customers’ experience by bringing innovative and immersive retail features, coupled with our best-in-class products and services, even closer to our customers. “Our newest flagship store at Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall showcases a tech-enabled ex perience, one that blends real life with next-gen digital technologies. From smart retail functions like digital price tags and AI-powered CCTVs to immersive attractions like our in-store dome, this flagship store is an intelligent space for consumers to truly interact with the U Mobile brand,” said Navin. Other highlights of U Mobile’s newest flagship store in Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall include: HoloBox: A self-contained unit employing holographic projection technology to provide a twist to the typical in-store queue management system, as customers are able to

WORQ to expand beyond Klang Valley, eyes Johor and Penang PETALING JAYA: Coworking space provider WORQ is expanding outside the Klang Valley to Johor and Penang as early as this year to capture the demand for flexible workspaces in Malaysia’s key economic hubs. dependency on a single country such as China,” she said. Ping said Southeast Asia investors, and create more job opportunities. Businesses are actively looking to establish operations near both Malaysia and Singapore, with sectors like manufacturing, tech nology, and logistics seeing signi ficant expansion,” Ping said.

cipates opening up to four outlets annually, targeting 100,000 square feet of workspace each year. “By 2026, WORQ will likely have established a presence in either Johor or Penang, driven by economic activity and demand for business services in these states.” WORQ CEO Stephanie Ping ( pic ) said that as

is increasingly attracting foreign investments as these businesses seek to diversify their supply chain. “In this context, Malaysia will benefit from the surge in invest ment with companies likely to open more workspaces in

WORQ CFO and strategist Andrew Yeow said the team has visited Johor a few times and there is a lot of excitement, especially with the official announcement of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). “Klang Valley is still the core area for our expansion, but whether it’s up north in Penang or down south in Johor, these are, I would say, the natural next cities we will be exploring. The economy is doing well. So, we try our best to basically capture the growth in that sense,” he told SunBiz in an interview. Yeow said the company anti

She added that tax incentives in Budget 2025 are driving demand for coworking spaces. With Budget 2025 introducing incentives for flexible work arrange ments, inclusivity and workforce diversification, coworking spaces are stepping up to provide tech-enabled, community-driven solutions that align with evolving business needs and macroeconomic trends, Ping said. “Coworking spaces are responding to this by offering flexible and customisable enterprise solutions

this region.” Initiatives such as the JS-SEZ are expected to enhance connectivity and cross-broader economic colla boration. “This collaboration between Malaysia and Singapore will help address the needs of their growing economies as it is positioned to boost regional development, attract global

Southeast Asia benefits from supply chain diversification and rising foreign investment, WORQ aims to be at the forefront of Malaysia’s coworking space revolution to support businesses and foster economic growth. “There is a clear opportunity for countries such as Malaysia, Vietnam, and Thailand to benefit from this as businesses move away from