03/09/2026

PROPERTY THURSDAY | SEPT 3, 2026

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Tropicana celebrates new milestone in Langkawi

IHG brings voco brand to Muar

corridor. The surrounding area is also home to established industrial and business hubs including Senai Airport City, i-Park @ Senai, and Sedenak Tech Park. Future residents and businesses will benefit from easy access to retail, healthcare, education, transportation and recreational amenities including Johor Premium Outlet, AEON Mall, Lotus’s, Hospital Temenggong Seri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim, Senai International Airport, the Kulai Railway and Kulai Bus Stations, and Palm Resort Golf & Country Club. The acquisition reinforces Sime Darby Property’s disciplined approach to strategic land banking under its SHIFT32 strategy, strengthening its long-term development pipeline while expanding its presence in one of Malaysia’s fastest growing economic corridors. We believe this is the right time to introduce a hotel that offers world-class hospitality while embracing the unique charm and character of Muar. The voco brand is renowned for combining the reliability of an international hotel with the warmth, individuality and local character that guests increasingly seek. With IHG’s global expertise and the voco brand’s distinctive experiences, we’re confident it will become a market leading destination when it opens later this year.” with 107-room hotel JOHOR BAHRU: IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) recently announced the signing of voco Muar, marking the company’s debut in the Johor riverside town and introducing the first international-branded hotel to the destination. Signed in partnership with KCC Hotel (Muar) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Malaysian real estate developer KCC Holdings Group, the 107-room property is in advanced stages of construction, with interior design works underway, ahead of its opening later this year. Located within KCC City Business Park, which is owned and developed by KCC Holdings Group, voco Muar will appeal to leisure travellers. As one of Malaysia’s key manufacturing hubs, Muar also benefits from strong domestic and regional business travel demand. IHG managing director, Southeast Asia & Korea Vivek Bhalla said: “The signing of voco Muar marks an important step in our strategy to expand into Malaysia’s high-growth secondary and tertiary markets. As travel demand continues to broaden beyond primary gateway cities, we see strong opportunity in destinations such as Muar where a rich cultural heritage, growing economic activity and leisure attractions come together to create a vibrant destination. “As our fastest-growing premium brand, voco hotels is ideally suited to the market, combining individual charm with strong commercial performance and broad guest appeal. We’re delighted to partner with KCC Holdings to introduce voco Muar which will offer travellers a stay experience that is both thoughtful and distinctive when it opens later this year.” KCC Hotel (Muar) Sdn Bhd executive director Ker Soon Yong said: “We are proud to partner with IHG to introduce voco Muar, the first international-branded hotel in town. Located within our KCC City Business Park, it will play an important role in elevating the local hospitality offering and supporting both business and leisure travel.

LANGKAWI: Tropicana Corporation Bhd recently celebrated another significant milestone in its Langkawi journey with the launch of T Journey, the group’s integrated hospitality management and services platform, marking the start of hospitality operations at the newly completed Tropicana Cenang located along the iconic Pantai Cenang beachfront. The launch represents the culmination of five key milestones for the group — the completion of Tropicana Cenang’s Assana Serviced Suites and Merissa Serviced Suites; the achievement of 100% take-up for both developments; the progressive handover of vacant possession to homeowners since April 2026; the commencement of T Journey’s hospitality operations, bringing Tropicana’s integrated hospitality ecosystem to life; and the inaugural partnership with AirAsia Rewards as the official launch partner, alongside 10 other partners, including leading tourism attractions and government agencies such as Motac and Lada, to further strengthen Langkawi’s tourism ecosystem. Following the success of Assana and Merissa Serviced Suites, purchasers are now receiving the keys to their fully furnished beachfront residences overlooking the iconic Pantai Cenang. More importantly, the completion of these two residential phases enables T Journey to officially welcome guests, transforming Tropicana Cenang from an award-winning development into a vibrant hospitality destination where homeowners, holidaymakers and business travellers can enjoy professionally managed accommodation, curated travel experiences and personalised hospitality services. Marketing & sales and business development managing director Ixora Ang shared, “For more than four decades, Tropicana has been creating vibrant communities where people aspire to live. Today, we are taking the next step by creating destinations where people aspire to stay, explore and return to.” o Launch of T Journey marks start of hospitality operations at newly completed Tropicana Cenang along iconic beachfront

T Journey marks its launch with AirAsia Rewards as its inaugural official launch partner, alongside 10 strategic partners, including tourism attractions and government agencies such as Motac and Lada.

Malaysia’s most iconic destinations, while supporting the continued growth of tourism in Langkawi.” Nestled on a 5.28-acre freehold beachfront site along the iconic Pantai Cenang, Tropicana Cenang has emerged as one of Langkawi’s most sought-after lifestyle destinations. The development achieved an outstanding 100% take up, comprising 831 fully furnished units at Assana Serviced Suites and 60 units at Merissa Serviced Suites, reflecting strong purchaser confidence in Tropicana’s vision of delivering quality beachfront living with long-term investment value. Building on the strong market response, Tropicana has launched the third phase, Clarissa Serviced Suites, together with its new show units. Reinforcing the group’s commitment to quality and sustainability, the development will adhere to GreenRE standards, with workmanship independently assessed under the QLASSIC system. Guided by its brand promise, “Where Every Journey is a New Chapter,” T Journey offers a seamless suite of hospitality and lifestyle services, including professional short-stay management, concierge services, housekeeping, airport transfers, attraction bookings and curated local experiences. The platform allows homeowners to enjoy their properties with greater flexibility while offering travellers a personalised gateway to experience the very best of Langkawi through professionally managed accommodation and authentic island experiences.

She added that the completion and 100% take-up of Assana and Merissa Serviced Suites at Tropicana Cenang, together with the progressive handover of vacant possession, provide the ideal foundation for T Journey to commence operations. “More than simply developing quality properties, we are creating professionally managed hospitality assets that generate greater long-term value while supporting Langkawi’s tourism growth and local economy.” Through strategic collaborations with AirAsia Rewards, tourism attractions, travel operators, hospitality technology providers and government agencies, she said the group is building an integrated hospitality ecosystem that enhances every stage of the visitor journey. “As we continue expanding our presence through future developments, including Tropicana Lagoon and Tropicana Shores, we remain committed to strengthening Langkawi’s position as a world-class tourism destination while delivering sustainable value for our homeowners, business partners, shareholders and the wider community,” Ang added. AirAsia Rewards loyalty head Shannon Liew said they are proud to be the official launch partner, enabling AirAsia members to earn 7X AirAsia points through personalised experiences and meaningful rewards. “By connecting members to the wider AirAsia ecosystem — from travel to lifestyle offerings, we look forward to making it even easier for everyone to discover and enjoy one of

Sime Darby expands presence in JS-SEZ with Kulai land deal ARA DAMANSARA: Sime Darby Property Bhd’s wholly owned subsidiary Sime Darby Property (Kulai) Sdn Bhd has entered into a conditional sale and purchase agreement with SD Guthrie Bhd (Guthrie) to acquire approximately 556.96 acres of freehold land in Kulai Estate, Kelan Division, Mukim Senai, District of Kulai in Johor, for a purchase consideration of RM418.5 million. Strategically located along Jalan Kulai-Kota Tinggi within Flagship Zone F (Kulai-Sedenak) of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS SEZ), the group plans to develop the site into a sustainable township comprising landed residential and commercial developments, with an estimated GDV of approximately RM3 billion. The first phase is targeted for launch in 2028, with the overall development expected to be completed over the next 10 to 15 years. The acquisition is expected to further strengthen Sime Darby Property’s established presence in Johor, complementing its existing developments in Bandar Universiti Pagoh and Taman Pasir Putih in Pasir Gudang. It also broadens the group’s geographical earnings base beyond the Klang Valley and Negeri Sembilan, while reinforcing its long-term growth pipeline through the addition of a sizeable strategic landbank in one of Johor’s key growth corridors. Sime Darby Property managing director and CEO Datuk Seri Azmir Merican said, “The acquisition marks another strategic milestone for Sime Darby Property as we continue to strengthen our footprint in Johor. Located within the highly anticipated Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone, this site presents an opportunity to create a sustainable township that builds on our proven track record of developing integrated, thriving communities.” “With its excellent location and sizeable land area, we are well-positioned to deliver a distinctive development that meets evolving market demand while supporting economic activity, creating employment opportunities, and contributing to Johor’s long-term growth. This acquisition also reinforces our disciplined commitment to expanding our development portfolio in locations with strong future potential,”he added. Strategically located along Jalan Kulai-Kota Tinggi, the site enjoys excellent road, air and rail connectivity via the North-South Expressway, Senai International Airport, the Electric Train Service (ETS) and Shuttle Selatan, and is situated adjacent to Bandar Putra, an established mixed use township within the Senai-Kulai growth

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