Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook.
SEREMBAN: Sunway Group has received the nod to develop a 20.8 acre plot of land belonging to the Railway Assets Corp (RAC) in the heart of the city here, with the project set to transform Seremban into a more vibrant capital.
Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said Sunway was selected as the lead developer for the new integrated, mixed-use development known as Seremban Sentral following a competitive request for proposal process carried out by the RAC in May last year.
The project, which would be carried out under the transit-oriented-development concept, will have an estimated gross development value of RM2bil.
“Since many people think Seremban is a boring city as nothing much happens here, we need to have a project which will feature components such as residential, medical and hospitality, educational, retail and commercial centres apart from more modern public amenities.
“I believe that the project, which will be carried out by a big brand name, will not only further spur economic growth here but will attract bigger corporations, companies and developers to come and invest in Seremban which had always been under the radar,” he said.
Loke, who had witnessed the signing ceremony between RAC and Sunway Group, said Sunway was successful in its tender bid as it had given the highest value in terms of returns to the RAC and the cost it paid for the land was even higher than the government’s valuation.
Its development concept, which would see the development of a mini township, was also the best.
“The RAC board evaluated objectively and unanimously picked Sunway, which has a record for turning an abandoned tin mine into a commercial gold mine.
“Who doesn’t know Sunway Lagoon Resort, Sunway University, Sunway Hospital or even Sunway Pyramid?
“If they can transform a former tin mine into a city, I am pretty sure they can also transform the railway land in Seremban into something very exciting,” he said, adding that the group had also successfully carried out integrated developments in other states.
The RAC is a federal statutory body under the Transport Ministry.
Also present were ministry secretary-general and RAC board of directors chairman Datuk Jana Santhiran Muniayan, Sunway Group founder and chairman Tan Sri Sir Dr Jeffrey Cheah and RAC chief executive officer Datuk Azhar Ahmad.
Loke said the project would be built over 14 years with the first being the construction of a private hospital and the proposed Seremban Yard, expected to begin by the end of this year.
Seremban Yard, which will see the preserving and repurposing of historic railway warehouses in the area, will be turned into a dynamic public space to support local businesses, food artisans, creative industries, and cultural activities.
Seremban Sentral, he said, will be integrated with the new Seremban railway station, which is being built under the Klang Valley Double Track 2 project and expected to be completed by December 2028.
Loke said the ministry’s aim was also to turn railway stations into development hubs so that more people would switch to using rail transportation.
He said apart from spurring economic growth, the development of Seremban Sentral will also see a potential increase in property value and create thousands of new jobs in the retail, construction, property, healthcare, education and tourism sectors.
Cheah, in his speech, expressed his gratitude to the RAC for picking Sunway as its partner.
“Back in the late 1960s and early 70s, like many of us in Kuala Lumpur, I used to think of Seremban as just a sleepy hollow of a town that we had to go through to get to Port Dickson.
“Over the years, Seremban has grown and become a city in its own right and this proposed integrated development will add to the city’s vibrancy and appeal and emerge as a dynamic hub of urban living and connectivity,” he said.
He said the project was the group’s maiden project in Negri Sembilan and will be modelled along the lines of its successful Sunway Velocity, a 23-acre integrated complex located in the Cheras suburbs of Kuala Lumpur.
Cheah said Sunway Group, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, is today one of the region’s leading conglomerates with 13 business divisions and had never failed to deliver any project over the years.
He said Sunway Group’s three public-listed companies had a combined market capitalisation of around RM40bil.
“Given our expertise, our financial strength and our values, trust me when I say that Sunway is here to stay and will stay for good in Seremban,” he added.
