A PROPERTY owned by Selangor Government in Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, which has sat unoccupied for more than a decade, is being refurbished into a mall in time for Visit Malaysia 2026 (VM2026).
The 12-storey Yayasan Selangor building, located at the junction of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail, will be rebranded as Sinma Redland Mall.
The first phase of the project, covering the first three floors, is expected to open to the public by December this year, with full completion by early 2027.
Building owner Yayasan Selangor, the state’s education foundation, has engaged Redland USJ Summit Properties Sdn Bhd as developer.
Redland Group chairman Datuk Ismail Hassan said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was expected to launch VM2026 at the venue in December.
“We brought the opening date forward to coincide with the school holidays and festive season, when more tourists are expected,” Ismail said during a memorandum of understanding (MOU) signing ceremony with S&M Shopping Arcade Sdn Bhd to manage the property.
He added that discussions were ongoing with Prasarana Malaysia Bhd to link the mall to the Bukit Bintang monorail station.
Yayasan Selangor chief executive officer Raja Nazirin Shah Raja Mohamad said the project would revitalise a state asset and create new income streams for the foundation.
Works are in progress to reinstall the electrical system and refurbish the structure, which adjoins Sungei Wang Plaza and the former Bukit Bintang Plaza site.
Previous attempts to redevelop the office building had failed, including a 2012 plan to convert the space into a boutique hotel.
Selangor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari had told the state assembly last year that another proposal in 2019 was terminated when the developer did not proceed following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Also present at the MOU signing were S&M Group director Datuk Lee Hwa Siang and USJ Redland Summit Properties director Siti Amalina Putri Ismail.
