Building communities for good living

Anwar Syahrin (left) taking part in the Anak-Anak Malaysia Walk on Sept 2.

SINCE its establishment 50 years ago, UEM Sunrise has been building communities.

According to UEM Sunrise Berhad managing director/chief executive officer Anwar Syahrin Abdul Ajib, “It has always been about building communities we all appreciate. It’s the haven we all look for and when we have it, it becomes part of us. We can see that in our developments.

“You can design the best homes, apartments, shopping malls and offices but if they lack soul, they won’t last long. The soul can only come from us, the people living there. This is the challenging bit. What excites us as humans? How do we provide places and spaces that evoke emotion? This is what we at UEM Sunrise would like to be known for.”

Building communities is all about bringing people together. Proper integration and fulfilment of the community’s basic and social needs is key in building a successful community.

Technology has brought people closer, but the irony is that we can also be further away from those closest to us when we are together. We see this all the time, for example when a group of friends are seated together at a table but all of them are busy staring at their handphones. There is a need to cultivate bonding and regular social interaction in community building.

UEM Sunrise strives to build tight-knit communities in its developments. For example, its Fun Zone has many community prog­rammes that have garnered good response, strengthening its belief in human interaction.

For Anwar Syahrin, the best property developments are those that appeal to the soul.

Anwar Syahrin says, “It is not just about our customers, but also how we take care of the existing communities close to our developments. Through our education and social programmes, we have seen an uplift in the lives of many near our developments.”

The company’s Corporate Res­ponsibility (CR) efforts also enable sustainable communities based on a two-pronged strategy – Education Enhancement and Community Engagement.

Its Education Enhancement prog­ramme is based on the firm belief that education is a fundamental human right and must be extended to every child regardless of gender, race, religion or economic status.

Meanwhile, its socially inclusive Community Engagement prog­rammes engage local communities, tenants and customers regularly by organising relevant events and providing the necessary assistance to continuously improve community participation and foster shared prosperity.

Some of UEM Sunrise’s notable efforts and projects include the PINTAR School Adoption Prog­ramme, PINTAR Al-Quran Programme, Educational Aid Programme with orphanages as well as Iskarnival, Back to School Programme, Community Reach Programme, festive events and celebrations, as well as crime prevention and safety talks.

The sixth edition of Iskarnival in November 2017, which coincided with Iskandar Puteri gaining city status on Nov 22 and Johor Baru’s ranking as the third most liveable city in South-East Asia by firm, Mercer marked a significant milestone for UEM Sunrise.

A guitarist strutting his stuff at the Iskandar Puteri Jazz Festival 2018.

As the master developer of Iskandar Puteri, the company is proud of this achievement as it, together with strategic partners, can now see their developments coming together as a holistic ecosystem that supports the growth of various communities here.

UEM Sunrise’s sustainability objective is to produce industry-leading value with brands and products that stakeholders prefer while conserving resources, protecting the environment and improving the social conditions of those most in need.

Effective placemaking underscores its approach to transforming spaces into vibrant and authentic destinations.

On the “New Malaysia” concept, Anwar Syahrin says, “New Malay­sia is a wake-up call to everyone in the country. Malaysia is now undergoing a major revitalisation where the democratic system is truly in full force.

“Of course, what’s important is to take stock of our country and from what we can see in the media, the situation is not ideal. Nevertheless, I think we can overcome these challenges if we all work together towards the common objective of inclusivity and change for the better.

“UEM Sunrise will proactively support the government by providing insight to develop policies that promote long term-term sustainable growth and address the needs of the people, thereby moving the nation and economy forward.”

For the past 50 years, UEM Sunrise has been building communities everyone can appreciate.  

The year 2018 marks 50 formidable years of combined experience in successful community building for UEM Sunrise, and a tipping point as it moves into delivering the next decade of excellence.

Anwar Syahrin says, “Our vision is simple: We aspire to continue building happy sustainable communities of the future with carefully curated lifestyles.

“As one of the industry leaders, we aspire to continue listening to the needs of our buyers and strategise accordingly to thrive in this new dynamic Malaysia.

“In line with this vision and aspiration, we also reaffirm our commitment to supporting the new government’s manifesto of easier home ownership for the rakyat by continuing to build homes with well-planned residential facilities.”

¦ For more details, visit www.uemsunrise.com