Grand affair: Chan (middle) officiating at the opening of the mall. — ART CHEN/The Star
The company now has 11 malls located in urban markets in the country
Interesting with a youthful vibe is how first-time visitors are describing the newly opened Sunway Square Mall.
In addition to lion and dragon dances, the grand opening also saw DJ Blink spinning in a morning coffee rave. Shoppers were also pleasantly surprised with free plushies packaged in giant, bright orange shopping bags.
One shopper, Eric Ng, who came to the grand opening with a friend, said although they were not plushie fans, they will be passing them over to their sister and girlfriend, respectively, a timely gesture in line with the festive season.
Adding to the merriment was Squarrel, the Sunway Square mascot created by Malaysian comic artist Ernest Ng. As it was so cute, it quickly became an attraction for selfie seekers.
The newest mall in Bandar Sunway is not only the home to the largest 24-hour bookstore in South-East Asia, it is also part of a visionary development project designed to integrate a multifaceted range of spaces, catering to the arts, commerce, education and business.
The four-storey mall houses some 130 shops over 2.972ha, and is accessible via the township’s elevated pedestrian walkway and Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
Visitors describe the place as interesting owing to the large sculptures seen around the mall.
In addition to a world-class performing arts centre, there is also a playground for small to medium breed pets below 40cm in height or under 20kg in weight at the mall.
First-time visitor to Sunway Square Mall, housewife Yong Wy Cee, 59, described the new mall as “interesting with a youthful vibe”.
“The larger-than-life sculptures here also give this place a unique touch,” said Yong in reference to the mild steel sculptures done by Infantino Fernandes, Sunway’s resident artist for the past 11 years.
The mall’s tenant mix is optimised to serve the student community. The 24-hour anchor tenant The Library by BookXcess features Kenny Hills Bakers – providing an accessible space for studying and reading at any time of day. Other anchor tenants include Village Grocer, BUMP Bouldering, TGV Cinemas, KKV, Count Cuisine and Tutu ToeDance Academy.
In his speech, Sunway Malls and Theme Parks chief executive officer Chan Hoi Choy said the addition of Sunway Square Mall means that Sunway now has a portfolio of 11 malls in Malaysia.
Chan added that such facilities make for a vibrant residentialcum-commercial area that houses a population of over 200,000.
Apart from shopping malls, Bandar Sunway also has universities, a medical centre, theme park and hotels.
He added that cross traffic from the new mall’s two nearby premium office towers, which have an expected working population of over 10,000 office workers and educational institutions with a capacity of 8,000 students, are expected to bring greater vibrancy to the new mall. He pointed out that there are already more than 70,000 tertiary students within a 2km radius of Sunway Square,
“The township also attracts 42 million visitors every year,” said Chan.
Some 95% of the shops are already open for business.
To celebrate the mall’s opening, those who spend a minimum of RM30 will enjoy free parking until Feb 22, 2026. Those who spend a minimum of RM150 or RM100 for UOB cardholders will also be entitled to free parking, a blindbox and lucky draw.
Other upcoming events at Sunway Square Mall will be a New Year’s Eve countdown party by the mall’s lakeside featuring bazaars, performances and fireworks.
Sunway’s malls are strategically located in key urban markets to serve the surrounding community. Their list of other existing malls in their portfolio at present are Sunway Pyramid in Subang Jaya, Sunway Giza in Petaling Jaya, Sunway Velocity in Cheras, Sunway Wangsawalk in Wangsa Maju, Sunway 163 in Mont Kiara, Sunway Putra in Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Carnival in Penang, Sunway Citrine, Sunway Kluang and Sunway Big Box in Johor.
Upcoming mall locations are Sunway Ipoh in Perak, Sunway Pier in Port Klang, Sunway RTS Bukit Chagar in Johor and Sunway Seremban Sentral in Negri Sembilan.
