Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Single-largest Fiabci award haul for Malaysian firms

REAL estate developers from Malaysia garnered four International Real Estate Federation (Fiabci) Prix d’Excellence International Property Award 2007, making it the single-largest haul for the country so far.

Hilton Kuala Lumpur wins in the hotel category of the Fiabci award
At the event held in Barcelona recently, Hilton Kuala Lumpur won in the hotel category, while Setia Eco Park took the award in the master plan category.

Cyberjaya Flagship Zone was named the best in the office/industrial category, and the prize for retail category was handed to 1 Utama Shopping Centre (expansion).

Fiabci Malaysia president Datuk Richard Fong told StarBiz: “I was surprised, and it reflects well on the country. It shows that Malaysian property is of high standards.”

He added that in the past, it was very difficult to win awards at the international level.

The owner and management of Hilton Kuala Lumpur were very pleased with the win. General manager Paul Hutton said there were big plans for the hotel when it was first envisioned. Daisho Asia Development (M) Sdn Bhd developed the hotel.

“It was mapped out as the flagship property for Hilton in Asia-Pacific. Winning the award is a milestone for the developer and Hilton Hotels Corp,” he said.

Hutton said the quality of properties in Malaysia was on the rise and the market had garnered interest from international developers and investors.

“The development of Hilton Kuala Lumpur and its main location in KL Sentral is a testament to this.

“The property completely changed people’s perception. We started off as a project that was to be built in a humble and less glamorous part of Kuala Lumpur but it has since emerged to represent a cosmopolitan travel and commercial hub for the city, balanced by the greenery of Lake Gardens,” he added.

Setia Haruman Sdn Bhd, the developer of Cyberjaya Flagship Zone, felt the win offered world recognition to Cyberjaya as an information and communication technology hub that provided world-class infrastructure amid high-standard landscaping and eco-friendly environment.

Setia Haruman sales and marketing assistant general manager Liew Yeon Keong said the award set a new benchmark for the company and gave it motivation to strive for greater excellence in this industry.

“We will also embark on a global branding and positioning campaign,” he added.

The award had also renewed people’s perception of Cyberjaya, Liew said.

For Bandar Utama City Centre Sdn Bhd, which developed 1 Utama, the award is proof of the shopping centre's high standards of excellence and professionalism, highlighting it as a world-class development.

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