Awards will raise the quality of projects in the southern region, say judges

By VIKNESH ASHLEY vikneshashley@thestar.com.my
and HIDAYAH SARUDIN hidayah@mystar.com.my

From left: Towle, Mohd Zai, Kamalahasan, Samsiah, Wee, Liew and Benjamin at the judging day of StarProperty.my Awards 2017: Jewels of Johor.

FOLLOWING two successful awards events held to honour the top developers of the nation, StarProperty.my ventured down south to Johor for the first time to celebrate the prospering region of Iskandar Malaysia.

In recognition of the impressive achievements in the state, a panel of judges gathered to decide on the merits of the participants.

“This is the first time that StarProperty.my is hosting the event in Johor, the purpose of which is to give due recognition to all the great developments in the state by developers that are focusing on this region,” said StarProperty Sdn Bhd assistant general manager Ernest Towle.
Institute of Landscape Architects Malaysia (ILAM) Southern Chapter chairman LAr Mohd Zai Kandar said the awards will raise the quality and set a benchmark for future developments in Johor.

“The award itself is another recognition of the contribution and products delivered by developers in Johor,” said Malaysian Institute of Architects (MIA) Southern Chapter president Samsiah Abdullah.

In addition, the highlights of the presentation during judging day revealed the trends of some latest developments.
“Now, many parties are discussing sustainable environment. Moving forward, the nation is looking at greener cities and zero carbon emission,” said Mohd Zai.

Association of Valuers, Property Managers, Estate Agents and Property Consultants in the Private Sector Malaysia (PEPS) Johor Branch chairman Sr Wee Soon Chit echoed Mohd Zai's thoughts, saying that the green features incorporated into the projects demonstrated the developers’ willingness to take the lead in conserving nature.

Samsiah noted that the entries satisfied the needs of first-time property owners by building a community rather than just giving people a place to stay, and at the same time emphasising the aspect of affordability as demanded by house buyers.

“It would be best to introduce more affordable developments in the market because that's where the demand is stemming from now,” said The Royal Institution of Surveyors Malaysia (RISM) Johor Branch honorary secretary Sr Dr Kamalahasan Achu.

Meanwhile, Malaysian Institute of Estate Agents Johor chairman Liew Toh Sen said the participants could stand a higher chance of winning if they were able to make a strong case of the distinctiveness of their development in comparison to other projects.

Looking to the future, Star Media Group Johor bureau chief Nelson Benjamin said: “There is a lot of innovation and much exchange of ideas by key players when they think up new concepts or designs for homes, whether landed or high-rise.”

He said the awards aim to encourage innovation and new ideas among the developers to create products that are reliable and most convenient to residents.