iDEA 2021 celebrates the movers-and-shakers of Malaysia Property Development

The fourth annual iProperty Development Excellence Awards saw some of the most inspiring winners, who rose to the occasion in the face of adversity.

“Show me someone who has done something worthwhile, and I’ll show you someone who has overcome adversity.”– Lou Holtz.

Those words ring true for the proud winners at the 4th annual iProperty Development Excellence Awards (iDEA) 2021. For the first time ever, we organized iDEA award as a virtual ceremony and live-streamed on iProperty.com.my’s Facebook page on 25 May 2021—proving that we are ever-evolving in the face of adversity. In compliance with the Covid-19 standard operating procedure (SOP) outlined by the Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia, the ceremony was pre-recorded at St. Regis Hotel, Kuala Lumpur for over 2 days.

Since its inception in 2017, the iProperty Development Excellence Awards (iDEA) have grown to be one of the most recognised property awards in Malaysia that raise the spotlight on the industry’s most accomplished developers and developments. iDEA offers an exciting chance to recognise, reward and promote outstanding achievement in the property industry.

This year, built on the pillars of credibility, quality and confidence as guiding principles, these coveted titles of distinction were awarded to the most outstanding projects in 32 highly regarded categories. The panel of judges is made up of nine respected industry players who are leaders in their own professional discipline. To ensure the safety of everyone involved, the judging process was conducted virtually; while PwC Malaysia, the awards’ balloting partner, performs the balloting procedures, monitors the voting process as well as independently verifies the results.

The ceremony awarded 26 winners in the development categories, while 10 others were awarded the highly coveted People’s Choice Awards, based on the highest number of votes cast by members of the public out of a total of 22,867 votes received.

Facing obstacles is a normal part of life and learning how to deal with and overcoming them is what builds character and resilience. As we navigate through the uncertainty of today, iDEA appreciates those who emerge as leaders, rising to the challenges ahead as well as those who may rise and shine in the most unlikely of places.

This year’s ceremony introduced a new category, which is the Community CSR award to celebrate and recognise the developers who exhibited exemplary leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic to support residents that were affected.​ Among the winners are Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB) and Sunway Group Berhad.

Upon being presented with their win, Chief Corporate Officer of MRCB, Mr Amarjit Singh Chhina said, “Obviously COVID-19 has had a devastating effect on my people in Malaysia. But the most vulnerable are the undocumented, the homeless and those who fall in the other segments such as the orang asli. Those are the ones we’ve been focusing on. Moving forward, I think we will continue to do that.”

Sunway Group Berhad, represented by Nik Tasha Nik Kamaruddin, Senior General Manager Brand Marketing and Communications, started her acceptance speech with a heartfelt thank you. “Thank you, iProperty for this award in recognition of Sunway’s contribution back to the Society…”

“…Our efforts under the Sunway for Good banner have impacted close to half a million Malaysians across the country and we aim to improve 1 million lives by 2030. Whether it’s helping flood victims, joining the fight against COVID-19 or reaching out to the B40 community, it is the smiles from the lives that we touched that remind us why we do what we do.”

Mr Shylendra Nathan, General Manager of iProperty.com Malaysia Sdn Bhd, also shared his thoughts on the effect of the pandemic on the property market and the shift it has spurred in the industry. “2021 is the year where the property industry is no longer business as usual, and that’s inarguably a good thing… Malaysians have turned to the convenience and safety of digital platforms for their property journey which was disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

He continues, “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain hopeful for the property market as the ongoing vaccination program has provided much-needed optimism for the local property market. As our country begins the journey towards achieving herd immunity, we expect to see higher consumer confidence in the property market as a result.”

As the night carries on, the excitement could be felt vibrating through the live stream as the names of the winners in each category were announced.

Proving their grit and tenacity, Mah Sing Group Berhad bagged six awards, crowning them the biggest winner of the night. Two of the most notable ones are the High-Rise Development of the Year award, and the Consumer Game Changer award, which honours Mah Sing Group Berhad as a game-changing developer that successfully introduced and influenced a shift in consumer patterns.

Other notable big winners include Tropicana Corporation Berhad who won Best Residential Landed Development and Best Southern Landed Development for Ayera Residences, a JV project with Iskandar Waterfront in Johor Bahru. Tropicana Corporation Berhad’s very own, soon-to-launch Tropicana Grandhill was awarded Best Luxury Township. Receiving the award on behalf of the group was the Managing Director of Marketing & Sales, Joanne Lee.

“We are very pleased to know that Tropicana Grandhill being our first township development in Genting Highlands has received such a positive response even before its official launch…Tropicana Grandhill is definitely a luxury township within an iconic location which the local and foreign buyers should not miss. We have full confidence that Tropicana Grandhill residence will be a good investment for all,” said Lee.

Rembawang Holdings Sdn Bhd, clinched the Landed Development of the Year and Best Luxury Landed Development for Teringin @ Sri Ukay, Kuala Lumpur. Meanwhile, Ideal Group Berhad won the Best Affordable High-Rise Development for One Foresta, Penang, and Sheng Tai International Sdn Bhd (STI) won the Best Commercial Development Award for The Sail, Melaka.

In receiving their second award for the evening, Dato’ Leong Sir Ley, Founder and Chairman of Sheng Tai International expressed her excitement. “Melaka has always been a heritage place, culturally and historically…and with the globalisation concept, Sheng Tai has set its foot there in Melaka. I’m very proud of this, we want to make it a reality upon the completion of this project.”

When we think of conquering adversity, we also think of courage. Courage makes change and innovation possible, and it is vital to challenge conventional thinking and envision new possibilities.

This year, four special awards were given out to show recognition to outstanding property developers, developments and individuals that have innovated and significantly contributed to the Malaysian property development industry. The sense of triumph was high in the air as the rest of the award receivers were announced. The 2021 winners are:

As the night drew close to a successful end, one thing remains clear: these awards will serve as catalysts to bolster confidence in property seekers and to encourage property developers to improve the quality of living for Malaysians.

Find out more about the winners or watch the full award ceremony video here.