THE fifth largest city/town in the country by population and a major township in Selangor, the Municipality of Subang Jaya (MPSJ) which comprises the original Subang Jaya as well as its extension, UEP Subang Jaya (commonly referred to as USJ), parts of bandar Sunway and Putra Heights, has grown and evolved from a rubber plantation known as Seafield Estate into a vibrant and popular self-contained township in the state.
Located about 20km away from Kuala Lumpur city centre, Subang Jaya was first developed in the early 1970s by United Estates Projects Bhd which was renamed Sime UEP Properties Bhd after the Sime Darby Group bought a stake in the company. The original Subang Jaya comprises the areas under SS12 to SS19 while USJ covers the areas under USJ 1 to 27 as well as USJ 3A-3D, USJ Heights and Subang Heights. PJS 7, 9 and 11 of Bandar Sunway also comes under the administrative jurisdiction of MPSJ.
In this part of our focus on Subang Jaya in this issue of Herald, we take a look at the northern side of Subang Jaya, bearing the “SS” address - from SS12 to SS19.
Subang Jaya is a complete township with residential, commercial, industrial and educational components. The main industrial areas in the township are Subang Industrial Park SS13, Sime UEP Industrial Park, Subang Hi-Tech Industrial Park and USJ 1 through USJ 8.
SS15 is the commercial hub and is also home to a number of institutes of higher learning, such as INTI International College, Metropolitan College (twinning with RMIT & Curtin) and ALFA International College. Meanwhile, being connected to neighbouring townships Petaling Jaya and Bandar Sunway means that it is a stone’s throw away from other institutions, including SEGi University College (USJ 1), Taylor’s University (Jalan Taylors, near PJS 7 and Bandar Sunway), Monash University and The One Academy (Bandar Sunway), as well as Cilantro Culinary Academy (USJ Sentral).
A prominent landmark in the commercial hub is Menara Mesiniaga located in SS16 and it set the tone for Subang Jaya as a whole, with its award-winning futuristic design which is a standout among other corporate offices in the 1990s. This iconic building was a pioneer in Subang Jaya’s present renewal. Other notable buildings are Subang Parade, one of the earliest malls in PJ, AEON Big Hypermarket, Empire Subang, Wisma Consplant, UMW Toyota Motor, Subang Medical Centre, Holiday Villa and Dorsett Grand Subang.
Subang Jaya owes its popularity to its excellent accessibility as it is well-connected to Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya via a network of expressways and efficient rail transit. Major highways that serve and link the area include the Federal Highway, Shah Alam Expressway (KESAS), NKVE, NPE, North South Expressway and LDP.
For public transit, the Subang Jaya KTM Komuter station (located in SS16) connects commuters to KTM’s Perlabuhan Klang-Tanjung Malim line, and has recently been renovated and uplifted to accommodate Rapid KL’s expansion of the Kelana Jaya LRT line. It is presently serving as an interchange, as well as a bus stop - an aesthetically pleasing small transport hub catering to residents and commuters. There is also a Rapid KL LRT station at SS15.
Most of the strata residential projects in Subang Jaya were completed in the 2000s — with seven of them completed in the 2010s. Of the 19 projects listed, only three were completed in the 1990s. Unit sizes vary significantly, starting at 458 sq ft (First Subang) and going up to 2,421 sq ft (Saujana Residency). Units exceeding 1,000 sq ft are in ample supply in the area.
We observe that developments within SS12, SS13 and certain parts of SS15 are more affordable than the projects lying westward. Most of these projects hover at RM401 to RM600 per sq ft, with a few notable mentions: Casa Tiara, Spring Villa and SS13 Flats start at a lower price tier from RM201 per sq ft; My Place and Subang Avenue have a higher maximum price range up to RM800 per sq ft; and E-Tiara is priced at RM601 to RM800 per sq ft.
First Subang (458 to 936 sq ft) stands out from the offerings in the aforementioned area, starting out at RM601 per sq ft, with prices potentially exceeding RM800 per sq ft.
Meanwhile, projects on the western side — SS19, SS16 and a small part of SS15 (near Subang Parade) — are generally priced higher. The exceptions are Subang Olives (1,554 to 1,874 sq ft) at RM401 to RM600 per sq ft and Keranji Apartments (861 sq ft) at RM401 to RM600 per sq ft.
Subang Parkhomes (1,264 to 1,435 sq ft) starts out at RM601 sq ft up to RM800 sq ft. Pandora (559 to 1,288 sq ft) and Saujana Residency (1,518 to 2,421 sq ft) begin at a similar price range, but the prices for both these developments can exceed RM800 per sq ft.
The two highest-priced projects in Subang Jaya are Isola (1,073 to 1,755 sq ft) and One SOHO (498 to 683 sq ft) - both exceed RM800 per sq ft.
There are three projects under way in Subang Jaya: Paloma (609 to 1,309 sq ft) with its completion due by 2018 and Paisley at Tropicana Metropark (601 to 1,491 sq ft) with completion by 2020; and Lot 15 (624 to 1,001 sq ft) with completion by 2020 at Subang Jaya City Centre (SJCC). All three projects are priced above RM800 per sq ft.
Lot 15, or LOT 15, is positioned near the Subang Jaya KTM Komuter station, which in turn is near AEON Big, Subang Parade and Empire Subang. Proclaiming to be the “nerve centre of Subang Jaya”, the project is located at a point of convergence — the various shopping malls coexist with several commercial offices in the area.
SJCC and Lot 15 are perhaps following in the footsteps of various rebranding efforts of known long-standing localities and addresses in order to revitalise and renew existing potential.
Meanwhile, Tropicana Metropark, an undertaking by Tropicana Corporation, comprises residential offerings, business spaces, retail hotspots, recreational areas and a Central Park, all within a sprawling 88-acre freehold mixed development. Paloma and Paisley are set to stand alongside the completed Pandora. This is again another step in Subang Jaya’s evolution with developers building ecosystems rather than just residences and homes.
Subang Jaya, just as its neighbours Petaling Jaya and Bandar Sunway, is complete and well-equipped to meet the needs and wants of most urban dwellers and residents. Retail and commercial spots are ample, and their vicinity to transit stations and homes makes it an ideal place to stay in. Buyers looking to rent can capitalise on the student population and young working adults as they are always on the lookout for places to stay near their workplace or institution.
With Sime UEP Properties Group having embarked on a rebranding and revitalisation programme for Subang Jaya, one can expect newer offerings to be able to cater to the lifestyle needs and preferences of the younger, more affluent and sophisticated buyers of today. (Story courtesy of Henry Butcher Malaysia)
‘Subang Airport project earliest to take off’
ONE of the earliest developments in Subang Jaya is Subang Airport (now known as Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport), which was officially opened to traffic on August 30 1965.
The airport had the longest runway of 3.7km length and 45m width in Southeast Asia and replaced Sungai Besi Airport.
By the 1990s, the airport had three terminals, namely Terminal 1 for international flights, Terminal 2 for Singapore-KL shuttle flights catering to Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines, and Terminal 3 for domestic flights.
By end of 1997, the airport recorded a passenger traffic of 15.8 million with an anticipated rapid rise in domestic air travel by the turn of the millennium.
It served as Kuala Lumpur’s main airport from 1965 to 1998 before the Kuala Lumpur International Airport in Sepang was opened.
The airport was repurposed to serve general aviation as well as turboprop domestic and international flights. It is now the main base for Firefly and Malindo Air, and serves as Berjaya Air’s main gateway to several Malaysian holiday destinations.
Adjoining the main terminal is a 5.13ha plot earmarked for a mixed development commercial project called Skypark Commercial Nexus by Subang Skypark Sdn Bhd (SSSB), the same company which manages Skypark Subang Terminal, the revamped Terminal 3 at the old Subang airport.
Estimated to cost RM250 million, the Nexus project is expected to see the development of a boutique hotel, entertainment and F&B outlets, aviation museum, an aviation theme park and multi-storey car park.
• Sunway’s strong interest to develop in Subang
In August last year Sunway Bhd announced that it was buying a 14.8 acre (six hectare) tract in USJ 1, Subang Jaya for RM167.59 million or RM260 per sq ft (psf), not to far from Subang Jaya’s oldest shopping centre, Summit USJ.
Sunway’s indirect wholly-owned subsidiary, Sunway Supply Chain Enterprise Sdn Bhd, inked a memorandum of agreement to buy the land from Jaks Resources Bhd’s unit Premier Place Property Sdn Bhd.
The USJ land, which is within 1km of landmark buildings such as Sunway Pyramid, Da Men Mall, Giant Hypermarket and Mydin Hypermarket, will be converted to a mixed use development with an estimated gross development value of RM1.4 billion in five years.
It is located close enough to Sunway City and will be utilised in the future as an extension of the township. For now, the land will be used for storage and warehousing for Sunway’s trading and machinery businesses, according to Sunway.
Sunway City, transformed from 800 acres of derelict mining land, is Sunway’s flagship township with an impressive seven million square feet of nett lettable space. The bustling township is home to condominiums, office towers, Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa, Sunway Pyramid Convention Centre, Sunway Medical Centre and Sunway Lagoon multi-park attraction.
The extension of the township will bring more convenience to the residents in USJ 1 and its neighours.
Meanwhile, located about 4km away from the Subang Airport or in Kampung Melayu Subang is a project called Sunway Subang. The 6.36-acre leasehold project comprises 42 units of 2.5-storey terraced factories.
The factories are priced from RM2.5 million with built-up sizes from 5,740 sq ft to 6,635 sq ft.
The factories are set for completion in February 2020.