“Apart from cars, property development became our next game. – Dato Tan”
The trio of PH Leong, Kenneth Teh and Dato Tan Su Cheng, are on a roll in Genting Highlands, creating superbly designed condominiums for discerning Malaysians.
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Over breakfast early 2018, PH Leong, Kenneth Teh and Dato Tan Su Cheng were mulling over the idea of developing a one-of-a-kind condominium in Genting Highlands. The idea was taken further to develop a design concept.
Dato Tan Su Cheng
Kenneth Teh
Thorough studies on various aspects such as environmental impact and potential returns for investors, were important elements to consider. When all made sense, they zeroed in on a strategic piece of land in the Midhill section of Genting Highlands. The rest, as we say, is history. Geo Antharas was birthed.
Geo Antharas will stand out as the only condominium in Malaysia with a section geared for Supercar owners. A total of 10 floors, specially reserved.
“Being car enthusiast ourselves, we understand the togetherness and lifestyle that we humbly share. To emphasize this further, the tower will be themed with nodes of racing elements throughout, from the private lounge up to the parking lots, where the cars will be featured,” says Dato Tan.
Commenting on the new development, Dato Tan explains that developing a condominium in Genting is a dream come true for all three of them.
“We just love the crisp, cool weather and the pleasure of driving our cars up the hill. We have always had the vision that one day, maybe in 5-10 years time, when remote working becomes the norm, people will be able to move up here, to stay and work.
It will be the best place to work in Malaysia due to the cooler climate. We feel it allows the option for companies to relocate from high cost city centres to Genting Midhills, Dato Tan elaborates.“
Dato Tan, the Managing Partner of an award-winning interior design firm, PDI Design & Associates, predicts that at the rate development is going on in Midhills, there will be a major facelift in Genting in the next 10 years, giving rise to a city, potentially called Midhills City.
“There are currently 5-6 condominium developments on-going now and more are expected to be built here. But there will be a limit, due to the difficulty of diverting water supply in the area. Hence, overdevelopment of condominiums is highly unlikely, staving off any risk of an oversupply,” Dato Tan notes.
Land owner and major developer of Genting Permai, PH Leong, is the guiding force behind the recently completed Geo38 Residence, GEO Hotel & Resort, and the soon-to-be-launched Geo Antharas. PH Leong is also credited for developing several thousands of properties ranging from landed properties to high rises, in his 30 years of business expertise.
Coolness Personified
Each with past experiences in property development, this partnership has great synergy.
“We work very well together, capitalizing on each other’s strengths and in time, discovered that we share passions, from supercars to ethics to properties. This was indeed a natural progression for us, moving forward,” enthuses Dato Tan.
He adds: “During our many brainstorming sessions, we came up with a lot of design ideas and how to give buyers the best for their investments. These sessions are priceless to us, we built up a lot of trust and support between the three of us.”
“My interest in property development was also encouraged, having dealt with many top developers, in interior design matters, for the last 30 years. It was during these years, that I have learnt a lot, in regards to property development and also some trade secrets. I was very fortunate to have met three renowned property tycoons in the market, who later became my mentors. They have kindly guided us step by step for this project; from project design, finances to marketing,” Dato Tan reveals.
For Dato Tan, having been investing in property for the last 20 years, to develop a property has always been his ‘elusive’ dream and now, the dream is finally becoming a reality. “Yes, I have been considering being a developer for some time. I have a passion for building dreams for people, from all walks of life. It is very humbling to know that we are helping to fulfill the dreams of many Malaysians whom I have met from all over Malaysia; each shares the same dream, that is owning a property in Genting Highlands.”
Along with giving time for his property development works, Dato Tan still continues spearheading his firm, PDI Design & Associates, undertaking the interior design for many Corporate clients. “We do very unique designs, which include enhancement work in the high end Bangsar and Damansara areas.”
“It is very humbling to know that we are helping to fulfil the dreams of many Malaysians whom I have met”
Dato Tan is thrilled and cannot get over the fact that living at home without turning on the air conditioner is such a “fantastic thing” in Malaysia. He also loves the fact that within a few minutes’ drive from the development, nature is in abundance – waterfalls and hotsprings, where one can trek and cycle.
“Besides Genting Highlands, we are also in discussions on developing prime land in the Ampang/KLCC area. We plan to design quality homes with vast greeneries in a quiet zone in the Ampang/KLCC area.”
Dato Tan is also happy that his villa, Remember Villa, situated in Janda Baik, completed in 2017, is currently doing very well. “Janda Baik is a beautiful area where nature coincides with the simple pleasures of life. We have rare monkeys and hornbills in the area, just 15 minutes’ drive away from Genting Highlands.”
In the pipeline, is an iteration of Remember Villa in Ipoh which will be housed in a 100-year old heritage building. A third Remember Villa will be built on an existing building in Lorong Selamat, Penang. The Penang Villa is specially designed for SMEs for the purpose of team building and strategy meetings, Dato Tan reveals.
Aviation Factor
A member of the trio, quiet and reserved Kenneth Teh is in the business of aviation, taking care of the sales and marketing, due to his vast networking with neighbouring countries such as Hong Kong, China and Singapore. He deals with the authorities for approvals and is an essential part of the team, holding a directorship.
The ‘Coolness’ Factor
Apart from its crisp, cool weather, the short distance from Kuala Lumpur makes it an ideal getaway from the city. A mere 45kms from Bangsar in Kuala Lumpur, it takes about one hour to reach the Midhills section.
There are hundreds of choices when it comes to food. Gohtong Jaya which is about 800m away from Geo Antharas is a gourmet paradise, with many food outlets that cater to all tastes and cultures.
For shoppers, the Genting Highlands Premium Outlets (GPO) is nearby while Resorts World Genting (RWG) at the hill top, offers even more choices. This year, the 20th Century Fox World Theme Park is expected to be completed thus offering visitors even more activities to indulge in. RWG is also known as an international entertainment centre, hosting many international artistes.
Nearer to the condominium stands the Awana Golf Course and strawberry, butterfly and bee farms. “about 200m away is the Highlands International Boarding School while a university and a hospital are in the pipeline,” reveals Dato Tan.
“The potential is massive in Genting Highlands. Currently, there are only 15, 000 rooms to accommodate 30 million tourist arrivals every year which still fall far short of demand.” For Genting Highlands, the trio are planning for more developments in the near future. They are currently identifying potential pieces of land there.
Which comes back to why the supercar owners-turned-developers are tuning in to the next hotspot in Genting. The property game is only just heating up for them.
A dream home in the sky
Geo Antharas consists of three individually-designed towers soaring at 41 storeys, 30 storeys and 32 storeys respectively and occupying 2.5 acres on one of the last remaining flat land in Genting Midhills. The plot is freehold and comes with commercial title.
Apart from standard condo facilities like gymnasium, there will be a heated lap pool overlooking the entire mountain of Genting Highlands. There will also be a shared celebrity kitchen and dining area, fun lounges, spa facilities, sky farm, an outdoor cinema, two mini theatres, library, sports bar lounges and even a co-working space.
The ground floor will house retail and F&B outlets, with al fresco dining concepts; in addition to function rooms and a half-court basketball court and a badminton court.
The elegantly designed lobby is spacious with triple-volume height and well-designed ventilation. The latest smart technology will be employed, for example facial recognition and smart elevators, which can direct you to the lift based on your destination floor.
Welcoming Vibes
The development meets all market requirements with many different configurations available – from studios and 1+1 bedroom units to three-bedrooms. For those who may be exploring the option to rent their units out via AirBnb, check-in and check-out facilities and a storage area for their guests’ luggage will be provided.
Discussions are on to have an international hotel management group, possibly mamanging the serviced suites (studio and 1+1 suite) at the 32-level tower.
Many locals are keen to buy for personal weekend stays and to rent out during other times, while some buy their families. Although targeted for the local market, the development will also feature 20-30 bigger sized units, like the sky villas, water villas and duplexes for foreign buyers.
“There has been overwhelming response from investors, from Hong Kong, Singapore and China. Many of them like to invest in Malaysia due to the freehold title unlike many other countries in Southeast Asia,” Dato Tan says.
State-of-the-Art Design
Out of 476 units, most are dual key units ranging in built-up from 979 – 1,130 sq ft. “We offer the best value in the market, especially with the dual key units,” Kenneth Teh adds. The smaller units comprising studio to 1+1 bedroom units, range in built-up from 473 to 731 sq ft with prices starting from RM473,000.
All units are south and north-facing (Genting view) and come with windows for every room. Each unit will also have a spacious balcony which can double up as a small lounge for barbeque or small gatherings. The fully-furnished units utilize energy saving lightings and are fitted with top of the range fittings and fixtures.
The interior design is handled by the design team of PDI & Associates using environment as the main theme. “We designed it to be very self-sustainable, with a touch of modernism,” says Dato Tan.
“You can live here for a week without leaving the place,” he says, adding that for families, it’s a great convenience as they don’t need to be separated like in hotel stays. “They could all stay together in a 1,000 sq ft apartment.”
As an extra service, the developer will be providing shuttle services to the Premium Outlet from where residents can take the cable car up to Genting Resort World.
Alternatively, they can drive up themselves or utilize Grab services which is readily available. Condominium owners will be pleased that two car parks are allocated to each dual key unit and one car park each for the studio and 1+1 unit. Electric charging stations in the semi-underground car park will also be available, in anticipation of more electric cars in the future.
Rentals are expected to fetch about RM5K – RM6K per month with a monthly instalment of RM3K for a RM800k unit. “This will give a rental yield of about 8% but can go up higher to about 15%” says Teh.
Expected to be completed in 2023, Geo Antharas is the holiday home in the sky that you have been dreaming about all these years.
For enquires, please contact:
David Cheah @ +6017-700 2226 | david@antharas.com.my | geoantharas.com.my