Petaling Jaya, 8 July – Petaling Jaya Mayor Tuan Mohamad Azhan bin Md Amir, today officiated the opening of the 250-metre-long Sunway Serene bridge, the final milestone in the RM 30 million public upgrading works at Petaling Jaya undertaken by Sunway Property, alongside Sunway Group Founder and Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah.
Majlis Bandaraya Petaling Jaya Chief Engineer Tuan Ir. Ismail Shafie, Sunway Group Deputy Chairman Tan Sri Datuk Seri Razman Hashim, and Sunway Property Managing Director Sarena Cheah were also in attendance.
As part of Sunway Property’s commitment to sustainable development, the developer had undertaken extensive upgrades to existing road networks as well as rehabilitation of the 15- acre Sunway Serene Lake in tandem with its planning for the 17-acre Sunway Serene development.
Petaling Jaya Mayor Tuan Mohamad Azhan bin Md Amir lauded Sunway’s tireless commitment to sustainable development at the launch.
“Sunway Group’s bold commitment to developing smart sustainable cities is aligned with MBPJ’s goal of becoming a low-carbon city, based on the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDGs) and the 10 themes under the Petaling Jaya Smart, Sustainable and Resilient 2030 Plan (PJSSR 2030),” he said.
“With the help of forward-looking corporate citizens, local councils can foster resilience for their communities, while progressing their communities and better manage the challenges brought about by rapid urbanisation and climate change,” he added.
Sunway Group Founder and Chairman Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Dr. Jeffrey Cheah said that the Group will continue to introduce low-carbon cities under its portfolios, aligned with the nation’s commitment to be a carbon-neutral economy by 2050.
“This community initiative is our pledge to place the interests of our communities at the forefront of our business operations. At Sunway, we believe that no corporation can stand apart from the community it serves. You have my word that Sunway will continue to walk the talk in serving the community here.”
Sunway Group has most recently implemented a Green Township Policy on the back of its Green Building Policy.
Having announced its commitment to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, the Group is the first in Malaysia, and among the first in Asia, to implement an internal carbon pricing framework to achieve this goal. It's Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) arm is the first REIT in Malaysia to implement a Green Lease Partnership Programme, to encourage best international practices in sustainability and drive sustainable solutions through behavioural change, advancing Malaysia’s national commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
To encourage the adoption of sustainable communities, Sunway Property has partnered with Alliance Bank, Standard Chartered, and Public Bank to offer lower interest rates and faster turnaround times for its purchasers to encourage the adoption of green communities.
ROAD UPGRADES AND LAKE REHABILITATION TO BENEFIT PJ COMMUNITY
The extensive road upgrades that Sunway Property had undertaken involve the 500 m open v-shape drain along Jalan SS7/1 & SS7/3 to a 600 mm x 600 mm box culvert, constructing a 1,800 mm width new walkway with concrete imprint finishes to ensure smooth drainage, upgraded Jalan SS8/2 from two lanes to three lanes, lengthened the current weaving section between Federal Highway Ramp and traffic from Jalan SS7/2 from 20m to 100m, built a 250m long approach bridge from the signal junction to the development.
The extensive roadworks alleviates traffic congestion and smoothening the passageways to the public transport network system – the Glenmarie LRT, Setia Jaya KTM, Kelana Jaya LRT and BRT Sunway Line.
At the same time, Sunway Property adopted the 15-acre lake near Sunway Serene during the construction period and rehabilitated the lake. Prior to Sunway Property’s adoption of the lake, the water in the lake was classified as Class IV and V – which meant the water is not ideal for recreational purposes. The poorly-lit lakeside had also become a hotspot for crime.
As part of its lake and lakeside rehabilitation works, Sunway Property had installed floating traps and the removal of litter from the lakes, as well as planted aquatic plants to help improve the water quality. The effort saw the removal of a substantial amount of trash which is equivalent to multiple truckloads of rubbish from the lake. The developer also planted 1,000 trees, preserved 168 trees during construction as well as transplanted 16 trees, translating to the capture of at least 22,000 kgs of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Sunway Property’s initiatives have seen the return of fish, birds, frogs, and squirrels to the area. The lake is now open to the public and suitable for recreation, particularly for the community of Petaling Jaya with a safe 1.2 km jogging path, lush greenery, clean public car parks including bays for differently-abled citizens, motorbike parking, a public bus stop and a 250-metre-long bicycle lane.
Sunway Serene, worth RM 1 billion in gross development value has been completed in January 2023 and is being handed over to its purchasers. Sunway Serene is designed according to the Sunway Design and Development Architecture (SDDA) which infuses Sustainability, Innovation, Health and Wellness as well as Lifestyle & New Experiences elements into its developments, encouraging our communities to live healthier, sustainable, and holistic lifestyles. Sunway Serene’s innovative features include a mini water tipping bucket and a 210m lazy river inspired by Sunway Lagoon.
In tandem with the enrichment of the community-centric built environment, Sunway Property has also launched Sunway Property Community Programme which brings together owners, sub-sale owners and tenants together under its care so we can provide them with the lifestyle support they need.
