Gardens in buildings to take hold here — Abang Jo
KUCHING: The idea of ‘a garden inside a building’ as part of city living is something that will likely take hold in Kuching, observed deputy chief minister Datuk Amar Abang Johari Tun Openg, who is also Housing and Urbanisation Minister.
“In Singapore, there is The Pinnacle@ Duxton by their Housing and Development Board (HDB), an apartment building that has two levels of gardens inside, linked by sky bridges.
“I had wanted to do something in Tabuan Melayu (the apartment project under the ministry). The model is similar, with a garden inside the building.
“City living is going to be like this because of space. As land in the city is expensive, people are building upwards instead of laterally,” he said when officiating at the launch of the show unit of Jazz Suites at Vivacity Megamall yesterday.
Abang Johari commended developer Coramax Sdn Bhd on the design of Jazz Suites which featured a rooftop garden that will soon be completed.
“What you are seeing here is lifestyle. A study has showed that people of Generation Y prefer to stay in apartment buildings that come with all facilities, including recreational facilities. It is adjacent to the shopping mall and a cinema with the latest technology and the biggest iMax screen in East Malaysia.
“With ‘ Malaysia My Second Home’ programme, such apartment units can also be sold to foreigners because prices are very cheap to them at around RM600 per square feet. They cannot find anything like this in Singapore.
“This mixed development model in one building is really like a city within a building, so to speak,” he said.
Accompanying him were Kuching South City Council (MBKS) mayor Datuk James Chan Khay Syn and Coramax directors Sim Yaw Hang and Alan Sim.