Topping Off Ceremony Marks a Major Construction Milestone for Menara Etiqa

Kuala Lumpur – A topping off ceremony was held to mark an important milestone in the construction process of Menara Etiqa, a 38-storey premium grade office building located in the heart of Bangsar.  Developed by Etiqa Insurance Berhad, the insurance arm of Malaysia’s largest banking and finance group, Maybank, Menara Etiqa will be ready by 31 July 2018. 

Present during the topping off ceremony were Datuk Mohaiyani Shamsudin, Chairman of Maybank, Datuk R. Karunakaran, Chairman of Maybank Ageas Holdings Berhad, the parent company of Etiqa Insurance Berhad and Etiqa Takaful Berhad, Dato’ Johan Ariffin, Chairman of the Board Oversight Committee of Bangsar Land Development, Datuk Christopher Boyd, Chairman of Savills Malaysia, Peter J. Davoren, President and Chief Executive Officer of Turner Construction, Abrar Sheriff, President and Chief Executive Officer of Turner International, Cheah Ham Cheia, Managing Director, Grand Dynamic Builders Sdn. Bhd., and Alexander Lo Tzone Leong, Executive Director, Grand Dynamic Builders Sdn. Bhd. 

“Etiqa embarked on this project as part of our core business strategy of optimizing the long term sustainable returns of our valued customers by diversifying our investment assets to include real estate, as such we couldn’t be happier that Menara Etiqa is shaping up so well,” said Datuk Karunakaran. 

In his speech, Datuk Karunakaran praised Turner, the project management consultant, and its main contractor, Grand Dynamic Builders Sdn Bhd for being ahead of schedule in the construction process and operating on a budget lower than forecasted. 

“We are pleased with the fact that enquiries from interested parties are already coming in, in spite of the fact that the building has not even been completed yet,” said Datuk Karunakaran. 

Menara Etiqa’s location is unmatched by any other.  Situated in the mature yet trendy urban office location, it is served by excellent road such as SPRINT, Federal Highway and Kerinchi Link, just to name a few. It is also one of the most visible modern office buildings in this important commercial area, with the Bangsar LRT station a mere two minutes away.  

Datuk Christopher Boyd, Chairman of Savills Malaysia, the appointed exclusive leasing agents, told the audience that visibility and connectivity are two of the most important assets to a property. When choosing a suitable office location, he pointed to the incredible success of KL Sentral and the fact that Menara Etiqa is able to share all these ingredients and in addition, provide superb visibility. Accessible via dual entrances – Jalan Bangsar and Jalan Bangsar Utama 1, the building offers a total of approximately 380,000 square feet for lease with subdivided suites of varying sizes available. Ample parking is also available for the tenants choosing to drive to work.  Convenience is key, with proposed amenities such as kindergarten, food court, gym, café and restaurant, as well surau made available.  As for surrounding amenities, there’s an array of dining options, supermarkets and shopping malls just a stone’s throw away.

Focus has been put onto occupiers’ needs by designing this building according to today’s workspace demands as well as placing importance on the conservation of the environment. Building an environmentally sound building and adhering to green standards are usually perceived as too expensive as new technology is costly, as is eco-friendly construction materials. Unlike many building owners, Etiqa has gone the extra mile for a green building. Menara Etiqa is carefully built towards achieving dual green building accreditation - Green Building Index (GBI) Gold rating and GreenRE Platinum rating respectively. Green features such as high energy efficiency by reusing power generated by lifts to other electrical systems and provision of rain water harvesting system as an effort in reducing water usage have been incorporated into the building specification. 

Menara Etiqa is also designed for full MSC compliance, embracing the digital economy to attract MNCs to set up regional offices in KL. Digital and tech districts in KL are not limited to Cyberjaya, but areas such as KL Sentral, Mid Valley City and Bangsar have also become popular destinations. This building features 100% back-up emergency power supply, thus ensuring zero down-time and uninterrupted business operations in the event of a major power failure. 

Kuala Lumpur has ranked favorably in various reports as an ideal location for corporate regional offices. In World Bank’s Doing Business Report 2017, Malaysia ranked 2^nd in the ASEAN region for ease of doing business. Kuala Lumpur’s strategic positioning, in which most of Asia’s key markets are within 6 to 8 hours’ flight time away, also ascertains its global connectivity.

Menara Etiqa is set to raise the bar among decentralized office buildings and is undoubtedly Bangsar’s finest. Tenants can look forward to an unrivalled, premium business address with impeccable accessibility in the right location, at a competitive rental rate. Despite the current property market sentiment, properties with the right features will still perform well and offer an ideal opportunity to upgrade at minimal cost. For enquiries and viewing, please contact Datuk Christopher Boyd at leasing@savills.com.my or visit www.savills.com.my.