Resort lifestyle of condo a draw for westerners, says developer

CAUCASIANS comprise the bulk of those purchasing the RM255mil Infinity Beachfront Condominium that recently clinched the FIABCI Malaysia Property Award 2011 under the residential (high rise) category. Hunza Properties Berhad executive chairman Datuk Khor Teng Tong said the project attracted Caucasians because it had access to a 105m-long beachfront as well as a 136m-long river frontage. “Beachfront accessibility is a key attraction for Caucasians as they prefer a beach resort lifestyle. “While the project was still under construction in 2008, we adopted Sungai Kelian to beautify and maintain its cleanliness for the long term. “Hunza and the FIABCI Penang Branch used the effective microorganism (EM) biotechnology to clean the river. It is now free of sludge and its water clearer,” Khor said. “The Caucasians, forming about 65% of the buyers, are from countries such as Britain, the United States, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland and Canada,” he said. He said other foreign buyers came from countries such as Vietnam, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Macau and Singapore. Khor also said the company’s RM480mil Gurney Paragon condominium project attracted many purchasers from Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, Korea and Macau as the project was close to shopping malls and lifestyle facilities. He said this at a recent cocktail event in Penang to celebrate Infinity’s FIABCI award win. The event was attended by business partners of the project and corporate leaders. The project, comprising 119 condominiums units and penthouses, obtained the certificate of fitness (CF) in 2010. It is all sold out except for four of the eight penthouses. Initiated 19 years ago, the FIABCI Malaysia Property Award invites the best projects in Malaysia to contest in various categories. The winning projects this year will represent Malaysia in the international competition FIABCI Prix d’ Excellence awards which will be held in St Petersburg, Russia, in May next year. FIABCI is the acronym for Federation Internationale des Administrateurs de Bien-Conselis Immobiliers (International Real Estate Federation). - The Star