PETALING JAYA: Asian Pac Holdings Bhd is making its East Coast debut through a proposed RM281.3 million retail and lifestyle development in KotaSAS, Kuantan.
Its wholly owned subsidiary, Everest Pioneer Sdn Bhd, has entered into a sale and purchase agreement and a joint development agreement with KotaSAS Sdn Bhd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tanah Makmur Bhd, for the proposed development of a shopping mall and lifestyle shoplot precinct.
The project, which has an indicative gross development value (GDV) of RM281.3 million, is intended to establish a new retail and commercial destination within KotaSAS.
Asian Pac said the development could support KotaSAS’s longer-term growth, with its estimated future GDV potentially reaching RM2 billion.
The proposed precinct will be located within KotaSAS’s central business district and within walking distance of the KotaSAS East Coast Rail Link (ECRL) station.
The development is designed around a transit-oriented development (TOD) concept, with planned pedestrian connections linking the mall, lifestyle shoplots and surrounding neighbourhoods.
The ECRL’s targeted commencement of commercial operations in December 2026 is expected to improve connectivity between the Klang Valley and East Coast destinations, potentially supporting greater commercial activity in the township.
Asian Pac executive director Michael Mah said the group sees an opportunity to create a destination that serves residents’ everyday needs while supporting local businesses and community activity.
“Kuantan is changing, and KotaSAS is where that change is taking shape. We have built and run Imago in Kota Kinabalu for a decade, and we know what a well-run destination does for a city,” he said in a statement today.
Mah said the group’s aim was to create a place where people could eat, meet, work and spend time with their families, rather than a mall that attracts visitors only occasionally.
The proposed development will combine retail, food and beverage, leisure and commercial spaces, with the shoplot component intended to accommodate homegrown businesses alongside regional and national brands.
Tanah Makmur group CEO Datuk Shahrul Nizam Abdul Aziz said the development would support KotaSAS’s next phase of growth by bringing transport, commerce and community life closer together.
He said the township’s proximity to the ECRL station presented an opportunity to translate improved regional connectivity into economic benefits for residents and businesses.
The development is also expected to create employment opportunities during construction and operations, while providing additional avenues for local entrepreneurs, retailers and service providers to reach a wider customer base.
KotaSAS spans approximately 2,165 acres and has more than 21,000 residents. It is also home to Pusat Pentadbiran Sultan Ahmad Shah, Pahang’s state administrative centre.
The proposed retail precinct is intended to complement the township’s existing residential and administrative facilities and encourage further commercial investment.
The latest development follows Asian Pac’s proposed acquisition of 8.69 hectares of leasehold land in KotaSAS for RM42.09 million through another wholly owned subsidiary, Wangsa Masyhur Sdn Bhd. The acquisition is separate from the joint development arrangement.
