YTL launches first project in Sentul
The Star, Monday, June 17, 2002
By THEAN LEE CHENG
THE Tamarind … the name conjures up images of atropical tree with sweet-smelling yellow flowers. Better known for its fruits than its flowers, and commonly known as assam jawa, the spice is as much a part of Malaysian cuisine as rice is to Asians.
YTL Corp Bhd is using some of Asia’s spices like tamarind and saffron to add an exotic and ethnic dimension to its property projects in Sentul East, Kuala Lumpur.
Developed by Sentul Raya Sdn Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of YTL Land and Development Bhd, The Tamarind would be the first project to be launched in the prestigious and up-market mixed development in Sentul, Kuala Lumpur.
YTL Corp Bhd deputy managing director Datuk Yeoh Seok Kian said purchasers of The Tamarind’s 498 units would not be disappointed.
“They will be buying into an address of the future,” Yeoh said at YTL Corp’s sales office in Kuala Lumpur last week.
He was not only referring to The Tamarind, but to other residential properties that would be launched fairly soon in Sentul, which is currently going through an urban renewal exercise that is expected to be completed in seven to eight years.
Other projects to be launched fairly soon would be The Saffron, also in Sentul East, and one of the Park View series of condominium projects located in Sentul West.
Yeoh is excited about The Tamarind as well as the entire Sentul project as a whole. He has reason to be. After all, there are a number of outstanding features he can work around to add value to his projects.
To put potential purchasers into the picture, the Sentul project, a 294-acre development, is freehold land right smack in the city.
Secondly, due to the massiveness of the project, YTL Corp Bhd is able to create the ambience that befits the environment.
“We can chart the course and development of the area,” Yeoh said.
And he has a lot of great features to work with, and around. For starters, there is the old Sentul golf course that he would like to turn into a gated park just for residents. That would be located on Sentul West.
“That would take care of the security feature,” said Yeoh.
There would also be a little bird island, a bird sanctuary of sorts, to appease nature lovers.
“There would be a lot of green around. There’s no doubt about that. Nature would have its place in Sentul West. It would not be destroyed for the sake of development. In fact, our development would be done around it,” Yeoh said.
He said Malaysians had progressed to a stage where they valued simple things in life like taking a walk in the park, teaching their son to catch a spider and hearing calls of birds in the morning.
While nature has its place, so do the old colonial railway buildings that are still standing there. Currently, a popular backdrop for wedding pictures among newlyweds, Yeoh said the company would be retaining the couple of railway buildings that go back to the country’s colonial days. The result is a blend of old and new, modern and exotic.
Going back to his maiden launch, Yeoh said early birds who make a purchase before its official launch scheduled for the first week of July would get a 5% discount.
Located in Sentul East, what Yeoh calls the happening place with a bit of KLCC, Bangsar and Bintang Walk all rolled into one, The Tamarind has drawn much interest from young families.
The project comprises two blocks of high-rise, Block A and B, and two blocks of low rise with a total of 498 units.
The high rise will have 229 units per block, while the low rise, 20 units per block. The ground units of the low rise will have their own gardens. The selling price for the low rise will only be known during the July launch.
The minimum and maximum price of Block A’s 1,079sq ft and 1,345sq ft are RM201,600 and RM280,300 respectively.
Due to the overwhelming response received for Block A, the company subsequently opened up Block B for sale with prices 5% higher than that of Block B.
Like Block A, the price depends on layout and the level. The higher the level, the bigger the price tag as one would be paying for the view.
“And the view will not disappoint,” Yeoh said.
Purchasers have a choice of two views – the city skyline or Sentul Park. The ceiling-high windows display the view to the maximum. It would have timber flooring to give that warm cosy ambience.
While the designs are fairly similar with three bedrooms being the norm, there would be three types of floor area to choose from – 1,079sq ft, 1,115sq ft and 1,345sq ft with maintenance at 20 sen per sq ft.
The larger units come with additional features like a maid’s room, a third bathroom, a patio and a built-in shoe rack.
Outdoor amenities for the project include an 18-metre lap pool, Jacuzzi, barbeque areas, lawn, jogging track, a gym and a tennis court, a crèche and kindergarten, laundrette and convenience store. It would also have 24-hour security with intercom system.
In terms of connectivity, the project would be accessible via KTM Komuter, the Star LRT, the proposed Mahameru Highway, the proposed North-East Highway and the Sentul Skywalk, a pedestrian passageway that connects the Sentul KTM Komuter station with Sentul Star LRT station.
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