KUALA LUMPUR, March 30 — Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) has been awarded the prestigious Fiabci property award 2020/21 under the Public Sector category for its successful development and operations of Residensi UTMKL. 

The award night was held last night at the One World Hotel in Bandar Utama. 

This prestigious accolade was timely as UTM continues to work in realising its vision to be a world-class institute of higher education, that provides top-class facilities consistent with its vibrant campus lifestyle and academic excellence.

UTM is the first public university in Malaysia to win the award. 

The university also celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.

UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Ahmad Fauzi Ismail said they are proud to bag this prestigious property award, especially since UTM is the first public university to receive such an honour. 

"Our aim has always been to provide a conducive learning environment along with facilities of international standards while connecting with society and Industry.”

UTM is among the top public universities in Malaysia. 

The university has its main campus in Skudai Johor and its main campus in the heart of Kuala Lumpur city centre. 

Both campuses have 40,000 students who pursue their tertiary education. 

Its Kuala Lumpur city campus showcases a vibrant lifestyle, where its award-winning property, Residensi UTMKL, stands tall in providing high standards students accommodation and a conducive learning environment.

The city campus has been evolving since the 1970s to reflect the ever-growing Kuala Lumpur city as well as the university aspirations. 

It remains an important and integral part of UTM in its vision to be a world-class centre of excellence in tertiary education and research.

The Residensi UTMKL  —  Gurney Mall which sits on a 0.40ha land was a self-funded project which started construction in 2014 and was successfully completed in early 2017.

During the construction period, UTM utilised in-house expertise and resources as project management, which successfully completed the development on time and saved UTM a considerable amount in consultancy fees. 

Although it has a modern and practical design, it still addresses environmental sensitivities. 

The RM171.5 million complex was built via the industrial building system which received a green building index rating scorecard of 73.86 points. 

The project had also created many jobs for local workers and was less dependent on foreign labour.

UTM Holdings Sdn Bhd (UTMH), a wholly-owned subsidiary of UTM, was entrusted with the task to manage the property. — Picture courtesy of UTM

It continues to uphold UTM’s vision of providing a conducive and exceptional environment for studies and strives to make UTM an internationally renowned university whilst creating value-added investments by monetising assets effectively. 

"We strive to ensure that the property yields continuous targeted income and meets the high expectations of our customers and stakeholders,” said UTMH chairman Tan Sri Mohd Ramli Kushairi. 

Residensi UTMKL  —  Gurney Mall is a mixed-use property development project which consists of 750 beds accommodation that is being used for student’s long term stay and daily use under UTM Hotel and Residence. 

Other facilities are the Grand Banquet Hall — which is a popular venue for all types of events such as corporate functions and weddings, the Grand Petra Hall and Petra Seminar Rooms  —  which is used for events such as seminars and meetings, the Gurney Mall — which houses local and international brand retail and food outlets, and The Sage on Sixth  —  a popular restaurant serving local and international cuisine in an intimate modern comfortable setting.

For leisure, the property has a 10-lane bowling alley (Gurney Bowl) equipped with its pro-shop and a rooftop swimming pool  —  possibly with one of the most stunning views of Kuala Lumpur City Centre skyline. 

The property also has ample indoor and outdoor parking spaces as well as retail outlets to provide convenience to the residents. 

The Mall is a hotspot for hotel and residence guests, and a favourite among students, as they can enjoy the amenities of modern city living in one complex. 

The property is also popular amongst the residents within the vicinity as their go-to local neighbourhood Mall.

It provides hundreds of job opportunities and valuable internships for students not only from UTM but also from other universities.

In 2018, Residensi UTMKL was awarded with the prestigious Anugerah Aksesebiliti Sejagat. 

UTMH chief executive officer Ahmad Kamil said the property continues to grow and evolve to suit the needs of its students and guests and shall aspire UTM to continue providing a top-class learning environment with international standards facilities. 

"The Residensi UTMKL  —  Gurney Mall is in a class on its own and the strong synergy between UTM and its wholly-owned subsidiary, UTMH, will continue to ensure the success of this property for many years to come.

"We work hard at generating rental income and maintaining high standards of services whilst providing cost-effective facilities management services. 

"These are our main focus and priority.”

Residensi UTMKL  —  Gurney Mall has set the benchmark and UTM will continue to pursue its vision of becoming one of the best universities in the world with a high reputation in global branding. 

This is evident in UTM’s steady increase in international student intake over the years as UTM gains recognition globally. 

UTM has risen from position 303 in 2016 to 187 in 2021 QS World University Ranking and has great potential to be in the top 100 in the near future.