RAWANG, May 30 — Skyline Enterprises, a Queenstown, New Zealand-based leisure and entertainment operator, will open Malaysia’s first luge attraction in the third quarter of 2023 with an investment of NZ$26 million (about RM74 million).
The luge activity at the Gamuda Gardens City Centre — a commercial and retail-entertainment hub in the Gamuda Gardens township here — is expected to attract about 350,000 people in its first year of opening, said Gamuda Land chief operating officer Chu Wai Lune.
He said as the company embarks on its environmental, social and governance (ESG) route, the luge attraction would complement the residential and lifestyle component worth RM2.8 billion in gross development value within a total area of 20.23 hectares (50 acres).
“Only sustainable developments will last. As we ensure that our township has biophilic design, is energy efficient, pedestrian-friendly, encourages more cycling and has fewer cars, Skyline Enterprises sees that we share the same values of creating for community placemaking and building a sustainable future for the planet,” he said at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Skyline Luge Activity Park today.
Also present at the ceremony were New Zealand High Commissioner Pam Dunn and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) deputy chief executive officer (CEO) of investment promotion and facilitation Sivasuriyamoorty Sundara Raja. Chu said the Skyline Luge Activity Park and the Play Park, encompassing a good mix of wet and dry recreational rides as well as open-air retail spaces, will be ready to kick-start the vibrancy at the township by the end of 2023.
The luge activity park, to be built on a 30,000-square metre site, will be Skyline Enterprises’ fourth park in Asia. The others are located in Singapore and South Korea (Busan and Tongyeong).
Its CEO Geoff McDonald said the luge experience on the 600-metre purpose-built track with themed-landscaping luge activity park will be designed to work with the local terrain and will deliver an exciting ride from the top of a 40-metre elevated hill.
“We are excited to bring in our fun-filled leisure experiences here because we think there is a lot of potential here. Kuala Lumpur (KL) is always an attraction with such a vibrant diversity and easy-to-do business, and it is also easier to channel people here, being adjacent to Singapore.
“Besides KL, we are also looking to expand this fun activity experience to European countries including the United Kingdom (UK),” said McDonald.
Meanwhile, Mida’s Sivasuriyamoorty said in his speech that Skyline Enterprises’ move to expand its business into Malaysia is a testament to Malaysia’s growing positive business sentiment among the community of tourism investors.
He added that the activity will be another interesting attraction in the tourism sector after the sector was badly hit by the lockdowns due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Gamuda Land is the property arm of Gamuda Bhd. It has been developing townships, high-rise developments, country clubs and commercial real estates for the past two decades. — Bernama
