SNAPSHOT Greater Kuala Lumpur & Klang Valley OVERVIEW Planning for a cleaner, greener city .... 62 ANALYSIS OF INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES WITH PARTNERS Infrastructure spin-off potential ..........64 TOP 10 KUALA LUMPUR/KLANG VALLEY COMPANIES ................................66 RATING BY INSIDE INVESTOR Projects to build on ......................................67 For the full report, o t please visit the Inside Investor store: ile pho F store.insideinvestor.com INSIDE MALAYSIA • JULY 61 OVERVIEW GREATER KUALA LUMPUR & KLANG VALLEY Planning for a cleaner, greener city Tourism Malaysia Tourism The multicultural metropolis of Kuala Lumpur and the surrounding Klang Valley region have to overcome problems of connectivity, urbanisation and liveability if they are to continue attracting investments. The economic and cultural core of Malaysia, home to approximately six million people, is slated for just such a 21st century makeover. Deriving its name from the fork The Greater KL/KV region accounts compared to more developed nations formed on the southern corner of Masjid for 20 per cent of Malaysia’s population such as the US with 83 per cent and RM Jamek by the confluence of the Klang and added RM263 billion to gross 153,000 respectively, and the UK with 87 and Gombak Rivers, Kuala Lumpur – or national income (GNI) in 2010, or 30 per cent and RM108,000 respectively. “muddy estuary” in Bahasa Malayu – is per cent of the nation’s total. Yet this Currently Malaysia is behind other Malaysia’s capital and home to the iconic country of 29 million is still very much regional urban hubs when it comes Petronas Towers, once the world’s tallest in the initial steps of unlocking the to attracting foreign companies and buildings at the time of completion in economic potential associated with more workers. According to research published 1998. developed nations who have created in the ETP, there are 1,600 foreign Together the Greater Kuala Lumpur specialised and highly productive urban companies with offices in Malaysia, and Klang Valley (Greater KL/KV) region centers. whereas other Asian cities have clearly had a population of approximately six According to the Economic proven to be more alluring: 4,000 foreign million as of 2010: As part of the Kuala Transformation Programmes (ETP), the companies are in Beijing, 6,000 in Lumpur National Conurbation, it is the country’s roadmap for economic growth, Singapore and 17,000 in Shanghai. largest urban center in the country. Malaysia has an urbanisation level of 67 In order to bring in and keep global This region is defined as ten per cent and GNI per capita of RM22,000, talent and multi-national corporations neighbouring municipalities, which are (MNCs) – as well as herald a return of governed by local authorities: the largest the Malaysian diaspora (the majority being DB Kuala Lumpur (DBKL) with The Greater KL/KV of which are currently residing in around 1.7 million people, followed by region accounts for 20 Singapore, the US, the UK and Australia) MP Klang (747,000), MP Kajang (743,000), per cent of Malaysia’s – an urban center with efficient regional MP Subang Jaya (583,000), MB Petaling and intercity transportation, sound Jaya (577,000), MP Selayang (559,000), MB population and added sewage and sanitation systems, and Shah Alam (528,000), MP Ampang Jaya RM263 billion to gross a liveable and green environment is (142,000), Perbadanan Putrajaya (89,000), national income in 2010. needed. Unfortunately, current trends and MD Sepang (82,000). and global rankings depict a city facing 62 INSIDE MALAYSIA • JULY 2012 OVERVIEW GREATER KUALA LUMPUR & KLANG VALLEY numerous challenges: Public transport is with showcasing Malaysian MNCs between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore in decline, with modal shares that have through events set up by Bursa Malaysia are bouncing about the news. Though slipped from 34 per cent in 1985 to 20 per and Maybank Investment Bank Bhd. still in the feasibility stages of cent in 1997 and now stand at 12 per cent The logistical nightmares that research, the National Key Economic as of 2009; the Economist Intelligence bottleneck supply chains in poorly Area laboratory, the government Unit’s global liveability index ranked managed urban centers are trying to committee behind the project, has Greater KL/KV 79th out of the 130 be avoided so that Greater KL/KV can heard presentations from UEM countries which were surveyed. continue attracting MNCs and move Group-Hartasuma, China Infraglobe However, beyond charming foreigners up the ranks of the international city Consortium-Global Rail and YTL Corp, with improved infrastructure and surveys. What is being called “Malaysia’s reported the New Straits Times in April additional commercial centers along largest infrastructure project” can get 2012. The HSR trains, sometimes known a cleaned up Klang River (see below), Kuala Lumpur over this hurdle. as “bullet trains”, which travel at an Malaysia has made conspicuous displays The proposed three-line Klang Valley average of 350 to 450 kilometers per hour, to lower the cost of doing business, Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) system – also have seen a noticeable rise in popularity especially for those who qualify known as the Greater KL MRT – will over the past decade in Taiwan, South under the revisited qualifications for usher in the construction of about 141 Korea and China, though they were first operational headquarters status, as kilometers of additional rail lines that introduced in Japan in the 1960s. outlined in the ETP, which includes will be integrated with the current LRT HSR links have been known to having total parent company assets of and KL Monorail transit systems. The dramatically increase passenger travel over RM300 million, a minimum paid-up new MRT system is expected to attend to in the past, and analysts expect that the capital of RM5 million from the parent over 11 per cent of traffic through Klang 9.2 million trips made between the two company, a sustained size of companies Valley and 64 per cent of travel through cities every year could surge upwards as outside of Malaysia, and a workforce in Kuala Lumpur city center. About 90 new much as three to six times. By the same which over 50 per cent are deemed as stations are being planned, and funding token, with the new link Greater KL/KV skilled for employment through relevant will come in by leveraging the best will begin to attract additional business certifications. principles of private-public partnerships from Singapore because of high labour Currently the operational (PPP) and encouraging capital costs in the city-state’s service sector – headquarters status awards a tax investments with offerings of cross- which are approximately two to three exemption period of five to ten years. subsidised property rights next to the times greater than Greater KL/KV – and In addition, the cost of doing business new stations. Construction is currently due to knocked down travel time that has been made even lower by creating in progress and being undertaken by will become two hours faster than flying. the option of a single-window service MRT Corporation, a group of privately Bringing more greenery into the online, integrating agencies and sliming help companies involved in engineering, region will also improve quality of life paperwork to three procedures over the construction, architecture, military for KLites. Currently KL city center course of three days with the standard has only 12 meters of green space per Malaysia company identification capita, just below the 16-meter standard number (MyCoID). set by the World Health Organisation In another bid to promote the Beyond charming (WHO), as noted in the ETP. Plans to region, InvestKL, a government-run foreigners with improved expand existing tree planting schemes marketing agency, has been tasked to infrastructure and from 25,000 trees a year to 100,000 trees write brochures and compile press kits in KL city center will bring a bit of the highlighting Greater KL/KV and send additional commercial Malaysian forest back to urban dwellers. them off to MNCs in industries that centers along the Klang To support beautification projects, Malaysia already shows comparative River, Malaysia has made the city will also promote recycling advantages in, such as Islamic finance, and begin implementing solid waste retail, palm oil production and conspicuous displays to management fees. In 2009, Malaysia had manufacturing. lower the cost of doing a recycling rate of just 11 per cent, far The website (www.investkl.gov.my) business. behind that of developed nations, such is published in English and Chinese as Denmark (42 per cent) and Singapore and features praise from a number (57 per cent). of key players of world-renowned Campaigns with the goal of obtaining companies, such as Schlumberger, IBM, supplies, surveillance and more. a recycle rate of 2020 will be made, and Toshiba, PayPal, Citibank, Tesco and Likewise, beyond plans to become the public will be informed that by GlaxoSmithKline. As reported on the a more interconnected city, talks of 2012 unsorted solid waste will not be InvestKL site, the agency is also involved building a high-speed rail (HSR) link collected. INSIDE MALAYSIA • JULY 2012 63.