The Selangor state government is backing this development because I-Bhd is supporting its aim to take the Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) concept to the next level, from merely focusing on the business community to creating a digital community.
Also, it is the first project of its kind by the private sector and on such a massive scale.
There was a flurry of activities last month that saw I-Bhd signing a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Intel on Sept 7 for the development of digital service infrastructure at i-City.
Datuk Prof Dr Adnan Alias
This was followed by an official visit by Selangor state executive councillor Datuk Ch’ng Toh Eng, who is also chairman of the state Multimedia, Environment & Village Development Portfolio, to the project’s site in Section 7 on Sept 25.Ch’ng, who initiated the digital city idea, was satisfied with the progress. Earthworks at the project’s 72-acre freehold site in front of the Sungai Rasau toll plaza of the Federal Highway 1 are nearing completion while piling on the Phase 1 shop offices has started.
The next day, I-Bhd signed another MoU with UniSel at its Shah Alam city campus (located near i-City) to forge a smart partnership under the i-City incubation programme.
More MoUs would be signed in the coming months with other consortium members to undertake the development of the digital infrastructure of i-City.
It is understood that I-Bhd, a public listed company on the Bursa Malaysia main board, has allocated RM5mil on a promotional campaign.
The City Walk is the project’s much-touted showpiece. I-Bhd will spend about RM40mil on ICT infrastructure to support a unique 1,000-ft-long pedestrian street mall where visitors would be surrounded by light, colour, movement and sound. A three-court design provides ample space for events and promotions throughout the year.
The company has 80 retail units lining City Walk for rental only. The City Walk is flanked on one side by 44 units of landed shop offices and on the other by 72 units of strata shop offices, all with a contemporary design. Sales have been encouraging.
The success of the shop offices, City Walk and two office towers (where light shows and images would be projected on the buildings’ glass walls) under the 20-acre Phase 1 (scheduled for completion at end of 2007) is crucial. This helps I-Bhd to gain investors’ confidence for the rest of the development that will also have a retail mall, serviced residences, hotel, intelligent school, corporate offices and innovation centre.
The company’s maverick chairman Datuk Lim Kim Hong, realising the importance of shoring up confidence, has worked tirelessly to push for the project’s acceptance.
Lim, who made his millions selling mattresses in the 1980s, wants to bury the ghost of its Sumur City project that failed to take off on the same site following the 1997/98 regional economic crisis.
Since then, I-Bhd has shifted its focus from being a traditional manufacturer of air-conditioners and home appliances to become the leading local provider of digital convergence products. It brought digitalisation to homes and is now expanding its vision to provide smart systems integration to townships.
An artist’s impression of part of the i-City. The RM1.5bil development will take between eight and 10 years to complete
I-City marks I-Bhd’s first foray into an ICT-enabled property development.“I-City is a world-class project, and from the state government's perspective, there will be many ground-breaking ideas and policies for the state to consider as the project progresses.
“In view of this, the state has established the i-City Selangor Steering Committee so that such issues can be resolved quickly,” said Ch’ng, who has been appointed chairman of this steering committee with the Selangor State Investment Corporation as secretariat.
Ch’ng said the steering committee had held many meetings over the past year and he was happy that the project was moving along smoothly.
Datuk Ch'ng Toh Eng (centre) being briefed by Datuk Lim Kim Hong (far right) and Eu Hong Chew (far left) at the i-City project site in Shah Alam
“I am confident that the end result would be a comprehensive digital community that is the first in the region. It will also be the first private sector financed initiative in the region and a new public-private sector development role model in Malaysia,” he added.UniSel vice-chancellor Datuk Prof Dr Adnan Alias said i-City offered a “win-win” opportunity for I-Bhd and Unisel. The collaboration with I-Bhd, he said, would see the setting up of Unisel’s first information technology incubator.
“It will be an extension of our industry collaboration. There will be a lot of things needed to make the i-City’s digital city vision a success. One is the software and content development like showing videos on buildings and the total city management system,” he told StarBiz.
Dr Adnan said Unisel would be providing the premises, facilities and expertise for the i-City incubators, as it would take I-Bhd some time to have its own premises for the incubators in i-City. (I-Bhd plans to have 40 incubatees in its i-City incubation programme to start next year and be ready by 2009.)
“Our lecturers can provide consultancy for the project. It will present us with a good opportunity to jointly develop technopreneurs,” he said.
Intel director for South-East Asia, Australia and New Zealand, Philip Cronin, said there was an “explosion” of technological innovations and i-City would help to make businesses more competitive in the global market and have lower costs in the long term.
I-Bhd chief executive officer Eu Hong Chew said i-City would take eight to 10 years to complete and would be funded partly from sales and internal funds.
I-Bhd’s Lim Kim Hong has one wish before he retires: to make i-City a success, as he believes it would benefit Selangor and the country as a whole.
“I am not only putting a lot of my own money, but I am staking my reputation on this development,” he said.
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