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For more than half a century, PKNS has been instrumental in shaping Selangor’s development and socio-economic growth. General Manager Fadli Mohd Ariff discusses its latest project, GRIP, and PKNS' efforts to strengthen Selangor’s position as a premier investment destination in Malaysia.
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00:17For more than half a century, PKNS has helped shape Slango's development, driving socio-economic growth.
00:24Today, that role continues to evolve, expanding to focus on sustainability, innovation and long-term value.
00:31Its latest project, the Green Industrial Park or GRIP in Kota Putri Crown City, reflects that ambition.
00:37Designed as an integrated one-stop centre, it brings together modern infrastructure, sustainable solutions and business-ready facilities to support
00:45investors while helping companies meet their ESG goals.
00:49Today, we take a closer look at GRIP's development and how collaboration with Invest Slango continues to position the state
00:56as a destination for high-quality investment into Malaysia.
01:03Hello, I'm Faye Kwan. You're watching Investment Insider, brought to you by Invest Slango.
01:10With me now is Mr. Fadli Muhammad Arif.
01:12He is the General Manager of Sales and Marketing at the Slango State Development Corporation or Perbandanan Kemajuan Negeri Slango,
01:20PKNS.
01:21Mr. Fadli, thank you for joining me today.
01:24Thank you. Thank you, Faye, for inviting me to this session.
01:27It's a pleasure to have you here. Now, firstly, when we talk about PKNS, PKNS has long been associated with
01:34shaping Slango's development, whether it's from townships to commercial hubs.
01:39But for viewers who may be less familiar with the agency as a state's development agency, what role does PKNS
01:47play today and how has that role evolved alongside Slango's growth?
01:51Well, for PKNS, since its creation back in 1964, its mandate has always been to provide housing for Slangorians and
02:04also to increase their social and economic development.
02:08So, in that manner, as PKNS transformed from how it was back then into now, it's towards expanding on the
02:17different elements or components towards that social and economic development.
02:22So, be it like, for instance, housing, that's technically providing a base for the rakyat, in a sense.
02:28As you go into commercial and retail, that is towards the business.
02:32And now, we are expanding into even industrial parks, which again, trying to elevate not just, I guess, rakyat per
02:40se, but the state as a whole.
02:42So, we see ourselves as somewhat rather like a driver of the state towards increasing both the people living here
02:55and also people who are doing business within the state.
02:59Well, that's really just going back to PKNS's core values, right? Social, economic, governance.
03:03Exactly.
03:04And PKNS itself has a very unique mandate, as you've mentioned, compared to private developers.
03:10But as the state continues to urbanize at such a rapid pace, how do you sort of balance economic development
03:18with community well-being while ensuring growth remains inclusive and sustainable?
03:24For us, we definitely see that the interplay is very much important.
03:30So, in our pursuit of developing or creating those, how do I say, hardscapes or physical buildings and all, we
03:40also emphasize on having the softest side of it, you know, the enablers within that physical things that we're building.
03:49For instance, we have a department, we call entrepreneurship, which helps to grow the small businesses, SMEs, into those buildings
04:03that we develop, in a sense.
04:05So, to me, that is how we try to not just focus on building things, but how to basically enable
04:13it to flourish.
04:17That interplay, for me, I see as something different for PKNS compared to other normal developers.
04:23That softer side of things has always been on our mind.
04:27So, it's not just about building things, you know, a typical property developer, but we also infuse it with entrepreneurial
04:34departments and even our subsidiaries, which helps towards providing a better or more wholesome solution.
04:44And it's interesting that you point out the priority in supporting SMEs, especially because they are the backbone of the
04:51nation's economy, right?
04:52But industrial development is also becoming an increasingly important part of PKNS's portfolio.
05:00What would you say is the long-term vision behind this industrial development and where does it fit within Selangor's
05:06broader economic priorities?
05:11In a way, PKNS has always been involved towards industrial properties per se.
05:18But the way we see as we grow is that we want to create an industrial solution that is towards
05:31a managed industrial park.
05:32That is something that we felt we could give something different to not only Selangoran, but to the world, basically.
05:40And in that sense, where if it's a managed industrial park, there are certain components that that fits to it,
05:47that create that whole solution, for instance, ESG.
05:52And this is something that we see the state and us have the alignment.
05:57So, in regards, we are not just doing it for our sake in the long run, but it's towards to
06:05create Selangor as the destination for investment into Malaysia.
06:10That's always been our, some rather, overarching objective.
06:14There is no shortage of industrial park options in Selangor for modern businesses.
06:19And with the market moving so fast, is there sort of broader master plan in place to steadily enhance their
06:25value over time?
06:26And what sets your specific industrial developments apart from the rest?
06:30Okay.
06:31So, with our latest managed industrial park, Grip Kota Puteri, we see it as being different in the sense that
06:38we try to focus towards providing a more overall ecosystem.
06:43In the sense that our infrastructure planning has been planned with the buyers in mind.
06:53That is something that we take pride of.
06:56We engage more like a focus group discussion when we were trying to create that industrial park.
07:02And also the components within it.
07:04So, for instance, we have the centralized labor quarters that will fulfill the needs for the workers.
07:11We have clubhouse components to provide a more lifestyle approach.
07:15Different facilities within the parks that we see as trying to give a more, again, wholesome and inclusive solution.
07:25And that's where, in the future, with elements such as ESG, we try to infuse that notion for all the
07:36companies that are operating within our managed industrial park, there is a certain standard that we try to adhere to.
07:42So, again, we are not just building it for now.
07:45We are trying to build it for the future.
07:47That's how we see it for us moving forward.
07:50Definitely a long-term plan here.
07:53Of course, of course.
07:53But it's very interesting when you spoke about focus groups with buyers.
07:57I wonder if you could elaborate and tell me a little bit more about the details of that and how
08:00that's been incorporated into your plans.
08:02So, when we started off doing the initial planning of the master plan for our GRIP Kota Puteri, we definitely
08:10had market study consultants call them in, trying to tell us what is the coming trends in the future.
08:18And we also involved agents.
08:20We wanted to get their views on what is the current demand.
08:24Because when you see, with GRIP Kota Puteri, there are certain target segments that we are focusing on.
08:31For instance, E&E, F&B, automotive.
08:34So, we are trying to do it in stages.
08:36And that's where that cluster-based design of the master plan is what we got from that session.
08:45In a sense that, for instance, I always heard it is kind of a joke, but a kelan kicap cannot
08:54be next to a biomedical hub.
08:57So, the idea is that we want to cluster it in that sense.
09:01Bear in mind, GRIP Kota Puteri is not just the only one that we have in plan.
09:05There are a few other sites that will be coming in in the future.
09:08So, that's the takeaway that we got from those sessions.
09:11And hopefully in the long term, allowing these separate clusters to flourish on their own and within their bubble.
09:17And to, how to say, to complement each other by, again, positioning PKNS as the almost one-stop solution for
09:28these companies to come in.
09:30And speaking about being a one-stop solution or positioning yourself as a one-stop solution,
09:35how has your collaboration with InvestLangor been in terms of helping to position and pitch this development to both local
09:43and international investors?
09:45Wow, InvestLangor is the premier partner, I guess, in this line of work.
09:50Because us being a state agency and them being the state investment promoter, it's almost like a symbiotic relationship.
10:00In a way that we have things to build and, I guess, to sell.
10:06And they come in as the partner to help us to advertise it, to create that awareness.
10:11So, for us, with InvestLangor and their capacity alignment with the state, they drive even a higher strategic approach towards
10:21getting the investment into Selangor.
10:23As I mentioned earlier, for us at PKNS, the way that we develop things have to be seen not just
10:31on a micro level,
10:35because in the way that objectives, I think, can be aligned between InvestLangor as a promoter and us, not just
10:44us, as the developer.
10:46So, we see InvestLangor as our main important partner in this journey as we grow our capacity as a company
10:56in regards to industrial park and industrial property.
11:00But, InvestLangor as a state.
11:04Right, thank you so much, Mr. Fadli.
11:08We'll take a short break, but when we come back, we'll take a look at sustainability features and the infrastructure
11:13needed to support modern businesses.
11:32Thank you for staying with us.
11:34Still with me now is Mr. Fadli Muhammad Arif.
11:37He is the General Manager for Sales and Marketing at PKNS.
11:41Now, earlier before the break, we discussed PKNS's broader development vision and its industrial growth strategy.
11:48Now, I'd like to focus on the practical side of that vision.
11:53Mr. Fadli, sustainability is no longer a bonus feature, but it's something that is increasingly a business requirement.
12:01How is PKNS responding to that sort of growth and demand, that growing demand for green and smart industrial solutions?
12:09Okay, in that sense, for us at PKNS, with our development, Kota Putri Green Desert Park, we infuse ESG elements
12:22right from the early stage.
12:24So, in terms of the master planning, we consulted with ESG consultants to help us in that pursuit.
12:33And we also infuse components such as like rainwater harvesting, solar panel rooftops, and EV charging as part of fulfilling
12:43that commitment.
12:45We also encourage always for our companies moving into our industrial park or managed industrial park to have those features
12:55because this is something that we see is somewhat or other, not just a standard, but a requirement, especially for
13:02exporters going into European countries and whatnot.
13:05So, for us at PKNS, ESG is an element that is not just about the E, but also about the
13:11S, and that is something that we feel our industrial park do provide those solutions, and definitely is very much
13:21important moving forward.
13:22Well, you've mentioned solar, you've mentioned EV chargers. Could you elaborate a little bit more about those or give a
13:30deeper picture of these specific sustainability features that are being integrated into your latest development?
13:37And is PKNS actually pursuing or actively pursuing any sort of formal green certifications to align with Selangor's wider ESG
13:45agenda?
13:45Yes, for our group, Kota Putri, we managed to get a green RE certification for it.
13:52So, this to me is a big sign that we are committed to this element, to this initiative.
14:02And the elements that we put in place, we try to cater it towards the industry players, in a sense
14:10like, for instance, as I mentioned, EV chargers and those rainwater harvestings and whatnot.
14:18Me personally, I try to focus on, again, on the social part of it, in a sense that our industrial
14:24park has component such as CLQ towards that.
14:29And with our centralised labour quarters, there are other components within that to encourage social inclusivity, interactions, and that's where
14:42we develop a clubhouse for companies to have their business meeting.
14:49Again, this is part of growing that notion that ESG is not just about purely on the E side of
14:58things, but also on the governance, for instance.
15:01That's where our alignment or, I don't want to say alignment, I guess, we are the part of the state.
15:05And that's where the governance comes in to ensure reporting back to the state are all done correctly and as
15:14required.
15:15Even incorporating spaces to have conversations around that, I think that's something that's very interesting that you've mentioned.
15:22For me, I see, if I can just add a bit, for me, the clubhouse serves more than just a
15:29typical clubhouse.
15:30Because when you talk about clubhouse in an industrial park, we see it not just as a business centre, but
15:35also an educational aspect to it.
15:39Because with, for instance, one of the ideas that we have is that to work with the entrepreneurs, the entrepreneurial
15:47department that we have, to bring, how to say, companies that operate within
15:53in Amundasa Park into that clubhouse so that they can showcase, and it becomes like a showcase area where the
16:00idea is that we want to tell the world or to educate all the different manufacturers or different products or
16:11services that we offer.
16:12So, I guess, in one hand, that is how we see ourselves different from the rest, by having these facilities
16:23and components and how to utilise it the best.
16:25We feel that we already have those enablers within our ecosystem.
16:31That is something that I think important for us at PKNS to differentiate and to move forward.
16:37And really going back to that image of being a one-stop centre for everything that a business I need.
16:42Exactly. So, it's not just a, again, not just a meeting centre, but people like Invest Lango can come in
16:47and bring their investors.
16:49So, there is a proper setup, a proper venue to host.
16:53So, these are, you know, some people, the ones that I talk to, they see it as like, it's already
16:59almost given.
17:00But for us, we try to differentiate it by accentuating that component that people think is normal and making it
17:09better as part of our commitment to the players and also, of course, to the state.
17:16Now, the thing is that a lot of industry or industrial players have very different or may have very different
17:22operational requirements.
17:26How have your land parcels and factory designs been planned to sort of accommodate this demand and all their diverse
17:35needs?
17:35And will there be any dedicated management or shared facilities within your park to support them?
17:40Yes. So, in terms of the design of the master plan, again, we are trying to go towards a cluster
17:45design approach,
17:46whereby we try to cluster specific teams of industry, for instance, E&E or F&B within our 300-odd
17:54acres.
17:56And by having the place into this industrial park, we also have our subsidiary, PKNS FMI.
18:05They are the IPM, the industrial park manager, that would basically cater more like a concierge services.
18:12But they cover from security, to maintenance, to cleaning services, to ensure that all the needs of the different players
18:24within the park is catered to.
18:28So, for us, we see IPM as an important partner to have, to ensure that the park goes running well
18:37and also to serve all the needs, of course.
18:40And then, beyond that, the physical infrastructure that you've mentioned, how else is PKNS actively helping businesses to achieve their
18:49own ESG or to implement their own ESG mandates?
18:52For us, again, we try to see ourselves as the pioneer or the pathfinder towards that.
19:00So, we, as I mentioned earlier, we have to comply or commit to certain aspects of the ESG broad spectrum
19:08of commitments.
19:10And we encourage these companies, again, to join us.
19:14So, for instance, like GBI, LED.
19:17So, these are the different certification that we always tell a place coming into the park to adhere to.
19:23Because, again, for us, GRIP Kota Puteri is a managed industrial park, it's a green industrial park.
19:29So, in the pursuit of having a very high standard, again, it's a work in progress.
19:36But we feel that all the players are definitely committed.
19:40Because, yeah, I mean, if you are manufacturers in Malaysia, you tend to export out anyways.
19:46And now, you see European countries or even the US are imposing ESG requirements or checklists that they need to
19:53fulfill.
19:55So, for us, it's not just about setting the pace or setting the standards within our park, but also to
20:01encourage and to proactively involve them in that pursuit.
20:07So, we have our partners and consultants within reach.
20:11And that's where, again, I think the IPM can play a role to help these companies to get on board
20:17that journey.
20:18It's really an ecosystem at their disposal.
20:21Exactly.
20:22That's the main idea anyway.
20:24To create an ecosystem where almost all that you need to operate, to be successful in industrial park, we try
20:33to cater for it.
20:34We try to figure it out and to provide those services.
20:39But I like to move a little bit onto the challenges then because private developers are really getting a bit
20:46more aggressive in the market.
20:48How is your team at PKNS navigating these sort of headwinds such as rising costs to remain competitive?
20:56Okay.
20:58In that sense, we see ourselves and the product that we provide to give a more long-term value.
21:08As I mentioned just now, all the different components, elements, partners that we have involved in Beslangu, our entrepreneur department,
21:17or even the IPM, industrial park manager.
21:19We see ourselves as providing the extra value.
21:23It is an enticing package that you have to offer.
21:25Providing the extra value for companies to come in.
21:28And I think we really show our differentiation.
21:32And that's where I believe the industry players can see that value.
21:37Because it's not just a short-term solution.
21:39It's not just about buying land and building.
21:41Because we have to think through about the connectivity, the ESG components, the park manager, what role they play.
21:50So for us, again, it's more like a wholesome package that we're trying to provide.
21:55And as Selangor moves towards more high-value industries, more sophisticated industrial ecosystems, where do you think the biggest opportunities
22:04remain untapped today?
22:06And how can platforms such as Spark help BKNS unlock them?
22:10Oh, again, the world is ever-changing.
22:15Right now, it's all about AI.
22:17So I see that for Malaysia, even for Selangor, or even for us, in that sense, that we try to
22:26follow the trend, in a sense.
22:28We try to anticipate.
22:29That's a big word.
22:31And there are many small-small, I guess, niche industries or teams that we feel could be looked into.
22:45For instance, advanced manufacturing, that is something that hasn't really been properly touched, or at least been localized to a
22:53certain area.
22:55Generally, those are the kind of industries that we encourage players to come in.
23:01And with the help of Veselangor and Spark, we feel that they can further, how to say, promote or create
23:09awareness that there are developers,
23:12they are companies that provide, I guess, solutions for this kind of specific or niche manufacturers to come in, you
23:20know.
23:20Because right now, other than AI and data centers, I believe the future is still huge for different aspects of
23:28manufacturing, you know.
23:29It's not just the typical E&E or even F&B.
23:33Because there will be a sub-component of the F&B or even the alternative that Malaysia or Selangor could
23:38cater to.
23:39And for us at PKNS, we try to anticipate those changes and we try to provide and we tune our
23:46master planning as we go along.
23:49And bear in mind, Great Putu Putu is not just the one.
23:51There will be more coming in later in the future.
23:54So we hope that we can still be relevant, you know, to new things in the world.
24:00Definitely lots of untapped potential and a lot more to look forward to under PKNS.
24:06Thank you very much for your time, Mr. Fadli.
24:09This has been Investment Insider brought to you by InvestLangor.
24:13I'm Faye Kwan.
24:14Thank you for watching and we'll see you in the next episode.
24:33I'm Faye Kwan.
25:01I'm Faye Kwan.
25:29I'm Faye Kwan.
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