Cheras

Overview

Cheras is a massive suburban area located in the capital city of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur with parts of it located in neighbouring state, Selangor. It is nestled in the southeast region of the city. It borders Ampang to the north and Kajang to the south. Both these cities are well established in the metropolitan vicinity of Kuala Lumpur, making Cheras a particularly progressive township.

The Kuala Lumpur portion of Cheras is only 6km away from Kuala Lumpur City Centre and has always been popular among homebuyers and property investors given its location, relative affordability of its properties and established amenities.

Cheras facilitates a significant number of housing estates and shopping centres and is well linked with expressways and multiple trunk roads. Most of the properties are freehold. It is also in a centralised location with easy access to major highways such as the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR2), Cheras-Kajang Expressway (Grand Saga), East–West Link and the Smart Tunnel, making Cheras Kuala Lumpur a very attractive proposition for homebuyers

Furthermore, its massive size means several LRT (Ampang-Sri Petaling line) and MRT (Sungai Buloh-Kajang line) stations serve the area, making commuting convenient. Hence, getting in and around it can be a breeze. Notably, the Bandar Tasik Selatan (BTS) Rail interchange in the district is linked to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) via the ERL Expressway. And this route only takes a short 20-minute journey. The BTS Rail is also connected to the KTM Intercity Railway and the Interstate bus station, Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS), which was recently developed.

New shopping malls such as MyTOWN Shopping Centre, IKEA Cheras and Sunway Velocity have given the Cheras area new vitality. The upcoming Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) project in KL city will add to the appeal of living in Cheras with its improved accessibility to shopping, dining and entertainment options.

The BBCC is a mixed-use development to be undertaken on the former Pudu Jail site (19.4 acres) over the next 10 years.

There are more than 10 developed landed housing areas in Cheras Kuala Lumpur. Bandar Tun Razak, Taman Midah and Taman Connaught are among the most sought-after areas.

 

The MRT effect

High-rise projects being developed near MRT stations (Sungai Buloh-Kajang line) in Cheras are expected to do well. For example, EkoCheras by Ekovest Bhd, located on freehold land on Jalan Cheras, which is 9km away from KLCC and with Taman Mutiara MRT station close by. Comprising serviced apartments, office units, hotel suites and a lifestyle mall, EkoCheras Mall. Launched in 2013 at RM700 psf, the units have a built-up area of between 831 sq ft and 1,300 sq ft. Being near Taman Mutiara MRT station means Cheras Leisure Mall is just a stone’s throw away.

Other parts of Cheras are boosted by the “MRT effect”. A total of 10 MRT stations are in the Cheras area – from Cochrane to Batu 11 Cheras stations. For instance, the Cochrane station serves as a direct public transportation access to MyTown Shopping Centre and IKEA Cheras. While most others lead to mature residential neighbourhoods such as Taman Midah, Taman Pertama and Taman Suntex.

As an established area with ample amenities, and new lifestyle developments and MRT stations, Cheras is expected to attract more investor attention.

 

Amenities and Facilities

Cheras Leisure Mall, the first full-fledged mall in the area, opened for business in 1996 in Taman Segar. And after 20 over years in operation, it is still considered a landmark and is one of the most popular malls in Cheras.

Established in end-2015, IKEA Cheras serves as another iconic landmark of Cheras. MyTOWN Shopping Centre and Sunway Velocity, which are located five minutes or 3.8km from KLCC in the Cochrane and Maluri areas, and the upcoming Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) project nearby will add to the appeal of living in Cheras, KL with its improved accessibility to shopping, dining and entertainment options.

Established schools, medical facilities such as Pantai Cheras Medical Centre and Hospital UKM, and other amenities, have benefitted the people.

Education prospects within Cheras are not one to be taken lightly. It is renowned for good schools and institutes of higher learning. Home to one of the biggest, most well-affiliated nursing colleges in the Asia Pacific region, Masterskill College of Nursing and Health, Cheras attracts driven students from various parts of the country and the world.

Apart from that, the government is also heavily invested in constructing and expanding academies, particularly within the Bandar Tun Razak region. A fully boarding, upper secondary school already positioned within the region, Alam Shah Science School (ASiS) has been placed under the group of High-Performance Schools since 2011. Besides that, SM Sains Selangor is another residential school developed here.

Other recognised universities situated in different areas within the district include UCSI University and Kolej Teknologi YPC-iTWEB and Cyberbernetics International College of Technology (CiCT). Courses offered at UCSI range from music to medicine, making it an institute with a pretty diverse academic experience.

Cheras has several international sports facilities, consisting of football stadiums, badminton stadiums and swimming centres. The district also aided in hosting the 1995 SEA games and 1998 Commonwealth Games, so its amenities are top-notch.

Spotlight on Bandar Sri Permaisuri (from The Edge Malaysia 7 February 2022 issue)

Taman Tasik Permaisuri, or Queen's Lake Garden, is one of the every few larger urban recreational parks in Kuala Lumpur. The 122-acre park was officially opened by the then Raja Permaisuri Agong Sultanah Zanariah, also known as Tunku Puan Hajah Zanariah Almarhum Tengku Ahmad, on April 2, 1989. 

Developments and landmarks around this park include Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM, Unit Berkuda DBKL Kompleks Renang Kuala Lumpur, International Youth Centre, Cheras Statdium and Hospital Rehabilitasi Cheras. Because of this park many people have also come to know about the neighbouring housing estate that carries a similar name - Bandar Sri Permaisuri. 

Landmarks

Bandar Sri Permaisuri is a 220-acre mixed-use township jointly developed by DBKL and Dwitasik Sdn Bhd, with PPC Glomac Sdn Bhd as the turnkey contractor. In a previous interview with City & Country, Dwitasik executive director Datuk Wan Mohamed Yaacob Wan Salaidin said Bandar Sri Permaisuri was initially planned as a public gold course in the 1990s. The plan was subsequently changed so that the area could be built as a mixed development to provide more housing. 

He added that there were 17 parcels in total, 14 of which have been completed, two of which are commercial developments and one, residential. Ari Permaisuri, which has been launched progressively since 2019, is the last residential development there. The township has two lakes, from which name "Dwitasik" (two lakes) is derived.

Bandar Sri Permaisuri is directly linked to the East-Wesk Link Expressway, Middle Ring Road II and Jalan Loke Yew. It is also connected via the Salak Selatan KTM and LRT stations. 

MacReal International Sdn Bhd associate director Gan Boon How tells City & Country that Bandar Sri Permaisuri is surrounded by four housing estates: Taman Ikan Emas in the north; Salak Selatan New Village in the southeast; Taman Mulia in the south, and Salak Selatan in the west. 

Gan says: "The Bandar Sri Permaisuri township has a variety of restauarants, mini markets, banks and clinics. Schools include SMK Seri Tasik, SK Seri Tasik, SMK Seri Permaisuri, SK Seri Permaisuri, Sekolah Menengah Agama Majlis Islan Wilayh Persekutuan." 

Property consultants note that Bandar Sri Permaisuri has also attracted developers such as Tan & Tan Developments Bhd, Danau Lumayan Sdn Bhd and Seal Properties (KL) Sdn Bhd.  

VPC Alliance (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd managing director James Wong notes that, as the master developer, Dwitasik is the main developer for Bandar Sri Permaisuri. Subsequently, Tan & Tan Developments came in to develper a medium-cost condominium known as Cendana Condominium. Seal Properties Sdn Bhd, meanwhile, signed a turnkey agreement with DBKL and Dwitasik in 2019 to develop the 12.5-acre mixed-use commercial development known as Queensville Kuala Lumpur.

"The early developments in Bandar Sri Permaisuri include the 690-unit Bayu Tasik Condominium in 1999, followed by Sri Penara Apartment in 2000. It is an integrated township with more than 10,000 residential and commercial units completed so far," Wong says. 

"Residential developments in Bandar Sri Permaisuri are mainly low-and high-rise; landed residential developments are confined to townhouses." 

The entire township is connected via Jalan Sri Permaisuri, with the centre of the township being the commercial centres. When motorists enter Jalan Sri Permaisuri via the East-West ink Expressway, they will first see Dataran Dwitasik and Pusat Perniagaan Danau Lumayan on their right and Queensville Kuala Lumpur on their left. 

Comparatively, shopoffices at Dataran Dwitasik and Pusat Perniagaan Danau Lumayan are older and typical lots. Meanwhile, Queensville Kuala Lumpur is a new, intergrated development with five components: corporate office towers, office suites, retail shops, apartments and an upcoming shopping mall. 

The centre of township is a food haven with eateries such as Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar, Marrybrown Q Avenue, Taco Bell Bandar Sri Permaisuri, Burger King, OldTown White Coffee and Kedai Ayamas. There are also banks, car workshops, dental clinics, delivery service providers and convenience stores such as Bank Simpanan Nasional, Bank Islam, Public Bank, Family Mart, 7-Eleven, Mail Boxes Etc, Watsons and Senheng. 

Farther down Jalan Sri Permaisuri, one will be able to see Plaza Dwitasik, which houses offices and Klinik Premier PPUKM Cheras. 

There is another commercial hub off Jalan Sri Permaisuri 6 on the west side of the township, where there are services such as HeroMarket supermarket, Mr DIY and the Bandar Sri Permaisuri branch of the Road Transport Department. 

Transit-oriented development 

Gan says a main attraction of Bandar Sri Permaisuri is its new urban development concept, which is transit-oriented and encourages the public to use public transport and reduce their reliance on private vechiles. 

He says: "Residential properties have higher demand than commercial properties, with about 950 transactions in 2020. Based on research done in 2016, Bandar Sri Permaisuri provides various levels of housing to cater for the different needs of the population. Research shows that low-cost housing, at 3,678 units, represents 42% of all housing units in the township. Medium-cost housing, on the other hand, represents 45% of all housing units, leaving only 13% of housing units as high-cost housing."  

Therefore, Wong notes, the demographic household in the area comprises mainly low- to middle-income wage earners, as the middle-range housing types and affordable housing in Bandar Sri Permaisuri have attracted buyers in the B40 and M40 groups. 

"Based on JPPH secondary transactions data, medium-cost residential apartments see the most demand. They include Sri Penara Apartment and Cendana Apartment, priced from RM190,000 to RM380,000 per unit, as well as Suasana Lumayan, at RM450,000 to RM580,000 per unit," he says. 

These types of units complement the neighbouring Bandar Tun Razak township, which offers mostyle landed homes, notes Rahim & Co International Sdn Bhd Cheras branch manager William Ng Mun Kin. 

Nevertheless, Ng adds, the high-rise developments in Bandar Sri Permaisuri also mean it has a high density and large population, resulting in traffic congestion during peak hours becomes of limited parking space. 

Property consultants note that many apartment residents park their cars along the roads because of insufficient parking space in the compound of the apartments. A multi-storey car park is needed to solve the parking issue there. 

Wong also observes that there are limited feeder buses to reach the Salak Selatan KTM and LRT stations, hence the need to improve the frequency of the buses to reduce traffic congestion during peak periods. 

"Another challenge is that Bandar Sri Permaisuri is deemed a lower-middle- and middle-income township. So, there were no high-end residential developments in Bandar Sri Permaisuri. This situation has only changed recently with (the relatively newer) Queensville Kuala Lumpur," he says. 

"If the perennial street parking problem can be solved, with the public park and two lakes nearby, there are prospects of some upper-middle-income residential developments in Bandar Sri Permaisuri." 

Prospects and Pricing 

Property consultants are generally positive about the prospects of Bandar Sri Permaisuri, as it is well connected to major roads and highways and has easy access to amenities and public services. 

Gan says the pricing of shopoffices there has changed a little since 2016, and even stagnated at between RM2 million and RM3.5 million for typical units. 

"In general, the residential properties recorded an almost flat prices pattern from 2016 to 2020, which is between RM200 and RM350 psf for low- and medium-cost apartments. The price range of condominiums, townhouses and apartments is from RM300 to RM550 psf," he says. 

"Property prices were in a flattened curve because the population density there has cuased unavoidable traffic congestion during peak hours. From a different perspective, however, the traffic woes might be a reason that property is relatively affordable in such a strategic location."

Meanwhile, according to data by Wong, medium-cost high-rise developments in Bandar Sri Permaisuri were priced at between RM232 and RM530 psf last year. While transaction prices in 2021 represent an increase from 2015, they are still either lower or flat compared with the 2016/17 period. For example, at Sri Penara Apartment, one of the earliest affordable housing developments there, comprsing standard units with a built-up of 656 sq ft, prices increased to between RM232 and RM511 psf last year, from between RM170 and RM301 psf in 2015, but fell from between RM162 and RM560 psf in 2017. 

"The overall property market in Bandar Sri Permaisuri has started to slow down since 2019. Owing to the Covid-19 pandamic, the property market has become more challenging and secondary market property prices are expected to decrease at an average of 10%," Wong says. 

"Housing prices in neighbouring housing estates appear to command higher prices than those in Bandar Sri Permaisuri. For example, houses in Prisma Cheras and Prima Midah in Taman Midah are going for RM350 and RM400 psf and RM340 to RM450 psf respectively. [Higher-end projects such as] Lido Residency in Bandar Tun Razak and Eko Residence in Taman Mutiara Barat are priced from RM620 to RM650 psf and RM590 to RM720 psf respectively." 

Bandar Sri Permaisuri rental market to remain strong (from The Edge Malaysia 11 April 2022 issue)

Property consultants say that the residential rental market at Bandar Sri Permaisuri is strong owing to its connectivity as well as proximity to the Kuala Lumpur city centre. 

According to Metro Homes Realty Bhd executive director See Kok Loong, Bandar Sri Permaisuri was developed as an integrated, self-contained township that is expected to cater to an estimated population of 70,000. 

"The residential rental market is always very attractive in Bandar Sri Permaisuri, thanks to its location close to the city as well as accessibility to public transportaion. Furthermore, most of the developments are in the mid- to affordably-priced range. 

"Covid-19 has not affected the rental market much as the majority of the residents are government servants of GLC (government-linked companies) employees who have experienced minimal impact to their income," he says. 

Laurelcap Sdn Bhd executive director Stanley Toh agrees that Bandar Sri Permaisuri's residential properties are popular because of its location, accessibility and connectivity. Moreover, it has affordable yet relatively new apartments, compared with similar schemes in Kuala Lumpur. 

"Bandar Sri Permaisuri is also where many people from other states usually find their lodgings when they first arrive in Kuala Lumpur, [However,] when Covid-19 struck, the rental market in the area was stagnant as MCO [Movement Control Order] halted the movement of migrants," he says. 

"Many of the tenants of the residential properties there aree working adults, young adults from other states seeking job opportunities in Kuala Lumpur as well as young families. Many of them work in Hospital Canselor Tuanku Muhriz UKM, as well as lecturers and teachers of nearby schools. 

"As for the commercial side, the tenants are mainly restaurants, banks, sundry shops and convenience stores. Bandar Sri Permaisuri offers good public infrastructure, is convenient and close to Kuala Lumpur city centre," adds Toh. 

Both the consultants say that the tenant profile has not changed over the years, as the township continues to cater maily to the lower- to middle-income earners. Toh observes that the numer of foreign workers living in the area may have increased recently. 

They are also positive on the rental market in Bandar Sri Permaisuri. 

"Future demand looks to be steady but we won't see the rental rates moving up so quickly. It is easy to rent out an apartment but the rental rate still remains unchanged," Toh adds. 

A small street with offerings aplenty (from The Edge Malaysia 2 May 2022 issue)

You can do a wide range of activities on Jalan Menara Gading 1 in Taman Connaught, Cheras, from sipping hot milky tea at Lucky Kopitiam and getting your hair done, to savouring Middle Eastern food and grabbing some groceries. 

This short stretch of road of about 200m also has hotels, financial institutions, F&B outlets and other conveniences. These cater not only to the residents living in the area but also the students at UCSI College and UCSI University, which sandwich this street. 

The commercial activities operate but of the 3-storey shopoffices that line Jalan Menara Gading 1. One stretch has only one row of shopoffices, while the rest of it has two rows of shopoffices. 

"The shopoffices are located at a strategic and established location in Taman Conought. It is surrounded by a highly populated area, comprising apartments, higher-learning institutions, a petrol station, McDonalds drive through, ikon Connaught, shopoffices, houses and others. Jalan Menara Gading 1 is also located within walking distance of the Alam Damai MRT station," says Chan Wai Seen, director of CCO & Associates Sdn Bhd. 

"Although the MRT station has contributed posivitely to demand for the shopoffices, the overall developments in the immediate surroundinig areas - McDonalds, UCSI University, Giant, IKON Connaught - and the Cheras locality are the main elements driving the demand for properties in this location. The presence of established brands along this road, namely Maybank, Starbucks, Secret Recipe, Watson and others, also improves the image of this commercial area," he adds. 

Chan notes that there have been limited transactions on this street. 

"In 2018 and 2019, the intermediate 3-storey shopoffices were transacted at between RM2.4 million and RM2.8 million, while the corner units with land area of about 3,000 to 3,500 sq ft were transacted between RM3.85 million and RM5.1 million. 

"Asking rent for the ground-floor shops is between RM6,000 and RM6,500 per month, while that for the upper levels if RM1,300 to RM2,500 per month," he says. 

Chan is concervative in his outlook for this street, despite its accessible and strategic location, and numerous amenities. "This street is located further away from the East-West Link Expressway [than other roads], hence it may not see considerable benefit from the heavy vehicular traffic flow along the highway. Its growth will continue to be driven by developments in the surrounding areas and Cheras' locality as a whole. Overall, a stable to positive outlook is observed for the commercial development along Jalan Menara Gading 1," he says. 

Despite being off the beaten path, Jalan Menara Gading 1's wide variety of amenities and popularity prove that good things do come in small packages. 

Street in Cheras enjoys stable prospects (from The Edge Malaysia 11 July 2022 issue)

Located within Taman Taynton View in Cheras, Jalan Dato Haji Harun is a main street that comprises both landed homes and shops. Formerly known as Taynton Rubber Estate, Taman Taynton View was subsequently developed by lawyer-cum-developer N Kamala Devi in the 1960s and it is believe that Jalan Dato Haji Harun is named after his long-time friend. 

Taman Taynton View is located off Jalan Cheras and next to Taman Mutiara Barat. If you are on Jalan Cheras coming from Kajang and heading towards the direction of Kuala Lumpur city centre, you will first have to turn onto Jalan Dato Haji Harun before heading to other parts of Taman Taynton View. 

The almost 1km-long Jalan Dato Haji Harun has many road branches and stops at Jalan 54/119. Landed houses - a mix of semidees and terraced homes - occupy the first half of the street. After the junction of Jalan Arasakesari, one will see a row of terraced shops on the right and a row of terraced homes on the left. 

Metro Home Realty Bhd executive director See Kok Loong observes that most businesses at the shops on Jalan Dato Haji Harun are very old. 

"Most of the shops, especially those with older businesses, are owner-occupied. The new tenants are PotboyMart, J&T Express and ParcelHub whereas the rest of them have been there for more than 10 years," See says. 

"[In general], the businesses there, which cater mainly for the neighbourhood, include hardware shops, hair salons, restaurants, [Chinese] medicine shops, mini markets, printing companies, tailors and car workshops. We noticed that only a few units were vacant, so it means that demand there is very strong. While Jalan Dato Haji Harun is not facing the main thoroughfare of Jalan Cheras, it remains a very busy road for the neighbourhood and that means the businesses there are good."

He adds that the challenges for the shops there include a lack of parkking lots, not unlike many other commercial streets in the Klang Valley. Also, Jalan Dato Haji Harun is located in an older estate and has to compete with other shops nearby.

"In this case, there are some shops on Jalan 30a/119, which is just around the corner. Also, the entire area is already developed and there is no more land for development. Therefore, parking would remain an unsolved issue for Jalan Dato Haji Harun," he says. 

Several visit by City & Country to Jalan Dato Haji Harun show the differences in terms of parking conditions. Parking is an issue on weekdays, but there were relatively more street parking bays on the Sunday late afternoon when City & Country was there. 

In recent years, few shops have been transacted on Jalan Dato Haji Harun. According to data from See, the latest transcation was in August 2014, where a shop with a land area of 1,657 sq ft and built-up of 2,673 sq ft was transacted at RM1.5 million. A 1,657 sq ft shop with similar built-up was sold at RM1.6 million in February 2014.

See reckons that the prospects of the shops on Jalan Dato Haji Harun are stable and he expects to see no major changes. 

"The rental would remain the same and increase according to the inflation rate. The rent for a ground-floor unit there is RM4,000 to RM5,000 a month; and for a first-flloor unit, it is RM1,000 to RM1,500 a month," he says.