The Sky’s The Limit

It’s hard not to love Kota Kinabalu, or ‘KK’ as it’s affectionately referred to by Malaysians, who possess the irrepressible habit of abbreviating names. For those who’ve never been to the capital of the state of Sabah, located on the north-west coast of Borneo, it’s easy to think you’ve just landed on a patch of paradise. The majestic Mount Kinabalu, South-East Asia’s highest peak, stands proudly to one side, while an artist’s palette of blues is spread out before you, as far as the eye can see, across the vast expanse that is the South China Sea. Although a prized destination among travellers, who come for its natural attractions, Kota Kinabalu is also fast becoming a major city in its own right, on top of being one of the main gateways to Borneo as well as the rest of the region. From its early days in the 1880s as a tiny British settlement, initially founded on Gaya Island, one of a cluster of five islands just a speedboat ride away, Kota Kinabalu has reinvented itself several times since, even changing its name from the colonial ‘Jesselton’, after the then Vice-Chairman of the British North Borneo Chartered Company, Sir Charles Jessel, to its present-day moniker, which means ‘city of Kinabalu’.

ON AN UPWARD TREND
For sun-worshippers and island-hoppers, Jesselton Point is the main jumping-off spot to travel by ferry to the surrounding islands as well as Labuan and Brunei. Having snapped up the last parcel of private land in the area, it is Tan Sri Datuk David Chu’s vision now to create a seafront landmark that’ll rival cities like Cape Town, Sydney and Singapore. “As Kota Kinabalu grows, we see the need for a more iconic waterfront,” he says. “And when the option came to buy this 2.4ac plot, I knew I had to get it.” With work currently underway for Tan Sri David’s visionary project, the Jesselton Residences, at first glance, already seems to have it all: it is close  to all of KK’s most popular spots and is walking distance to and from a major transportation hub. “KK is rich in potential and I want to make it my priority to be part of its growth and development.”

Aiming to create a world-class landmark, Tan Sri David looked to the best, appointing Vinci, France’s leading construction firm that is also one of the world’s largest, in terms of revenue. “They are behind many great, international projects and I believe they are the ones who will help me realise my dream of making Jesselton Residences the premier address in KK.” With the project scheduled for completion in late 2016, the Jesselton Residences will also be the tallest building in KK’s CBD area, giving its occupants a view over sea and city like never before. “I’ve always loved buildings, the sea and waterfront developments,” shares the affable Tan Sri. “Who doesn’t love strolling along a beautiful harbour or enjoying life by the sea? If you’ve travelled to Cape Town or Sydney, you can’t help but love places like the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront or The Rocks. If done well, a waterfront project always becomes a hub of life for any city. Look at Singapore and the area surrounding Marina Bay Sands and The Fullerton – it’s vibrant and attracts the world.”

With the Jesselton Residences registering strong interest from the get-go, it is interesting to note the high demand from overseas buyers. “Waterfront properties are usually very popular,” notes Tan Sri David. “They are also rarer versus normal landed ones.” And, with regards to foreign investors, it’s easy to see Jesselton Residences’ appeal. There’s the majestic and sacred Mount Kinabalu to one side, while the shimmering waters of the South China Sea serve as sources of both temptation as well as tranquillity. For residents, it offers all the luxury you’d expect from a high-class development, coupled with all the colour and convenience of living in a city like KK. The popular weekend market that lines Gaya Street is just a stroll away and, should you wish to go diving or deep-sea fishing every day, there’s nothing to stop you – bar your personal scheduling commitments and, maybe, inclement weather.

A TOUCH OF LUXE
If the sound of the Jesselton Residences has piqued your interest, do know that just 333 luxury units will be built, spread out over three soaring 28-storey blocks, capped by luxury penthouses on the 26th and 27th levels. A boutique retail centre, the Jesselton Mall, is also in the pipeline, which, Tan Sri David says, will be modelled along the same veins as, for example, the Klang Valley’s Bangsar Shopping Centre, which he frequents whenever he’s in Kuala Lumpur. It is also no secret that the number ‘3’ is special to Tan Sri David. “I have three brothers and three sisters, and I’m the third child in the family. In Cantonese, ‘3’ also sounds like the word for ‘birth’, which is considered lucky and auspicious. My mobile number also contains several ‘3’s, hence the decision to build 333 units,” he smiles.

On his lifelong fascination with tall buildings, Tan Sri David chalks it up to his time spent in Australia. “I’d sent my kids off to study in Perth from a young age,” he shares. “In fact, my youngest was born there. So, going back and forth to see the children, I spent a lot of time walking around, viewing properties. It was then that I saw many inspiring projects and the seed was then planted that KK should have something similar.”

Not that Tan Sri David is concentrating on the Jesselton Residences alone. He has maintained Executive Chairmanship of Widetech Berhad, an investment holdings company that manufactures precision springs in Malaysia, Cambodia, Vietnam and Laos, for the past 10 years, while his property development company is also in the midst of spearheading two other key projects, both in prime areas of KK with a combined GDV of MYR1.4billion. One, the 56-storey Jesselton Twin Towers, is set to become Borneo’s tallest building, while the other, Jesselton Heights, is earmarked as a luxury residential project in Luyang. On his project portfolio, Tan Sri David stresses the importance of the old real estate mantra of ‘location, location, location’: “Whenever I meet buyers, I always tell them: with a location like this, you can’t go wrong!”

THE FAMILY MAN
Despite his hectic corporate life, Tan Sri David is also very much the quintessential family man, devoted to his wife, Puan Sri Irene, four children and three grandchildren. Dividing his time primarily between Sabah, Kuala Lumpur and Australia, where his youngest son is still studying, the KK-born Tan Sri is also busy with plans for his daughter’s upcoming wedding. Life has obviously been very good to the boy who dropped out of school at Form Five level. “My background is humble,” he states with appealing honesty. “My parents ran a small shop and, although my childhood dream was to be a businessman, I can also say there weren’t many options available to me then.” Deciding upon sales as his first line of work, Tan Sri David began his career in 1980 selling Audis and Volkswagens. “It was difficult to push those marques back then due to the lack of support service in KK. So, I decided to move to Nissan.”

It proved to be a turning point as the gutsy, go-getting young man soon rose through the ranks, becoming the brand’s top salesman in just three years. “I still keep my salary slips from those days,” he says wistfully. “With whatever commission I earned, which was very good then, I began to save and buy simple houses, which cost around MYR30,000 per unit. This process of buying and selling property was how you could say my interest in the industry actually began!”

“Despite not having higher education, I can tell you the best business lesson I’ve learnt since then would be to take risks and accept life’s challenges. The rewards will come if you do. Get out of your comfort zone and always remember ‘no risks, no rewards’,” he states. “But I’ve been lucky as well to always have had good people around me. Kevin Thong, for example, has been by my side loyally as General Manager ever since we kick-started the Jesselton Residences project in 2011. On another note, what I like telling young people these days is to go out. Travel. Explore. See the world. Once you open your eyes to the world and realise there are so many different points of view in life, you’ll know what to do and what, ultimately, works for you.”

ACHIEVING BALANCE
Despite spreading himself out across multiple cities and balancing work with family, Tan Sri David also makes it a point to ensure quality time is never neglected. “I love travelling. I can’t get enough of London, New York and all of Australia’s key cities, but I’m not one for exotic adventures or destinations. I also really enjoy it when I can combine work with pleasure.” When planning for the Jesselton Residences, Tan Sri David made it a point to travel with his team of architects to personally source for the best fittings for it, visiting Spain, Portugal and Switzerland before deciding “we really liked what we saw at Roca in Barcelona. So, be assured that we really do use the best for all Jesselton Waterfront Holdings’ projects. All personally inspected and chosen by me,” he laughs.

Displaying a penchant for the finer things in life, Tan Sri David shares that his first car was a second-hand BMW as “I couldn’t afford a brand new one then. I still love cars and nice things. There’s no harm in enjoying life as long as it’s within your means. Anyway,” he adds, “I know many people with so much money who won’t spend on making life more pleasurable. But I acknowledge I’ve been blessed. I have good friends and my career path has always been on an upward trajectory. In life, never underestimate the importance of networking. Treat people right and always smile. Maybe it’s a Sabahan trait but it’s served me well in my career.”

Up on the cards is also a big family cruise vacation, complete with all his respective in-laws and their families, although Tan Sri David also makes it a point to travel to indulge in another favourite pastime – golf. “I’ve played in Australia, China, Indonesia and even as far as Pebble Beach in California. I don’t really golf in KK but, if I’m in KL, you can find me every day at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club! And I think golf is a great gauge of someone’s personality. It helps with networking and making decisions regarding business or potential business partners as everything comes out on the golf course,” he roars with laughter.