Back

UEM Sunrise Through MLMSB Pens MoU with Universiti Malaya to Improve Water Quality of the Kepong Metropolitan Lake-Garden

KUALA LUMPUR, 26 September 2023 – UEM Sunrise Berhad (“UEM Sunrise” or the “Company”), through its joint-venture subsidiary Mega Legacy (M) Sdn Bhd (“MLMSB”) with Melati Ehsan Group, has inked a Memorandum of Understanding (“MoU”) with Universiti Malaya’s (“UM”) Faculty of Science to assess the water quality and heavy metal contents of the lake in the Kepong Metropolitan Park, located next to the Company’s 72.74 acres (29.4 hectares) township of Kiara Bay in Kepong.  

Chairperson of MLMSB, Zaida Khalida Shaari and the Dean of the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Professor Dr. Zulqarnain Mohamed, signed the MoU in the presence of Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change (NRECC), Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani, Managing Director of UEM Group Berhad (UEM Group) and Sufian Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer of UEM Sunrise and Director of MLMSB. 

MLMSB initiated the signing of the MoU with the intention of evaluating the water quality of Kepong Metropolitan Park Lake. This evaluation is necessary to activate Kiara Bay's waterfront development within the integrated township, ensuring a safe and pleasant environment for the community's enjoyment and activation of various water activities. 

The MoU outlines two phases of the initiative, which is being financed via a grant provided by UEM Group, parent company of UEM Sunrise. In phase one, UM will test the water quality for the presence of heavy metals and sediments, as well as the lake’s microbiological contents. This will determine the necessary steps to be taken in the second phase, based on the findings and recommendations gathered, to restore the quality of the lake’s water.  

These findings will also determine Kiara Bay’s design development and future placemaking programmes. It is worth noting that the treatment of the lake will also be a stepping stone in preserving aquatic life and biodiversity, as maintaining the lake is crucial for the ecosystem.   

The Environment Quality Act 1974, under the purview of the Department of Environment, stipulates that control measures and continual monitoring programmes must be implemented to ensure the quality of water and the circulation of the lake system is enhanced to protect the environment. 

“It is heartening to see UEM Sunrise proactively working to ensure the environmental sustainability of its developments. The MoU demonstrates that much can be done in protecting as well as improving Malaysia’s environment through the common effort of all sectors of the nation, including the government, private sector and academia. 

The preservation, for the public, of the Kepong Metropolitan Park and its Lake is absolutely essential. Moving forward, we hope to see more such collaborations towards making Malaysia’s urban spaces more liveable and towards greater sustainability in the nation as a whole,” said NRECC Minister Nik Nazmi. 

“We at UEM Group, firmly believe that preserving the health of the lake serves a dual purpose – it safeguards our biodiversity and simultaneously paves the way for the sustainable development of Kiara Bay by UEM Sunrise. It underlines our commitment to Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) elements, reinforcing our ongoing efforts to build a better future for both our community and the wider environment,” said UEM Group Managing Director, Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani.  

“As a conscientious developer, we have long recognised the need to balance contributions to the environment, society and economy in all our developments and townships that fulfil communities’ social, physical and spiritual needs. The Kepong Metropolitan Park serves as a communal recreational facility for the public to come together and engage in leisure activities,” said MLMSB Director Sufian Abdullah, who is also Chief Executive Officer of UEM Sunrise. 

Sufian added: “For this reason, we want to ensure that it is well-preserved and sustainable by being the first property developer to collaborate with Universiti Malaya on the water assessment exercise.”  

UM will compare the analysis results of the lake’s water against the National Lake Water Quality Criteria and Standards (“NLWQS”) by the National Hydraulic Research Institute of Malaysia (“NAHRIM”) and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (“NRE”) (2015) and National Water Quality Standard (“NWQS”). 

MLMSB’s collaboration with UM also serves as a testament to UEM Sunrise’s Sustainability Blueprint 1.0, anchored by four core pillars: Liveability, Affordability, Sustainability and Resilience. This framework integrates sustainability considerations into every design and development decision the Company makes.  

Kepong Metropolitan Park is a 234.74-acre (95 hectares) park with a 140.85-acre (57 hectares) lake famously known for its recreational activities. The lake is significant not only to Kiara Bay, as it is UEM Sunrise’s flagship township in Klang Valley through MLMSB, but also to the broader Kepong community, as one of numerous leisure activities hubs. 

^{Front row, from left to right - Dean of the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Professor Dr. Zulqarnain Mohamed and Chairperson of MLMSB, Zaida Khalida Shaari, signed the MoU between inked an MoU with Universiti Malaya’s Faculty of Science to assess the water quality of the lake in the Kepong Metropolitan Park.}

^{Back row, from left to right - Chief Executive Officer of UEM Sunrise and Director of MLMSB, Sufian Abdullah; Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Managing Director of UEM Group Berhad Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani witnessed the signing of the MoU}

^{From left to right - Sufian Abdullah, Professor Dr. Zulqarnain Mohamed, YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, Zaida Khalida Shaari, and Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani posed for a group photo after signing the MoU.}

^{Universiti Malaya showing a demonstration of how they will conduct the water assessment of the lake.}

^{From left to right – UEM Sunrise Non-Independent Non-Executive Chairman, Datuk Hisham Hamdan; Dean of the Faculty of Science, Universiti Malaya, Professor Dr. Zulqarnain Mohamed; Managing Director of UEM Group Berhad Dato’ Mohd Izani Ghani; Minister of Natural Resources, Environment and Climate Change, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad; Chairperson of MLMSB, Zaida Khalida Shaari; Chief Executive Officer of UEM Sunrise and Director of MLMSB, Sufian Abdullah; Universiti Malaya Senior Lecturer, Ts. Dr. Wan Abd Al-Qadr Imad Bin Wan Mohtar; UEM Sunrise Independent Non-Executive Director, Poh Ying Loo; UEM Sunrise Non-Independent Non-Executive Director, Reagan Chan Chung Cheng posed for a group photo in front of the Kepong Metropolitan Park.}