Public Bank recently organized a green real estate seminar aimed at raising awareness on the issue of sustainability among real estate developers in the southern region belonging to the small and medium enterprise category (SME).
The one-day seminar, held at the Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel on October 2, 2024, was the third seminar organized by Public Bank and was held under the series “Embracing Sustainable Development: The Way Forward for SME Developers ».
More than 200 SME delegates from Johor, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan, Pahang and Kelantan, as well as representatives from the Malaysian Real Estate and Housing Developers Association (REHDA), participated in the latest Johor seminar.
SME delegates showed their enthusiasm for the seminar theme, driven by effective presentations from PwC Malaysia, Knight Frank Malaysia, GreenRE, EcoWorld and Sunway Group.
The panel of expert speakers were able to impart valuable knowledge and information on best practices for sustainable development, including some effective approaches to incorporating sustainability into property development and construction activities, green building certification procedures, as well as the importance of for SMEs to begin the green journey to address the climate change impact of the sector’s greenhouse gas emissions.
Public Bank Managing Director and CEO Tan Sri Dato’ Sri Dr Tay Ah Lek expressed his enthusiasm for closer cooperation between Public Bank and property developers across the country to drive their transition to a lower-emission economy carbon.
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“Public Bank has been proactive in our efforts to help green the real estate sector. This includes signing Memorandums of Understanding with several developers listed on the Malaysian Stock Exchange in 2022 to offer special sustainable financing packages to finance their green developments. The Bank’s holistic approach to sustainable development also encompasses both supply and demand to meet the needs of real estate developers and green property buyers,” said Tan Sri Tay.
Tan Sri Tay added that SMEs promoters can benefit from various large-scale economic developments executed and planned across the country, especially in Johor, such as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the huge investments being poured into Johor to transform the State in the largest data center hub in Southeast Asia.
To this end, Tan Sri Tay reiterated the Public Bank’s commitment to mobilize RM100 billion in sustainable financing by 2030. To date, more than RM53 billion has been mobilized for sustainable financing since 2020.
SMEs property developers can benefit from Public Bank’s sustainable financing through facilities such as Public Bank’s Green Financing Facility and Bank Negara Malaysia’s Low Carbon Transition Facility, which cover a broad list of financing solutions. eligible green technologies, including the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions, and the purchase of sustainable construction materials by contractors and developers.
SMEs property developers can benefit from Public Bank’s sustainable financing through facilities such as Public Bank’s Green Financing Facility and Bank Negara Malaysia’s Low Carbon Transition Facility, which cover a broad list of financing solutions. eligible green technologies, including the adoption of renewable energy and energy efficiency solutions, and the purchase of sustainable construction materials by contractors and developers.
The panel of expert speakers were able to impart valuable knowledge and information on best practices for sustainable development
REHDA Johor chairperson Tan Lindy echoed Tan Sri Tay’s views on the important role that SMEs promoters can play in driving the country’s sustainability agenda. REHDA Johor chairperson Tan Lindy echoed Tan Sri Tay’s view on the important role that SME promoters can play in driving the country’s sustainability agenda.
The issue of sustainable developments will benefit the industry as a whole, especially in the state of Johor, which has seen an upward trend in property interest and demand,” Tan Lindy said.
In 2023, the Bank organized two seminars in Kuala Lumpur and Penang, attracting more than 300 real estate SME delegates from Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Perlis.
Datuk Ngoh Chun How, President of Melaka REHDA, also praised the Public Bank’s continuous efforts in helping promoter SMEs adopt sustainable practices pragmatically at this seminar.
“We found that the seminar has helped participants gain knowledge on the green transition and practical methods to start their green journey, as well as a better perspective on business opportunities arising from sustainable developments,” said Datuk Ngoh, who is also Director of NKS Development Sdn Bhd.
Dylan Tan, CEO of AME Group, agreed with these views, adding that sustainable development by SME promoters can help drive Malaysia’s transition towards a developed country that prioritizes the green economy.
“Seeing the great interest and support shown by SME delegates today, we believe that the seminar has encouraged the real estate and construction sector to embrace sustainability and accelerate the green transition of their companies,” said Dylan Tan.
With all these positive reactions, the Public Bank will continue to launch more training programs to help SMEs in more economic sectors get on the sustainability train in order to protect their businesses from the effects and challenges of climate change.
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