_Frankly Speaking | A Closer Look, Malaysia: A conversation with Sarkunan Subramaniam

Welcome back to Frankly Speaking, a new interview series that travels the globe to bring you insights into our business. In this episode, Sarkunan Subramaniam, Group Executive Chairman of Knight Frank Malaysia, spoke to Kevin Coppel, Managing Director, Asia Pacific, sharing his outlook for Malaysia and plans for growth. 

Watch their conversation here.

Market snapshot:

Residential

There is a demand for high-end residential properties in Malaysia, particularly in prime locations such as Kuala Lumpur and Penang. Separately, with Malaysia's aging population, there is a growing demand for retirement homes that cater to the needs of senior citizens.

Office
Demand for offices remains steady – like most economies, occupiers are balancing expectations around remote working, more flexible office space and greater collaboration opportunities.

Hotels
After a tough time during Covid border closures, the outlook for hotels is far more positive. Tourists are returning to Malaysia following the lifting of restrictions, and recent changes in China, Hong Kong, and Japan are likely to further fuel demand for tourism assets, particularly in preferred destinations such as Kuala Lumpur, Penang and Langkawi.

Industrial
Being a hub for manufacturing, there is consistent demand for facilities that offer efficient production processes, advanced technology, and quality infrastructure. With the rise of e-commerce and a focus on supply-chain resilience, there is growing interest in logistics and distribution centres in Malaysia. The demand for data centre capacity is also brisk given the increased use of cloud computing and big data.

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