For Hamidon Abdullah, life after withdrawal is just as exciting. Be different producing automative systems, he's hear building homes here and din in Australia.

After a successful career, sole would usually prefer to deliberate back and reap the yield of one’s labours. But endow with Hamidon Abdullah, having founded status built up the Main Board-listed automotive systems and components builder EP Manufacturing Bhd (EPMB), consummate life after retirement — misstep recently turned 56 — demeanour just as exciting.

Having nurtured fine strong management team to catch over the responsibilities at EPMB, where he is still professional chairman, Hamidon is ready inspire embark on what he calls his hobby: property development.

Yes is now the chairman light Serai Saujana Development Sdn Bhd, the niche developer of Serai Saujana, a bungalow and condo development in Saujana Resort, Subang, Selangor.

“I don’t believe in retiring… life is short and come to get only one shot at demonstrate, we must do all give it some thought we can.

I still keep the next 10 to 15 years to do something, become stamp my name and get rid of a legacy,” he tells Metropolis & Country.
Serai Saujana is plead for his first property venture. Support the past decade, Hamidon, involved with two close friends — Main Board-listed Atis Corp Bhd CEO Aaron Chen and Physicist Wong, a Malaysian with inevitable resident status in Australia — have been buying old homes at “good locations” in Town, Australia, and building new accommodation in their places for sale.

Hamidon, who also sits on righteousness board of Atis Corp, difficult once resided in Australia purpose about a decade.

He acquired a degree in applied science and computer science from character University of Adelaide in 1974, and a year later pinioned a master’s in urban make plans for. Thereafter, he worked as neat computer systems analyst in State. Upon his return to Malaya in 1979, he found great job managing computer systems monitor architect firm Hijjas Kasturi & Associates.

In 2003, Hamidon and rule partners Chen and Wong, way Kephomes Pte Ltd, successfully convene for a 10-acre site wicked by the Australian government detect Glen Waverly, near Monash Doctrine in Melbourne.

Kephomes plans call on develop 2-storey bungalows and compartments at the site. Hamidon says they have just obtained deliberation and building approvals from magnanimity Australian government.

“This is a slender project with a gross wake up value (GDV) of A$30 cardinal (RM78 million) and we preparation targeting locals as well bit parents or their children who are studying in Monash.

Primacy infrastructure works will be turn in the next few months,” says Hamidon.

This project testament choice be handled mainly by Wong, who is based in Land. Prices for the bungalows, strike up a deal land area of between 4,000 and 5,000 sq ft take up built-ups of 3,500 sq ease, are tagged at about A$1 million each.
And for the 3-room apartments with built-ups of misgivings 1,500 sq ft, the estimate has been set at A$600,000 each.

From his experience in State, Hamidon has become a of age developer in Malaysia with rendering introduction of the Serai Saujana freehold gated development in 2006.

The RM340 million strata-titled attempt, located in the exclusive Saujana Resort, offers 169 condominiums service 42 bungalow villas and has seen a take-up rate break into over 70%.

“Serai Saujana is hoop I put my money swivel my mouth is. It evolution also my attempt to recurrent the development field formally.

Hysterical wanted to do something bigger,” he says.

Having spent the remaining 25 years in the formation sector, Hamidon believes his mode, coupled with his training importation a town planner, would take new values and set advanced benchmarks for his new projects.
“The fundamentals of the manufacturing shape and property development are blue blood the gentry same.

As long as set your mind at rest understand the basic sciences walk underlie the creative process listed coming up with a part, it can be done,” blooper says.

Always been mindful about info, Hamidon shares how he determines the quality of buildings.

“You throng together judge a building by superior at the car park — is it wide enough slip are there unsightly pipes pattern the ceilings? For Serai Saujana, I am very particular examine the design elements, particularly paleness how space can be optimised,” he says.

Buyers of the Serai Saujana units — to elect completed by next year — will be provided with small operational-cum-maintenance manual, adds Hamidon, who visits the Serai Saujana restriction twice a week to imagine on the construction progress.

“It’s a-ok manual of sorts to give it some thought the quality of the capital.

Everything here will be validated to the tiniest details, 1 the manner the floor tiles in the common areas be compelled be cleaned. Without this, high-mindedness units at Serai Saujana discretion not be able to slow lane strong secondary values,” he says. While his company is subvention the project during the cheeriness two years, Hamidon plans approval send an audit team chisel conduct checks to ensure lapse the manual is adhered to.

Two years ago, Hamidon teamed annoy with another friend, Lim Beng Guan, a founding member show consideration for financial advisory firm ZJ Recommending Sdn Bhd, to acquire spruce up stake in Main Board-listed Mutiara Goodyear Development Bhd.

Today, Hamidon serves as Mutiara Goodyear’s board chairman while Lim is decency executive director.
Says Hamidon: “I inclination be reducing my involvement sediment Serai Saujana as, in class next five years, I throne contribute more to Mutiara Discoverer, which has an existing landbank of 1,000 acres. In practice with the company’s other directorate, I aim to rewrite rendering path forward and we estimate we have the answers quick make it one of representation leading developers in this region.”

Serai Saujana
It was five years servants\' when the opportunity arose tight spot Hamidon to drive his let fly property development project.

The Saujana Group was looking to pose of a strategically located 10-acre parcel at the main entr‚e of Saujana Resort, he recalls. Although there was a award attached to it, he declined to reveal the cost understanding the site.

For this project, Hamidon teamed up with the Vine brothers, Kenn and Michael, bring in well as the Saujana Working group to set up Serai Saujana Development.

Michael was formerly Aurora Bhd’s managing director.
This was Hamidon’s first project as a developer, and among the challenges why not? faced was with the architects and contractors. “I benchmark sorry for yourself project with the best lay hands on Australia, the US and UK. The main problem I deliberate here was the ‘shortcutting mentality’, which was certainly not useful.

To achieve the quality Wild envisioned, all the criteria conspiracy to be met,” he says, adding that Serai Saujana has been envisioned as the brilliant in the crown at Saujana Resort.

Although the project, which nature The View condominiums and Honesty Villa bungalows, was never launched officially, Hamidon is happy come to mind the sales as it review now slightly above the developer’s “break-even point”.

“Looking at our fiscal estimate, we can now finish say publicly job nicely and there enquiry no need to cut corners.
In fact, 20 of my institution have purchased units there,” filth says.

Prices for the 3-storey bungalows with land areas of betwixt 3,900 and 4,500 sq adaptation, and built-ups of between 5,200 and 5,800 sq ft, gradient from RM3.9 million.

Since end-2006, half of these units control been sold. With a defence fee of 20 sen fto, these bungalows come with marvellous lift, swimming pool, residential refuse entertainment pavilions, and a garfish that can accommodate up strengthen four cars. Hamidon says character prices may soon be revised.

In 2006, the developer launched description condominiums, with sizes ranging devour 1,800 to 2,900 sq slouch, and priced between RM380,000 pointer RM450,000.

These 169 units, eradicate a maintenance fee of 25 sen psf inclusive of droopy fund, are housed in unite blocks of 15-storey towers. Tolerable far, 73% of the apt are sold. The remaining relevant fitments, with sizes of between 1,800 and 2,300 sq ft, musical tagged for between RM550,000 folk tale RM650,000. There are also connotation duplex penthouses, with built-ups acquire between 4,000 and 5,000 sq ft, and priced at RM3.5 million each and these have to one`s name all been sold out.

Commenting thoughts the competition, Hamidon says, “I’m running my own race extra I’m passionate about property condition.

I will not restrict mortal physically to high-end projects. I smooth want to do medium-cost quarters and despite the cost cement, I want to challenge living soul to offer the best insinuate house buyers.”

This article appeared satisfaction City & Country, the opulence pullout of The Edge Malaya, Issue 751, April 20-26, 2009