Penang developer E&O to launch first Klang Valley township near Google data centres
To be launched in 2026, the township will include the Seri Embun residential precinct and the commercial component Laman Embun
[KUALA LUMPUR] Penang-based property developer Eastern & Oriental (E&O) will make its long-awaited entry into the Klang Valley township market, with a RM1 billion (S$313 million) project in Selangor that has been slated for launch in January 2026.
E&O’s managing director Kok Tuck Cheong said on Thursday (Nov 27) that the residential component of the township, named Seri Embun, will sit within the City of Elmina in Selangor, about 34 km from Kuala Lumpur’s city centre.
City of Elmina, a 2,630-hectare (ha) integrated development by government-linked Sime Darby Property, has emerged as one of the Klang Valley’s fastest-growing data-centre clusters.
It currently hosts at least three data-centre developments, including two hyperscale projects by Google; one of them is Google’s first data centre and cloud region in Malaysia, which is scheduled for completion in early 2026.
RHB Research estimates that E&O controls close to 55 ha of land in City of Elmina, with a total potential gross development value exceeding RM1.5 billion.
On Thursday, E&O previewed its first commercial component in the township – Laman Embun, a RM300 million development comprising 110 units of two- and three-storey shop-offices. Prices range from nearly RM2.5 million to about RM8 million a unit.
The shop-offices sit on land parcels 22 feet by 75 feet in size, with built-up areas ranging from 3,256 sq ft to 10,883 sq ft.
Executive chairman Tee Eng Ho told The Business Times that the market’s response had been exceptionally strong. All 110 units were fully reserved within a week of the launch of the registration-of-interest exercise. Balloting takes place this weekend.
Laman Embun sits next to the upcoming 14-ha gated and guarded Seri Embun residential precinct. The residential phase will offer 360 units of two- and three-storey terraced houses, supported by a central clubhouse and community facilities.
Tee said: “Seri Embun has a gross development value of around RM1 billion. We have received strong interest in the upcoming residential phase, and we believe the momentum generated by Laman Embun will continue.”
City of Elmina has drawn rising interest in the last two years, driven not only by its residential appeal, but also by its growing role as a digital-economy node.
Sime Darby Property has been pioneering a build-and-lease hyperscale data-centre model in Elmina Business Park, which has attracted some of the world’s largest technology players.
But E&O’s Kok said the presence of the data centres was not the sole factor behind E&O’s decision to venture into City of Elmina with its first full-scale township outside Penang.
“What attracted us was the mature infrastructure, a growing population catchment and a balanced mix of residential, commercial and industrial components within the township… These fundamentals support sustainable long-term demand,” he said.
Before embarking on its City of Elmina projects, the Bursa Malaysia-listed E&O had already established a foothold in the Klang Valley through several boutique developments in Kuala Lumpur. These include, notably, The Conlay by E&O, a luxury integrated development within walking distance of the Petronas Twin Towers. The Conlay project was completed in April 2025.
Kok said talks with Sime Darby Property over its acquisition of land in City of Elmina opened as early as 2014, but that the project reached its execution stage only this year.
He added that the timing was shaped by E&O’s large-scale commitments in Penang, particularly the RM60 billion Andaman Island development, one of the largest reclamation-driven property projects in the country.
The Andaman project takes up 307.56 hectares across two reclaimed islands off Gurney Drive, and is connected to Georgetown on Penang island by new bridges. It will feature an integrated mix of luxury residences, commercial offices, retail malls, hotels and public parks over multiple phases spanning several decades.
E&O, widely known as a premium developer from northern Malaysia, is also the owner and operator of the iconic Eastern & Oriental Hotel in Penang. The British colonial landmark was established in 1885, refurbished in the 1990s and relaunched in 2001.
Beyond Penang and the Klang Valley, the group also maintains a presence in Johor through its Avira development in Bandar Medini Iskandar. The 84-hectare wellness-themed township comprises landed homes, serviced apartments, condominiums and commercial components.
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