Milestones

Malaysia was one of the largest tin producers in the world, and tin mining was a major contributor to the country’s economy. Once a tin-mining wasteland, Sunway City Kuala Lumpur’s transformation began in mid-1980s.

Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, Founder and Chairman of Sunway Group (centre), articulated his vision to Tan Sri Sabbaruddin Chik, Malaysia’s former Culture, Arts and Tourism Minister (right), at the site of the 800-acre former tin-mining land, now known as Sunway City Kuala Lumpur.

The construction of Sunway Lagoon marks the first entertainment theme park in town.

Owned and governed by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), Sunway Education Group (SEG), which started out as Sunway College, has evolved into one of the most prominent education groups in the country, offering quality education of the highest standard. SEG has since forged partnerships with preeminent institutions including Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge, Lancaster University, University of California, Berkeley, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Boston and Le Cordon Bleu International. SEG was awarded an overall 5-star rating in the QS Stars University Ratings from 2018 to 2021, as well as 5-stars in each of these individual categories: teaching, facilities, employability, social responsibility and inclusiveness. The university also holds a Tier-5 “Excellent” rating in the national SETARA quality assessment, which has been upheld since 2009.

Spanning 88 vibrant acres, Sunway Lagoon is one of the most celebrated theme parks in the country with over 90 rides and attractions catered for all ages. It is Malaysia’s first theme park built 150 feet below ground level on a tin-mining wasteland wasteland and is the only attraction in the world to win Asia’s Best Attraction for four consecutive years, awarded by the International Association of Amusement Park and Attractions (IAAPA).

Menara Sunway is Sunway Group’s 19-storey global headquarters in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur. Flanked by six major highways and various public transportation systems, Menara Sunway is home to the group’s 13 business divisions: Property, Construction, Education, Healthcare, Hospitality, Malls, Leisure, Trading & Manufacturing, Building Materials, Quarry, Investment & Financial Services, Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) and Digital.

Sunway Resort Hotel welcomes guests from around the world with timeless neo-classic details, complemented by African safari-inspired domes and minarets. The flagship 5-star hotel is part of a collection of three hotels in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, each with its own unique style and character with over 1,500 guest rooms, suites and pool villas that are ideal for both leisure and business travellers.

With an Egyptian-inspired architecture, Sunway Pyramid is Malaysia’s first themed mega mall in Malaysia with an iconic nine-storey lion statue at its main entrance. The mall spans over 4 million square feet and is ever expanding. With four shopping precincts and close to 1,000 retail outlets, Sunway Pyramid is also home to one of Malaysia’s first ice-skating rinks.

Monash University Malaysia is the first foreign university to establish a branch campus in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur. It is a premier research-intensive Australian university ranked among the top 50 universities globally by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023, and a member of Australia’s prestigious Group of Eight (Go8). Monash University is also ranked 42 in the latest QS World University Rankings.

Established in 1999, Sunway Medical Centre (SMC) is an Australian Council on Healthcare Standards (ACHS) accredited private hospital located in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur. SMC offers comprehensive quaternary healthcare services, with 28 centres of excellence, and over 60 medical specialties, coupled with a robust support system comprising over 3,300 healthcare professionals and over 300 specialist consultants. With the opening of Tower D, E and F in 2023, SMC is Malaysia’s largest private medical centre in the region with 724 licensed beds, 492 consultation suites and 26 operating theatres. Tower D contains the country’s first dedicated Children’s Emergency Department as well as a Women and Children’s health block, alongside luxury senior living residences annexed to the hospital.

Tan Sri Sir Dr. Jeffrey Cheah, has endowed, in perpetuity, his entire equity in Sunway Education Group, valued at several billion Ringgit at the time according to market rate, into Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF), in line with his commitment to nation-building and advancing quality education. Adopting a social enterprise model, JCF is the largest-of-its-kind advancing education in Malaysia. The Foundation owns and governs all entities under the Sunway Education Group under a not-for-profit structure.

Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is a premier tourist destination in Southeast Asia, featuring seven key components namely Malls, Hospitality, Leisure, Education, Healthcare, Residential and Commercial. It is Malaysia’s first fully integrated Green Township as certified by the Green Building Index, in which a vibrant community of 200,000 live, learn, work and play in a healthy, safe and connected environment.

The 27-storey Sunway Pinnacle is the first office building in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur to be accredited with Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) status, providing world-class working facilities for its tenants. Sunway Pinnacle fosters an optimal environment for the growth of Information Communications and Technology (ICT) and ICT-enabled industries, having been designed with the needs of multinational companies and large corporations in mind. With a net lettable area of 580,000 sq. ft., Sunway Pinnacle complies with a range of top-notch industry standards, including Malaysia’s Green Building Index (GBI), Singapore’s BCA (Building & Construction Authority), the Green Mark Gold and MSC status.

In 2013, the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation established the Jeffrey Cheah Professorship of Southeast Asia Studies at Harvard University and the Jeffrey Cheah Travel Grants to Harvard University to facilitate greater understanding of Southeast Asia through advance research, conferences and workshops.

Jeffrey Cheah Foundation signed a statement of intent with University of Oxford that would enable both parties to embark on academic and cultural collaborations, including the Southeast Asian Studies Symposium that was held in Malaysia for the first time in 2015. In the following year, an agreement was signed with Brasenose College, University of Oxford, to establish two Jeffrey Cheah Professorial Fellows in perpetuity.

Jeffrey Cheah Foundation established the Jeffrey Cheah Institute on Southeast Asia (JCI) in 2014 to conduct and promote joint research and teaching on economies, societies, politics and cultures of Southeast Asia. The mission of JCI was developed in collaboration with the International Academic Advisory Council (IAAC), whose members include luminaries from preeminent universities around the world. The IAAC provides advice on research priorities and academic initiatives, along with strengthening research and teaching ties with universities and think-tanks, including Sunway University and Harvard University.

Completed in June 2015, the elevated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) – Sunway Line is the first elevated electric bus system aimed at enhancing connectivity and accessibility in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, Subang Jaya and USJ. The elevated BRT-Sunway Line is a public-private partnership between Prasarana Malaysia and Sunway, where disabled-friendly and electric-powered buses run on a dedicated 5.4-kilometre elevated track. The buses service seven stations around Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, linking the Setia Jaya KTM Station and the LRT Kelana Jaya Line Extension Station in USJ 6.

Jeffrey Cheah Foundation (JCF) fostered ties with Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, to establish two Jeffrey Cheah Professorial Fellowships in Caius and support two Professorships at the University of Cambridge. In September 2016, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed between JCF, Sunway Medical Centre and the University of Cambridge to promote collaborative projects and advance clinical research in medicine.

Jeffrey Cheah Foundation endowed US$20 million to the United Nations to set up the Jeffrey Sachs Center on Sustainable Development at Sunway University to advance the sustainability agenda in this region, and the Asia headquarters of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) at Sunway University to lead continent-wide sustainability initiatives. One of only three such global centres, the UN-SDSN Asia headquarters in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur works on continent-wide sustainability solutions for Asia, with the New York City office covering the Americas, and the centre in Paris overseeing Europe and Africa.

Located in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Lagoon Hotel opened its doors to the public on the 1st of October, 2016. It is conveniently linked to the west precinct of Sunway Pyramid and features 401 Deluxe Plus guest rooms with views of Sunway Lagoon and the city’s skyline. Sunway Lagoon Hotel is part of a cluster of three vibrant hotels in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, each with its own distinct character.

Opened in December 2016, Sunway Velocity Mall is a 1.4 million-sq. ft. lifestyle mall located only three kilometres from Kuala Lumpur city centre. It is part of a 23-acre self-sustainable integrated development comprising residential, commercial, healthcare, education and hospitality components in the south of Kuala Lumpur. Featuring more than 500 stores and services, it is a shopping haven for all who frequent KL South.

Sunway Innovation Labs (Sunway iLabs) was launched to foster entrepreneurship within the community and stimulate market-driven innovations, with a vision to become ASEAN’s leading innovation lab. It incubates startups , runs accelerator programmes and acts as a micro ecosystem, encouraging the development of the startup environment within the country. It offers the startup community a complete network, connecting state-of-the-art infrastructure with experts, technology and funding. Sunway iLabs share the three vital ingredients for startups to succeed: Money, Mentors and Market.

Sunway constructed a first-of-its-kind water treatment plant in Sunway South Quay, which produces approximately 10,000m³ of water daily to a host of commercial buildings in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur. It amounts to lifting the equivalent of 15,000 households off. public water supply.

Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is now an economic driver attracting more than 42 million visits a year. It is also home to over 200,000 residents, some 40,000 students, and close to 150 species of flora and fauna. The integrated township’s physical and social ecosystems help promote smart and sustainable living, with a mission driven by the belief that no corporation can live apart from the communities it serves.

A new addition to the many Sunway hotels, Sunway Velocity Hotel is an energetic and exciting hotel with 351 rooms. This mid-market hotel is directly connected to Sunway Velocity Mall and features an express café, a boardroom and a rooftop swimming pool amongst other amenities, to suit every guest.

One of the most recent developments in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur is Sunway Geo Avenue, an integrated commercial centre. With seamless access through direct linkages to the Residences, Business Suites and Corporate Offices, individuals can enjoy the very best of entertainment, work, living, and convenience here.

Sunway’s not-for-profit incubator and accelerator, Sunway iLabs, launched its Sunway iLabs Makerspace with 5 initial industry partners, namely Google, NEC, Hitachi Sunway, Xperanti, and GE. This accelerator aims to equip students and entrepreneurs with a collaborative space, as well as tools for innovation. It also announced 3 new international collaborations with the European Commission-funded Southeast Asia Social Innovation Network, University of California, Berkeley and Silicon Valley accelerator, A3 Global Collider, all of which provide students and entrepreneurs with additional sources of capital, mentorship and links to international markets.

The latest Sunway Medical Centre is located in the integrated development of Sunway Velocity. Sunway Medical Centre Velocity (SMCV) is a comprehensive tertiary care private hospital that provides a range of facilities, amenities, and services to the Cheras and KL South communities. These include inpatient and outpatient care, 24-hour emergency services, various physician specialist clinics and diagnostic imaging facilities, as well as comprehensive medical and surgical services. SMCV is also equipped with an uninterruptible power source system and reserve generator for uninterrupted power supply.

Sunway College at Sunway Velocity was launched in July 2019 and is a brand new 113,500 sq. ft. college occupying five levels of the V Office in the integrated township of Sunway Velocity in Kuala Lumpur. Sunway College at Velocity is highly accessible through major roads, highways and public transportation including one LRT and two MRT lines.

Sunway Healthcare opens its first traditional and complementary medicine centre. Representing a holistic approach to medicine and health, Sunway TCM Centre marries the traditional and cultural practices of the east with the modern, technology-driven approach of the west.

Launched in September 2019, Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre (JCBC) is the largest biotech cluster outside the United States located on the Cambridge Biomedical Campus. The Jeffrey Cheah Biomedical Centre houses 150 scientist and clinicians from the Cambridge Institute of Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID) and is the centrepiece of the largest biotech cluster outside the United States. JCBC is a renowned hub for research and development on immunology, stem cells as well as translation of pioneering research in therapeutics and immunology into practical application.

Sunway FutureX is a venture and skills-building hub based on three pillars: Farm, Talent and Campus. Located in the heart of Sunway City Kuala Lumpur and led by Sunway Innovation Labs (Sunway iLabs), the 50,000-square-feet innovation hub houses Sunway XFarms, an agritech company addressing food security through urban farming innovations; 42KL, a groundbreaking coding school with a disruptive educational model with zero tuition fees, zero teachers and traditional classrooms; as well as a campus that acts as a centre for urban farming professionals, tech companies, researchers and young talents to collaborate and create transformative solutions.

42KL is the first campus of its kind in Southeast Asia with a disruptive educational model that breaks traditional norms. 42KL has zero tuition fees, zero teachers and zero traditional classrooms. Launched in July 2020, 42KL is a sister campus of the notable Parisian coding school Ecole 42. Now situated in Sunway City Kuala Lumpur, the innovative education model equips students with the skills and aptitudes to thrive in a digital economy.

Sunway City Kuala Lumpur was selected as the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) alongside Paris and New York City to coordinate continent-wide sustainability initiatives for Asia, the Americas and Europe as well as Africa respectively. In December 2020, Sunway University was selected to host the UN-SDSN’s SDG Academy, which plays a fundamental role in Mission 4.7. The global initiative, co-founded by SDG Academy and Global Schools, calls upon governments to ensure that learners acquire the knowledge, skills, values and attributes needed to achieve the SDGs.

Sunway Innovation Labs (Sunway iLabs), launched Malaysia’s first Health Innovation Hub (HIH) in partnership with AstraZeneca. The hub will be part of the AstraZeneca A. Catalyst Network, an interconnected global network of more than 20 AstraZeneca health innovation hubs. Through the partnership, local start-ups and innovators will be empowered to address non-communicable diseases via innovative digital solutions.

Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund GIC invests RM750 million in Sunway Healthcare for a 16 percent stake on a fully converted basis. This strategic partnership augurs well in supporting the expansion of Sunway Healthcare’s existing hospitals and the setting up of new hospitals and ancillary healthcare businesses across the country. With this expansion, Sunway Healthcare is set to become a leading integrated private healthcare group with a network of hospitals and healthcare services in Malaysia and Singapore.

Sunway Centre for Planetary Health will contribute to the advancement of planetary health through quality education, world-class research and making knowledge accessible to all. The Centre will also engage with people across the Asia and Pacific regions who are most vulnerable to the impacts of planetary health challenges. One of just a handful of such entities in the world, the Centre is based at Sunway University, which aspires to become the first planetary health-oriented university in the world, and is yet another demonstration of Sunway’s full embrace of the sustainability agenda and commitment to advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals throughout the region.

Sunway announces its aim to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, with an interim target to halve emissions by 2030, in line with its aspiration to build a sustainable future. The group does this by gradually cutting its carbon footprint each year, in line with the quantum suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change to lower greenhouse gas emissions by 45% from 2010 levels by 2030.

With the goal to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050, Sunway Group is the first corporate in Malaysia and among the first in Asia to introduce an internal carbon pricing framework. This framework is implemented across its business divisions, and places a monetary value on carbon emissions to guide its business decisions and investment strategies, to hit its 2030 and 2050 emissions targets.This is in line with the 12th Malaysia clean energy adoption, encouraging better energy efficiency and ultimately reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

Sunway establishes a long-term partnership with the Malaysian AIDS Foundation (MAF) to improve healthcare access for underprivileged communities living with HIV in Sabah and Sarawak. The partnership seeks to address the socio-economic barriers to HIV treatment, prevention and care services in the Borneo states of Malaysia. Officially known as the MAF-Sunway HOPE Borneo Project, Sunway will support the three flagship programmes under this umbrella initiative, namely the Teratak Kasih Tok Nan and the Sarawak Health Access Programme for Sarawak, and the SAGA Health Access Programme for Sabah.

Sunway Healthcare launches two healthcare centres in Kuching, the Sunway Traditional and Complementary Medicine (TCM) Centre and Sunway Fertility Centre. These centres offer services to deliver treatments with a holistic and comprehensive approach, serving the growing needs of the communities in the Borneo states and other surrounding countries.

Sunway’s flagship five-star Sunway Resort Hotel unveils the first phase of its RM 270 million, once-in-a-generation transformation, cementing Sunway City Kuala Lumpur’s position as Asia’s leading fully-integrated premier hospitality and entertainment destination. Setting a new benchmark for business and leisure experiences in the region for decades to come, the reimagined 477-room property features cutting-edge technology and a wide array of sustainable features.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (UN-SDSN) launches its newest office in Asia to lead continent-wide sustainable initiatives. The UN-SDSN Asia headquarters is one of only three such centres in the world, ranking Sunway City Kuala Lumpur alongside New York City, which oversees the Americas, and Paris, which oversees Europe and Africa. The establishment of UN-SDSN’s Asia headquarters is made possible through a generous gift of USD 20 million by the Jeffrey Cheah Foundation.

Sunway, through its Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) arm – Sunway REIT, introduces a Green Lease Partnership Programme for all its tenants and hotel lessees, the first REIT in Malaysia to do so. This programme was established to encourage best international practices in sustainability and drive sustainable solutions through behavioural change, advancing Malaysia’s national commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Sunway continuously strives to achieve decarbonisation according to Scope 1, 2 and 3, benchmarked against best emissions reporting practices.