suncity ... Apr10

The group is undertaking a corporate exercise to unlock the value of its properties which will see it injecting its shopping malls, office towers, hotels and hypermarket into its proposed multi-billion ringgit Sunway real estate investment trust (REIT) which will be listed on Bursa Malaysia.

The proposed properties include the Sunway Pyramid shopping mall; 19-storey, five-star Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa; nine-storey Pyramid Tower Hotel; the Menara Sunway office tower block; five-storey Sunway Carnival Mall in Penang; 17-storey Sunway Hotel Seberang Jaya, SunCity Ipoh Hypermarket and the 33-storey Sunway Tower.

The corporate exercise also includes Sunway City disposing of three parcels of leasehold land, measuring 19,406 sq metres in Selangor, to its subsidiary -- Sunway Pyramid Sdn Bhd (SPSB). Sunway City owns a 52% stake of SPSB while the other 48% stake is held by Reco Pyramid Sdn Bhd. The princiapl activity of SPSB is operating a shopping mall.

Sunway City has also proposed to acquire 48 million shares or 48% of SPSB from Reco Pyramid (M) Sdn Bhd (RPSB) and 9.6 million shares or 48% stake in Sunway Resort Hotel Sdn Bhd (SRH) from Reco Resort Hotel (M) Sdn Bhd (RRHSB).

The Sunway REIT's investment objectives is to provide the unitholders with an exposure to a diversified portfolio of authorised investments that will provide stable cash distributions with the potential for sustainable growth of the net asset value per unit.

Subject to the approvals of the relevant authorities, Sunway REIT proposes to undertake a public issue of units in Sunway REIT and subsequent listing of and quotation for its entire issued and paid-up units on the Main Market of Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd.

The proposed disposal of SCB land and properties will allow the group to realise their investments in the properties.

The proceeds from the proposed disposal of SCB land and the proposed disposal of properties will be used to acquire land bank, working capital, future business expansion and to repay the group's borrowings.

The disposal of the land and properties will also enable the group to enhance the development of the real estate investment market in Malaysia through its proposed holdings in the units in Sunway REIT as well as its involvement in the management of Sunway REIT upon the completion of the proposed listing.

Upon disposal of properties to Sunway REIT, RPSB and RRHSB would sell their 48% stake in SPSB and SRH to Sunway City. Sunway City also agreed to acquire their 48% stakes.

This would then see SPSB continueing to operate Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall as a premier shopping mall with ice rink and bowling facilities. SRH, which will enter into a hotel master lease with Sunway REIT, will continue to operate Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa and Pyramid Tower Hotel.