KUALA LUMPUR (June 29): Our cover story this week features NCT Group of Companies founder and group managing director Datuk Seri Yap Ngan Choy, alongside vice-president of finance Sae-Yap Atthakovit, as they share the company’s transformation journey from a humble tiling business to a real estate and construction powerhouse.

Known for reviving some of the largest abandoned projects in Malaysia and launching the country’s first Managed Industrial Park (MIP) — the NCT Smart Industrial Park (NSIP) in Kuala Langat, the company is looking to launch its second industrial park, NCT Innosphere, in Bukit Kayu Hitam, Kedah, and the largest housing development in Putatan, Sabah.

In the MySpace column, Master Builders Association Malaysia (MBAM) president Oliver Wee warns of the sales and services tax (SST) strain on the construction industry. He also appeals to the government to provide some reprieve from the tax burden by moderating its impact on the industry.

In the final instalment of Strata Sense, Knight Frank Property Management Sdn Bhd director Nageswaran Muniandy shares the financial obligations of owning a stratified property and insights into smart financial planning that are key to protecting not just the budget, but also the value of a stratified property.

We also explored Jalan Yap Ah Shak this week, with Henry Butcher Malaysia director of corporate real estate Long Shi Chuen opining that heritage commercial and office buildings there are attractive to investors, given an increasing demand from businesses to set up offices and F&B ventures.