KL East Mall, Sime Darby Property Bhd's first wholly owned retail mall, is expected to open its doors to the public on November 25.

Initially slated for official opening in March 2020, the new mall located in the country's capital city had to delay its plan due to the Covid-19 pandemic that was beyond the company's control.

The property developer said it would uphold the government's policies and standard operating procedures (SOPs) regarding the opening of the mall should there be any further complications due to the pandemic.

"Also taking into consideration that the retail market was projected to be subdued in the first half of 2020, it was only prudent that we delayed the opening of KL East Mall," the company told Bernama.

It noted that minor reconfiguration and tenant's fit-out works on the mall were halted during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period but were subsequently resumed in compliance with relevant regulatory requirements.'

The global situation brought upon by the novel coronavirus outbreak had impacted various industries and the retail sector was also not spared from the consequences, it said.

Meanwhile, to ensure the public's safety, Sime Darby Property said precautionary measures had been intensified during this pandemic period in line with the government's SOPs.

This includes daily sanitisation of its sales galleries and office premises, temperature screenings and health declarations, physical distancing precautions enforced with designated stickers placed at key areas and provision of hand sanitisers at designated spots in sales galleries and show units.

"We are prepared to protect the health and safety of the public visiting our premises and will continue to practise relevant precautionary measures for those visiting KL East Mall when it opens," it said.

In terms of the mall's occupancy, it highlighted that the main tenants are Jaya Grocer, Harvey Norman, H&M, Blue Ice Skating Rink, MBO Cinemas, Camp 5, Jungle Gym, Toys R' Us, Factory Outlet Store and Café Chef Wan.

Primed as the cultural pulse of KL East – a 61.91-hectare (153-acre) fully integrated township development – the mall has a gross built-up of about 1.2 million sq ft and a net lettable area of 384,210 sq ft.

Within a 15-minute drive from it, there is a local population of 1.28 million with a total household income of RM29.5 billion per annum. The KL East also is primed for future business and education hubs.

KL East Mall is strategically surrounded by six main highways, which are the Middle Ring Road 2 (MRR 2), Duta–Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE Highway), Sungai Besi-Ulu Kelang Elevated Expressway (SUKE Highway), Karak Expressway, Ampang–Kuala Lumpur Elevated Highway (AKLEH), and Setiawangsa-Pantai Expressway (SPE Highway). - Bernama