KUALA LUMPUR, October 18, 2019 – IJM Construction Sdn Bhd (“IJM Construction”), a wholly owned subsidiary of IJM Corporation Berhad, won the Best Project award for major buildings above RM100 million at the Malaysian Construction Industry Excellence Awards 2019 (MCIEA) held at W Kuala Lumpur Hotel on 4^th October.

The award was for IJM Construction’s work on Equatorial Plaza, a redevelopment of the iconic former Hotel Equatorial site, located in Kuala Lumpur’s golden triangle. The 52-storey development is an integration of Grade ‘A’ offices and the 5-star luxury EQ Hotel – its sleek new design redefining the hotel’s revered status in its Jalan Sultan Ismail surroundings.

“The award is a recognition of IJM’s impressive building and construction credentials. For more than 35 years, IJM Construction has been entrusted with many projects that have sculpted the face of the nation and beyond – projects that have become the cornerstone of cities and communities. We are delighted to be working with an esteemed luxury hospitality name such as Equatorial. The MCIEA award that we received reinforces our track record of building prestigious and Grade-A high-rise projects in the city centre. I am proud of my team and truly honoured to be recognised for this achievement,” said Mr. Liew Hau Seng, CEO & Managing Director, IJM Corporation Berhad.

The building has achieved Provisional Green Building Index (GBI) Malaysia Gold Certification and has been designed to Multimedia Super Corridor (MSC) specifications, demonstrating sustainability in its building and architecture design.

It has a unique external façade shaped to create an illusion of the hotel and office sections as individual entities while both are connected together. The stainless steel vertical strips camouflage the horizontal spandrels, creating randomness and generating a pattern of falling rain. Apart from that, it has an impressive lobby with its elegant interior, a unique mirror and glass feature wall. It is also a disabled-friendly building with easy access to facilities such as ramps at the lobby and lower ground entrance, toilets, car parking and lifts. 

Equatorial Plaza is a new generation office building offering raised floors, flexible VAV air conditioning and latest smart technology to carry it to the future. To qualify for its Industrialised Building System (IBS) score of 69%, the building features utilisation and standardisation of construction systems and materials in major structural elements such as reusable system formwork, slabs, columns, façade windows and dry wall systems. The thorough planning, IJM Construction’s expertise in Building Information Modeling (BIM) design and construction management, and a fruitful solution-oriental dialogue between the architect, contractor and client, have created the right foundation for the formation of the high-profile building.

In September 2015, IJM Construction Sdn Bhd accepted the Letter of Award issued by GDP Architects Sdn Bhd on behalf of Hotel Equatorial (M) Sdn Bhd and Fenghuang Development, for a mixed commercial development with a contract value of RM455.5 million. The job entailed the construction work of the podium block, office tower and hotel tower, as well as the interior design works for the hotel tower and hotel outlet. Construction commenced in October 2015 and was completed and handed over to the client for the office and hotel components in August 2018 and January 2019 respectively.

Reinforcing IJM Construction’s track record of building prestigious and iconic high-rise projects in the city centre, IJM is currently undertaking two construction projects in Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) – HSBC Malaysia and Affin Bank’s new headquarters which are scheduled for completion in end-2020. These two projects, along with IJM’s ongoing building footprint in the city which include the UOB office tower in Jalan Raja Laut and BBCC’s Mitsui Shopping Park Lalaport retail mall, are testaments to IJM’s capability as a builder of prestigious, high-rise developments in the city centre.

Organised by Construction Industry Development Board (CIDB), the MCIEA was introduced in 2000 to celebrate the excellence and achievements of the industry players, organisations and projects in Malaysia’s construction sector. The award categories in MCIEA 2019 are aligned with CIDB’s Construction Industry Transformation Programme (CITP) four strategic thrusts; Quality, Safety, Professionalism, Environmental Sustainability, Productivity and Internationalisation.

About IJM Corporation Berhad

IJM Corporation Berhad (“IJM”), formed in 1983, today ranks as one of Malaysia’s leading conglomerates with an international footprint forged by its four core businesses: construction, property development, industry (quarrying and the manufacture of building materials) and infrastructure concessions. IJM holds leading positions across all its business divisions. Its growth is the direct result of strong leadership, dedicated employees, financial prudence and commitment to good governance and quality.

The Group presently has a market capitalisation of around RM9.56 billion and as of June 2025, the Group employed around 3,600 employees and had total assets of RM22.3 billion.

For more information, visit www.ijm.com