# Tiah Joo Kim’s TA Global bets big on Kuala Lumpur and Vancouver skylines - **Source:** EdgeProp Singapore - **Published:** 2026-07-24T02:00:00.000Z - **Author:** Cecilia Chow - **Original:** https://www.edgeprop.sg/property-news/tiah-joo-kims-ta-global-bets-big-kuala-lumpur-and-vancouver-skylines - **Topics:** Regional Markets ## Featured rationale International take-up signals demand for hospitality-integrated Kuala Lumpur homes, potentially supporting premium residential pricing and TA Global’s expansion across mixed-use and hotel assets. ## AI summary TA Global’s RM3 billion CloutHaus-Paradox KLCC development includes 615 luxury residences, with CloutHaus already 40% sold to buyers from over 20 nationalities. ## Original article Tiah Joo Kim runs his businesses across two very different worlds. One is in Vancouver, Canada. The city ranks among the world’s top 10 most liveable cities in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s 2026 Global Liveability Index. It is where he lives with his family and runs the Canada-based real estate developer Holborn Group. The other is in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, where he is CEO of TA Global, a diversified real estate and hospitality group. TA Global is also the parent company of Holborn Group. “I fly between Vancouver and Malaysia whenever required,” he says. City of skyscrapers According to the Council on Vertical Urbanism, Kuala Lumpur is ranked sixth among metropolitan areas around the world with completed skyscrapers taller than 150m. The Petronas Twin Towers, completed in 1998, were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004, when they were overtaken by Taiwan’s Taipei 101. Read also: CloutHaus Residences: The ultimate address of luxury framing KL’s most iconic view The tallest tower in Kuala Lumpur is now the 678.9m Merdeka 118 (completed in 2022), the second-tallest building in the world after the 828m Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The Exchange 106 at Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), at 453.6m, is now the second-tallest tower in Malaysia. At 451.9m, the Petronas Twin Towers may now be third-tallest, but they remain Malaysia’s most famous towers. They even served as the backdrop for the 1999 heist thriller Entrapment, starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones. TA Global is adding two new skyscrapers to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) skyline: the 276m CloutHaus Residences, a 66-storey tower with 615 luxury serviced residences, and the neighbouring 58-storey Paradox Hotel, with 548 keys and 242 branded residences. CloutHaus and KLCC skyline The RM3 billion ($945 million) luxury integrated development comprising the two towers sits on a 2.26ha freehold site in the prime Jalan P Ramlee nightlife strip. Before the site broke ground in 2025, it operated as an open-air car park for nearly three decades. TA Global acquired the site in 1999 and land-banked it. “Opportunities to develop a site of this scale and prominence in the heart of KLCC are exceptionally rare,” says Tiah. “It is also not simply a residential proposition: the two-tower development brings together luxury residences, hotel-serviced living by Paradox Hotel, and a collection of elevated lifestyle experiences.” Read also: Frasers Hospitality to open 18 new serviced, hotel residences across Asia by 2028 Launched in Malaysia in late 2024, CloutHaus Residences is 40% sold to date. Purchasers have hailed from more than 20 different nationalities, “which reflects the project’s strong international appeal”, according to TA Global. An investor preview will be held in Singapore on July 25. Units range from 549 sq ft to 1,216 sq ft, with prices from $469,000 to $1.5 million. “We want CloutHaus Residences to represent the very best of Kuala Lumpur,” says Tiah. “If we achieve that, the pricing will naturally reflect it.” According to Knight Frank’s Wealth Report 2026, released in April, Kuala Lumpur was ranked No. 62 in the Prime International Residential Index 100, with annual price growth of 1.1% in 2025. By comparison, Tokyo, which topped the index, saw 58.5% price growth last year, while Singapore was placed 13th at 7.9%. “Our focus is not on chasing a price point, but on creating a development that delivers lasting quality, relevance and value,” says Tiah. Sons and fathers This year marks Tiah’s 10th year as CEO of TA Global — he assumed the role in 2016 at the age of 36. He believes the most important lessons came from “decisions that didn’t work out”. “You will never know whether a decision was the best, even if it turns out well,” he says. Read also: Kuala Lumpur's top million-ringgit home transactions of 2025 Tiah is the son of Malaysian tycoon Tony Tiah — a well-known stockbroker in the 1990s and now executive chairman of TA Global. The elder Tiah co-founded TA Group of Companies with his wife, Alicia Tan, in 1989, with the company bearing the initials of their first names. Tan is a non-independent executive director of TA Global. Becoming a father has also made him a better leader, Tiah adds. “I am more patient, understanding and nurturing than I was 10 years ago,” he concedes. “It’s easy to be tough and demanding and, dare I say it, unreasonable, when you’re the one calling the shots.” However, he believes the hallmark of a good leader is the ability to nurture and bring out the best in their staff. “This requires guidance, encouragement and the ability to inspire,” notes Tiah. “It is how you build a loyal and capable team over time, and I believe we have certainly achieved this in our company. I have learnt that nothing speaks more than your actions and leadership by example.” RM10 billion Damansara Avenue mega development In addition to CloutHaus Residences, TA Global’s other mega development in Kuala Lumpur is the RM10 billion Damansara Avenue, a master-planned, mixed-use project on a 48-acre (19.4ha) plot in Bandar Sri Damansara, Selangor. The latest phase launched at Damansara Avenue is Ativo Annexe, a RM3 billion, 15-acre mixed-use development where TA Global is developing the 420,000 sq ft DA Central Mall, Amaya Residences, and a Grade A strata office project, The Arden. Amaya Residences is a 1,268-unit development across two 68-storey towers. Tower A launched in November 2024, followed by Tower B in March 2026. The Arden office tower launched in 1Q2026. “The wider masterplan also includes hospitality, wellness, and lifestyle components, with direct connectivity to the Sri Damansara Sentral MRT Station,” says Tiah. “In that sense, we are already working across several asset classes and looking at how they can complement one another within a larger ecosystem.” Growing in hospitality Besides large-scale mixed-use developments, TA Global intends to expand its international hospitality arm, Paradox Hotels & Resorts, which operates six hotels around the world. “At our core, we enjoy design,” says Tiah. “Hence, residential and hospitality projects tend to excite us more.” The most famous hotel in the portfolio is its flagship, Paradox Vancouver, which at 188m is the second-tallest tower in Vancouver after the 201m Living Shangri-La. The 69-storey Paradox Vancouver opened in 2017 as Trump International Hotel & Tower, after it closed in 2020 amid the pandemic. It reopened in April 2022 as the Paradox Vancouver following extensive refurbishment and rebranding. TA Global also owns and operates the Summit Lodge and Aava Whistler boutique hotels in Whistler, Canada. In Asia Pacific, Paradox owns and operates hotels in Bangkok, Kunshan, Phuket, Singapore and Sydney. Paradox Phuket launched in January 2022. The 22-acre beachfront hotel previously operated as Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket. Paradox Singapore opened in March 2022 — it was previously the Swissôtel Merchant Court Hotel, which TA Global acquired in 2009 for $250 million. In Australia, Paradox Sydney, which officially opened in July 2025, is a repositioning of the former Radisson Blu Plaza, a 362-room hotel within a heritage-listed building in the Sydney CBD that TA Global acquired in 1997. TA Global also owns the Westin Melbourne, a 262-room luxury hotel on Collins Street in Melbourne’s CBD, acquired in December 2008 for A$160 million (RM389.1 million then). The Paradox brand will also have a flag in Malaysia, next to CloutHaus Residences. “This will also allow CloutHaus residents to enjoy the convenience and five-star service standards associated with the Paradox hospitality experience,” says Tiah. Exploring US and Japanese markets “We will continue to look for opportunities in the countries and cities where we already have a presence — Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and Canada,” says Tiah. “We are looking at other markets like the US and Japan too.” According to Tiah, the group is evaluating several hospitality opportunities across different countries. In July 2026, Tiah’s Holborn Group acquired an office tower in Vancouver for $74 million from Toronto-based Allied Properties Reit. The building, constructed in 1984, has 165,855 sq ft of lettable area and was acquired at “a significant discount”, notes Tiah. The acquisition means Holborn now owns the entire block of West Georgia Street between Bute and Thurlow streets in downtown Vancouver, according to Western Investor. The building’s neighbouring towers are the 60-storey Paradox Vancouver and the 24-storey FortisBC Centre office tower, home to Holborn’s headquarters. Holborn has also proposed transforming two downtown blocks into 1,546 new homes, a 920-room hotel and more than 70,000 sq ft of conference space with three large ballrooms, across three towers — two with 68 storeys and one with 79 storeys. When completed, the tower will rise 1,034 ft (314.9m), making it the tallest building in western Canada. The proposal also calls for Holborn to turn its property at 388 Abbott Street in the Downtown Eastside — currently a parking lot — into 276 social housing homes, a 37-space childcare facility, and a 5,150 sq ft Indigenous art gallery. The Abbott Street project would be handed to the city as a community amenity contribution and is expected to include three artist-in-residence spaces for local Indigeneous artists. The estimated cost of the entire project is C$2.8 billion ($2.57 billion). Kuala Lumpur as a global residential address Tiah believes it’s a good time to launch CloutHaus Residences to an international audience. “The global real estate market may not be particularly strong right now, save for certain pockets in the US,” he observes. “But CloutHaus’ location is irreplaceable and will continue to be the centre and heart of Kuala Lumpur for many years to come.” In the World’s Best Cities 2026 ranking by Resonance Consultancy, Kuala Lumpur placed right in the middle, at 50th. It ranked fifth for labour force participation and 20th for standard of living. “Kuala Lumpur is already a global city,” says Tiah. “We have a rich culture and a buzzing city.” It also consistently ranks among the most affordable global cities for expatriates in terms of cost of living and quality of life, he notes. However, to become a global “residential” city, Kuala Lumpur needs to attract more foreigners and expatriates to live there. “I think for this to happen, there must first be strong economic activity capable of attracting international talent, whether through government initiatives or foreign investment,” says Tiah. “More jobs and business opportunities will naturally draw more talent to the city.” Foreign investment surges According to the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), Malaysia attracted RM92.8 billion in approved investments in 1Q2026, of which RM36.6 billion (39%) was domestic and RM56.2 billion (61%) foreign. The 1,249 approved projects spanning multiple sectors, including real estate, are expected to generate 50,226 new jobs, a 46.7% increase y-o-y, “demonstrating stronger labour market outcomes and sustained investor confidence”, according to Mida. Japan was the largest foreign investor in 1Q2026, with RM21.5 billion — more than 13 times higher than the same period last year. China, the US, Singapore and Thailand rounded out the top five. Mida said 93.6% of approved Japanese investments in 1Q2026 went into digital transformation activities, reflecting Malaysia’s growing role in regional high-tech and digital supply chains. Selangor led the other states with RM33.5 billion in approved investments — almost triple the RM11.8 billion in 1Q2025 — followed by Johor and Kuala Lumpur with RM16.9 billion each. Penang attracted RM6.2 billion, followed by Sarawak with RM4 billion. “Sustaining this momentum, and ensuring these are high-quality employment and business opportunities, will help attract international companies and the talent they bring,” says Tiah. While economic opportunity remains a key factor, Tiah believes a company like TA Global can also do its part — building international schools and public amenities to further improve quality of life. “That is also how we think about development,” he says. At Damansara Avenue, for instance, residences form part of a wider environment that includes workplaces, retail, hospitality, public connectivity and lifestyle amenities. “A city becomes attractive as a place to live when these elements come together, rather than when housing is developed in isolation,” says Tiah. ## Chinese translation > Translation model: grok ### Tiah Joo Kim的TA Global重注吉隆坡与温哥华天际线 CloutHaus Residences是TA Global将奢华居住与五星级酒店服务融合策略的一部分。 Tiah Joo Kim在两个截然不同的世界经营业务。其一是加拿大温哥华。这座城市在《经济学人》智库2026年全球宜居指数中跻身全球十大最宜居城市之列。他与家人在此生活，并运营加拿大房地产开发商Holborn Group。 另一处是马来西亚吉隆坡，他担任多元化房地产与酒店集团TA Global的首席执行官。TA Global也是Holborn Group的母公司。“需要时我会在温哥华与马来西亚之间飞来飞去，”他说。 摩天楼之城 根据Council on Vertical Urbanism，在全球已落成超过150米摩天楼的大都市区中，吉隆坡排名第六。1998年落成的双子塔（Petronas Twin Towers）曾是世界最高建筑，直至2004年被台湾台北101超越。 延伸阅读：CloutHaus Residences：框住吉隆坡最标志性景观的终极奢华地址 吉隆坡目前最高的塔楼是678.9米的默迪卡118（Merdeka 118，2022年落成），为世界第二高建筑，仅次于迪拜828米的哈利法塔。位于敦拉萨国际贸易中心（TRX）的Exchange 106高453.6米，现为马来西亚第二高塔。 高451.9米的双子塔或许现居第三，但仍是马来西亚最著名的塔楼。它们甚至成为1999年盗宝惊悚片《偷天陷阱》（Entrapment）的背景，主演为Sean Connery与Catherine Zeta-Jones。 TA Global正为吉隆坡市中心（KLCC）天际线增添两座新摩天楼：高276米、66层、含615套豪华服务式公寓的CloutHaus Residences，以及相邻的58层Paradox Hotel，含548间客房与242套品牌住宅。 CloutHaus与KLCC天际线 这个价值30亿令吉（约9.45亿新元）的豪华综合发展项目由两座塔楼组成，坐落于Jalan P Ramlee黄金夜生活地带一块2.26公顷永久地契土地上。 该地块在2025年动工前，近三十年作为露天停车场运营。TA Global于1999年收购该地并持有土地储备。 “在KLCC核心区开发如此规模与显赫地段的机会极为罕见，”Tiah表示。“这也不仅仅是住宅命题：双塔项目将豪华住宅、由Paradox Hotel提供酒店式服务居住，以及一系列高端生活方式体验融合在一起。” 延伸阅读：辉盛国际（Frasers Hospitality）计划至2028年在亚洲开设18处新服务式/酒店式住宅 CloutHaus Residences于2024年底在马来西亚开盘，迄今售出40%。买家来自超过20个不同国籍，“反映项目强劲的国际吸引力”，TA Global表示。 投资者预览会将于7月25日在新加坡举行。单位面积从549平方英尺至1,216平方英尺，价格从46.9万新元至150万新元。 “我们希望CloutHaus Residences代表吉隆坡的顶尖水准，”Tiah表示。“若能做到，定价自然会体现这一点。” 根据莱坊2026年4月发布的《财富报告》，吉隆坡在优质国际住宅指数100中排名第62，2025年价格年增长1.1%。相比之下，位居指数榜首的东京去年价格增长58.5%，新加坡位列第13，涨幅7.9%。 “我们的重点不是追逐某个价位，而是打造能带来持久品质、相关性与价值的发展项目，”Tiah表示。 父子与传承 今年是Tiah担任TA Global首席执行官的第十年——他于2016年、36岁时出任该职。他认为最重要的教训来自“那些没有成功的决定”。“你永远无法知道某个决定是否最佳，即便结果最终不错，”他说。 延伸阅读：2025年吉隆坡最高价百万令吉住宅交易 Tiah是马来西亚大亨Tony Tiah之子——后者在1990年代是知名证券经纪商，现为TA Global执行主席。老Tiah与妻子Alicia Tan于1989年共同创立TA集团，公司名称取自两人名字首字母。Tan是TA Global非独立执行董事。 成为父亲也让他成为更好的领导者，Tiah补充道。“比起十年前，我更有耐心、更能理解、也更能培养人，”他承认。“当你掌握决策权时，很容易变得强硬、苛求，甚至可以说不讲理。” 然而，他认为优秀领导者的标志，是有能力培养员工并激发其最佳状态。“这需要指导、鼓励与激励能力，”Tiah指出。“这是你如何随着时间打造忠诚且有能力团队的方式，我相信我们公司确实做到了这一点。我学到，没有什么比行动与以身作则更能说明问题。” 100亿令吉Damansara Avenue巨型发展项目 除CloutHaus Residences外，TA Global在吉隆坡的另一巨型项目是价值100亿令吉的Damansara Avenue——位于雪兰莪Bandar Sri Damansara、占地48英亩（19.4公顷）的总体规划综合用途项目。 Damansara Avenue最新推盘阶段是Ativo Annexe，一个价值30亿令吉、占地15英亩的综合用途发展项目，TA Global在此开发42万平方英尺的DA Central Mall、Amaya Residences，以及甲级分层写字楼项目The Arden。 Amaya Residences是跨两座68层塔楼、共1,268个单位的项目。A座于2024年11月开盘，B座于2026年3月开盘。The Arden写字楼于2026年第一季开盘。 “更广阔的总体规划还包括酒店、康养与生活方式组件，并与Sri Damansara Sentral地铁站直接连通，”Tiah表示。“从这个意义上说，我们已经在多个资产类别上运作，并思考它们如何在更大生态系统中相互补充。” 酒店业务扩张 除大型综合用途发展外，TA Global还打算扩展其国际酒店业务Paradox Hotels & Resorts，目前在全球运营六家酒店。 “我们骨子里热爱设计，”Tiah表示。“因此，住宅与酒店项目往往更让我们兴奋。”投资组合中最知名的是旗舰酒店Paradox Vancouver，高188米，为温哥华第二高塔，仅次于201米的Living Shangri-La。 这座69层的Paradox Vancouver于2017年以Trump International Hotel & Tower开业，2020年疫情期间关闭。经过大规模翻新与品牌重塑后，于2022年4月以Paradox Vancouver重新开业。 TA Global还在加拿大惠斯勒拥有并运营Summit Lodge与Aava Whistler精品酒店。 在亚太地区，Paradox在曼谷、昆山、普吉、新加坡与悉尼拥有并运营酒店。 Paradox Phuket于2022年1月推出。这座22英亩海滨酒店此前为Movenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket。Paradox Singapore于2022年3月开业——此前为Swissôtel Merchant Court Hotel，TA Global于2009年以2.5亿新元收购。 在澳大利亚，Paradox Sydney于2025年7月正式开业，是对前Radisson Blu Plaza的重新定位——这是悉尼CBD一座遗产建筑内的362间客房酒店，TA Global于1997年收购。 TA Global还拥有Westin Melbourne，位于墨尔本CBD Collins Street的262间客房豪华酒店，于2008年12月以1.6亿澳元（当时约3.891亿令吉）收购。 Paradox品牌也将在马来西亚插旗，紧邻CloutHaus Residences。“这也将让CloutHaus住户享受与Paradox酒店体验相关的便利与五星级服务标准，”Tiah表示。 探索美国与日本市场 “我们将继续在已有布局的国家与城市寻找机会——马来西亚、新加坡、澳大利亚与加拿大，”Tiah表示。“我们也在关注美国、日本等其他市场。” 据Tiah介绍，集团正在评估多个国家的若干酒店机会。 2026年7月，Tiah的Holborn Group以7,400万新元从多伦多Allied Properties Reit收购温哥华一座写字楼。该建筑建于1984年，可出租面积165,855平方英尺，以“显著折让”收购，Tiah指出。 据Western Investor，此次收购意味着Holborn现已拥有温哥华市中心Bute与Thurlow街之间整条West Georgia Street街块。该建筑邻近的塔楼是60层的Paradox Vancouver，以及24层、作为Holborn总部所在地的FortisBC Centre写字楼。 Holborn还提议将两个市中心街块改造为1,546套新住宅、920间客房酒店，以及超过70,000平方英尺会议空间（含三间大型宴会厅），分布在三座塔楼中——两座68层、一座79层。落成后该塔将高达1,034英尺（314.9米），成为加拿大西部最高建筑。 提案还要求Holborn将其位于市中心东区388 Abbott Street的物业——目前为停车场——改造成276套社会住房、37个名额的托儿设施，以及5,150平方英尺的原住民艺术画廊。 Abbott Street项目将作为社区配套贡献交给市政府，预计包括三个本地原住民艺术家驻留空间。整个项目预估成本为28亿加元（约25.7亿新元）。 吉隆坡作为全球住宅地址 Tiah相信，现在是向国际受众推介CloutHaus Residences的好时机。 “全球房地产市场眼下或许并不特别强劲，除了美国的某些局部，”他观察道。“但CloutHaus的位置不可替代，并将在未来许多年继续是吉隆坡的中心与核心。” 在Resonance Consultancy的2026年世界最佳城市排名中，吉隆坡位居中间第50位。它在劳动力参与方面排名第五，生活水平排名第20。 “吉隆坡已经是一座全球城市，”Tiah表示。“我们有丰富的文化与充满活力的城市。”它也持续在生活成本与生活质量方面，跻身对外籍人士最可负担的全球城市之列，他指出。 然而，要成为全球“居住型”城市，吉隆坡需要吸引更多外国人与外籍人士在此生活。“我认为要实现这一点，首先必须有能吸引国际人才的强劲经济活动，无论是通过政府举措还是外国投资，”Tiah表示。“更多就业与商业机会自然会吸引更多人才来到这座城市。” 外国投资激增 据马来西亚投资发展局（Mida），马来西亚在2026年第一季吸引928亿令吉获批投资，其中366亿令吉（39%）为国内投资，562亿令吉（61%）为外国投资。 跨越多行业（包括房地产）的1,249个获批项目，预计将创造50,226个新就业岗位，同比增加46.7%，“显示更强的劳动力市场成果与持续的投资者信心”，Mida表示。 日本是2026年第一季最大外国投资者，达215亿令吉——是去年同期的13倍以上。中国、美国、新加坡与泰国位列前五其余席位。 Mida表示，2026年第一季获批日本投资的93.6%投向数字化转型活动，反映马来西亚在区域高科技与数字供应链中日益重要的角色。 雪兰莪以335亿令吉获批投资领先其他州属——几乎是2025年第一季118亿令吉的三倍——柔佛与吉隆坡各169亿令吉紧随其后。槟城吸引62亿令吉，砂拉越40亿令吉。 “维持这一势头，并确保这些是高质量的就业与商业机会，将有助于吸引国际公司及其带来的人才，”Tiah表示。 尽管经济机会仍是关键因素，Tiah相信像TA Global这样的公司也能尽一份力——建设国际学校与公共配套，进一步提升生活质量。“这也是我们思考发展的方式，”他说。 例如在Damansara Avenue，住宅是更广泛环境的一部分，包括工作场所、零售、酒店、公共连通与生活方式配套。“当这些元素汇聚在一起时，城市才成为有吸引力的居住地，而不是孤立地开发住房，”Tiah表示。