1,000-seat cinema soon at ITCC
Published on: Sunday, June 30, 2024
By: Hayati Dzulkifli
Sylvia (centre), Benjamin (3rd left), Alexander (2nd left) posing with Tunku Yaacob (3rd right), and Onn Norshal (2nd right) while others look on at a site cinema project on the third floor ITCC shopping mall.
PENAMPANG: Residents here will soon be able to enjoy their favourite movies with the opening of a 1,000-seat community cinema at ITCC shopping mall next year.
Sabanilam Enterprise Sdn Bhd that manages the ITCC shopping mall has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with 10Star Cinemas Sdn Bhd, largest cinema chain in Sabah, to develop the flagship cinema on the third floor of the shopping mall.
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Benjamin Malakun, Group General Manager of Sabanilam Enterprise Sdn Bhd and its Executive Director Datin Seri Sylvia Malakun signed the MoU on Friday (June 28) while 10Star Cinemas Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of MAA Group Berhad, was represented by its Chief Executive Officer cum Director Onn Norshal Hamzah and MAA Group Berhad Executive Chairman Tunku Dato’ Yaacob Khyra.
Benjamin said the signing of the MoU is very important to ITCC shopping mall as it signifies the next step and evolution of the mall in having its own cinema under the prestigious and fastest growth cinema brand in Sabah, 10Star Cinemas.
He said the imminent community cinema would be the seventh cinema for the cinema company. The other are in two each in Tawau and Sandakan and one each in Papar and Kota Marudu.
“We are very pleased for signing this MoU with the target to start renovations within the next few months and to complete and open the cinema beginning 2025 before the blockbuster movie season sometime in March or April.
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ITCC building.
“With this new addition of 10 Star Cinemas as our cinema anchor tenant in ITCC shopping mall, Penampang we aim to improve our mall occupancy rate from the current 80pc to 100pc within one year.
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“We are optimistic that ITCC shopping mall would continue to be the preferred shopping, leisure and entertainment complex in Penampang and nearby districts.”
“Our company also plans to complete our 11-storey Hotel with 163 rooms within the next one year. And therefore, complement our Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) activities in ITCC-Penampang,” Benjamin said in his speech at the event.
Further enquiries on leasing of shoplot in ITCC shopping mall, ITCC Grand Ballroom and Manhattan Suites, contact at 012 - 866 8661 or Irene at 010-935 3461.
Onn Norshal told reporters that the upcoming cinema with seven or eight halls be able to accommodate up to 1,000 to 1,200 people at one time.
The cinema would be equipped with state-of-the-art technology such as using sophisticated laser projectors to screen films and high quality 7.1 surround sound system in each hall.
“We are building this cinema not just for showing varieties of movies but also to screening local movies as a way of helping the industry to grow.
“We plan to make this cinema in ITCC Shopping Mall, Penampang to operate screening movies until 3am as we provide similar time and facilities to our other cinemas in Tawau, which we received encouraging response.” Onn Norshal told the press conference after the signing.
To a question, Tunku Yaacob said they chose Penampang to set up the cinema at ITCC shopping mall as they saw huge potential for development of entertainment in the district here.
“We are bringing in the cinema project to Penampang as we aim to bring in entertainment to the underserved local communities.
“Furthermore, we see that the district has good infrastructure and has good access to people from nearby districts and townships.
“We decided to open up the cinema at ITCC shopping mall as we see that it can afford to provide vast space areas for the halls and other facilities, safe and comfortable to the movie goers,” he said.
Tunku Yaacob said cinema is not just a place for public to enjoy watching movies but it is also a place for them to spend quality time with their families and children.
He said the cinema may have many up to 1,000 seats to accommodate the public, while their other cinemas in Sabah have in average of 350 to 500 seats.
Therefore, he added that 10Star Cinemas @ ITCC shopping mall would be their flagship cinema.
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