Business

Wednesday April 30, 2008

HELP plans new campus


KUALA LUMPUR: HELP International Corp Bhd plans to allocate RM100mil for the construction of its new integrated campus in Shah Alam.

President and co-founder Dr Paul T.H. Chan said: “We need an integrated campus to accommodate the increasing number of students.”

Yesterday, shareholders approved the proposed acquisition of 23.29 acres in Subang 2 Delima by its wholly owned unit Help University College Sdn Bhd from Juta Permai (M) Sdn Bhd for RM20.29mil.

The proposed flagship campus, with a built-up area of 600,000 sq ft, would be developed in four phases and was expected to be completed in seven to eight years, Chan said after the company AGM and EGM yesterday.

The project would be funded by internal funds and bank borrowings, he said, adding that the campus would accommodate 13,000 students.

Chan said the construction of phase 1, which costs RM35mil, would start next year for completion by 2011. “We target the number of students to increase to 18,000 after the completion of our new campus in 2015,” he said.

Currently, HELP has 10,500 on-campus students, of whom 20% are foreigners from 65 countries.

According chief executive officer Low Kam Yoke, the population of foreign students would grow faster than that of local students this year due to increased enrolment from the Middle East and Africa.

Meanwhile, Chan said HELP would sign a deal with the Saudi Arabian government to deliver some courses in the country next month. HELP would also deliver its information technology and digital programmes to two institutions in Suzhou, China, he added.

To date, HELP had 12 franchising arrangements with Indonesia, Vietnam and China, said Chan, adding that it aimed to award at least 10 licences annually through similar arrangements.

“We anticipate our licensing and franchising arrangements with overseas partners to contribute 30% to the group's topline by 2010 from less than 10% currently,” he said.

Additionally, HELP was “actively exploring” possible mergers and acquisitions internationally, especially in Australia and the US, said Chan.

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