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- Rental transactions within a 1.03km radius of the ancient watch shop still show competitive rates, with office and shoplots leasing for as little as RM1.00–RM3.00 psf, depending on age and condition.
PORT KLANG (Aug 6): Anchored by an international port serving as Malaysia’s main gateway for cargo freight, Port Klang town has been lined by a historic commercial core as old as the harbour. With some having weathered more than a century’s rain and shine, the shops here retain among the lowest rent rates in the Klang Valley.
But they are edging up.
Monthly leases for older shoplots range from around RM3,000 for long-time tenants to RM8,000 for renovated F&B spaces, with newer brands often spending hundreds of thousands on fit-outs.
According to EPIQ EdgeProp data, the average transacted price for commercial properties here climbed 3.8% from RM598,000 in 2023 to RM621,000 in 2024.
Recent transactions highlight the wide price range. Shophouses within a 1.030km radius of Persiaran Raja Muda Musa were sold for as low as RM120,000 for a 689-sq ft unit in Taman Aur (RM174 psf) in Jan 2025, while office lots along Jalan Kem changed hands at RM1.5 million for 1,500 sq ft (RM1,000 psf) just a month earlier in Dec 2024. Meanwhile, vacant land traded at RM112 psf for a 13,803-sq ft parcel along Persiaran Raja Muda Musa in Nov 2024.
And despite their age, these properties are attracting fresh interest. Legacy tenants hold on to spaces occupied for generations, while new players are moving in, betting on the affordability and steady local traffic to offset the challenges of aged infrastructure.
Legacy tenant has held on since 1948
At 83 Persiaran Raja Muda Musa, Chan Keow Watch Trading has been operating from the same premises for over 75 years. The business, founded by Ho Kee Yow in 1948, is now run by his granddaughter, Ho Mei Cheng, 62.
“This is home to us. I was born and bred here. Even though we only rent the space, we treat it like our ancestral home,” she told EdgeProp.
The shop, tucked into a two-storey pre-war building dating back to 1931, pays an average rent of RM3,000 per month.
Rental prices have increased steadily since the government abolished rent control for pre-war buildings, but Port Klang still offers among the cheapest commercial rents in the Klang Valley.
“Most of the old neighbours have shifted away and foreigners have taken over many shops. Port Klang now becomes very quiet at night; most shops close by 7pm except a few foreigner-run businesses,” said Ho.
The building has had only minor upgrades over the years.
“We still use the original floor tiles and layout,” she stated.
The Ho family continues to rent the unit from the same landlord’s family, who purchased the property generations ago.
New F&B players betting on old stock
While legacy tenants hold on, newer brands are beginning to see opportunity in these older properties.
Classic Briyani, which opened its Port Klang branch in 2023, took up a unit at Bangunan Ng Chin Chye, a commercial block that, according to company records, was built in the mid-1970s. The restaurant’s director, who only wanted to be known as Rajaduray, 60, said they had invested RM400,000 to fully renovate the space.
“The location has good frontage and parking, but it was in bad shape. We had to redo wiring, plumbing, tiles, everything,” he added.
The restaurant pays RM8,000 in monthly rent, a significant jump compared to smaller tenants, but saw value in the area’s foot traffic and proximity to the port crowd.
Similarly, ZUS Coffee opened a Port Klang outlet in October 2024, banking on affordable rent and an untapped customer base.
“Our marketing team chose this spot because the rental was cheap—below RM5,000. We wanted a new market with no overlapping F&B crowd,” a representative from ZUS Coffee, who only wanted to go by Shah, said.
The coffee chain had to undertake renovations to meet its outlet criteria and mitigate flooding issues during heavy rains.
“It’s still not widely known yet, but we get a good volume of delivery orders. Our target is really the office crowd, port workers and local residents,” Shah explained.
Old bones, mixed outlook
Port Klang’s commercial rows remain structurally sound but carry the hallmarks of age: dated facades, limited parking and frequent drainage issues. Despite this, their affordability continues to attract businesses seeking lower costs compared to newer adjacent hubs like Setia Alam or established malls like the Klang Parade.
Rental transactions within a 1.03km radius of the ancient watch shop still show competitive rates, with office and shoplots leasing for as little as RM1.00–RM3.00 psf, depending on age and condition.
By comparison, ground-floor units in newer Klang town developments such as Bandar Bukit Tinggi and around GM Klang Wholesale City mostly start from RM4.00 psf.
While long-term tenants like Chan Keow Watch Trading stay for sentimental reasons and loyal customers, newer players like Classic Briyani and ZUS Coffee see a different kind of potential: affordable entry into a location with consistent local traffic.
Whether this will lead to wider gentrification remains unclear. But for now, Port Klang’s ageing shoplots continue to tick on much like the watches still being repaired at No. 83.
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