KUALA LUMPUR: Property developer IJM Land Bhd has entered into a two-year partnership with The Edge Media Group in support of The Edge Galerie, an art gallery here that focuses on Malaysian and Southeast Asian art.

The partnership will see IJM Land supporting activities such as auctions and art exhibitions organised by The Edge Galerie.

IJM Land chief executive officer Datuk Soam Heng Choon said the partnership is an opportunity for the developer to diversify into other areas of interest of its clientele.

“The partnership enhances what we have been doing. We have been selling a lot of houses and properties across the country and overseas as well,” he told The Edge Financial Daily yesterday.

“[During the course of our dealings], we have a lot of our buyers come up to us and ask us about where to find good art pieces and how to appreciate art,” he said.

Soam also said promotion of the arts is one of the pillars of the company’s corporate social responsibility programmes.

“We aim to help with the promotion of art in Malaysia. We will work closely with The Edge Galerie,” he added.

Also present was The Edge Communications Sdn Bhd managing director Au Foong Yee and The Edge Galerie general manager Johnni Wong.

The Edge Galerie was launched in June 2013, along with The Edge Auction, as part of The Edge Media Group’s venture into educating the public about art appreciation and investment opportunities.

The Edge Auction’s inaugural sale of Contemporary and Modern Malaysian Art on June 29, 2013 featured 33 works by distinguished Malaysian artists and raked in RM2.5 million in sales.

The Edge Auction is set to return on March 22, with 139 lots of Southeast Asian art offering new and seasoned collectors the chance to acquire works of top artists offered at entry-level prices.

This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on February 12, 2015.