TMC Life Sciences to acquire Thomson Medical Hub in JB for RM400m

Posted on 9 February 2015 - 05:40am
sunbiz@thesundaily.com

PETALING JAYA: TMC Life Sciences Bhd, a healthcare operator and investment holding company controlled by businessman Peter Lim, has entered into a RM400 million related party deal to acquire Thomson Iskandar, a medical hub project located on 1.6ha of freehold land in Johor Bahru.

TMC has entered into an agreement with Best Blend Sdn Bhd, also partly owned by Lim, to acquire the entire issued and paid up share capital of BB Waterfront Sdn Bhd (BBWF), which is the owner of Thomson Iskandar.

The purchase consideration shall be settled by the issuance of 533.33 million new TMC shares at an issue price of RM0.75 per share, together with 266.66 million free warrants.

Best Blend is beneficially owned 70% by Lim and 30% by the Crown prince of Johor, Tunku Ismail Idris.

The company is also proposing to reward existing shareholders with a proposed bonus Issue of warrants entailing the issuance of 599,760,718 warrants on the basis of one warrant for every two TMC shares held.

The bonus warrants are subject to the completion of the share sale and purchase.

Both the consideration warrants and bonus warrants have an exercise price of 75 sen per warrant and an exercise period of four years.The deal is subject to shareholders and regulatory approvals.

The Thomson Iskandar medical hub is located at the Stulang Laut area, which is within 1km radius of the Malaysian CIQ complex located at the Causeway linking Singapore to Johor Bahru.

BB Waterfront has obtained zoning approval from the Ministry of Health Malaysia on July 7, 2014 and Dec 16, 2014 fora purpose built private hospital for the provision of multi-disciplinary healthcare services and an approval-in -principle for it to build and operate a 272-beds hospital. The proposed medical hub entails an integrated development into a medical hub that comprises a 500 beds hospital, 400 medical suites and retail mall (to facilitate and provide ancillary services to the operation of hospital and medical suites with an estimated gross development value of RM1.2 billion and a gross development cost of RM900 million.

As at last Friday, BB Waterfront has commissioned some preliminary works on the development which includes architectural, civil and structural engineering and mechanical and electrical engineering design and is expected to commence construction by end 2015. Hospital operations is expected to begin by late 2018.

The medical hub will contain a hospital named Iskandariah Hospital.

The medical hub will be managed by Thomson International, a subsidiary of Singapore private hospital owner and operator, Thomson Medical Pte Ltd.

"This transaction is timely as it allows the group to tap into the strong demand for quality and affordable healthcare in the Iskandar Region as well as the medical tourism from Singapore and the region. This acquisition will elevate TMC to the next level, " TMC chairman Datuk Khalid Abdul Kadir said.

Both Thomson Iskandar in Johor Bahru and the integrated healthcare campus at Tropicana Medical Centre in the Klang Valley once ready will see the group own and operate some 1,000 hospital beds.