Iskandar said these new businesses were chosen based on their resilience as seen during the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The objective is to strengthen our resilience and future-proof revenue and profitability,” he said at a briefing on the group’s second quarter (Q2) financial performance this year.

The new businesses will be included in the group from next year.

Iskandar pointed out that the pandemic in 2020 and 2021 demonstrated that BDB’s core businesses were vulnerable to lockdowns and movement control orders.

“We are currently undertaking studies to determine the feasibility of adding these new businesses to achieve sustainable revenue,” he said.

BDB’s current core businesses are property as well as engineering, construction and quarrying (ESQ), with both divisions accounting for 37% and 62% of group revenue respectively in Q2.

The group registered a net profit of RM1.13 million in Q2 this year against a net loss of RM2.84 million in the same period a year ago, while revenue rose to RM51.62 million from RM41.93 million previously.

Iskandar said the improved revenue and profitability over the previous quarter could be attributed to higher contributions from its road construction activities and property division.

“Our substantial pipeline of property development and construction projects, such as state road maintenance works, the Pelubang water treatment plant, Darulaman Lagenda and Aman Perdana projects, coupled with our track record of delivering projects on time and within budget, bodes well for our ability to secure more contracts in the second half of 2022 and 2023.

“We will also be looking to take on unique projects outside of our core businesses, such as the Langkawi Designer Premium Outlet, which will be a significant value multiplier,” he added.

To date, its total orderbook for property and ESQ stood at RM1 billion and RM519 million respectively.

The group’s total land bank, which is all in Kedah, stood at 809.37ha.