Malaysia: Construction of second phase of Forest City project to start this month

YEE XIANG YUN The Star 2 May 17;

PETALING JAYA: The second phase of construction of the Forest City project on an 800-ha site near Gelang Patah will start this month.

The second phase is located some 7km away by road from the existing Forest City sales gallery on the main island, said Country Garden Holdings Co Ltd (CGH) chief strategy officer Dr Yu Runze, who added these included building three international standard 18-hole golf courses, luxury hotels and low-density residential buildings.

“The first of the golf courses, which will be designed by Jack Nicklaus, is set to be completed at the end of this year,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Yu said agreements with several global enterprises were signed for Phase II of Forest City in March, which would further push the project as a futuristic development.

He added that the details and development value of the second phase would be revealed at a press briefing at the end of this month.

Forest City is a mega mixed-development project built across four reclaimed islands, and is expected to contribute some RM66bil in tax revenue to Malaysia over the next 20 years. It is being developed by CGH and Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.

Yesterday, 132 purchasers of Kylin Apartments received their keys from the developer.

The apartments, located above Forest City’s Phoenix Hotel, took a year to build, with keys being handed over to buyers in stages.

Among those who received their keys were Peng Guo Qiang, 41, from Chengdu, China, who moved to Malaysia a year ago with his family and parents.

“My three children are studying here, and we like it in Malaysia. I purchased this unit as an investment to rent out, as there is demand for houses here,” he said.

The project general manager also said the 34.4-sq-m (370-sq-ft) apartment was his first property investment in Malaysia.

Another buyer, known only as Liu, said he was attracted by Kylin’s amenities, as well as nearby developments such as the up-and-coming MJ Group healthcare institution, and a renowned American boarding school.