The developer of the controversial luxury housing project on four new islands in the Johor Strait says it is looking at a CIQ (Customs, Immigration and Quarantine) facility being set up to ease access from Singapore. It also wants a direct connection to the Second Link.
The Johor megaproject off Tuas - whose total land size of 1,386ha is nearly three times that of Sentosa - will take 30 years to complete, the master developer Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV) said on its website.
The site, which details the concept behind the Forest City project and shows artist's impressions of the condominiums, landed houses and commercial projects coming up, was made public after the project received environmental approval to go ahead.
Under the Frequently Asked Questions section, CGPV said "yes" to a question on whether Forest City would have a direct connection to the Second Link.
"Yes, it is our hope and part of our long-term plan that the reclaimed land will have a direct link to the second bridge to Singapore," it said. The developer added that it was "studying the requirements of setting up the new CIQ" facility.
Vehicles from Singapore now pass through the Malaysian CIQ complex on the Tanjung Kupang side of the Second Link after passing through the Singapore checkpoint.
CIQ facilities are operated by the state authorities who would first have to agree to this arrangement. The project, though, does have powerful backers.
CGPV is a 60:40 joint venture between Country Garden Holdings and Esplanade Danga 88.
Country Garden Holdings is the third-largest developer in China by floor area sold, according to Bloomberg. It is controlled by China's richest woman, Ms Yang Huiyan, 33.
Esplanade Danga 88 is 20 per cent owned by Johor state's investment arm, Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.
The remaining stake in Esplanade Danga, according to Malaysian media reports, is controlled by Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Ismail and royal court member Daing A. Malek Daing A. Rahaman.
The project has faced flak from Johor residents who see the planned luxury condos and landed houses as targeted at Singaporeans and wealthy people.
Fishermen have complained that their catch of fish and crabs has plunged since reclamation work started last year. "I used to be able to land between RM2,000 (S$740) and RM3,000 of fish a day," said Mr Azrul Izhan, 35. "These days I make do with 10 per cent or less of this," he told The Straits Times yesterday.
A Johor MP, Mr Liew Chin Tong, said the project does not make economic sense as there is "massive oversupply" of high-end housing in Iskandar and southern Johor.
Mr Liew, Johor chairman of the opposition Democratic Action Party, is also concerned that the project would narrow the navigation channel for ships using the nearby Port of Tanjung Pelepas, Malaysia's biggest container port.
Forest City's developer said its project has more than the minimum buffer zone required for shipping navigation.
Reclaiming land for projects ‘not new’
The Star 18 Jan 15;
PASIR GUDANG: The Johor government says that the development of projects on reclaimed land is “not something new” as it has been done in other countries such as Singapore and Holland.
“Look at Singapore. They have also done massive land reclamation,” Mentri Besar Datuk Mohamed Khaled Nordin said.
Referring to the multi-billion ringgit Forest City project, which will see reclamation of a huge part of Straits of Johor to create four man-made islands, he said the public should not be affected by negative views on the environmental impact.
The project would now proceed as it had received approval from the Department of Environment (DOE) on Jan 9, he said after attending the SMK Pasir Gudang Parent-Teachers Association meeting and presenting aid to students yesterday.
Mohamed Khaled said that all projects on reclaimed land in Johor had to meet stringent requirements and receive environmental impact assessment approval from the DOE.
Mohamed Khaled said the state government would ensure that the welfare of fishermen affected by the land reclamation in south Johor would be taken care of under the Fishermen’s Fund.
Under a state ruling introduced last year, property developers involved in land reclamation within Iskandar Malaysia have to contribute to the fund.
It was reported that about 3,237.48ha of land would be reclaimed within the country’s first economic growth corridor under its Comprehensive Development Plan from 2006 to 2025.
The Forest City Project, which was initially suspended for six months, was finally green-lighted by the DOE to resume.
However, its size was scaled down from about 1,978ha to 1,368ha.
From Today Online 17 Jan 15;