Ah, how nice if The New Paper had the following story and then had thought of thesfollowing heading ... [For the "original" headline to the article you've just read, click h e r e. ]
WELCOME TO MALAYSIA whereDEATH IS CHEAP,and the CONDOS even CHEAPER!
Country Garden Danga Bay, a condominium development in Johor Baru, has sold over 5,000 of the 7,000 units on offer, with 30 per cent of them snapped up by Singaporeans.
It used to be 30 per cent Bumiputera quota ...
SINGAPORE: After an elaborate campaign to woo buyers featuring fun-fair rides, fireworks displays and free yacht trips at the showflat site, Country Garden Danga Bay, a condominium development in Johor Baru, has sold over 5,000 of the 7,000 units on offer, with 30 per cent of them snapped up by Singaporeans.
The project by Chinese developer Country Garden is located in Iskandar Malaysia, some five minutes from the Malaysian immigration checkpoint.
It features 9,000 units on the waterfront ranging from about 400 sq ft to 1,400 sq ft. There will also be a shopping mall, a man-made beach and six yacht berths.
The project is reportedly slated for completion by 2017.
A representative for Country Garden said on Sunday that 40 per cent of buyers so far are Malaysian, 25 per cent are Chinese nationals and the remaining 5 per cent were of other nationalities.
Buses were deployed at five pick-up points in Singapore to ferry buyers to the showflat site.
Visitors to the development's open house, which started on Aug 11, were attracted to the relatively affordable prices. The average selling price is reportedly about RM720 (S$279) per sq ft.
Said Mr Vincent Lau, a Singaporean in his early 50s, who visited with his wife: "I am impressed with the project and it is one of the lowest-priced sea-front properties. However, since all sea-facing units have been sold, I will explore other investment options in Johor. My only concern is whether I will be able to find tenants."
Ms Serene Wong, 42, a Singapore permanent resident, said the development was ambitious compared to others in Johor Baru, but stated that she would still prefer to invest in a property in Singapore. "The infrastructure is dependable and I don't have to worry about lack of tenants," she said. She added that prices in Johor Baru were on the rise.
Mrs Theresa Sim, in her late 50s, said she had been keen on a unit as her son had already purchased one and prices are "reasonable". "But our experience so far has not been pleasant. The shuttle buses run late and there seems to be a lack of sales reps on hand when you need to talk to one. But we will reconsider," she said.
p.s. And this was even before the Malaysian police had launched Ops Cantas, where 200 crooks have been detained and at least five suspected triad members shot dead in the last 24 hours. Read Unsafe for the Undesirables
Johore have to beg the Singaporean to come and only Singaporean will see the,Johore properties as cheap due to stronger dollar and weaken ringgit. Without Singapore Johore is a dead place. Malaysia have to thanks Singapore.
ReplyDeletesnap, snap, snap....cheaper than HDB flats...
ReplyDeletefarha
Clearly, Iskandar Malaysia is an extension of Singapore. UMNO in Johor will end up just like Penang, slowly but surely.
ReplyDeleteRocky, berapa Lim Kang Hoo kasi offer China Dolls to lu for promoting his Danga Bay project?
ReplyDelete....and they keep coming on weekends and we are stuck at our own seats, no where to go.
ReplyDeleteBugih In Johor
Cheap cheap, cheap cheap....all the Singapore birds love to feed on cheap properties in Iskandar. And why not ? Soon one singapore dollar will fetch three ringgit. Iskandar will go to the Chinese and they will have their own security arrangements. Singapore MRT will go all the way to Iskandar.
ReplyDeleteWhat say the old sage Dr Mahathir ? Selling out to foreigners is one thing, but selling out to the Chinese from singapore and from China. ....that would hurt....
Zheng Ho Abdullah
Ms Serene Wong: "The infrastructure is dependable (in Singapore)".
ReplyDeleteHeh, heh - does that, by extension, mean that the infrastructure in Iskandar Malaysia, Johor Bahru and Johor is not that "dependable"?
What does the Iskandar bosses and the state government have to say about this perception?
A bigger concern, Bru, is whether Malaysians are being priced out of the upper and high-end property markets, not only in Iskandar and JB, but also in the prime areas in KL/PJ and Penang?
If you look at London, for example, there is mounting discontent that rich foreigners are snapping up prime properties in the city's best neighborhoods, leaving middle- and lower-income Londoners and Brits to move to the outer suburbs for affordable housing. The London City Council and elements in the British government are in a war of words with big property developers in the UK about this.
We are already seeing signs of this in Malaysia, especially if you look at the ritzier condominium and gated property projects in KL's and Penang's best suburbs.
Will Iskandar Malaysia become a collection of upmarket "ghettos" where the inhabitants and property owners have little in common with the hoi polloi who run and maintain the infrastructure?
How do you strike a balance between wanting rich foreigners and global talent to live, work and invest in Malaysia (and provide jobs for Malaysians) and protecting the legitimate interests of Malaysians who, when all is said and done, want a better life for themselves, their children and the generations to come?
The ongoing debate in Singapore is precisely about this - how to protect the legitimate interests of Singaporeans, while ensuring that Singapore remains a global, open, cosmopolitan and tolerant city.
Hello - this is a gated community.
ReplyDeleteAnd buyers do not automatically mean occupiers. Heard of buying properties for investment and rentals?
I thought stupid ULTRAS don't like Pendatang. Oh wait, if they bring a lot of Sing Dollars then is ok, right?
ReplyDeleteWho is the prostitute now? HUH?
why we never get income from these expenditures by foreign people? this is easy money income
ReplyDeletebuy condo, tax them.
buy shirts, tax them.
drive on PLUS, tax them.
drive very fast on PLUS, get summon, ask them PAY before LEAVE
buy land, tax them
this is easy money. of course people say tax much much then people dont come.
i tell u them will come. i bet u all my uncollected dollars in nigeria (somebody emailed me)
they will buy. they will come.
why? because where again got cheap houses condo food petrol like BAD malaysia?
high tax here = still lower priced than singapore.
i think malaysians must think like this:
yes singapore got name for best this that this that.
but we malaysia got your singaporean monies.
This is a classic case of "kera di hutan disususkan, anak di rumah kebuluran". So mnay Johoreans still don't even own a decent single storey terrace house and yet we can entertain foreigners who are buying up our land and property!! What a benevolent government we Johoreans have!!!
ReplyDeleteai ya.lu saman wa talak helan.wa baya sing loler maa.
ReplyDeleteselalu kene saman
johor bahru
Selling Malaysia to outsiders is really a good business. Who cares! Najib doesn't care...
ReplyDeleteHantu Gigi Jarang.
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteWaiting for your comment on
1 Malaysia Endless possibilities =
1 Israel Endless possibilities???
ReplyDeleteThe Malays must tax the Singaporean for living here.
They will still come dont worry because they dont want to live in shoeboxes.
Singapore is like a penal island. Or Survivor Island where everyone works very hard just to survive.
There is no life in Singapore but work and work and work. From day till dawn.
Its a penal island after all..hahaha..
Malays must remember it was the Raja-Raja who also invited and give lands to the chinese before merdeka.
ReplyDeleteThat is why we have a constitutional monarchy to prevent this from happening again.
So MB must look after all Malays not just the palace interest who of course will like to grab as much as they can like before during feudal times.
Rocky,
ReplyDeleteDid you know that the Condos being "sold" and 'purchased" in Johor Bahru to purchasers from China are actually a big scam.
As property prices in China is exponentially high, one China developer got smart. They bought land in Malaysia and China purchasers were enticed to buy a property in the developers project in China and in return they will get one property free in Johor Bahru.
For the China purchasers, this is a good deal. A free condo in Malaysia, he can also get a long-term pass under My Malaysia My Home and he can rent out and earn free rental income or use it as a holiday home and finally after five years he can sell and recoup a profit.
Only in Malaysia.... senangnya buat kerajaan bodoh.
Feudal Johore 2:00 am
ReplyDeleteSo, what are the alternatives?
Whose fault is it that there are no high-tech industries, high-end service companies and MNC's regional offices in Johor?
Where are the well-paying jobs that Johoreans can fill coming from?
Sure, the more talented and qualified Johoreans can think of studying and working in Singapore. Or maybe in KL.
Iskandar Malaysia is fast developing into a property and tourism play. Where is the real value-add in terms of good jobs, transfer of technology and a vibrant SME ecosphere?
Hi Guys, do you all think people will rent Country Garden Danga Bay? Let's say we put it at RM3000 a month for a 3bedroom condo 1200+ sq ft.
ReplyDeleteAnon....
ReplyDelete11:48 am
you have something good for our new MB.
Johor Darul Takzim
Pasir Gudang