It was an opportune time for Gerard Soosay, CEO of Sunway City Iskandar Puteri, to face local investors. With the Malaysian and Singapore prime ministers’ anticipated retreat on Dec 9 and businesses and people of the two nations looking forward to concrete announcements on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), This time, however, it feels different.
Sunway City Iskandar Puteri (SCIP) is Sunway Group’s third Sunway City after Sunway City Kuala Lumpur and Sunway City Ipoh. It is different from other developments because Sunway has educational and healthcare facilities within the township, along with other amenities for its residents. SCIP has its own Sunway International School and is within easy reach of EduCity Iskandar which has campuses by the University of Reading and Newcastle University. Sunway Healthcare Group plans a tertiary hospital in SCIP.
“The Johor-Singapore relationship is on the cusp of a golden age, with developments such as the RTS and a special economic zone coming into play within the next two years,” says Soosay. He believes the Johor-Singapore Rapid Transit Service (RTS) and its connectivity to a planned autonomous transit system (ART) will be a game changer.
Transport infrastructure
The RTS Link will be a standalone Light Rail Transit (LRT) System that can serve up to 10,000 commuters every hour and in each direction during peak periods. To facilitate a seamless travelling experience, there will be co-located Customs, Immigration and Quarantine (CIQ) facilities. Passengers travelling in either direction will clear both Singapore and Malaysia authorities at the point of departure and need not go through immigration clearance again at the point of arrival.
With the RTS, further discussions on transport infrastructure are being held at the federal and state levels. “The government is already planning, and they are going to be awarding an ART in the next few months,” Soosay says.
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According to a May Bernama report, ART infrastructure is estimated to cost RM7 billion ($2.11 billion), compared to light rail transit (LRT), which is forecast to cost more than RM16 billion.
“Previously, the authorities planned a BRT [Bus Rapid Transit], which they upgraded to an ART. This is a combination of bus and elevated light rail. One rail line [and stop] will come all the way right to our place [SCIP]. There will be just one check-in and one passport clearance from [Singapore]. Once you come out of the Johor Bahru CIQ, you will immediately get on to the ART, which will take you straight to the places you want to go. The ART is being awarded now, and the authorities are [hoping] to keep to a 2027 target,” Soosay adds.
In September, Anwar delivered the keynote speech at Invest Malaysia, an annual conference by the Malaysian stock exchange Bursa Malaysia, in Johor.
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The Malaysian premier says: “We can be great partners if we collaborate and benefit from a win-win situation. And that is why I am excited to work with Singapore.”
Malaysia announced a series of incentives to boost investor interest in Johor, particularly the infamous “ghost town” of Forest City, located near Second Link.
Specifically, in Forest City, Malaysia unveiled a 0% tax rate for family offices, a concessionary corporate tax rate between 0% and 5%, and a special individual income tax rate of 15% for knowledge workers and Malaysians who choose to work in Forest City.
“This is quite a special consideration because we want to prepare Johor as one of the primary engines of growth in the country,” Anwar said.
Carbon-neutral industrial and logistics park
Sunway Group and EqualBase Development, its joint venture partner for industrial and warehouse space, have started constructing carbon-neutral warehouse facilities.
Specialising in industrial property and logistics in Singapore, Malaysia and South Korea, Equalbase has invested US$400 million ($538.34 million) and completed 5 million sq ft of warehouse space in Malaysia.
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“This aligns perfectly with what JS-SEZ stands for. At the end of last year, we held a groundbreaking ceremony for our Equalbase Sunway 103°, comprising warehouse and logistic facilities in a Free Commercial Zone (FCZ) across 55ha. We expect this to bring a gross development value of $4 billion and at least 13,000 job opportunities,” Soosay says, adding that the joint venture is building phase one of the Equalbase Sunway 103° warehouses, with negotiations on phases two and three.
“We will tie up with tenants for the 2.2 million sq ft in Phase One to complement the Free Commercial Zone in the region with the regional distribution of e-commerce. This means that we facilitate the efficient movement of goods between the SCIP and Malaysia’s largest port, Palawan, Tanjung Pelapas and the Senai industrial area. There’s enormous potential for significant economic spillover impact for Johor and Malaysia at large, benefitting both countries,” Soosay continues.
Sunway City Iskandar Puteri
Adhering to Sunway Property’s standard philosophy, the development of SCIP is centred around five key pillars: accessibility, connectivity, security, environment and community.
SCIP is 5km from the Second Link. Once the RTS and ART are ready, SCIP will be connected by public transport to Singapore and other parts of Johor. Sunway Group has also partnered with Causeway Link, a bus service between Singapore and Johor.
“Safety remains our number one priority. We have 120 security offices, one of the largest within the area, and a command centre for all-round protection,” Soosay says.
On the environment and community part, Sunway Group has preserved the mangrove swamps lining the Pendas River.
In 2023, Sunway completed an adventure park, which includes retired racehorses from Singapore. “We did this because we thought the race course would be closed and we could move the horses here. The horses need relaxation as well in some spas. The Horse Park is a hit among the equestrian enthusiasts from Singapore and a place for them to house and maintain their racehorses at a more affordable place,” Soosay says.
Above all, Soosay sees SCIP as a location for residents who work in Singapore, with its easy accessibility, education and healthcare facilities, a logistics centre for the movement of goods, the greenery with the nearby river, and an adventure park.
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