He makes the 2. 5-hour voyage across Tuas Second Link by public transport twice or thrice a fortnight and stays there for three days each time.
When TODAY met the 76-year-old at his Johor temple on May 18, a Saturday, he seemed very much at house. He said he enjoys the peace and serenity, as well as the flagged view of Johor’s vegetation from his balcony.
For a place where presumably 9,000 inhabitants are staying, this writer found it unusually silent for a trip. On Mr Tan’s ground, where there are eight models, he said simply his was occupied.
As we traversed the vast expanse of Forest City via an weekly shuttle bus, only one other rider boarded it.
There were some signs of life at Forest City’s travel hub, nevertheless, where one can find a good combination of cafes, shops and a convenience store open for business. However, some factory lots were both closed or boarded up, awaiting potential tenants.
Notwithstanding the controversies and quite subdued atmosphere, Mr Tan said he is delighted with his decision to buy a Forest City product as he believes in the program’s possible. He even found himself drawn to the “modern area style”.
Forest City even appeals to Malaysian workers who work in Singapore, as rental rates are affordable. Among its residents is Mr Afiq Alwi, a 40-year-old truck drivers who is already renting a 600 square feet system with two rooms for RM1,000.
He said that the price at Forest City was cheaper compared with products for rent in local cities in Iskandar Puteri, quite as Gelang Patah:” For the same product, I’d been paying RM1,600 there. “
” I like working in Singapore, but it’s expensive to live there because one room can cost minimally S$ 700 to S$ 800. For less than that amount in rupiah, I can easily rent an whole unit all to myself here. “
Six estate agents TODAY spoke to said that while a considerable amount of Singaporeans are looking to purchase Johor houses for investment, there are also those looking to live there or have a second house.
Operations director Victor Lee, 53, and his family Crystal Wang, 38, are among the first. When TODAY met the pair on May 15, they had only collected the secrets to their two-bedroom system at R& F Princess Cove, a condominium project said to be common among Taiwanese customers.
Mr Lee said they paid for the RM800,000, 834 sq ft system in total, using money.
Kudos to a flexi-work design – he may spend one or two weeks working from home each week – Mr Lee, who is in the energy field, said he is happy with the purchase.
” R& F is near my workplace in Admiralty West. You can see it from my balcony. So geographically, I’m at an advantage,” he said.
Asked if he would brave the notorious congestion on the Causeway several times a week, Mr Lee said there have been promising improvements, with both governments constantly making efforts to smoothen the travel process, such as the recent implementation of electronic gates.
” There are pros and cons. If you live in Singapore, the major expressways are always jammed, and there’s ERP ( Electronic Road Pricing ) to consider. It’s a trade-off I can live with. ”
Before buying this Johor house, the couple had been renting a studio unit in Singapore for S$ 2,000 monthly. Mr Lee also owns an HDB flat where his parents live.
” We decided to look to JB and thought, instead of renting, why do n’t we put our money into a place we can call our own? ” he said.