Iskandar Malaysia property market set to grow
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/11/1/southneast/9802768&sec=southneast
JOHOR BARU: The property sector in Iskandar Malaysia will benefit immensely with the improvement in connectivity and accessibility within the economic growth corridor.
Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Ismail Ibrahim said this could be seen from many new property projects being built in recent years.
“Better accessibility and connectivity will help push up demand as well as prices for properties within Iskandar Malaysia,” he said at an event to mark the completion of three new traffic interchanges.
These are the Bukit Indah-Taman Tema 1 and Taman Tema 2 interchanges costing RM135mil, Jalan Abu Bakar-Jalan Lingkaran Dalam interchange (RM17mil) and Indahpura elevated interchange (RM36.2mil).
Ismail said the interchanges are expected to be open to motorists between now and the first quarter of 2012, pending approval from the Malaysian Highway Authority.
He added that the new interchanges would help to reduce traffic congestion between 20% and 30% along existing roads and shorten travelling times between 15mins and 20mins.
“Apart from upgrading the road network, we will also focus on improving the public transportation system in Iskandar Malaysia,” he said.
Ismail said relevant parties in Malaysia and Singapore were already discussing the improvement of people’s movement between Iskandar Malaysia and Singapore via a Light Railway Transit system by 2018 or 2020.
He said, to date, Irda had spent RM4bil from a RM6.38bil allocation to undertake infrastructure works such as road improvement, flood mitigation, river cleaning and public housing.
The country’s first economic growth corridor Iskandar Malaysia, was launched on Nov 4, 2006, it covers 2,217 sq km located in the southernmost part of Johor.
From 2006 up to the third quarter of this year, it has attracted RM77.82bil in committed investments, of which 60% is from domestic investors and 40% from foreigners.