“Here, I can easily get, (for) below RM2,000 (US$465) per month, … an apartment with two bathrooms, but (in) other places, maybe just a studio (at) the same price,” said Wafa. “It’s more, I’d say, affordable compared to other places.”
Forest City has a notorious reputation, however, having gained international attention in the last few years as Malaysia’s ghost town.
It was once billed as a “living paradise” — a luxurious, eco-friendly and smart city development with a mix of apartments, commercial spaces, malls and hotels.
Jointly developed by Chinese developer Country Garden and Esplanade Danga 88, a Malaysian company backed by the Johor state government and Johor’s sultan, the project is linked to the Belt and Road Initiative, China’s mega infrastructure and trade network.
