The developer intended to sell the properties in Johor, on the tip of southern Malaysia, to Chinese buyers, acting as a home-away-from-home, according to the BBC. China’s largest property developer invested $100B in the eco-friendly metropolis as part of the country’s Belt and Road Initiative. Forest City was meant to house one million people. Now, roughly 9,000 people occupy the city, as per Foreign Policy.
Share iconForest City, an eco-friendly city in Malaysia that cost $100 billion to build, is now a ghost town of skyscrapers
Image credits: forestcitycgpv The project was targeted at foreign buyers, considering the selling prices were out of reach for most ordinary Malaysians. The properties could be used either as an investment or a summer home. However, a 2017 Chinese law preventing individuals from moving more than $50,000 out of the country annually led to a decrease in investments. The minimum price of a Forest City apartment is $75,000, with some reaching the sum of $3.5 million. Then came the pandemic, which stopped international travel and had negative effects on Chinese real estate and economic growth.
Chinese property developer Country Garden unveiled the project in 2016, which was meant to feature a golf course, waterpark, offices, and restaurants
Share icon Image credits: Eldines Hoo “This place is eerie,” Joanne Kaur, one of Forest City’s few residents, said. “Even during the day, when you step out of your front door, the corridor is dark.” Joanne and her husband live in one of the tower blocks. They are the only ones on the whole floor. “I feel sorry for people who actually invested and bought a place here. It should be the project that was promised to the people, but that’s not what it is.” Some couldn’t stand the solitude of living in a deserted city. “I didn’t care about my deposit. I didn’t care about the money. I just had to get out,” said Nazmi Hanafiah. 30-year-old IT engineer who moved to Forest City in 2022. “It’s lonely around here. It’s just you and your thoughts.” He added: “To be honest, it’s creepy. I had high expectations for this place, but it was such a bad experience. There is nothing to do here.”
Only 9,000 people currently reside in Forest City
Share icon Image credits: Jz Lim All that’s left of the project is a debt of nearly $200B faced by Country Garden. And, apparently, a few unfriendly neighbors roam the place. Recently, reports have emerged of an alleged crocodile invasion in the ghost town. In a viral 47-second video, two men are seen conversing in Mandarin. One of them says that there have been 20 to 30 cases of people attacked by the animals in the area. He also says there have been times when children have suddenly disappeared from the beaches. The developer—who said last year that they were “optimistic” about continuing with the project in the future—has denied these claims.
What’s more, there have been reports of crocodile attacks in the area
Share icon Image credits: Rae Wallis
Residents have described the place as “eerie”
“Throughout our eight years of operation, Forest City has never received any complaints of attacks, injuries, or deaths caused by reptiles,” the company wrote in a statement. “The company’s representative has filed a police report, and the matter is currently under police investigation. The company reserves the right to take legal action against those responsible.” Furthermore, Country Garden wrote that the “fabricated allegations” had “adversely affected the public perception, the company’s reputation, and business operation.” Bored Panda has contacted Country Garden for comment.
“I wouldn’t live there either,” a social media user commented
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