Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi announced that a total of 3,746 affordable homes will be offered in Iskandar Puteri to middle-income earners or the M40 group. He expressed his concern that the M40 bracket had been left out when it came to house ownership.
Out of the 3,746 housing units, 1,008 will go to targeted groups. Specifically, 700 apartment units are priced below RM400,000 each, and 308 terrace houses are priced below RM500,000. Onn Hafiz mentioned that the successful response to the Eco Botanic 2 project prompted the continuation of this effort, with over 94% of units sold since 2001.
He also detailed the state’s plans to carry this effort further through the Eco Botanic 3 mixed development project to provide M40 earners with the opportunity to own premium and exclusive properties at strategic locations such as EduPark East and EduPark West in Iskandar Puteri. These areas, spanning 97.2ha, belong to Iskandar Investment Bhd (IIB).
Earlier, the Johor government, through Perbadanan Kumpulan Perumahan Johor (PKPJ) in collaboration with Permodalan Darul Ta’zim Sdn Bhd (PDT), IIB’s subsidiary River Retreat Sdn Bhd, and EcoWorld Development Group Bhd inked an agreement to develop houses for middle-income earners. This was followed by the signing of a letter of understanding between PKPJ and PDT to focus on providing bumiputra in the M40 group home ownership opportunities.
Onn Hafiz’s statement emphasized the efforts made to cater to the housing needs of the M40 group, especially in the Iskandar Puteri area. These initiatives aim to ensure that middle-income earners are not left behind when it comes to house ownership.
The announcement has brought hope to many middle-income earners in the Iskandar Puteri area, signaling a positive move towards providing affordable housing options to those who have been struggling to own homes.
