GOVT TO FORM COMMITTEE TO REVIEW TERMS OF FOREST CITY PROJECT
Ministry will set up committee to study its terms, says Zuraida
THE Housing and Local Government Ministry will form a committee to review the terms of the Forest City development project in Johor.
Minister Zuraida Kamaruddin said the committee would comprise representatives from the ministry, Finance Ministry and state government, as well as others, should the need arise.
“The committee will be tasked with going through the terms in the agreement and project approvals,” she said after attending the National Physical Planning Council’s meeting here yesterday.
“We will fine-tune the statement issued by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad on banning foreigners from buying residential units in the Forest City project. We will meet the developer to get the actual picture of things.”
The committee, she said, would submit a report to the prime minister, adding that she expected the developer to refer to her ministry for clarification on the directive.
Zuraida said she had been informed that the residential units were being offered for sale in China and not in Malaysia.
On a related development, the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), in a statement, said the country welcomed tourists, including those from China, and imposed no restrictions on foreign tourists as long as they met the necessary immigration requirements imposed by the authorities.
“In the case of China, tourists are given a single-entry 30-day visa to the country. Last year, Malaysia attracted some 2.3 million Chinese tourists and is looking to attract up to 10 million in the coming years.
“On property purchased by foreigners, irrespective of nationality, Malaysia imposes certain conditions. Information on these existing conditions are publicly available. Purchase of properties however, does not guarantee automatic residency in the country,” said the PMO.
The PMO said foreigners wishing to make Malaysia their permanent residence could opt for the Malaysia My Second Home programme.
Conditions on the programme, read the statement, were clearly spelt out for those interested and information on the programme was available.
“In welcoming foreign investments to Malaysia, the government reiterates that it welcomes foreign direct investment that contributes to the transfer of technology, provides employment for locals and the setting up of industries,” read the statement.
On Monday, Dr Mahathir was reported as saying that foreigners would not be allowed to buy residential units in the US$100 billion (RM410 billion) Forest City project.
He said the project was built for foreigners. Most Malaysians, Dr Mahathir added, could not afford to buy the apartments.
The developer, Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd (CGPV), was reported as saying that it had complied with laws and regulations pertaining to approvals needed to sell units to foreign buyers.
CGPV said the prime minister’s statement did not gel with the outcome of a meeting between Dr Mahathir and Country Garden Holdings founder and chairman Yeung Kwok Keung.
The two had a 40-minute closed-door meeting on Aug 16, prior to the prime minister’s visit to China.
The developer said it was seeking clarifications from the PMO, as it believed that Dr Mahathir’s comments could have been taken out of context.