TROPICANA’S LATEST DEVELOPMENT IN JOHOR BAHRU
With the boom of the Johor property market, the state secured one of the highest foreign investment funds totalling RM63.9 billion in 2023. Tapping into Johor’s huge potential, Tropicana plans to develop two townships, Lido Waterfront Boulevard in Johor City Centre and Tropicana Uplands in Gelang Patah. These two mega developments are projected to be over RM35 billion in Gross Development Value (“GDV”). With Johor experiencing a phase of accelerated growth, Tropicana aims to tap into this huge potential and transform these signature townships into a dynamic metropolis of the Southern region.

LIDO WATERFRONT BOULEVARD
Strategically located on 163 acres of reclaimed land along the waterfront bordering Singapore, Lido Waterfront Boulevard is an integrated mixed development with freehold status integrating green, smart and sustainable elements. This RM34 billion GDV master development will feature sectors such as healthcare, medical tourism, hospitality, recreational and lifestyle offering, which are among the sectors being promoted by Johor. The first phase of Lido, The Watermark residence is set to take off with a soft launch in Q3/Q4 2024, bearing an estimated GDV of RM1.8 billion. The Watermark residence is within a 7-10-minute drive to the Bukit Chagar Station of the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (“RTS”). The new RTS Link project linking the cities of Johor Bahru in Malaysia and Singapore will enable more than 10,000 passengers per hour to travel between the two destinations in just 6 minutes, reducing road traffic on the Johor embankment, which currently carries more than 350,000 vehicles each day. This will be a major step forward in avoiding congestion in the region as well as reducing our carbon footprint.

TROPICANA UPLANDS
A 25-minute drive to the west of Johor Bahru is Tropicana Uplands, a new 314-acre sustainable township that is home to residential and commercial components. This township is strategically located a mere 15-20 minutes’ drive from the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link Expressway, the Senai International Airport as well as the Johor State Administrative Centre and family-oriented attractions such as Legoland. This freehold development also offers a central community park, educational and recreational amenities designed to promote green and sustainable living. The township’s first residential precinct – Aster Heights, achieved a remarkable 100% take-up rate for its 193 units of two-storey terraced houses in under five months since its official launch in 2021. In 2024, Aster Heights held the delivery of Vacant Possession to its home buyers, adding more good news to this development. In Q3/Q4 2024, Tropicana Uplands will be unveiling Fraser Heights, an RM387 million GDV development offering 518 units of modern double-storey and three-storey linked homes on a 35.2-acre freehold land.

JOHOR PULL FACTORS
Johor's economy is experiencing rapid growth and is tipped to be Malaysia's next economic powerhouse. Here are 8 pull factors of Johor:
1. Most Visited City
Johor Bahru also referred to as JB, is a city situated at the southern end of the Peninsula of Malaysia. It is the second largest city in Malaysia and is also one of the fastest-growing cities in the country after Kuala Lumpur. Johor welcomed over 16 million tourists in 2023 and aims to achieve an influx of 20 million tourists in 2024.

2. Johor Causeway, one of the Busiest Land Border Crossings
Recently, the Johor Causeway celebrated its 100^th anniversary, marking a strong and enduring neighbourly spirit between Malaysia and Singapore. The first link was officially launched in 1924 followed by the Second Link bridge built in 1998 to reduce the traffic congestion at the first Johor–Singapore Causeway. These two causeways serve and connect approximately 450,000 travellers at the checkpoints daily.

3. Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ)
The formation of the JS-SEZ is to foster stronger business connections and improve connectivity between Malaysia and Singapore. JS-SEZ aims to attract more investments by enhancing the business ecosystem and holistic transformation through economic synergy, improved connectivity through RTS link and public transportation, government policies & incentives as well as addressing talent mobility & availability. JS-SEZ will be located in Johor’s Iskandar region and could cover an area of over 3,000 sq km, approximately four times the size of Singapore. The JS-SEZ rides on the strong growth of Johor and significant investments by Singapore, with Johor notably recording RM43 billion worth of investments in 2023 alone. Of that, RM21.5 billion in foreign direct investment into the Johor state came from Singapore, China and South Korea.

4. New Industrial Master Plan (NIMP) 2030
The Ministry of Investment, Trade & Security rolled out NIMP 2030, marking a significant milestone in Malaysia’s journey towards the MADANI Economy. NIMP 2030 aims to bolster the nation’s industries toward technological advancement, sustainability, and deeper integration into the global value chain.

5. Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS)
Due for completion in 2026, the RTS Link is a 4km light rail transit shuttle service connecting Bukit Chagar station in Johor Bahru and the Woodlands North station in Singapore. It is expected to serve up to 10,000 passengers per hour per direction during peak periods and will relieve congestion at the Johor Causeway.

6. QR Code: Border crossing made simple
The QR code system for Malaysian and Singaporean travellers aimed to expedite immigration clearance at the Malaysia-Singapore border crossing. The QR code application can reduce the immigration clearance time by up to 75% and clear an average of about 20 passengers in less than five minutes.

7. Entertainment & Shopping Centre
Because of its strategic location, the Johor state has attracted many entertainment and theme park operators over the years. Popular theme parks that have set up permanent or temporary residences in Johor are Legoland, Pororo Park, Game On, Dinosaurs Alive Water Themepark, Desaru Coast Water Park and Austin Heights Water & Adventure Park. Popular shopping destinations are Johor Premium Outlets, Paradigm Mall, IKEA, Sutera Mall, Sunway Big Box Village, Mid Valley Southkey and KSL City Mall.

8. Cultural Institutions
A melting pot of cultural enrichment, top sights include the Royal Abu Bakar Museum, Johor Bahru Chinese Heritage Museum, Yayasan Warisan Johor, Johor Bahru Kwong Siew Heritage, Malay Cultural Village, and the Johor Art Gallery.