MUKTAMAR PAS yesterday passed a resolution at its muktamar urging Johor Menteri Besar Mohamed Khaled Nordin to quit if he fails to institute measures to arrest the spiraling cost of property in Johor.

 

PAS Youth vice-chief Muhd Khairil Nizam Khiruddin said among the contributing factor to the ballooning property prices is the purchase of real estate by foreigners, which he described as a new form of colonialism.

 

"We urge the government to release the data on property ownership in the country to dispel the notion that the majority of ownership could be dominated by foreigners," he said.

 

Muhd Khairil zoomed in on projects in Johor, which he said some investors get special privileges which bypassed the usual safeguards on foreign ownership.

 

"We demand that the Johor menteri besar resign for being responsible for the (sale) of prime real estate to foreigners," he said.

 

However, Johor PAS delegate Dzulkifli Ahmad in the debate urged a more "practical" approach instead of asking Khaled ( left ) to step down.

 

Dzulkifli acknowledged that there was large foreign ownership on property in Johor owing to the currency strength of neighbouring countries like Singapore.

 

However, he said Johor cannot completely reject foreign ownership and the massive RM310 billion Forest City reclamation project was an example.

 

"That is why the property price in Forest City is set at minimum of RM1 million," he said, which is the lowest property value which foreigners are allowed to purchase.

Too cosy with developers

 

Forest City, a close to 2,000 hectares man-made island almost half the size of Putrajaya, will be reclaimed from the Johor Straits.

 

The project is 66 percent-owned by China-based Country Garden Pacific View while he remaining shares are owned by the Johor sultan and state-owned Kumpulan Prasarana Rakyat Johor.

 

The focus, Dzulkifli said, is to ensure that the Johor government is firm on its affordable housing policy, which requires any development above five acres to comprise 40 percent of low-cost housing.

 

"The Johor government has been very lenient with developers and many do not fulfill the 40 percent condition," he said.

 

He added that the Johor government should also be urged to increase the number of affordable housing in the state.

 

Following Dzulkifli's proposal, Khairil agreed to amend its wording to only urge Khaled’s resignation if he failed to fulfil obligations for low-cost and affordable housing.

 

The motion was subsequently passed.

Previous report

The case of Forest City and the Johor sultan