Jason Lim · Johor Bahru property advisor

10 years in Malaysian property · Johor Bahru & Kuala Lumpur · Jason Lim, REN 84424 · 中文版 · Bahasa Melayu
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Forest City, Iskandar Puteri · Completed 2018–2019 · Subsale

Country Garden Forest City (Phase 1)

The completed freehold high-rise towers on Forest City’s first reclaimed island off Gelang Patah, handed over from 2018, where subsale studios to four-bedroom units now ask from about RM190,000 and the island sits inside Malaysia’s Special Financial Zone.

FreeholdCompleted 2018–2019Studio to 4 bedroomsSpecial Financial ZoneDuty-free island

Replies on WhatsApp from Jason himself · No obligation

RM658median psf, 48 months (EdgeProp)
From RM850asking rent a month
~15 mindrive to the Second Link

Jason’s take

The towers are finished and prices sit well below the 2019 launch levels, and the island has a school, a golf resort and a beach. But occupancy has been low and many shops are empty. If you look here, price your offer on recent transactions and plan to hold for a long time.

Jason Lim · REN 84424 · IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6

Answer block

Country Garden Forest City (Phase 1) at a glance

Every figure here comes from the developer, the government housing register or the property records named at the foot of the page. Where sources disagree, the range is shown. Where nobody has published a number, it is not on this page.

Development

Forest City Phase 1 towers

Recorded on the portals under names including Starview Bay, Cerulean Bay and Carnelian Tower; developer Country Garden Pacificview (CGPV)

Address

Jalan Forest City, 81550 Gelang Patah

Iskandar Puteri, Johor (EdgeProp)

Tenure

Freehold

PropertyGuru for each tower; the developer says most, not all, units are freehold, so check the title

Completed

2018–2019

First 482 units at Cerulean Bay handed over Sept 2018; PropertyGuru records Starview Bay as completed 2019

Scale

About 28,000 homes city-wide

Al Jazeera, Nov 2023; PropertyGuru records 7,186 units at Starview Bay alone

Layouts

474–1,894 sq ft

Studios to 4 bedrooms across the towers (PropertyGuru)

Special Financial Zone

Since 2024

Tax incentives announced 20 Sept 2024 (Skrine); duty-free zone

Foreign buyers

Few subsale units

Most subsale asking prices are below RM1 million; a separate MM2H SFZ route exists

Why this address

Four things buyers weigh at Forest City

Freehold, finished and priced well below launch. Here is the case, and the catch.

🏷️

Prices well below launch

Units were sold at about RM13,000–18,000 per sq m (roughly RM1,210–1,670 psf) in 2019, while EdgeProp’s recorded median over the last 48 months is RM658 psf.

🏝️

Finished island with facilities

The first island has a hotel, an international school, a golf resort, a water park and a beach, and the towers are complete and handed over.

🛂

Special zone status

Forest City is a duty-free Special Financial Zone with a 15% income tax rate for eligible knowledge workers, and it has its own MM2H residency category tied to buying a home there.

⚖️

What to weigh: occupancy and resale

Al Jazeera reported in 2023 that about 9,000 people lived in roughly 28,000 homes, most of them tenants, though Johor’s housing committee said in April 2024 that about 70% of the property had been sold. Many shop units have been reported empty, so price on transacted figures and expect a slow resale.

The development

Country Garden Forest City (Phase 1), decoded

High-rise condominium and serviced residence towers on the first of four planned reclaimed islands off Gelang Patah, facing Tuas across the Johor Strait.

4Planned islands
2018First handover
7,186Units at Starview Bay
474+Sq ft

Facilities

Island amenities as reported by EdgeProp Singapore (2019) and Home & Decor Singapore (2024); individual tower facilities vary.

Island

On the first island

  • Phoenix International Marina Hotel
  • Shattuck-St Mary’s Forest City International School
  • Retail complex
  • Beach

Leisure

Sport and recreation

  • Forest City Golf Resort
  • Forest City Water Park

Residents

In the towers

  • Swimming pools
  • Gymnasium
  • Children’s playground
  • 24-hour security

Where the project is now

2016Launched, with duty-free status and tax incentives
Sep 2018First 482 units at Cerulean Bay handed over
2019Developer targets handover of over 20,000 units; Starview Bay recorded as completed
Sep 2024Special Financial Zone tax incentives announced
Your moveCheck recorded prices and the title before you offer
Ask me what the brochure doesn’t tell you

Location & connectivity

Where Country Garden Forest City (Phase 1) sits

Jalan Forest City, off Lebuhraya Tanjung Pelepas, 81550 Gelang Patah, Iskandar Puteri, Johor.

Open in Google Maps →
Maintenance and title. Maintenance rates are not published on the portals; ask the management office for the current rate and sinking fund. The developer itself advises a land title search because not every unit is freehold.
Second Link (Tuas) checkpoint~15 minby car (Home & Decor Singapore)
Singapore across the strait~2 kmdeveloper’s figure

The recorded numbers

The price numbers

Recorded sales and asking prices are different things. Transacted figures come from deals recorded with the government valuation department; asking figures are what owners or the developer are listing at.

MeasureFigureSource and date
Transacted price
median, last 48 months
RM658 psf · typical RM488–1,062 psfEdgeProp Forest City record, Oct 2026
Lowest recorded
single transaction
RM542 psf (517 sq ft unit, Mar 2025)EdgeProp, Oct 2026
Launch price
developer pricing, 2019
About RM13,000–18,000 per sq m (≈RM1,210–1,670 psf)EdgeProp Singapore, Sep 2019
Asking price
Starview Bay, all sizes
From RM190,000 · RM318–1,401 psf (88 listings)PropertyGuru building page, Oct 2026
Asking rent
Starview Bay
From RM850 a month (127 listings)PropertyGuru building page, Oct 2026
Asking rent
Cerulean Bay, 2 to 4 bedrooms
About RM1,500–4,000 a monthPropertyGuru listings, Oct 2026

The transacted rows are EdgeProp’s record of completed sales for Forest City over 48 months (EdgeProp puts the implied gross yield at about 3.8%). Sale and rent rows are asking prices seen on PropertyGuru in October 2026, not transactions. The launch row converts the developer’s per square metre pricing reported in 2019.

Track record

About Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd

Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd (CGPV) is a 60:40 joint venture between China’s Country Garden group and Esplanade Danga 88 Sdn Bhd, according to EdgeProp Singapore.

Forest City was planned across four reclaimed islands of about 30 sq km; Al Jazeera reported in 2023 that about a tenth of the land had been developed. Country Garden defaulted on dollar bond interest in October 2023, according to the same report.

Straight answers

Frequently asked questions

What sizes are the completed units?

PropertyGuru records studios of about 474–517 sq ft, one-bedrooms of 571–614 sq ft, two-bedrooms of about 764–904 sq ft and three-bedrooms up to 1,378 sq ft, with four-bedroom units of about 1,800–1,894 sq ft at Cerulean Bay. Starview Bay alone has 7,186 units.

Is Forest City freehold?

PropertyGuru records freehold tenure for Starview Bay, Cerulean Bay and the wider Country Garden Forest City project. The developer’s own guide says most units are freehold, not all, so confirm with a title search before you pay a deposit.

Can a foreigner buy here?

In Johor a foreign buyer generally needs a price of at least RM1 million per home, plus state consent and a consent levy of 3% of the price or RM30,000, whichever is higher (since 1 July 2025); stamp duty on transfers to foreigners is a flat 8% from 1 January 2026, and Bumiputera lots and affordable units are closed to foreigners. Most subsale asking prices here are below RM1 million, so few subsale units meet that line. Separately, the MM2H Special Financial Zone category requires applicants to buy and keep a home in Forest City for 10 years and to place a fixed deposit of USD65,000 (aged 21–49) or USD32,000 (50 and above); the official page says the price floor follows Johor state policy, while the developer says the route generally starts at RM500,000 for qualifying developer sales. The developer’s 50% stamp duty remission applies only to completed units bought directly from the developer, not to subsales. Confirm the current threshold with a lawyer before you commit.

How much does a unit rent for?

PropertyGuru listings in October 2026 ask from about RM850 a month at Starview Bay, and about RM1,500 to RM4,000 for two- to four-bedroom units at Cerulean Bay. Tenant demand is thin compared with Johor Bahru city.

Berapa harga rumah di Forest City?

Harga transaksi median ialah RM658 sekaki persegi (EdgeProp, 48 bulan terakhir). Di Starview Bay harga tawaran bermula sekitar RM190,000 dan sewa bermula RM850 sebulan (PropertyGuru, Oktober 2026). Kebanyakan unit pegangan bebas; siap dari 2018.

森林城市房价和租金多少?

根据EdgeProp,过去48个月成交中位价约每平方尺RM658。2026年10月PropertyGuru显示Starview Bay挂牌价约RM19万起,月租约RM850起。多数单位为永久地契,2018年起陆续交房。

Get the current price list and units available at Country Garden Forest City (Phase 1)

Prices move and the better units go first. Tell me your budget and whether you are buying to live in or to rent out, and I will send back the units that fit, not a generic brochure.

Buying, selling or renting: one conversation, no obligation.

JL

Jason Lim

10 years in Malaysian property · Johor Bahru & Kuala Lumpur · REN 84424 · IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6

I work with local families, investors and buyers from Singapore and overseas. If a project is not right for what you need, I will say so; that is usually worth more than the brochure.

Message Jason

Last checked October 2026 against the sources listed. Sources: EdgeProp Forest City project page (Oct 2026); PropertyGuru building pages for Starview Bay, Cerulean Bay and Country Garden Forest City (Oct 2026); EdgeProp Singapore, Sep 2019; Malay Mail, Sep 2019; Al Jazeera, Nov 2023; Sinar Harian, Apr 2024; Home & Decor Singapore, Jul 2024; Skrine alert on Forest City SFZ incentives, Sep 2024; MM2H official SEZ/SFZ category page (Oct 2026); Forest City developer press release via Malay Mail, Jul 2026. Unit availability, prices and completion dates are set by the developer or owner and can change. This page is general information, not an offer, valuation or legal advice.

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Country Garden Forest City (Phase 1)Freehold · Studio to 4 bedrooms · Special Financial Zone
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