This is for anyone buying, selling or renting out a home in Johor Bahru who wants October’s property news in one place, checked against the original reports. It covers 1 to 17 October 2026. The short version: Budget 2027 widens first-home stamp duty relief to homes up to RM750,000 for agreements signed from 2027, the RTS Link now opens in February 2027, and the OPR is unchanged at 2.75% because Bank Negara does not meet again until November.
October 2026 at a glance
- 9 October: Budget 2027 tabled. First-home stamp duty relief extended to homes up to RM750,000, for SPAs signed from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2030.
- 9 October: e-ART named as the main public transport solution for Johor Bahru, with more buses, KTM Komuter trips and shuttle services before the RTS Link opens.
- 2 and 8 October: RTS Link passenger service now expected in February 2027.
- 8 October: BAS.MY Johor Bahru extended for five years from 2027, with 230 new buses.
- 14 October: 16 of the 27 data centre projects approved by the federal task force are in Johor.
- OPR: no decision this month. It stays at 2.75%; the next meeting is on 5 November.
Budget 2027: first-home stamp duty relief widened (9 October)
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim tabled Budget 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat on 9 October. For first-time buyers, the loan agreement and the transfer are fully exempt from stamp duty on homes up to RM500,000. On homes up to RM750,000, the first RM500,000 is fully exempt and the balance gets a 50% exemption. Reports say it covers SPAs signed from 1 January 2027 to 31 December 2030. These are proposals until the law and exemption order are passed.
Here is what that looks like on the transfer (MOT) duty alone, using the standard 1% to 3% scale. I have read the 50% as applying to the duty on the portion above RM500,000, which is how the reports describe it.
| First-home price | Standard MOT duty | Under the Budget 2027 proposal |
|---|---|---|
| RM450,000 | RM8,000 | Nil |
| RM600,000 | RM12,000 | About RM1,500 |
| RM750,000 | RM16,500 | About RM3,750 |
What it means for JB homes: a first-time buyer looking at a RM500,000 to RM750,000 terrace or condo in JB saves several thousand ringgit in cash at signing, if the SPA is dated 2027 or later. If you sign before then, the rules in my stamp duty guide for 2026 still apply, so ask your lawyer which rule your SPA date falls under.
Other housing items in the Budget: up to RM20 billion of financing guarantees through Syarikat Jaminan Kredit Perumahan (SJKP), aimed at about 80,000 first-time buyers, especially self-employed people without a fixed salary; and nearly RM1 billion for Rumah Mesra Rakyat and Program Residensi Rakyat, including a new project in Kulai.
Getting around JB: e-ART, buses and the RTS Link
In the same Budget speech, the government said it had agreed to adopt the Elevated Autonomous Rapid Transit (e-ART) as the main answer to Johor Bahru’s traffic. Before the RTS Link opens, it plans extra stage bus routes, more frequent KTM Komuter services and Grab shuttles in busy areas. No cost or route figures were given.
On 8 October, Transport Minister Anthony Loke said BAS.MY Johor Bahru will continue for five years from 2027, with 230 new buses and routes extended to Tiram, Johor Jaya, Kota Masai, Mall of Medini and UTM.
The RTS Link: on 2 October, Malaysia’s Transport Ministry and Singapore’s LTA said passenger service is now expected in February 2027, not January. Testing and trial runs are due to finish by 31 December 2026, followed by independent safety certification and approval from both governments. On 8 October Loke said the project was not delayed and that February gives a buffer for safety approvals; the exact opening date will be announced after approvals. I have the full background in my RTS Link 2026 update.
What it means for JB homes: if your plan depends on Singapore commuter tenants near Bukit Chagar, budget for the RTS to be usable from February 2027 at the earliest. Owners in Tiram, Johor Jaya, Kota Masai and Medini get more bus links to offer tenants from 2027.
Interest rates: no OPR decision in October
Bank Negara held the OPR at 2.75% on 3 September 2026 and there is no Monetary Policy Committee meeting in October. The next one, the last of 2026, is on 5 November. Your floating home loan rate should not move this month because of the OPR; if it does, ask your bank why.
Market data released this month
I found no new NAPIC report between 1 and 17 October. The latest official figures are still the first-half 2026 Property Market Report, launched on 10 September: 187,320 transactions nationally worth RM105.12 billion, and 33,094 completed but unsold homes. On 8 October The Star carried MBSB Research’s reading of the same NAPIC data, which put Johor’s unsold residential units at 4,222 in the first half, the highest among the states it named. For what those numbers mean area by area, see my Johor Bahru property market outlook for 2026.
JS-SEZ, Forest City and data centres
- JS-SEZ (9 October): Anwar said the zone drew RM132 billion of investment from 2025 to June 2026, and that the master plan and blueprint will be launched with Singapore by the end of 2026. A new industrial hub, Sedenak Nexus, is put at RM12 billion of potential investment and 45,000 jobs.
- Forest City (9 October): Anwar announced a multi-family office model for the Forest City Special Financial Zone, letting licensed fund managers serve several families. Details have not been published.
- Data centres (14 October): in a written parliamentary reply, the Digital Ministry said the task force had approved 27 data centre projects with estimated investment of RM225.97 billion up to July 2026; 16 are in Johor. One is operating and the rest are under construction, with 4,053 jobs expected nationally.
What it means for JB homes: these are investment approvals and pledges, not people already moving in. They are a reason to watch rental demand around Kulai, Sedenak and Iskandar Puteri over the next few years, not a reason to pay more today.
What did not change
Between 1 and 17 October I found no change to Johor’s rules for foreign buyers, the state consent process or the Rumah Mampu Milik Johor scheme, and no new Causeway or checkpoint measures beyond the transport plans above. For the week-by-week view, read JB property news for the week of 6 October, and for projects launching this month see JB new launches, October 2026.
Questions about your situation?
If one of these changes affects a home you are buying, selling or renting out in JB, send me the details and I will go through it with you.
Sources: Bernama, “Budget 2027: RM20 Billion To Assist 80,000 First-time Homebuyers – PM Anwar”, October 2026; RinggitPlus, “Budget 2027: Stamp Duty Exemption For First Homes Expanded To RM750,000”, October 2026; Bernama, “Budget 2027: KPKT Receives RM6.355 Bln, Prioritises Housing And Public Facilities”, October 2026; Malay Mail, “Budget 2027: e-ART to be main urban public transport solution in Johor Bahru ahead of RTS Link”, October 2026; Bernama, “BAS.MY Johor Bahru Service To Be Extended For Five Years – Loke”, October 2026; The Star, “JB-Singapore RTS Link to commence operations in February 2027”, October 2026; Malay Mail, “Anthony Loke: RTS Link not delayed, buffer time needed for safety approvals”, October 2026; RinggitPlus, “BNM Holds OPR At 2.75% As Growth Forecast Rises To Around 5%”, September 2026; Ministry of Finance, “Speech at the launch of the Property Market Report 1H2026”, September 2026; The Star, “Challenges expected for property market”, October 2026; Bernama, “JS-SEZ Attracts RM132 Bln In Investments Through June 2026 — Anwar”, October 2026; The Edge Malaysia, “Malaysia to introduce multi-family office model in Forest City”, October 2026; The Star, “Task force approved 27 data centre projects with estimated investments of RM225.97bil”, October 2026
Jason Lim, REN 84424, IQI Realty Sdn. Bhd. E (1) 1584/6. General information checked on 17 October 2026, not legal, tax or financial advice.