Johor government to help sell off 88,000 unsold Bumiputera properties

He said a suitable mechanism would be drawn up after developers have failed to sell about 88,000 bumiputera property lots in the state.

According to him the properties comprised bungalow houses, shophouses, factories, service apartments and others.

"The properties could not sell because the prices are too high but we will find a way to help the developers overcome the problem," he told reporters after a groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of houses to relocate Kampung Senibong residents here today.

Mohamed Khaled said this when commenting on the predicament of poor sale of Bumiputera quota properties especially in Johor Bahru.

He said it had been established under the housing policy that developers must allocate a certain percentage of all property units that was being developed to Bumiputeras.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Khaled said starting late next year some 100 Kampung Senibong residents would each be getting a two-storey terrace house in the new project area.

He said the houses offered at RM25,000 each instead of its actual cost of RM300,000, were in replacement of their land which had be taken over by a developer to make way for several residential projects there.

"This village is over 100 years old and from previous years the residents have applied for the land titles but the land had been transferred to the developer.

"The government negotiated with the developer and we came to a solution that they (residents) move to the redeveloped area," he said.

The first phase of the project, involving more than 50 units of houses, will start in October this year and is scheduled to be completed by late next year, while the second phase involving 40 units is scheduled for completion in 2019. Iskandar Waterfront Holdings is the developer of both projects.