KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — A RM2.6 billion integrated mixed-use development, featuring a shopping mall and four towers, is set to be built at the Johor Baru terminus of the upcoming Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link.
MRT Corporation (MRT Corp) and Sunway Group said in a statement yesterday the Bukit Chagar Integrated Mixed-Use Development will also house a hotel, serviced apartments, a health-and-wellness hub, and education facilities.
The project will be integrated with the RTS station at Bukit Chagar and the new Immigration, Customs and Quarantine Complex, and connected to Johor Baru’s public transport network, including the KTM electric train service and city buses.
They also said a park-and-ride facility with 1,550 car spaces and 1,015 motorcycle spaces is included in the plans. Of these, 850 car spaces and all motorcycle spaces are expected to be operational by November 2026, aligning with the RTS Link’s anticipated launch by the end of 2026.
Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah, founder and chairman of Sunway Group, said the project could serve as a catalyst for economic growth across the Greater Johor Baru area, while MRT Corp CEO Mohd Zarif Hashim noted its potential to transform urban planning by integrating transit infrastructure with retail and housing.
Yesterday, Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook said that the Private Public Partnership Unit (UKAS) will invite proposals for a supplementary transit system to disperse traffic from the RTS Link that is set to come online by the end of 2026.
He said the ministry submitted a presentation for an autonomous transit system (ART) to the Cabinet in December, which decided that the project should be in the form of a private-public partnership.
The RTS Link is expected to ease congestion on the Johor-Singapore Causeway, which sees an average of 430,000 to 450,000 daily users, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
