China’s largest property developer Country Garden unveiled Forest City – a $100bn (£78.9bn) mega-project – in 2016.
In Malaysia, Country Garden’s plan was to build an eco-friendly metropolis featuring a golf course, waterpark, offices, bars and restaurants. The company said Forest City would eventually be home to nearly one million people.
Eight years on, only 15% of the project has been built and, according to recent estimates, just over 1% of the total development is occupied.
Despite facing debts of nearly $200bn, Country Garden told the BBC it is “optimistic” the full plan will be completed.
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Now have you heard of Forest City this was a hundred billion doll project unveiled in southern Malaysia in 2016 by the developer Country Garden it was a part of China’s massive belt and Road initiative and was supposed to be home to almost a million people but 8 years
On Country Garden is facing colossal debts and the complex is virtually empty our Asia business correspondent Nick Marsh spent a night in forest garden that many now describe as a ghost town We’re in jeor right on the tip of Southern Malaysia and there’s something strange on the horizon locals call it ghost City and on First Impressions you can see why okay this is Forest City it’s a bit dark think someone’s forgotten to turn the lights on it’s hard to believe that anyone actually lives
Here oh here they are even in mid-afternoon Forest City feels more like a haunted house than a happy home do you feel like it’s GES down from what I’ve seen so far yes I would have to agree yeah maybe you should try after 12 we may be 3,000 mil from Beijing but
Residents like Joan a trying to weather a storm in China’s property sector she wants to get out of Forest City and as night started to fall I met someone who already had I feel freedom to be honest I feel free I feel finally I escape it’s multi-billion project it’s supposed to
Be good it’s supposed to met expectation but it’s frustrating the property developer Country Gardens sold this place as a thriving eco-friendly Community with beaches bars restaurants it was a chance for Chinese investors to own a second home abroad and then rent it out to locals but as we’ve already seen all
Over China ambition didn’t match reality Chinese government controls on how much companies could borrow and how much Chinese citizens could spend on foreign property have left Forest in disarray this place was supposed to be a restaurant I think behind me judging by the looks of things it was supposed to
Be the kitchen now Country Garden slogan for this whole place was a prime vision for future cities you just take a look around doesn’t really seem that way Country Garden insists that the project will be finished but with the company facing debts of nearly $200 billion it’s hard to see how Forest City
Was supposed to house a million people right now it’s 1% occupied like so many Chinese property developments this place seems to be going nowhere Nick Marsh BBC News jeor well BBC News did contact Country Garden group in China and received a no response on that story its Malaysian
Operation did respond and say despite what they called the noise and current situ ation they were running the business as usual and the overall operation in the region is safe and stable
43 Comments
Poor Sultan… got conned by the red roaches
Thats what you get for trusting china.
Who approve the project? Who owns the land in Johor ? Then u will able to find the answer😆😬
Fact: Millions cashed up are flocking to Malaysia. There is a new PM just voted in.
Why I love Malaysia – Nomad Capitalist https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihRahEJjVmA
Non other songs besides this one by The Specials can be used as the background music. One of my favourite songs..
Paling bnyak hantu sana putrjaya..
why don’t they use utilise city’s like this for refugees crisis situations?
No. It is quite but not a ghost town. This place wasv well kept , have a nice beach have residences and now a financial hub in Johor.
china
Mengapa kerangka itu pergi ke pesta sendirian? — Dia tidak punya tubuh untuk pergi bersamanya!🤣
As Johor resident, I hope any developer company takes and proceeds with this project.
Do you want too know cold hearted , that plane that went down . US natzi Navy blackrock LLC landed that plane at Diego Garcia . Because the good people worked making a chip . They then were slaved or killed .
Well all these talk because its china's project right? All i know right now many people started to come into the forest city and the area is slowly developing. The development is halted because of covid and the change of government, but now its started again so no worries. All i see is western and pro US media is condemning everthing china do 😏
now report homelessness in uk and usa
pretty much similar in some cities in china where so many apartments are empty
Because its too expensive, ridiculous term condition house management maintenance and useless high rise house for family life
Sums you China’s economic development completely. The biggest bubble the world has ever seen. And it’s deflating rapidly.
to be honest it is a waste of money. looks nice though
I like how they said "Country Garden Malaysia-Singapore region", as if Singapore was a part of it. It's not. Singapore dollars aren't coming to save the day.
There's no one stupid enough to buy over the liabilities. The buildings and roads are cracking. The possibility that entire structures need to be demolished is not zero.
This video shows us nothing.
Give as an areal view, so that we can see the city!
In case of Sri Lanka , President ( Mafia Leader)
Diesnt colect Tax from their relations' Business,Factories , Private Firms, etc
Trillions of US Dollars.
His Relations collect income of Government Institutes.
Therefire no income for Development of Country.
I don't see this forest as a Ghost town…Ive been here before its give me a peace of mind…quite n aware from the hactic city😊😊I love Forest City
A 😮😢😢😢😢😢 bad and nasty😮😮😢😮😮🎉 retired General Dynamics director, previously worked in San Diego, probably more than 85 yrs old now, is exploiting illegally US Gov's monitoring satellite to harass normal US civilians, inside USA & all over the world for his own entertainment & amusement.
These remote sensors of the monitoring satellites are capable of interpreting the words you're thinking in your mind, may be, by air vibration or by scanning the brainwaves from your brain.
The Israeli IDF are using similar satellite technologies to spy on the Hamas leadership hiding deep inside the Gaza Tunnels. IDF once released footage of these videos in much degraded resolution.
The United States as we learned and studied in American high school does not exist anymore; it has been destroyed.
Joe Biden allows this to happen…
United States have been dead. American citizens don't have human rights.
This retired director of General Dynamics is a disgrace of the United States.
If this America disgrace wants to harass any American citizens, he just puts this American'name into the blacklist for monitoring, and he can harass this American civilian.
Tofu dreg architecture.
Actually "Forest City" is right, this is the future of cities 😂
I like the random ghost colors to make it even worse, ghost cities are a thing, but lights in Asia turn on automatically to save power, cause you know total waste output is higher in Asia but per capita the UK is one of the worst offenders on the planet.
Such a scourge these big high rise apartments outside of the cities. Nobody wanted them. Where's the "democracy" in that?
Reports out of China are that the ghost city problem is worsening. Is this true? Japan is also experiencing ghost cities although the reason is due to depopulation. Europe is experiencing depopulation, but no ghost cities at this time. Is there an organization…preferably, not the United Nations, maybe WHO…that is looking at the global movements of people, aging, depopulations, and overbuilding to determine if there is a serious problem underway for the entire globe? We are not yet seeing this problem in the USA and need to better understand what's taking place.
Forrest of cement 🙄
We've to admit once and for all. That China is actively destroying and ruin our global eco system for the sake of money. It is made worst because there is no press freedom in China. I hate to say this but am forced to say it as a realist.
Just another golden egg laid by the CCP’s Bait and Rob Initiative.
Lot better than fuel infested Birmingham and Bradford .and far better than any American fueled crack city houses where every apartment in America are home to drug dealers and shop lifters
This is how it looks like if you allow Chinese to invest in your country.
It Might Be City In Life After People
collapses as usual
No ghost town but soon will be the livest town when it come a financial status with the right connection. He who laugh last laugh the best.
Moreover, Those buildings look awful design.
Lesson never learned….why keep believe ccx….not smart decisions by Malaysia
$200B in debt. Good luck with that. 😮
Ki malosiya… how are you
And why can't they take in refuge's ?
This documentary paints an inaccurate picture. I've been living in FC for the last 6 months n it's one of the best places I ever lived. Fresh air fantastic views with beaches all around clean n green full of nature. So many interesting spots to go to n even fishing. Gyms swimming pool n billiard tables for games available at. Free round island electric buggy rides on call. Free Shuttle Bus service to domestic FC locations at intervals. Place is nice n tranquil. Golf course n resort within township. Duty free supermarts with dirt cheap prices for ciggarettes chocolates n liquors. Grocery supermarts n local food 24 /7. Barber shop n chinese restaurants aplenty. Nearest town Gelang Patah is 15 mins drive n border checkpoint crossing to Singapore is 10 mins away. Exit to all Highways is just right out of FC. No issues at all for me n others I met here. Many foreigners n locals live here. Its improving by the month.
BBC should do a documentary on the homeless littering the streets of Europe and the US rather than crying about something that's none of your business.