Forest City cancels opening ceremony for RM1.8bn golf course

PETALING JAYA (Aug 31): Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd has cancelled the opening ceremony of its RM1.8 billion Forest City Golf Hotel & Legacy Golf Course scheduled to take place tomorrow.

In a statement today, the company announced that the ceremony -- which was to have been officiated by Johor's Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar -- as well as a press conference had been called off without going into specifics, reported the Malay Mail.

However, the golf course will still be opened tomorrow while other events to celebrate the opening of the course such as the private golf tournament involving 60 participants will continue, said a spokesperson.

The golf course offers a tricourse with the first 18 holes designed by golfing great Jack Nicklaus aka the "Golden Bear" and his son Jack II.

Forest City Golf Resort is part of the RM410 billion Forest City project which was recently the subject of critical remarks by Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

On Monday, he had said announced that foreigners will not be allowed to purchase properties in the large-scale development.

Reuters reported Dr Mahathir saying that: "One thing is certain, that city that is going to be built cannot be sold to foreigners."

"Our objection is because it was built for foreigners, not built for Malaysians. Most Malaysians are unable to buy those flats."

He added that foreigners buying into the project will also not be issued visas to live there.

The announcement, which took several parties by surprise, including the Johor state government, did not include specific details on how it will be enforced.

A committee comprising ministries, the Johor state government and developers will be set up to look into foreign purchases of properties in the development.

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister's Office had on Tuesday issued a statement saying foreign property purchases were welcome as long as they followed conditions which were publicly available, and permanent residency is not guaranteed with property purchases