Paradise for an introvert: a ghost town in Malaysia (5 photos + 1 video)
Category: Beautiful cities, PEGI 0+
Today, 03:59
"Forest City" was once conceived as a resort metropolis of the future. It was designed for a million residents, but now no more than ten thousand live there. 
A paradise for an introvert has been found. This is a "ghost town" in Malaysia called Forest City.
It was conceived as a luxurious "city of the future" for a million residents, but due to various problems it turned out to be almost completely empty: today no more than 2-3% of the buildings are inhabited.
At the same time, there are hotels, cafes and restaurants, shops, shopping centers, and all the basic infrastructure necessary for a comfortable life.
How a ghost town appeared in Malaysia
The project started in 2014 with the active participation of the Sultan of the state of Johor in Malaysia.
The main target audience was not Malaysians, but investors from China.
By 2016, interest in housing was at an all-time high — apartments were being sold at the foundation stage, and agency departments were working at full capacity.
However, in 2017, Beijing introduced currency controls, limiting the export of capital abroad. After that, sales dropped sharply. The final blow was COVID-19 in 2020.
Political instability in Malaysia only worsened the situation for Forest City. After winning the 2018 elections, Mahathir Mohamad sharply limited the ability of foreigners to purchase housing in the project, accusing the previous government of “selling out the country.”
In 2025, the Malaysian authorities are trying to breathe new life into the project: Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim announced the creation of a special financial zone in Forest City with tax breaks and accelerated access to Singapore.
