There could be a quarter million Singaporeans  visiting Johore each week. Thanks to newly available data about cross-border traffic volumes we have better estimates of the to-and-fros of Singaporeans and Johoreans. Are Singaporeans really to blame for pushing up Johor property values (Part 1) and the cost of everyday goods and services (Part 2)? The simplistic blame-the-Singaporean game seems to be long over-stated. The data and a wider reading of the issue suggests strong domestic forces at play too.

There is no doubt that Singapore cash is sought by restaurants, retailers, and property developers. Johor households are impacted by rising prices; with urban and rural folk also pinched by household debt. Recent surveys point to pro-development views among Johoreans (especially rural), along with a dip anti-Singaporean feelings. Do they recognise homegrown issues contributing to Johor’s price inflation; and do they balance this against income opportunities from Singapore FDI and its open job market?

In Part 1, we review the indicators for the property sector and found it hard to lay the blame fully on just one sector of buyers - Singaporeans. In Part 2, the data suggests that the impact of foreign visitors adds to domestic-origin pressures; and Johor suffers the highest price inflation in all Malaysia. Urban households face debt concerns and rural households are pressured by price increases.

#Malaysia #Johor #Singapore #AffordableHousing #CostofLiving #HouseholdDebt #Felda #KhorReports

Read Part 1 by clicking here: On Johor Property by KHOR Yu Leng 

Read Part 2 by clicking here: On Johor Prices by KHOR Yu Leng