JOHOR BARU – The Johor state government has no plans to revive the abandoned Lot 1 Waterfront City building located in the middle of the city here.
In his written reply to the state assembly, Johor housing and local government executive councillor Datuk Jafni Md Shukor explained that although the location of the shopping mall has great economic potential, the owner of the building has yet to submit their future plans to the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB).
“Until now, we have not received any recommendations from the owner to revive Lot 1 Waterfront City.
“Nevertheless, the building has great potential to improve the image of the Ibrahim International Business District, given its strategic location in the city,” Jafni said.
So far, he explained that MBJB has taken steps to turn the area behind the mall into a public car park and a place to store vehicles seized by the local council.
This, he says, is to prevent trespassers from entering the mall and turning the location into a drug den, which was the case before.
Currently, the state government said it would be difficult to take over the land via forfeiture, as the building is owned by Transbay Ventures Sdn Bhd.
“In the event the property is seized by the state government, all unit owners would lose their respective strata titles.
“Following Article 13 of the federal constitution, no person may lose their ownership rights unless done according to law and the owner is compensated appropriately,” he added.
Lot 1 Waterfront City served a shopping mall in a prime location overlooking the Johor Straits.
It closed down in 2003 after operating for three years.
Efforts have been made in the past to revive the mall in the past, but currently, Lot 1 Waterfront City remains abandoned. – The Vibes, March 24, 2023
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