By David Chong (guest contributor)

Should you invest in Iskandar Malaysia? Some say it’s the next big thing, some say it’s going to be the next big white elephant. Singapore’s elder statesman, and former Prime Minister, Lee Kuan Yew famously cautioned Singaporeans: “Let’s wait and see how Iskandar develops. This is an economic field of cooperation in which, you must remember, we are putting investments on Malaysian soil. And at the stroke of a pen, they can take it over.”

White elephant or not, Iskandar Malaysia is dependent on 3 critical success factors I call INC:

I – International Buy-In
N – New Metropolis
C – Connectivity

INTERNATIONAL BUY-IN

Iskandar Malaysia, also commonly referred to as Iskandar Johor, needs foreign investments and the participation of the international community. Without foreign participation, Iskandar Johor will merely be, well, Johor. For the longest time, properties in Johor have been lagging behind places such as Kuala Lumpur ...