More than 93 per cent of Forest City homes have been sold to foreigners to date. — Picture by Ben Tan

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 1 — The federal government is not able to stop foreigners from buying homes in Johor’s Forest City project, Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah Raja Ahmad said today.

The Pakatan Harapan senator who is also deputy housing and local government minister told the Dewan Rakyat during Question Time that the land the projects sits on has been designated an “international zone”, even as he acknowledged unease among Malaysians over large numbers of foreigners owning property in what is considered prime real estate area.

“We realise an exclusive zone would create resentment among the locals. But since it is under the state government and in an international zone we cannot set any limits for foreign purchases.

“This is beyond our powers. But we have spoken to the developers to minimise and address the social problem of resentment among the locals,” he said in response to a question by Rembau MP Khairy Jamaluddin.

Raja Kamarul added that more than 93 per cent of Forest City homes have been sold to foreigners to date.