JOHOR BAHRU – In Iskandar Puteri’s upscale Eco Botanic enclave, owners are beginning to receive the keys to European-style terraced homes launched three years ago.
Finance manager Lee Shi Qing bought a 2,293 sq ft terraced unit for around RM1 million (S$313,000) as her first matrimonial home in Johor. But after construction began on a nearby data centre and power transmission towers were erected, she put the property up for sale six months ago.
“The land clearing for the data centre started last year, and the new pylons went up this year,” said the 38-year-old, referring to the 64-megawatt hyperscale data centre by TM Nxera, a joint venture involving Telekom Malaysia and Singtel’s digital infrastructure unit Nxera.
“I do have some concerns about living close to high-voltage lines, which is part of why I’m selling,” she told The Straits Times.
Johor’s data centre boom is bringing power transmission lines, pylons and industrial facilities closer to residential neighbourhoods, raising concerns over noise, the environment and the resale prospects of nearby homes. In a housing market already grappling with abundant supply, the new infrastructure could make some properties harder to sell, even if fears over health risks are not borne out by scientific evidence.
“In the residential property market, perception heavily dictates pricing. Even if scientific evidence clears low-frequency electromagnetic fields of immediate danger, the real estate market prices in stigma, visual blight, and sensory disruption,” said Samuel Tan, chief executive of Johor Bahru-based property consultancy Olive Tree Property Consultants. “Properties next to or facing high-voltage pylons can lose a significant share of potential buyers.”
National utility provider Tenaga Nasional, which is responsible for the country’s energy infrastructure, did not respond to The Straits Times’ e-mail queries by press time.
In a statement on Nov 3, TM Nxera said it does not own or operate the power transmission infrastructure in the area.
“However, we recognise the importance of working with the relevant parties to help address the concerns raised by the surrounding community,” it said.
It added that the TM Nxera campus is being developed on land designated for this purpose, with the requisite approvals from the relevant authorities and in compliance with the conditions attached to them.
Near the Eco Botanic site in Iskandar Puteri, grey monopole transmission towers line the road. Residents have called them an eyesore.
Lee said only two prospective buyers had made inquiries since she listed her property.
“I think Eco Botanic is really a good place, but the problem with the property is that the market is too saturated,” she said, noting that more landed homes were being built nearby.
Her concerns come amid a property glut in Johor. The state had 4,222 completed homes and 9,946 serviced apartments left unsold in the first half of 2026, the highest numbers in Malaysia, according to the National Property Information Centre, under the Valuation and Property Services Department.
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