Second theme park for Iskandar

19 October 2009 , By ZAZALI MUSA, The Star

GELANG PATAH: A second theme park, after Legoland, is coming up in Iskandar Malaysia.

It will be a 5,574 square metre indoor park meant to delight children below 12-years-old, said Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.

He said the park would be in Puteri Harbour, a waterfront, mixed development project in Nusajaya.

It will be a joint-venture betweeen UEM Land Holdings Bhd and a foreign investor.

“Work will probably take place next year,” Ghani said at a Hari Raya open house organised by Taman Nusantara developer, Denia Development Sdn Bhd.

Ghani declined to divulge the investment cost or who the foreign investor was. The Star, however, learnt that the investor was WalMart Group, a US-based conglomerate.

Ghani said the theme park would have both fun games and educational activities.

With both the theme parks in Iskandar targeting children, a third was being considered for young adults.

“Iskandar needs to have several theme parks to cater for different target groups,” said Ghani.

Replying to a question as to whether the Causeway should be demolished to make way for a new bridge, as proposed by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Ghani said he would let Najib decide on the matter.

Lately, the former premier had reiterated that Malaysia should proceed with the scenic bridge to replace the Causeway, built in 1928, if the Federal Government wanted Iskandar to succeed.