ISKANDAR PUTERI: The duty-free status of Pulau Satu Forest City will take effect this Nov 15, with the Royal Malaysian Customs Complex there set to be fully operational on the same day, said Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. He announced that the implementation of the duty-free status will be rolled out in two phases, with the second phase slated for the first quarter of next year.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the first phase of the implementation will focus on residents (homeowners), long-term renters, and hotel guests staying at least 48 hours on Pulau Satu. The second phase will expand to include office employees, business visitors, event attendees, hotel guests (short-term tourists), yacht owners/marina visitors, healthcare tourists, investors, and property buyers.

To facilitate the implementation of the second phase, the existing system will be enhanced with quick response (QR) codes, a visitor tracking system, 48-hour tracking, and an extension of duty-free privileges for all goods. Menteri Be
sar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi shared these details with reporters after inaugurating the complex. Also present were Customs Director-General Datuk Anis Rizana Mohd Zainudin and Executive Director of Country Garden Pacificview Sdn Bhd, Datuk Md Othman Yusof.

Anis Rizana highlighted that the new customs complex will feature baggage scanning machines equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) to bolster the control of entry and exit of duty-free goods sold on the island.

Meanwhile, Md Othman expressed optimism that the Forest City duty-free island will attract more domestic and international tourists, thus enhancing the local tourism industry. He noted that “this duty-free concept is expected to drive business and economic development as well as strengthen the entire industry chain, further enhancing the image of the Malaysian tourism industry.”

Gazetted as a duty-free island in September 2024, Forest City is Malaysia’s fifth duty-free island and notably the first to be directly accessible by land vehicles.