Mah Sing Group Berhad is continuing its commitment to the Johor Bahru property market by launching phase 2 of Erica @ Meridin East in Pasir Gudang.

Erica phase 2 consists of 210 double-storey link homes, with prices starting at RM425,000.

Benjamin Ong, Mah Sing's chief executive officer of property subsidiaries, said that the growing appeal and demand for last year's fully sold-out Erica phase 1 has accelerated the group's plans to continue developing the Erica township's second phase.

"The encouraging response from Erica phase 1 demonstrates that landed property sectors are still in high demand. It also proves that demand for affordably priced, high-quality properties in strategic locations will stay strong," he said.

Erica is a two-story link home development that is part of the 531.6 hectare (ha) Meridin East development, Mah Sing's largest township strategically located in Iskandar Malaysia's Eastern Gateway.

Meridin East is a green township surrounded by residential, commercial, and light industrial development, with approximately 500 acres of green belt.

Erica phase 1, which had 155 units and a gross development value of RM79.3 million, was completely sold out last year, and vacant possession is expected by the end of 2023.

The township's unique value propositions, which included affordably priced homes with spacious layouts, a variety of amenities, and 24-hour security, contributed to Erica phase 1's high take-up rate.

According to Ong, Erica phase 2 has a practical layout plan that was meticulously designed to save space.

The units have an 18' x 70' land size, a built-up area of 1,601 sq ft, four bedrooms, and three bathrooms.

Datuk Hasni Mohammad, the Chief Minister of Johor, officiated the launch of Erica phase 2 in conjunction with Mah Sing's Chinese New Year prosperity reunion at Meridin East sales gallery.

Datuk Asman Shah Abd Rahman, Mayor of Pasir Gudang City Council; Ayub Jamil, Chairman of the Johor State Housing and Local Government Committee; Datuk Sri Tey Kim Chai, Chairman of SJK(C) Sim Mow Yu; and Mah Sing's senior management team also attended the celebration.

Hasni urged property developers to improve community development and community building throughout Johor.

In his speech, he said that it is critical to building more affordable houses in Johor so that Johorians can own a home without feeling the financial burden that is often associated with the purchase of a home.

According to Ong, Mah Sing has consistently set its new direction toward developing low-cost properties.

"We aim to provide landed properties in Johor with an indicative price below RM500,000. We can also see that landed houses are preferred due to their space factor, higher resale value, and the freedom for renovation and maintenance of the property," he said.

Ong said that Mah Sing has made efforts to make Meridin East a more accessible township.

In terms of connectivity and infrastructure enhancement, the developer has expanded Jalan Kong Kong from a two-lane road to a four-lane access road.

Furthermore, it intends to build the Meridin East Interchange, which will provide direct access from the Senai-Desaru Expressway and will lead directly into Jalan Kong Kong and connect to the Ixora Park City commercial centre in Meridin East.

Ixora Park City is the only commercial centre in the middle of four major townships, offering two and three-story shop offices ranging in size from 2,839 square feet to 5,592 square feet.

With a captivating modern façade, well-lit interiors with excellent ventilation, and highly functional spaces, the commercial centre is strategically fronting the main road.

According to Ong, Ixora Park City is now complete and will have a positive take-up rate by the end of the year.