依斯干达公主城，柔佛州：在森林城市一条安静商业街的店铺后，一扇无标识的门内，四名顾客正低头敲击平板电脑，玩着老虎机类游戏。一名面容严肃的男子站在入口把守，目光四处游移。
ISKANDAR PUTERI, Johor: Behind the unmarked door of a shoplot along a quiet commercial stretch of Forest City, four customers sat tapping away, playing slot-style games on tablets. A stern-looking man stood guard at the entrance, his eyes darting around.
顾客最低可下注约20令吉（约合4.89美元）。他们不直接交付现金，而是通过马来西亚的Touch ’n Go电子钱包支付购买博彩点数。随后，柜台后发给他们预装了老虎机游戏的平板电脑。
The customers could place bets starting from around RM20 (US$4.89). Instead of handing over cash, they paid for gambling credits using Malaysia’s Touch ’n Go e-wallet. They were then issued tablets from behind the counter with pre-installed slot games.
“我们大多数顾客是外国人。许多人玩上几个小时，通常会充值几次点数，”看管柜台的女子说道。她表示，其中许多人是居住在森林城市的工人。
“Most of our customers are foreigners. Many play for hours and usually top up their credits a few times,” said the woman manning the counter. Many of them are workers living in Forest City, she said.
中央社近日实地探访时观察到的这起疑似博彩活动，是这个庞大开发项目在试图摆脱“鬼城”名声过程中，涌现出的数起令人质疑或颇具争议的活动之一。森林城市一家提供在线博彩服务的店铺。
The apparent gambling operation that CNA observed on a recent visit is among several questionable or controversial activities that have emerged at the sprawling development as it tries to leave its“ghost town” reputation behind. A shop in Forest City offering online gambling services.
森林城市位于马来西亚半岛西南边缘，是一个耗资1000亿美元的大型项目，包含高层公寓、排屋和别墅，并穿插着商业店铺。
A US$100 billion mega project on the southwestern edge of Peninsular Malaysia, Forest City comprises high-rise apartments, landed homes and villas interspersed with commercial shoplots. In July, Johor police arrested 335 people in raids on alleged online scam operations there.
7月，柔佛警方突击搜查当地涉嫌网络诈骗活动，逮捕了335人。
The police seized computers and mobile phones and said the syndicates were involved in schemes including fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and romance scams targeting victims overseas.
警方缴获了电脑和手机，并表示这些犯罪集团涉及欺诈性加密货币投资和针对海外受害者的“杀猪盘”诈骗等骗局。
The police seized computers and mobile phones and said the syndicates were involved in schemes including fraudulent cryptocurrency investments and romance scams targeting victims overseas.
同一个月，当局责令面向科技创业者和数字游民的社区“Network School”停止运营，理由是发现其违反执照条件及获批准的场所用途。
That same month, the authorities ordered Network School a community catering to technology entrepreneurs and digital nomads, to cease operations after finding breaches of licensing conditions and the approved use of its premises.
居民、业主和专家向中央社表示，这些事件是森林城市在试图重塑形象、吸引投资过程中遭遇的新挫折。
Residents, property owners and experts told CNA the episodes are a fresh setback for Forest City as it tries to rehabilitate its image and attract investments.
该开发项目一直试图凭借其特别金融区（SFZ）的地位，重塑自己作为投资目的地的形象。在吸引了来自金融机构、家族办公室和商业服务公司等潜在投资者的250多份询证函后，预计特别金融区今年将超额完成20亿令吉的投资目标。
The development has been trying to reinvent itself as an investment destination, anchored by its status as a Special Financial Zone (SFZ) The SFZ is expected to surpass its RM2 billion investment target this year, after attracting more than 250 enquiries from prospective investors including financial institutions, family offices and business services firms.
犯罪学家P·桑德拉穆提告诉CNA，诈骗活动和“网络学校”等事件给该开发项目带来了“声誉后果”。
Criminologist P Sundramoorthy told CNA the scam operations and episodes like Network School have “reputational consequences” for the development.
“这可能会影响房产价值、商业信心、旅游业、投资决策以及人们在此生活和工作的意愿，”供职于马来西亚理科大学的桑德拉穆提补充道。
“It can affect property values, business confidence, tourism, investment decisions and the willingness of people to live and work there,” added Sundramoorthy, who is with Universiti Sains Malaysia.
森林城市为何可能脆弱 对部分居民而言，近期的警方突击检查引发了对犯罪的担忧。
WHY FOREST CITY MAY BE VULNERABLE For some residents, the recent police raids have raised concerns about crime.
穆罕默德·艾迪·拉希德在开发项目西南部的Ataraxia Park租住一套两居室公寓，他在得知邻近楼栋涉嫌有诈骗活动后，在门外安装了闭路电视（CCTV）摄像头和额外的门锁。
Muhammad Aidi Rashid, who rents a two-bedroom apartment at Ataraxia Park on the southwestern part of the development, installed closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras outside his door and additional locks after hearing of alleged scam operations in neighbouring blocks.
“我担心妻子的安全，因为我上班时她独自在家，”33岁的艾迪说，他在附近的丹绒伯勒巴斯港口做技术员。
“I worry for the safety of my wife because she is alone at home when I’m at work,” said Aidi, 33, a technician at nearby Tanjung Pelepas port.
房产中介阿基尔·安兰通过本地公司Ceiloz Realty管理森林城市公寓，他表示即使在警方打击行动后，其公司仍遇到涉及租户的疑似诈骗活动。
Property agent Aqil Amran, who manages Forest City apartments through local firm Ceiloz Realty, said his company has encountered suspected scam operations involving tenants even after the police crackdown. In one case, an apartment owner became suspicious after a tenant’s electricity bill exceeded RM1,000 a month.
在一宗案例中，一名公寓业主在租户的月电费超过1000令吉后起了疑心。
Real estate agent Aqil Amran said his company Ceiloz Realty discovered a suspected scam operation in a rental unit and subsequently evicted the tenants and terminated their contracts.
房地产经纪阿基尔·安兰表示，其公司Ceiloz Realty在一间出租单位发现疑似诈骗活动，随后驱逐租户并终止合同。
Real estate agent Aqil Amran said his company Ceiloz Realty discovered a suspected scam operation in a rental unit and subsequently evicted the tenants and terminated their contracts.
“当我们去单位检查时，看到了许多用于（涉嫌）诈骗活动的科技设备，于是我们终止了租赁合同并赶走了租户，”阿基尔说，并补充说该案已移交警方处理。
“When we went down to the unit to do checks, we saw many tech devices for (alleged) scam activity and we terminated the rental contract and chased the tenant out,” Aqil said, adding that the case was referred to the police. Sundramoorthy said Forest City’s sizeable number of vacant residential and commercial properties could make it vulnerable to such operations.
孙德拉穆提表示，森林城市大量空置的住宅和商业物业可能使其容易受到此类活动的侵害。
Based on figures provided by Country Garden in 2023, 9,000 people were living in the development across 28,000 residential units.
根据碧桂园2023年提供的数据，该开发项目内有9,000人居住，分布在28,000个住宅单元中。
“It can provide opportunities for illicit operators to rent premises without immediately attracting attention,” Sundramoorthy said.
孙德拉穆提说：“这可能为非法运营者提供租赁场所的机会，而不会立即引起注意。”
Forest City’s location about 10km from the Tuas Second Link and proximity to Singapore could also be attractive to transnational criminal networks, he added, given that the Lion City is a global air hub.
他补充道，森林城市距离大士第二通道约10公里，且靠近新加坡，考虑到狮城是全球航空枢纽，这也可能吸引跨国犯罪网络。
Forest City’s location about 10km from the Tuas Second Link and proximity to Singapore could also be attractive to transnational criminal networks, he added, given that the Lion City is a global air hub.
7月的突击行动凸显了此类活动的跨境性质：警方表示，被捕的335人中有332人为外国人，其中大多数为中国公民，他们的目标对象包括马来西亚境外的人员。摄于2026年9月14日森林城市的住宅楼。森林城市近期的争议并非全都涉嫌刑事犯罪。
The July raids underscored the cross-border nature of such operations: Police said 332 of the 335 people arrested were foreigners, the majority of them Chinese nationals, and their targets included people beyond Malaysia’s borders. Residential buildings in Forest City on Sep 14, 2026. Not all of Forest City’s recent controversies have involved alleged criminal activity.
网校因执照和场地用途违规被勒令关闭，但总部设在柔佛的房产顾问谭先生表示，这一事件仍然“重创了森林城市的公众形象”。
Network School was closed over licensing and premises-use breaches, but Johor-based property consultant Samuel Tan said the episode nevertheless “dealt a blow to Forest City’s public image”.
谭先生是橄榄树房产顾问公司的首席执行官，他说：“短期内，（网校事件和诈骗突击行动）自然加剧了买家和租户的谨慎态度。”
“In the short term, (both Network School and the scam raids) have naturally heightened buyer and tenant circumspection,” said Tan, chief executive of Olive Tree Property Consultants.
“零售投资者和潜在住户理所当然地持观望态度，导致随意咨询和租赁动力暂时降温。” 依然是买方市场 在争议爆发前，森林城市的价格已走弱，成交量稀薄。
“Retail investors and prospective occupiers are understandably cautious, leading to a temporary chilling effect on casual enquiries and rental momentum.” STILL A BUYERS’ MARKET Before the controversies, Forest City was already seeing weakening prices and thin transaction volumes.
根据房产交易服务平台Datanah的数据，2025年6月至2026年6月期间，森林城市的中位成交价为每平方英尺547令吉，较前12个月下跌12%。
According to property transaction service Datanah, Forest City’s median transaction price between June 2025 and June 2026 was RM547 per sq ft down 12 per cent from the preceding 12 months. It recorded only 13 sales between June 2025 and June 2026 in a development with at least 28,000 residential units.
在一个至少拥有28,000个住宅单元的开发项目中，该期间仅录得13宗交易。
Its latest recorded transaction was on Jun 18, before the scam raids and Network School saga.
其最新记录交易发生在6月18日，早于诈骗突击行动和“网络学校”风波。
However, experts cautioned that transaction data can lag and there is not enough evidence to attribute the subsequent absence of recorded sales to the controversies.
然而，专家警告称，交易数据可能存在滞后性，目前尚无足够证据将随后记录在案的销售缺失归因于这些争议。森林城市的房地产市场多年来已陷入困境。
Forest City’s property market has already struggled for years.
据陈某表示，其住宅和商业物业历来以低于新山整体市场的价格交易。据阿基尔称，目前森林城市一套三房公寓估值约为55万令吉，而新山同类房产则高达100万令吉以上。
According to Tan, its residential and commercial properties have historically traded at a discount to the wider Johor Bahru market. A three-bedroom Forest City apartment is currently valued for around RM550,000, compared with upwards of RM1 million in Johor Bahru, according to Aqil.
陈某表示：“由于其内生性住宅需求早已疲软，声誉受损更多表现为新闻噪音，而非核心资产价值的灾难性崩塌。”
“Because much of its organic residential demand was already subdued, the reputational hit has manifested more as headline noise than a catastrophic collapse in core asset values,” Tan said.
他补充道，但市场原本期待特别金融区（SFZ）和更广泛的柔新特别经济区（JS-SEZ）能在今年改善森林城市的命运。
But expectations had been growing that the SFZ and wider Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) could improve Forest City’s fortunes this year, he added. A motorcyclist rides along a road in Forest City on Sep 14, 2026.
2026年9月14日，一名摩托车骑手在森林城市的一条道路上行驶。
The development remains firmly a buyer’s market. “On sales especially, demand has been low because there are many owners looking to sell, but there are not many buyers,” Aqil said.
该项目依然稳处于买方市场。阿基尔表示：“特别是在销售方面，需求一直很低，因为有很多业主想出售，但买家寥寥无几。”商业地产业主正感受到近期争议带来的另一后果：监管趋严。
Commercial property owners are feeling another consequence of the recent controversies: Greater scrutiny.
拥有森林城市一间店铺作投资的新加坡人王某（Justin Ong，59岁）表示，在“网络学校”事件后，管理方和当地当局一直要求商家提供许可证、文件和正式租赁协议。
Singaporean Justin Ong, 59 , who owns a Forest City shoplot for investment, said the management and local authorities have been asking businesses for permits, documentation and proper tenancy agreements following the Network School episode. Ong is currently renting his shoplot out to a food stall operator on an informal basis, and now needs to draw up legal paperwork for submission.
王某目前以非正式方式将店铺租给一名小贩经营，现在需要拟定法律文件提交。
“It makes things cumbersome, and businesses will be more wary (of moving operations to Forest City),” he said. “It also adds a layer of administrative work that was previously not required.” People walk inside a mall in Forest City on Sep 14, 2026.
他说：“这让事情变得繁琐，企业会更加谨慎（考虑是否将业务迁至森林城市）。这也增加了一层以前不需要的行政工作。”2026年9月14日，人们在森林城市一家商场内行走。谭某人表示，更严格的检查最终可能会让森林城市受益。
“It makes things cumbersome, and businesses will be more wary (of moving operations to Forest City),” he said. “It also adds a layer of administrative work that was previously not required.” People walk inside a mall in Forest City on Sep 14, 2026. Tan, however, said tighter checks could ultimately benefit Forest City. “Legitimate financial institutions, family offices and corporate tenants require a well-regulated, clean jurisdiction,” he said.
“合法的金融机构、家族办公室和企业租户需要一个监管完善、环境清廉的司法管辖区，”他说。
“Enforcing strict permit protocols signals to the market that the authorities are serious about governance.” CNA has asked master developer Country Garden about Forest City’s current occupancy rate and whether it has seen recent changes in residential or commercial demand.
“严格执行许可协议向市场发出信号，表明当局对治理非常重视。”亚洲新闻台已向总开发商碧桂园询问森林城市目前的入住率，以及住宅或商业需求近期是否有变化。
“Enforcing strict permit protocols signals to the market that the authorities are serious about governance.” CNA has asked master developer Country Garden about Forest City’s current occupancy rate and whether it has seen recent changes in residential or commercial demand. CNA has also asked Country Garden and the Johor police about measures to detect and deter illegal activity, and the latter for statistics on crimes reported in Forest City.
亚洲新闻台也已向碧桂园和柔佛州警方询问打击和遏制非法活动的措施，并向后者询问森林城市报案犯罪的统计数据。是什么能让森林城市重振旗鼓？尽管近期负面新闻不断，一些业主依然保持乐观。
WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO REVIVE FOREST CITY? Despite the recent bad press, some property owners remain optimistic. Singaporean investor Tan Kin Lian, who owns two Forest City apartments, said the recent episodes have had little impact on residents’ everyday lives.
拥有两套森林城市公寓的新加坡投资者陈钦亮表示，近期的行动对居民的日常生活影响不大。
“Even if these (operations) occupy some of the residential units, they don’t bother the other residents. Now that they are gone, I think life will continue as before,” he said.
“即使这些（犯罪活动）占用了一些住宅单位，它们也不会打扰其他居民。现在它们没了，我认为生活将继续如常，”他说。
“Even if these (operations) occupy some of the residential units, they don’t bother the other residents. Now that they are gone, I think life will continue as before,” he said.
他承认自己的森林城市房产这些年价值有所下跌，但认为由于价格相对较低，加上特别金融区（SFZ）和新柔经济特区（JS-SEZ）带来的机遇，仍有增长空间。新加坡人陈钦亮拥有两套森林城市公寓。
He acknowledged that his Forest City properties have declined in value over the years, but believes their relatively low prices and the opportunities created by the SFZ and the JS-SEZ leave room for growth. Singaporean Tan Kin Lian owns two Forest City apartments. “The prices of property in Forest City as compared to that in Singapore is roughly eight times so for Singaporeans, if you’re keen on purchasing a second home and don’t want to pay too much money … it’s an inexpensive option,” he said.
“森林城市的房价与新加坡相比，大约是八分之一左右，所以对新加坡人来说，如果想买第二套房、又不想花太多钱……这是一个廉价的选择，”他说。
Country Garden has publicly backed the police crackdown and called for a permanent police presence in Forest City.
碧桂园公开支持警方的打击行动，并呼吁在森林城市设立常驻警力。
Residential areas in Forest City can be accessed byed owners and tenants using access cards, and there are security guards at every entrance. However, Munira noted that this protocol has not been sufficient in deterring scam operations.
森林城市的住宅区只能由业主和租户使用门禁卡进入，且每个入口都有保安把守。然而，穆妮拉指出，这一协议不足以阻止诈骗活动。
Residential areas in Forest City can be accessed byed owners and tenants using access cards, and there are security guards at every entrance. However, Munira noted that this protocol has not been sufficient in deterring scam operations.
穆尼拉表示，当局和开发商还应加强对出入口的管控和监控，与社区互动，并为空置空间寻找合法用途。
The authorities and developers should also improve control of its access and surveillance engage the community and find legitimate uses for vacant spaces, said Munira.
2026年9月15日，一名男子走过森林城市一家售卖酒精饮料的商店。
A man walks past a shop selling alcoholic beverages in Forest City on Sep 15, 2026.
桑德拉穆提建议建立一个更广泛的框架，涉及警方、移民和海关当局、地方议会以及森林城市的管理层。
Sundramoorthy suggested a broader framework involving the police, immigration and customs authorities, the local council and Forest City’s management.
他表示，业主和中介也可标记预警信号，如异常高的用电量、频繁的短期入住或过多的居住人数。在负面舆论中，也出现了一些积极信号。
Property owners and agents could also flag warning signs such as unusually high electricity consumption, frequent short-term occupancy or excessive numbers of occupants, he said. Amid the negative publicity, there have been some promising signs.
除了通过马来西亚投资促进中心柔佛州分中心收到的数百个关于特别金融区的投资者询问外，马来西亚企业家杨杰夫据报道于8月提议，以“马来西亚优先”方振兴前网络学校址作为科技园区。陈先生表示：“这些确实是谨慎乐观的实质性理由。”
Besides the hundreds of investor enquiries about the SFZ through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor, Malaysian entrepreneur Jeff Yew in August reportedly proposed reviving the former Network School site as a technology campus with a “Malaysia first” approach. “These are indeed substantive reasons for cautious optimism,” Tan said.
他补充道，要摆脱“鬼城”标签，最终需要合法企业、就业岗位，以及愿意在森林城市长期生活和工作的人。对于艾迪等居民来说，安全感是出发点。
Shedding the “ghost town” label will ultimately require legitimate businesses, jobs and people willing to live and work in Forest City for the long term, he added. For residents such as Aidi, a sense of security is the starting point.
他表示：“希望如果人们感到安全，合适的企业就会开张，社区也会更有活力。”
“Hopefully if people feel safe, the right businesses will open and the community will be more vibrant,” he said.