{
  "id": 5898167,
  "title": "Malaysian billionaire king's son says $1.6B tax not a complication to prime Singapore land sale",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/malaysian-billionaire-kings-son-says-1-6b-tax-not-a-complication-to",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-06T03:32:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "VnExpress Business",
    "slug": "vnexpress-business",
    "url": "https://e.vnexpress.net/news/business/property/malaysian-billionaire-king-s-son-says-1-6b-tax-not-a-complication-to-prime-singapore-land-sale-5116872.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tunku Ismail, the crown prince and regent of Johor state in Malaysia, has stated that a proposed $1.6 billion tax does not pose a problem to his plan to sell a Singaporean land site. The tax, known as a land betterment charge, is estimated to be over S$2 billion (US$1.6 billion) and is intended to return a portion of the economic gain to the community. Tunku Ismail, who is also the eldest of Sultan Ibrahim's six children, found the levy to be normal as a regular taxpayer and expressed willingness to contribute to both Malaysia and Singapore. The 16.6-hectare site, which includes land held by the Johor royal family for over a century, is a prime location between Holland Road and Tyersall Avenue in Singapore. However, the land could be worth S$3.8-4.7 billion if rezoned for residential use, according to Nicholas Mak, a chief research officer at a local property portal. The land betterment charge is determined upon the grant of permission to develop the land.",
  "summary": "Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, the eldest son of Malaysia’s billionaire king Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar, says a tax potentially exceeding US$1.6 billion is “no complication” for his plan to sell prime land in Singapore.",
  "key_points": [
    "Tunku Ismail, Johor's crown prince, says $1.6B tax won't hinder Singapore land sale.",
    "Land betterment charge aims to return economic gains to community.",
    "16.6-hectare site valued between S$3.8-4.7B if rezoned for residential use."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Malaysian royal family's willingness to pay the land betterment charge suggests that their long-held prime Singapore land site may soon be sold and redeveloped for potentially much higher value.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "VnExpress Business",
        "title": "Singapore's 2nd largest supermarket chain Sheng Siong's founder jumps 7 spots on billionaire ranking after 46% wealth boost",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/singapores-2nd-largest-supermarket-chain-sheng-siongs-founder-jumps-7",
        "published": "2026-09-06T03:25:56.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}