The development impact of Nusajaya New Town, Iskandar Malaysia on the social well-being of the local population

The mega development of Nusajaya New Town in Malaysia’s Iskandar Development Region has brought direct impact on the local public. Using information gathered through a field survey, the present study conducted a preliminary impact assessement of this development project on local households. On the positive side, some households found increased monthly income; better housing quality; better access to social service facilities; greater neighbourhood security; and normal neighbourhood social remaining intact. On the negative side, it was found that the immediate social and economic impacts were the loss of a traditional way of living; the involuntary relocation of the affected people to new township; the unplanned change of employment for some segments of the local public; declining religiosity of the local populace particularly among the youth. Although the latter is symptomatic of a society undergoing a rapid change, a policy that specifically addresses the negative social impacts would be particularly welcome in the country.