JB developer ordered to pay US$2.58 million to condo owners, including Singaporeans, over delays - CNA

The owners of 84 units in R&F Princess Cove, a waterfront development overlooking the Woodlands Causeway, were awarded compensation for delays involving their units and shared facilities. The developer intends to appeal the decision, its lawyer told CNA.

A view of Phase 1 of the R&F Princess Cove condominium in Johor Bahru, Johor, on Nov 4, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas)

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Amir Yusof 05 Nov 2026 08:56AM (Updated: 05 Nov 2026 10:13AM) Bookmark Bookmark Share WhatsApp Telegram Facebook Twitter Email LinkedIn Set CNA as your preferred source on Google Add CNA as a trusted source to help Google better understand and surface our content in search results. Read a summary of this article on FAST. Get bite-sized news via a newcards interface. Give it a try. Click here to return to FAST Tap here to return to FAST FAST JOHOR BAHRU: The developer of a high-end Johor Bahru condominium has been ordered to pay RM10.56 million (US$2.58 million) in compensation to a group of property owners, including Singaporeans, over delays in completing the project.

The Johor Bahru High Court ruled in favour of claims involving 84 condominium units in Princess Cove, finding that the developer, R&F Development Sdn Bhd, had breached its agreements with buyers by splitting the original first phase of the project into two.

This meant some buyers received their keys while parts of the sprawling development, including some shared facilities, were still unfinished. 

The court, however, dismissed claims involving another 39 units, ordering the unsuccessful buyers to pay RM10,000 (US$2,454) in legal costs per unit to R&F. These buyers had signed their purchase agreements after the developer changed the building plans, according to lawyers involved in the case.

R&F's lawyer Josiah Tea told CNA the developer intends to appeal the ruling, which the purchasers’ lawyer and a property observer say underscore the importance of developers honouring the terms of their agreements with buyers, and will prove instructive for prospective buyers of Johor Bahru property. 

Some successful claimants told CNA they were relieved by the outcome after a years-long legal battle. They said parts of the development were still under construction when they received their keys, affecting their experience living there.

R&F Princess Cove is a sprawling waterfront residential and commercial development in the heart of Johor Bahru, located adjacent to the Johor-Singapore Causeway.

CNA Games Guess Word Crack the word, one row at a time Buzzword Create words using the given letters Mini Sudoku Tiny puzzle, mighty brain teaser Mini Crossword Small grid, big challenge Word Search Spot as many words as you can Show More Show Less An aerial view of Phase 1 of the R&F Princess Cove condominium in Johor Bahru, Johor, on Nov 4, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Zamzahuri Abas) Developed by China's R&F Group, Princess Cove’s proximity to Singapore is a key selling point, with a 650m covered pedestrian bridge connecting the development directly to Johor Bahru's Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex.

According to a draft court order seen by CNA, the dispute centred on R&F's decision to divide the original first phase of the development into two separate phases, known as Phase 1A and Phase 1B.

Buyers of units in three residential blocks – A1, A2 and A7 – received their keys on Oct 25, 2017, but the original Phase 1 development was only completed in November 2018.

The court ruled that because R&F had breached the purchase agreements by splitting Phase 1 into two, November 2018 should be treated as the relevant handover date instead of October 2017.

This meant that although buyers received their units in 2017, the developer was only considered to have fulfilled its handover obligations in November 2018. The later date was then used to calculate the compensation for late delivery.

The court ordered R&F to compensate buyers of the 84 units for delays involving both their units and shared facilities.

Compensation was calculated at 10 per cent a year of each property's purchase price, while compensation for shared facilities was calculated at 10 per cent a year of one-fifth of the purchase price.

The buyers were awarded roughly RM34,000 to RM196,000 per unit for late delivery, and an additional RM6,900 to RM39,000 for delays in the completion of shared facilities. 

R&F was also ordered to refund their maintenance fees, sinking fund contributions and water deposits collected before Nov 8, 2018.

The buyers were represented by lawyers NG Vinod and Rashmeet Kaur, while Josiah Tea and V Mavin Rajah represented R&F Development.

Vinod told CNA that his clients whose claims were dismissed intend to appeal the decision.  

One of the successful claimants was Crystal Ng, a 49-year-old Singaporean who has since sold her family's unit, saying the experience left "a sour taste". 

"When we received keys to the unit (in October 2017), the whole area was very messy and full of construction debris. Even the access route to our block was still obstructed … there was a fence erected on the road," said Ng, who is semi-retired.

The 18th-floor unit was purchased under her mother's name. 

The lawsuit, involving 145 named plaintiffs, was filed in 2019.

In 2021, the purchasers initially secured a court ruling in their favour without a full trial.

However, R&F successfully appealed that decision, leading to a 10-day trial that concluded in 2024. The latest ruling was delivered on Sep 10, 2026.

Ng said the prolonged fight had been worthwhile because it allowed the owners to pursue their claims collectively.

"When we purchase a unit, we expect the developer to fulfill its obligation. So what should be an exciting milestone for us became a prolonged and painful ordeal," she said.

Another Singaporean, Hong Wei Zhong, 45, said the condominium's facilities, including swimming pools, were not ready when his family received the keys in October 2017.

Hong, a manager whose family purchased a 10th-floor unit under his mother's name, said the experience felt like "living in a construction site".

"I tried to engage the developer directly but then (it) refused to entertain us. At that point, I decided to speak with other owners in person and through Facebook and see if we can collectively engage a lawyer to file a lawsuit," he said.

Hong's mother is among those successful in seeking damages from the developer. 

Hong told CNA that if the appeal involving the 39 units is unsuccessful, the successful claimants plan to pool part of their compensation to cover the legal costs payable to the developer.

Lawyer Rajah, who represented R&F Development, told CNA that the developer disputed some of the purchasers' complaints about the condominium's facilities.

He cited a claim by some purchasers that the squash court did not meet the dimensions of an Olympic-sized court, describing it as "ridiculous".

"Are you saying that just because one or two facilities which could not be used entitles you to say that (you) don't want to pay for maintenance fees?" he said.

“Our position was that although some facilities were not available at the time, there were still other facilities (in operation)," he added.

In a separate lawsuit filed in February 2023, 167 R&F Princess Cove owners took legal action against the developer over delays in obtaining strata titles for their units.

According to a Free Malaysia Today report, the court ruled in favour of the owners and awarded them RM10,000 in legal costs.

However, the court did not award damages, noting that the strata titles had since been issued.

Johor-based property consultant Samuel Tan said handing over keys while parts of a development remain under construction could affect buyers' quality of life and potentially hurt rental returns and property values.

"If common facilities, lifts, fire safety systems or access roads are incomplete, the property is functionally unliveable," said Tan, chief executive of Olive Tree Property Consultants.

"Winning compensation not just for late housing units, but separately for the delayed completion of common facilities and infrastructure, reinforces that a condo is not delivered merely when four concrete walls are standing. Liveability is tied to the wider ecosystem promised in the marketing and sales pitch," he said.

Tan added that the dismissal of the other purchasers' claims showed why buyers should pay close attention to the terms of their agreements, particularly if a developer has already made changes to a project's plans.

"If you buy into a project after a plan modification has already been formally integrated, claiming ignorance later becomes legally difficult," he said.

Lawyer Vinod, who represented the purchasers, advised prospective foreign buyers in Johor to research a developer's track record and carefully review their sale and purchase agreements before committing to a property.

"Buyers often rely on what the marketing person told them during the launch or the sales promotion, and they don't realise that whatever that was claimed or promoted, if it is not in the sale and purchase agreement, then the developer is not duty-bound to deliver," he told CNA.

Vinod also advised buyers to inspect their properties carefully during the handover, preferably together with a representative of the developer, and to ensure any defects are recorded for rectification.

"If these issues are paid attention to, then I think they shouldn't have any problems," Vinod said.

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