Cyberjaya, once hailed as Malaysia's Silicon Valley, has gained a new reputation as a 'ghost town' in recent times.
Various social media videos depict the city as being "full of abandoned shops and restaurants".
A TikTok user, @Mynameisdylan, posted a video on Saturday discussing Cyberjaya.
He said despite Cyberjaya giving off a ghost town vibe, there could be positive developments in the property market since completion of the MRT Putrajaya Line, also known as MRT 2.
"Cyberjaya is a ghost town. I heard from a friend back then as he said no one resides here. This is not my first time here. I typically (visit Cyberjaya) for work," the caption read.
"It felt reminiscent of Melbourne. Sitting at my table, I observed two tables of expats enjoying lunch with their families nearby.
"Despite the reputation for unsold properties, it's not due to poor infrastructure or distance from the city centre; it's more about pricing. Cyberjaya was once hyped as the Silicon Valley of Malaysia, but developers were greedy and priced properties significantly higher than the median, leading to an overhang."
@mynameisdylan2023 Cyberjaya is a ghost town I heard from a friend back then as he said no one resides here. Its not my first time here to Cyberjaya, but I often go there for working purposes. Today I get to enjoy Cyberjaya leisurely as I just had an hours time for myself. The road conditions, the overall vibe here is really different. And I really love it! It felt like I was in Melbourne but filled with Malaysian tastes in it. Beside and opposite of my table, there are two tables of expats having lunch with their family members. Yes I know, there are quite a number of unsold properties here, but thats not because of the poor infrastructure or how far it is from city centre. There is no bad property but only bad pricing. Cyberjaya was the hype back then as it was promised to be the silicon valley of Malaysia and developers were really greedy and started pricing it way over the median selling price which resulted to the overhung properties there. However, after the recent completion of MRT 2, we have seen some positive signs of the property market over there. Wah within the same stretch of road, there are 2-3new launches with township concept leh.. I said it out to myself while driving back, mesmerising on how doomed people judged Cyberjaya, but there are a lot new launches there and the price is rather affordable. So if more people are moving over to Cyberjaya, will the jam be lesser in KL city? Will this change the property game in Malaysia? #propertymalaysia #investment #hartanahmalaysia Christmas - neozilla
Dylan said with the recent completion of MRT 2, positive signs are emerging in the property market.
"Driving back, I marvelled at the multiple new launches with a township concept along the same stretch of road.
"Reflecting on how people once perceived Cyberjaya as 'doomed,' it's clear that new launches are thriving, offering affordable prices.
"As more people consider moving to Cyberjaya, will traffic congestion in KL city decrease? Could this reshape the property landscape in Malaysia?"
In 2022, Malakat Mall became viral on TikTok as an "abandoned ghost mall".
Cyberjaya was developed in 1997 as the brainchild of the former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who wanted to build a "multimedia economy".
Despite initial aspirations, the city, now home to over 100,000 residents, is often labelled a "failure" with limited signs of the anticipated tech boom.
Rather than hosting unicorn startups and major tech offices, Cyberjaya has evolved into a residential area known for affordable rent and a low-cost living environment, marked by pockets of nearly deserted spaces, in stark contrast to the typical Silicon Valley image.
"Today, I had an hour to explore Cyberjaya at a leisurely pace, and I noticed the distinct road conditions and overall vibe in this Malaysian Silicon Valley.
