Johor Regent Appoints Singapore Billionaire Peter Lim S Rsp To Build Rm845m Family Estate

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JOHOR Regent Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim has engaged Singapore-based RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers, a design firm owned by Singaporean billionaire Peter Lim to develop a sprawling waterfront estate which will be the royal family’s private residence in Johor’s coastal town of Desaru.
Set along a 27-hectare waterfront estate, this US$200 mil (RM845;5 mil) development will take shape over the next four years, according to Kiat Lim who is chairman of RSP and son of business magnate Peter Lim who is now a a private investor focused on healthcare, property, sports and education.
“RSP is honoured to announce one of our most significant commissions to date,” revealed the architectural firm on its Facebook page.
“Beyond the royal villa, the master plan will include guest houses, a children’s club, sporting facilities and even a secure underground complex to support the Johor Regent’s (ROJ) household.”

“This collaboration carries special meaning, shaped by years of mutual respect and understanding between our families. To help bring such a significant and personal project to life on this iconic stretch of coastline is a rare privilege.”
Elaborating on the “secure underground complex”, Forbes detailed out that it comprised a shooting range and an armoury to accommodate up to 100 soldiers serving in the ROJ’s security.
“This residence is more than a home,” wrote Jonathan Burgos who is the US business portal’s senior editor covering billionaires, entrepreneurs and deals in Asia, citing Tunku Ismail, 41, who is also the Johor Crown Prince.
“It’s a reflection of family, heritage and partnership. The collaboration with RSP is built not just on design excellence but on the close family relationship I’ve shared with Kiat and his father.”
Both Kiat, 32, and Tunku Ismail who is the eldest son of His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia share a passion for football.

Kiat Lim (left) and Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim (Image credit: RSP/Forbes)Kiat is the president of Spanish football club Valencia CF since March 3 while Ismail owns Malaysia’s top-notch football club Johor Darul Ta’zim F.C. (JDT).

According to Forbes, Tunku Ismail oversees the development of his family’s heritage properties.
The royal family owns huge tracts of land in the Iskandar region in Johor which Malaysia and Singapore are jointly developing as the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
In June, Singapore’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) was involved in a land swap agreement with Tunku Ismail whereby the latter agreed to exchange 13 hectares of his family’s land across Singapore Botanic Gardens for a nearby 8.5-ha state land of equivalent value.
This land swap is intended to allow the Singapore government to keep the acquired undeveloped land open for future planning, while Tunku Ismail can develop the exchanged plot subject to regulatory approval.
Past projects of RSP include the Jewel at Changi Airport (in collaboration with Safdie Architects) and the Armani Hotel & Residences Diriyah in Saudi Arabia. Revenue is expected to exceed S$100 mil (RM330 mil) this year, up from S$92 mill in 2024.

In 2024, Peter Lim was ranked 26th on Forbes’ list of Singapore’s 50 Richest with a net worth of US$1.75 bil (RM7.4 bil). –  Focus Malaysia

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