Johor set to open Capital 21 in August

An August opening date has been set for Malaysia’s Capital 21 mall, with its museum and indoor theme park.

Initially the development was scheduled to open earlier this year.

Being developed in Johor Baru by Capital World, the 1.4 million square-foot (130,000sqm) shopping mall will include three floors of retail alongside the MCM Studio indoor theme park, being promoted as the largest in Southeast Asia and the fifth largest in the world.

It will have three themed sections: Cartoon Planet (animated characters), Movie Planet (Transformers, Dinosaur World and Haunted House themes involving augmented- and virtual-reality technologies) and Music Planet, with a circus tent and also offering music and theatrical events.

Two hotels are also under development for the complex, a Hilton Garden Inn and The Planet Hotel, both expected to open next year.

On the mall’s 11th floor, the First World Museum will offer the culture, landmarks and history of 21 countries.

“With the rise of online shopping and e-commerce, we changed strategy many years ago,” says Capital World group director Siow Chien Fu. “Our theme park is the major attraction for this project, supported by the shopping centre.”

Near the causeway link to Singapore, Capital World believes the theme park will appeal to its residents despite competition from Universal Studios Singapore.