Stulang Laut Area Guide: Foon Yew, Ferry Terminal and Waterfront Living

If you have a child heading to Foon Yew, or you have ever taken a ferry to Batam from JB, you already know the name Stulang. But what is it like to live there, how far is it really from the Causeway, and how does it compare with the new homes going up around the CIQ? This Stulang Laut area guide answers those questions with verified facts: where Stulang Laut and Stulang Darat sit, the school, the ferry terminal and waterfront, the residential character, transport, and who the area suits. Distances come from published sources or our own JB amenities map, and are straight-line figures unless we say otherwise.

Stulang is the next neighbourhood east of Tanjung Puteri, where Causewayz Square is being built. If you are weighing the two, read this alongside our Tanjung Puteri area guide.

Where is Stulang Laut in Johor Bahru?

Stulang is a suburb of Johor Bahru on the Johor Strait, immediately east of the city centre and the Causeway checkpoint. Its name in Chinese is 士都兰, and it was once a small fishing village facing the strait before it grew into the residential district it is today.

The suburb is divided by two main roads:

• Jalan Stulang Laut: “laut” means sea in Malay, and this is the seaward side, where you find Foon Yew High School’s main campus and, on Jalan Ibrahim Sultan at the water’s edge, the Berjaya Waterfront complex and ferry terminal.
• Jalan Stulang Darat: “darat” means land, and this is the inland side, home to the Zheng Ann Old Temple (新山镇安古庙), a Taoist temple more than 80 years old.

Stulang has a mixed community. Wikipedia, citing 2020 census figures, gives its population as about 51.5% Chinese, 43% Malay and 4.6% Indian. That mix shows in its food, its places of worship and its schools.

Stulang amenities and distances (table)

Stulang’s main anchors are a major school, a ferry terminal and a waterfront, with the city centre’s malls and transport a short drive away. The table pulls together distances from published sources and our map.

What this means for you: Stulang is not a walk-to-the-checkpoint address the way Jalan Lumba Kuda is, but it is close enough that the CIQ, JB Sentral and, from 2027, the RTS Link are a short drive, bus or e-hailing ride away. Actual journey times depend heavily on Causeway traffic, so test your route at the hour you would travel.

Foon Yew High School: the anchor of Stulang family life

For many families, Stulang means Foon Yew. Foon Yew High School (宽柔中学) has its main campus in Stulang Laut and is described as the largest Chinese independent high school in Malaysia.

A few verified facts help explain its pull:

• Long history: the school traces its roots to Foon Yew Chinese Primary School, founded on 18 May 1913, and the high school itself was established in 1951.
• Scale: enrolment grew from about 1,500 students in 1963 to over 4,000 by 1980, and about 12,000 students were enrolled across its schools in 2015.
• Branches: Foon Yew opened a Kulai branch in 2005 and a Masai branch at Bandar Seri Alam in 2021, but Stulang Laut remains the main campus.
• Admissions: it introduced an entrance examination for new students in 1980, and runs a two-semester academic year from January to November.

Why does this matter for property? Schools with strong reputations tend to anchor demand from families, both buyers and tenants, who want to cut the daily school run. If Foon Yew is your priority, living in Stulang or in the nearby city centre can turn a long drive into a short one. Always check admission rules directly with the school; living nearby does not by itself guarantee a place.

A common worry is what happens after the children graduate. Because Stulang sits right next to the city centre and the checkpoint, a home here can keep working as an own-stay base or as a rental to the next group of Foon Yew families or cross-border commuters. The school brings convenience for some years; the location can bring longer-term value.

Families whose children are at the Foon Yew primary schools in Kebun Teh, rather than the high school, may find the Kebun Teh neighbourhood guide more relevant.

The Stulang Laut ferry terminal and the waterfront

The Stulang Laut ferry terminal, officially the Berjaya Waterfront Ferry Terminal, is JB’s city-side gateway to Batam in Indonesia’s Riau Islands. It sits in the Berjaya Waterfront complex at 88 Jalan Ibrahim Sultan, Stulang Laut, which was formerly known as the ZON complex and includes a hotel and a duty-free shopping zone.

Key facts about the terminal

• Name: it was renamed Berjaya Waterfront Ferry Terminal in 2013, when Berjaya Group bought the property, but many locals still call it Stulang Laut.
• Destinations: ferry booking sites list sailings to Batam Centre and Gold Coast in Batam, with operators including Pintas, Dolphin and Indomas.
• Journey time: about 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 25 minutes depending on the port and operator, according to Ferryscanner.
• Scale: before the pandemic, The Star reported about 15 daily round trips to Batam Centre carrying about 1,500 passengers.

For residents, the terminal is mostly a lifestyle bonus: an easy weekend escape to Batam without first crossing into Singapore. Timetables change by season, so check the operators’ current schedules before you plan a trip.

The waterfront itself

Stulang Laut’s seafront along Jalan Ibrahim Sultan gives the area its open, breezy character, with views across the strait. The wider JB waterfront along Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, closer to the old town, is a popular spot for evening walks, as covered in our JB city centre living guide.

What is it like to live in Stulang?

Stulang is an established, largely residential suburb with many flats, older houses and a strong local community. It feels more lived-in and less commercial than the CIQ core.

Three things shape everyday life here:

1. A school-centred rhythm. Morning and afternoon school runs around Foon Yew set the pace of the roads. If you live here, you learn the quiet windows quickly.
2. Local food and temples. As a long-established mixed community, Stulang has neighbourhood coffee shops and stalls, and the Zheng Ann Old Temple on Jalan Stulang Darat is a local landmark.
3. A royal and waterfront setting. Pasir Pelangi, a royal residence of the Johor Sultan, is associated with the Stulang area, and the shoreline gives the district a calmer edge than the city centre.

The trade-off is honest and simple: Stulang offers an established neighbourhood feel and the Foon Yew connection, while Tanjung Puteri offers new-build towers and walking access to the CIQ and RTS.

Getting from Stulang to the CIQ, RTS Link and Singapore

From Stulang, the CIQ and the Bukit Chagar RTS station are a short ride west rather than a walk. Route planners put the ferry terminal about 3.4 km by road from JB Sentral, which sits next to the CIQ, and list Causeway Link bus T21 between the two.

• Bus or e-hailing to the CIQ is the simplest option for most residents, then clear immigration and continue by cross-border bus.
• RTS Link from 2027: passenger service at Bukit Chagar is targeted for February 2027 (LTA–MOT, October 2026), with about a 5-minute ride to Woodlands North. Fares have not been announced.
• Park-and-ride: MRT Corp and Sunway’s Bukit Chagar development includes a park-and-ride with 1,550 car bays and 1,015 motorcycle bays, part of which was targeted to open by November 2026, according to The Star.
• Driving: the city’s main roads and the Eastern Dispersal Link connect Stulang to the checkpoint and the rest of JB.

But what if you want to walk to the train? Then Stulang is probably not the right fit, and the towers around Bukit Chagar make more sense. Our guide to condos near the JB RTS lists the walkable options.

Is Stulang good for renting out?

Stulang’s rental appeal comes from two steady sources: families who want to be near Foon Yew, and people who work in Singapore but prefer to live close to the checkpoint. Published Stulang-only rental data is thin, so it helps to look at the wider east-of-centre belt.

• StarProperty notes that in neighbouring Taman Pelangi, many owners rent out units to people working in Singapore because the area is fairly close to the border, with apartment rents listed from about RM2,500 a month.
• In Tanjung Puteri next door, completed freehold towers near the RTS show asking rents of roughly RM2,100–3,000 for studios and RM2,700–3,600 for two-bedders on portals in 2026.

What this means for you: school-driven and border-driven demand tend to be resilient because they are tied to daily routines. Before you buy to let, compare asking rents for the exact building, check how long units sit vacant, and budget for furnishing. Our rental yield guide shows how to run the numbers.

Stulang vs Tanjung Puteri vs Taman Pelangi

Stulang sits between two other well-known areas, and buyers often compare all three. Each suits a different priority.

See our Taman Pelangi area guide for the third option in detail.

Who Stulang suits, and when to look elsewhere

Stulang suits buyers and tenants whose daily life is built around school, family and the neighbourhood rather than a daily walk to the border.

• Foon Yew families who want to cut the school run.
• Owner-occupiers who like an established community, with temples, local food and long-time neighbours.
• Frequent Batam travellers who value a ferry terminal on their doorstep.
• Drivers who cross the Causeway and want to live close to the checkpoint without being in the busiest streets.

If walking to the RTS or CIQ is a must, or if you want a new building with a full facility deck, Tanjung Puteri is the closer match. Causewayz Square, about 1.4 km from Foon Yew High School in a straight line, gives families both: a new freehold home beside the CIQ and RTS, and a short trip to the school. It is targeted for completion around 2030, and the developer has proposed a pedestrian link bridge to the CIQ and RTS. For layouts, see the Causewayz Square 3-bedroom guide.

Practical tips for buying or renting near Stulang

A few checks make it easier to choose well in a mature suburb:

• Drive the school run and the border run. Do both at peak hours before you commit, because those two trips will define your week.
• Check building age and maintenance. Older flats can be good value; look at the condition of lifts, common areas and the sinking fund.
• Compare with new-build options. New projects nearby offer facilities and longer building life; older stock offers lower entry prices. Decide which matters more for you.
• Estimate your total costs. Our JB property calculator covers stamp duty, legal fees and monthly instalments.

Want a new home within easy reach of both Stulang and the CIQ? WhatsApp us for Causewayz Square floor plans and the latest SPA price list.

Sources

• Wikipedia: Stulang
• Wikipedia: Foon Yew High School
• Wikipedia: Stulang Laut Ferry Terminal
• The Star: Ferry terminal ready to serve more passengers (2021)
• Ferryscanner: Stulang Laut to Batam ferries
• Rome2rio: JB Sentral to Stulang Laut Ferry Terminal
• Wikipedia: Johor Bahru landmarks (ZON complex, Zheng Ann Old Temple)
• The Star: Sunway, MRT Corp ink Bukit Chagar hub deal

This guide is general information, not financial advice.