The Light Linear Review 2026 — The Most Affordable Way Into The Light Waterfront

At The Light Waterfront, most homes cost well over RM1.5M. The Light Linear is the exception: two 17-storey towers of 328 freehold homes, completed in 2012, where a three-bedroom of about 1,500 sq ft can still be had for under RM1M. On 29 October 2026, Penang's biggest mall opens a short walk away.

Key takeaways:

• 328 freehold three-bedrooms of about 1,475–1,570 sq ft in two 17-storey towers, completed 2012 by IJM.
• 2026 asking about RM850,000–1.58M, against a 2009 launch of about RM410–450 per sq ft.
• Rents about RM2,600–4,000 a month: the steadiest rental case in the precinct.
• The Waterfront Shoppes opens on 29 October, and an LRT station is planned for 2031.

What you get

Every home at The Linear is a three-bedroom, three-bathroom unit, so it's the most practical building in the precinct for an ordinary family. The towers sit on about 7.7 acres, and many units come with an open terrace, from about 290 sq ft up to around 1,100 sq ft on some types. That terrace is worth looking at closely, because it changes how a unit lives far more than the floor area suggests.

The facilities list is long for a building this price: a pool and wading pool, gym, tennis court, half basketball court, jogging and cycling path, putting green, sky lounge, study area, games room and community hall. It's freehold on residential title.

What has changed since launch

IJM launched The Linear in August 2009 at an average of about RM410–450 per sq ft, with units from about RM530,000. In 2026 a typical unit asks around RM1.1–1.2M, roughly RM750–800 per sq ft, so asking prices are about 1.8 times the launch level, or about 3.5% a year over 17 years. That's asking, not transacted, so negotiate from recent sales in the building rather than from the listing.

Prices and rents in 2026

Asking prices ran from about RM850,000 to RM1.58M. Lower floors without a sea view and with original finishes sit at the bottom; high floors facing the water with large terraces and a good renovation sit at the top.

Rents run from about RM2,600 to RM4,000 a month. On a RM1.1M purchase that's about 3–4% gross before costs. That's steadier than the bigger homes nearby, because a normal three-bedroom is what most tenants are looking for.

Living here once the mall opens

The Waterfront Shoppes soft-opens on 29 October 2026: about 1.6 million sq ft and around 300 shops, beside the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre. For Linear owners that puts a large mall of shops and restaurants within walking distance, which should also make the building easier to let. Expect heavier traffic in the first months, and not every shop will be open on day one. More in my Waterfront Shoppes opening guide.

Getting around

The precinct sits beside the island end of the Penang Bridge. Measured road distances, at free-flow speeds (rush hour takes longer):

• USM: about 5 km, 8 minutes.
• Queensbay Mall: about 6 km, 8 minutes.
• Komtar, George Town: about 10.5 km, 12 minutes.
• Penang airport: about 11 km, 13 minutes.

The Mutiara Line's Penang Waterfront (The Light) station, S15, is planned right by the precinct, with the line due to open in December 2031. Don't pay extra for it today: in Klang Valley, studies found only a small price premium near new stations.

The catches

With 328 homes, it's denser than the low-rise Collection phases, so the pool and lifts are busier.

Many units sit below RM1M, so ordinary foreign buyers need to filter by price. MM2H participants can consider every unit, since their minimum is RM500,000.

At fourteen years old, check the unit's renovation state, and ask the management for the current service charge, sinking-fund balance and any planned works.

Which Light building suits you?

Mezzo, completed in 2025 from about RM1M, is the brand-new alternative at a similar price, with smaller homes. The Light Collection II gives you low-rise living from about RM1.45M. If you need four or five bedrooms, The Light Point and Collection III are the big-home options. The Light Waterfront guide compares every phase.

Current details and listings are on The Light Linear project page.

Sources: Building details, terraces and facilities from StarProperty; launch pricing from EdgeProp's 2009–10 coverage of IJM's launches. Asking prices and rents from portal and Mudah listings (September–October 2026). Road distances measured on OpenStreetMap routing; LRT station from MRT Corp's Mutiara Line site.