Johor Bahru: The Johor state government has proposed the creation of an ASEAN industrial park within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), as announced by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. The initiative aims to enhance the region’s appeal to strategic investments from countries within the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP).
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the industrial park will focus on high-value sectors such as advanced manufacturing, green technology, and the digital economy. It is expected to facilitate technology transfer, improve competitiveness, and diversify supply chains across ASEAN. The project is also anticipated to offer customized incentives like tax breaks and simplified talent mobility to attract foreign investors.
The primary goal of the proposed industrial park is to boost economic growth and job creation within the JS-SEZ, thereby positioning the region as a preferred destination for RCEP-related investments. Onn Hafiz highlighted that the JS-SEZ has already stimulated considerable investments in Johor, with new approved investments reaching RM27.4 billion in the first quarter of this year. Additionally, projects worth RM23 billion are in the pipeline for April 2025.
The Johor government has been proactive in creating a welcoming and efficient investment environment. They have streamlined investment processes through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre-Johor (IMFC-J) and introduced the Johor super lane (JSL) to fast-track priority investments. Since its launch in February, the IMFC-J has managed 252 investment inquiries, with 42 high-impact projects under accelerated processing, reducing the time from briefing to operations significantly.
The JS-SEZ Joint Business and Investment Forum, themed ‘JS-SEZ: Bridging Economies, Strengthening Supply Chains,’ is organized by the Investment, Trade and Industry Ministry in collaboration with Singapore’s Trade and Industry Ministry and the Johor state government. With around 1,000 registered participants, the forum serves as one of the largest platforms for economic cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore.