Johor booms, but at a price: MB pledges to tackle soaring living costs

Malay Mail

4 days ago

JOHOR BARU, July 13 — Rapid development is lifting Johor's economy, but it is also lifting everyday prices, leaving locals to shoulder what economists call the 'inflation tax' of progress.
With everything from nasi lemak to new homes inching closer to Singapore‑level price tags, Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi today pledged to put rising living costs at the top of his to‑do list as the state races toward developed‑status by 2030.
Speaking at the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia's (ACCCIM) 79th annual general meeting here, Onn Hafiz acknowledged that Johor's growth spurt – fuelled in part by demand from across the Causeway – has inflated food, rental and property prices faster than in other parts of Malaysia.
'I appeal to the business community for us to work together in making Johor, and Malaysia more prosperous.
'The state government is prepared to work with viable partners to ensure that this is not a zero‑sum game but a win‑win situation for all,' he said in his opening address at the Thistle Hotel.
Flanked by state Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources committee chairman Lee Ting Han and ACCCIM president Datuk Ng Yih Ping, the menteri besar drilled down on the cost‑of‑living squeeze.
'Recently, we are seeing food and also rental prices going up in line with the rapid development.
'For example, a plate of nasi lemak ayam goreng here costs about RM9, while the same dish in Kuala Lumpur costs only RM7.
'This clearly shows that the cost of living in Johor is becoming more expensive,' Onn Hafiz said.
Johor's property market, buoyed by Singaporean buyers looking for bargains just a checkpoint away, is heating up even faster.
'Recently, a developer told me that about 300 units of his housing project were sold out completely. This shows that properties here are selling like hotcakes.
'However, there is a risk that property prices here are either rising or already higher than some in Singapore,' Onn Hafiz said, adding that the trend underscores an urgent need for more affordable housing.
Onn Hafiz said his administration is working on a mechanism to cool inflation without choking off growth, stressing that affordability must accompany prosperity if Johor's development story is to remain a win for its own people.