‘JS-SEZ will benefit all Johor districts'
KLUANG: All districts in the state, not just Johor Baru, stand to gain from the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), says Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.
He said all 10 districts in the state are undergoing developments in transportation, infrastructure, housing and tourism.
'Do not think that the benefits of the JS-SEZ will only be concentrated in the Johor Baru area.
'Under the JS-SEZ, all districts in the state will enjoy benefits because of all the ongoing developments that are happening statewide,' he said at the launch of the Majestic Johor X Renggam Fiesta at the Renggam TMIYC here yesterday.
He highlighted the Johor Baru-Singapore Rapid Transit System Link, expected to begin operating on Jan 1, 2027, and the Gemas-Johor Baru electrified double-track rail system, as projects that will shorten the people's travel time significantly.
Travel time using the ETS from Johor Baru to Renggam will take only 40 minutes, while Johor Baru to Kluang will take 45 minutes via the double-track rail system, he said.
'The journey from the city to Segamat, which usually takes two and a half hours to three hours, will be shortened to an hour and a half via the new rail system. All of these destinations will benefit from the JS-SEZ,' he added.
While no official announcement on the date for the commencement of the ETS service has been made, it is likely that the service will only begin next year.
Onn Hafiz also pointed out that the completion of the projects could help to elevate places like Layang-Layang, Renggam and Kluang into satellite towns to Johor Baru.
At present, he said Seremban is a satellite town for the Klang Valley and towns like Layang-Layang, Renggam and Kluang have the potential to replicate the model.
The mentri besar also said the state government has projected revenue collection of RM2.5bil by the end of this year.
'Last year, Johor collected our highest-ever revenue in history with a total collection of RM2bil. At the rate that things are going, we expect to collect RM2.5bil this year.
'Every ringgit from revenue collected will be channelled back to the rakyat,' he said, adding that this would be done via people-centric programmes and initiatives.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
25 minutes ago
- Barnama
MACC Seeks To Forfeit Over RM169 Million In Cash Belonging To Ismail Sabri
KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has filed an application to forfeit over RM169 million in cash belonging to former prime minister, Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob. MACC, represented by the deputy public prosecutor as the applicant, filed the application at the Sessions Court here naming Ismail Sabri's former political secretary Datuk Mohammad Anuar Mohd Yunus and the former prime minister himself as first and second respondents. In the application, the commission is seeking a court order to forfeit cash seized from the first respondent for the Malaysian government, including RM14,772,150 in Malaysian currency; SGD6,132,350 in Singapore Dollars, USD1,461,400 in US Dollars, CHF 3 million in Swiss Francs, EUR12,164,150 in Euros, JPY363,000,000 in Japanese Yen, GBP50,250 in British Pound, NZD44,600 in New Zealand Dollars, AED34,750,000 in Emirati Dirham, and AUD352,850 in Australian Dollars.
Barnama
43 minutes ago
- Barnama
Transformation Of Felda To Forge Ahead As Nation's Pride
GENERAL KUALA LUMPUR, July 7 (Bernama) -- Felda is undergoing a transformation process by reorganising its strengths to face new challenges, to remain relevant, sustainable and continue to be the pride of the country, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi. In a post on X, Ahmad Zahid, who is also the Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said Felda is no longer just relying on traditional sectors but is now exploring the fields of education, entrepreneurship, food technology, arts and culture to ensure its survival and success. "Since its establishment 69 years ago, Felda has not only been the backbone of rural development, but has also opened up opportunities for more than 112,638 settlers and almost three million Felda generations nationwide to enjoy a better life. "Felda today is no longer just about rubber, oil palm and land scheme. It is undergoing a process of reorganising its old strengths to face new challenges, to remain relevant, sustainable and continue to be the pride of the country. "I would like to express my deepest appreciation to all Felda settlers for their sacrifices, efforts and unwavering spirit since the establishment of Felda. God willing, with the support of all parties, Felda will continue to be a catalyst for rural prosperity and a strategic asset for the country," he said in conjunction with Felda Settlers' Day today (July 7). Ahmad Zahid said that since the beginning, Felda has remained with the mandate of providing land to the landless, creating dignified jobs and eradicating poverty, which has been the basis of its success to this day. For 2025, he said several key agendas would be the backbone of joint efforts for the benefit of the people and the country, including efforts to restore Felda's values and dignity to a higher level. He said this included strengthening the economic well-being of settlers through increased income, new opportunities and community empowerment as national goals to uphold the services of settlers and ensure that they continue to be the backbone of rural and national development. In addition, Ahmad Zahid said Felda's role also needed to be strengthened as a major power in the world's food and commodity industry, given that Malaysia is now emerging as a major player in the global palm oil industry through FGV, the world's third-largest crude palm oil (CPO) producer.
Barnama
an hour ago
- Barnama
Johor Unveils Malaysia's Largest High-Tech Vertical Farm
REGION - SOUTHERN > NEWS ISKANDAR PUTERI, July 7 (Bernama) -- Johor has launched the country's largest high-tech vertical farming facility, spanning over 50,000 square feet, to cultivate leafy vegetables using advanced agrotechnology. Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the RM40 million project is a strategic joint venture between FarmByte Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Johor Corporation (JCorp), and Singapore-based agri-tech company Archisen Pte Ltd. He said the facility, which grows produce such as ice plant salad, is located in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). Construction began in 2023, and the farm is now fully operational at Nusajaya Industrial Park here. bootstrap slideshow 'This is a historic milestone for Johor, Malaysia, and Singapore. What began as a pioneering idea two years ago has now become a reality. 'This isn't just an agricultural project - it is a new ecosystem that strengthens regional food security,' he told reporters after the launch ceremony today. Also present were Archisen director Vincent Wei, JCorp chairman Datuk Syed Mohamed Syed Ibrahim, and State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han. Onn Hafiz said the project has attracted interest from various agricultural industry players from both Malaysia and Singapore, who are exploring future collaborations. He noted that FarmByte and Archisen are in talks with several other companies to expand operations and build a robust regional ecosystem for vertical farming. 'They aim to scale up operations and establish a comprehensive farming network. We hope this will be realised soon, with strong support from all stakeholders,' he said.
