Johor eyes over RM50bil in FDI for 2025, driven by JS-SEZ momentum
KUALA LUMPUR: The Johor state government is confident of surpassing RM50 billion in foreign direct investments (FDI) by year-end, exceeding the RM48.5 billion recorded in 2024.
Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi credited this positive outlook to the rising prominence of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which he described as a major catalyst for investment inflows and economic transformation in the state.
"The JS-SEZ is not just a concept on paper but has proven to be a convincing investment magnet. Investor confidence in Johor's future continues to strengthen," he said.
Onn Hafiz revealed that Johor recorded approved investments amounting to RM27.4 billion in the first quarter of 2025—equivalent to what was achieved over the first nine months of the previous year.
He added that the state has an additional RM23 billion in potential investments that are expected to be finalised by the end of this quarter.
"If this momentum continues, I believe Johor can achieve between RM50 billion and RM60 billion in investments this year, placing the state among the top three investment destinations in the country," he said during the JS-SEZ Strategic Partners' Dialogue: Advancing Facilitation yesterday.
"I'm confident that Johor could rival Klang Valley in the next decade," he added.
He also highlighted that attracting investments goes beyond opportunities alone, relying heavily on an efficient and strategic facilitation system.
"To this end, the state government, in collaboration with the Ministry of Investment, Trade, and Industry (MITI) and related agencies, launched the Johor Malaysia Investment Facilitation Centre (IMFC-J) in February this year.
"This pioneering initiative serves as a one-stop centre jointly managed by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), Invest Johor, and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to expedite investment processes within the JS-SEZ," he explained.
As of now, IMFC-J has received over 300 investor enquiries, including 100 specifically related to the Forest City Special Financial Zone.
He further noted that five major investment projects worth RM16.5 billion have been fully facilitated by IMFC-J, with approval processes streamlined from three months to as little as one to 35 days.
"Currently, negotiations are actively underway with 47 investors from Singapore, China, and South Korea, involving potential investments worth RM40.1 billion.
"IMFC-J is not just about attracting interest but ensuring that this interest materialises into actual investments—and that is precisely what we are achieving now," he added.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
7 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Singapore watching US tariff talks ‘very carefully', says foreign minister
SINGAPORE, June 7 — The United States' evolving tariff regime remains in flux and it will take time before the full picture becomes clear, said Singapore's Foreign Minister Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, following a five-day official visit to Washington. Speaking to The Straits Times, among other Singapore media, via Zoom today, Dr Balakrishnan said ongoing revisions, legal challenges and a likely series of bilateral negotiations with different trade partners mean the eventual shape of American tariffs is still being worked out. His meetings with senior US officials, senators and members of Congress revealed bipartisan agreement in the US on the importance of trade, investment, intellectual property, reliability, and secure supply chains. 'The relationship with the United States is a vital, critical one for Singapore — it spans the entire gamut... the economy, defence, security, and we're also pursuing emerging opportunities in areas like cyber security and energy,' he reportedly said. 'So it's a relationship which needs to be tended to, and attended to carefully.' Singapore and the US reaffirmed their strong bilateral ties during his visit, said Dr Balakrishnan, with both sides committed to deeper cooperation in areas such as defence and critical technologies, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A key topic during discussions was the impact of US tariffs on global trade, especially for small, open economies like Singapore. 'Any impact on global trade, any friction in the system, will have an impact on an open economy like ours, where our trading volume is three times our GDP,' he reportedly said. Dr Balakrishnan noted the US has a trade surplus with Singapore and should not impose even the baseline 10 per cent tariff. He said sector-specific duties were more concerning and would be closely scrutinised. 'We're still in the early stages of our discussions and negotiations, so let's watch this space,' he added. His visit came as the US trade outlook remains uncertain. President Donald Trump's wide-ranging 'Liberation Day' tariffs, unveiled on April 2, have been paused for 90 days, but on June 4, he signed an order doubling tariffs on steel and aluminium imports from 25 per cent to 50 per cent. Singapore's manufacturing sector has already been feeling the strain. On June 2, purchasing managers' index figures showed a second straight month of contraction in factory activity, reflecting the drag from trade instability. Dr Balakrishnan also noted signs of openness from Washington. In May, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said early talks were under way about ensuring semiconductor supply and potentially zero tariffs on pharmaceutical exports. Asked about challenges in engaging US officials, Dr Balakrishnan said: 'They were very welcoming, courteous... I have no anxiety on that front.' But he warned the global order that underpinned Singapore's success — based on free trade and capital flows — is shifting. 'The anxiety is that the world order that had prevailed for 80 years... is clearly changing, and this period of transition is the time of greatest danger.' Singapore must stay alert and ready to adapt quickly, he said. 'It is also important to interact frequently, candidly, openly and constructively with our interlocutors, and especially with a superpower which is of great strategic importance to us,' he added. Before Washington, Dr Balakrishnan visited London, where he met British Foreign Secretary David Lammy to discuss economic ties, strategic issues and potential cooperation.
Malay Mail
10 hours ago
- Malay Mail
$3 Billion to Buy U.S. Agricultural Commodities: Vietnam Seeks a Good Deal of Reciprocal Trade Agreement with the U.S.
MoU signing to purchase US agricultural commodities. Roundtable discussion between Vietnam's Ministry of Agriculture and Environment with USABC in Washington DC. WASHINGTON D.C, US - Media OutReach Newswire - 7 June 2025 - Vietnam's Minister of Agriculture and Environment Do Duc Duy led a delegation of nearly 50 agencies, agribusinesses, and associations to the United States from June 2–6, 2025, to promote trade and increase imports of agricultural and timber products. The delegation held business dialogues in Iowa, Ohio, Maryland and Washington, visit aimed to boost two-way trade and open new opportunities for Vietnam to import more U.S. agrifood and timber, contributing to a more balanced trade relationship. Beyond trade, the delegation also sought access to new technologies to enhance the competitiveness of Vietnam's agricultural value Duy noted that while both countries have strong agricultural sectors, their strengths are complementary rather than competitive. "With strong support from both governments, agriculture in Vietnam and the U.S. is becoming more interconnected. We now share parts of the same supply chains, which helps increase our competitiveness and benefits producers and consumers in both countries," the Minister stated. "Vietnamese agribusinesses are working closely with the government to increase purchases of US agrifood and timber products. This effort supports trade balance and strengthens the supply chain between our two countries, hence contributing to global food security". He emphasized that this initiative also reflects Vietnam's commitment to deepening trust and advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership as the two countries celebrate 30 years of diplomatic the trip, Vietnamese businesses signed 20 MoUs, worth a total of $3 billion to buy U.S. agricultural commodities. These agreements highlight the strong commitment and goodwill of Vietnam's business community and government to promote balanced trade with the U.S., and to encourage the Trump Administration to reconsider high reciprocal tariffs on Vietnamese visit was warmly welcomed and highly valued by U.S. partners. Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds immediately shared her appreciation on X following her meeting with Minister Do Duc Duy:Following the Governor, Mike Naig, Secretary of Iowa Department of Agriculture, put on X:Brian Baldridge, Ohio Secretary of Agriculture, emphasized during his meeting with Minister Duy that Vietnam and the US, especially Vietnam and Ohio, have complementary strengths, particularly in agricultural trade. Ohio sees strong potentials in Vietnam and recognizes the opportunities to expand bilateral trade. He noted that stakeholders from both sides should explore new ways for farmers, agribusinesses, and associations to collaborate and build strong, integrated supply chains. To support this, both governments should work to remove barriers to agricultural the signing of MoUs with Vietnamese partners to purchase more than $600 million worth of animal feed from Ohio, Patty Mann, Chair of the Ohio Corn Checkoff, stated:This was elaborated further by Wendy Osborn, Director of Market Development, Ohio Corn and Wheat:During a roundtable with the US-ASEAN Business Council (USABC) in Washington D.C, Ted Osius, President and CEO of USABC, expressed strong support for Vietnam's agricultural development:In response to the USABC President, Minister Duy reaffirmed the Vietnam government's strong commitment to continuing institutional reforms, improving administrative efficiency, upgrading infrastructure, and creating the most favorable environment for international businesses, including U.S. enterprises, to expand trade and investment with Vietnam in a long-term and effective the meeting with Minister Duy, the Chairs of the Agriculture Committees of both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives expressed enthusiasm and optimism about the remarkable outcomes of the Vietnamese delegation's visit to Iowa, Ohio, and Washington, John Boozman was particularly impressed by Vietnam's robust economic growth and the strong potential for long-term cooperation between the two countries. He highlighted Vietnam's role as a dynamic and reliable economic partner in the Asia-Pacific region. The Senator expressed support for efforts to achieve a fair tariff agreement and pledged to fully convey Vietnam's recommendations to relevant US Glenn Thompson showed special interest in the high-value deals for US agricultural commodities secured during the Minister's visit. He expressed confidence in the prospects for deeper cooperation between the two agricultural sectors and emphasized the need for the US government to promptly address concerns over the high reciprocal tariffs that may be applied to Vietnam exports. He welcomed Vietnam's decision to commercialize biotechnology-based agricultural products imported from the US, calling it a clear signal of Vietnam's determination to modernize its agriculture and integrate more closely with the US supply and associations from both countries expressed hope that the Vietnamese and US governments would continue to support bilateral trade and strengthen links across their complementary agricultural supply chains. Their shared goal is to bring tangible benefits to millions of farmers, consumers, and businesses in both countries. As such, businesses on both sides are urging the removal of the reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump Administration on Vietnam. The 46% tariff has been reported to harm not only Vietnamese exporters but also U.S. businesses and consumers. Since agrifood is a staple commodity, higher price would place a considerable burden on average-income American households. Moreover, such measures could disrupt the supply chains that both governments and the private sector have worked hard to establish in recent wish for a trade agreement between the U.S. and Vietnam soonly concluded, thereby lowering tariffs on agricultural commodities, reinforcing shared supply chains and contributing to the prosperity of both countries under the Comprehensive Strategic #MAE The issuer is solely responsible for the content of this announcement.
Malay Mail
11 hours ago
- Malay Mail
China's US$1.7b taste for cognac faces July 5 tipping point
BEIJING, June 7 — China and France have agreed to resolve their trade disputes through dialogue, China's foreign ministry said yesterday, though there was no indication that agreement had been reached in talks on lifting Chinese levies on European brandy. Talks to resolve the cognac dispute accelerated this week with China's commerce minister Wang Wentao meeting his French counterpart in Paris on the sidelines of an OECD conference, and technical talks on the matter taking place in Beijing. The latest round of negotiations has raised hopes of a settlement, two industry sources with knowledge of the discussions said. 'The two sides have reached consensus on resolving economic and trade issues through dialogue and consultation', the Chinese foreign ministry said after a call between the Chinese and French foreign ministers. Chinese anti-dumping measures that applied duties of up to 39 per cent on imports of European brandy — with French cognac bearing the brunt — have strained relations between Paris and Beijing. The brandy duties were enforced days after the European Union took action against Chinese-made electric vehicle imports to shield its local industry, prompting France's President Emmanuel Macron to accuse Beijing of 'pure retaliation'. The Chinese duties have dented sales of brands including LVMH's Hennessy, Pernod Ricard's Martell and Remy Cointreau. Beijing was initially meant to make a final decision on the duties by January, but extended the deadline to April and then again to July 5. China is seeking to strengthen trade ties with the 27-member bloc as relations with the United States have soured in the escalating trade war. 'France will not compromise on ... the protection of its industries, such as cognac,' French trade minister Laurent Saint-Martin said after talks with Wang on Wednesday. Chinese officials, meanwhile, signalled to industry officials during three rounds of technical meetings in Beijing this week they wanted to settle the matter, one of the sources said, but added some sticking points remained. With annual imports of around US$1.7 billion (RM7.2 billion) last year, China is the French brandy industry's most important measured by value and the second-largest by volume after the United States. — Reuters
