Latest news with #InvestMalaysiaFacilitationCentreJohor
Barnama
11 hours ago
- Business
- Barnama
IMFC-J Succesfully Facilitates Five Projects Worth RM16.5 Bln In JS-SEZ To Date
BUSINESS KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Five major investment projects have been fully facilitated through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) to date, representing RM16.5 billion in committed investment in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), said Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. He said the IMFC-J is currently in active engagement with 47 more investors, with potential investments totalling RM40.1 billion, across key sectors such as manufacturing, data centres, and energy from key markets such as Singapore, China, and South Korea. "In just over two months since its launch, IMFC-J has received more than 300 investor enquiries, with 100 focused on the Forest City Special Financial Zone alone. "But as a facilitator, the job of the IMFC-J is also to convert the very real interest into actual investments, and that is exactly what it has been delivering on," he said during his opening address at the 'JS-SEZ Partners Dialogue: Advancing Facilitation' forum today. IMFC-J was launched last February in collaboration with federal partners, jointly operated and led by Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), Invest Johor, and Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA) to remove bottlenecks and fast-track investor journeys within the JS-SEZ. In the meantime, Onn Hafiz highlighted that Johor has secured RM27.4 billion in total approved investments in the first quarter of 2025 - a record-breaking achievement - as it took the state nine months in 2024 to reach the same milestone. "We currently have an additional RM23 billion in the investment pipeline, expected to materialise by the end of this quarter. If these numbers hold, and we believe they will, Johor will exceed RM50 to RM60 billion in total investments in 2025, surpassing last year's RM48.5 billion - this will position Johor yet again in the top three investment destinations in Malaysia," he added. -- BERNAMA
New Straits Times
22-04-2025
- Business
- New Straits Times
Johor-Singapore SEZ remains dynamic, warm response from businesses across Causeway
KUALA LUMPUR: Businesses in Singapore have responded positively to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), Affin Hwang Investment Bank Bhd said. Most surveyed companies expressing interest in potential expansion through the initiative, Affin Hwang added. The firm said while some concerns have been raised regarding the possible impact on small local businesses near Johor, there has been no significant public opposition thus far. The JS-SEZ outlook remains positive, buoyed by strong commitments from both the Malaysian and Singaporean governments, as well as encouraging feedback from the corporate sector, Affin Hwang added. The JS-SEZ aims to attract 50 high-value projects within the next five years and reach 100 projects over the next decade, with the goal of creating 20,000 high-skilled jobs. According to recent reports, the Iskandar Regional Development Authority said the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor has received over 250 enquiries from prospective investors. They include Danish companies in the medical and pharmaceutical sectors, as well as Chinese firms exploring opportunities in artificial intelligence. The firm noted that Malaysia-Singapore bilateral relations are currently strong, with both nations enjoying relative political stability. It added that the initiative has received support at all levels including the federal and state governments, as well as the Johor royal household. "From a global perspective, the JS-SEZ is a strategic response to the diversification of global supply chains amid ongoing US-China tensions. "Additionally, Singapore faces resource constraints such as limited land and manpower, making the JS-SEZ a practical expansion avenue for its businesses," the firm said in a note. Affin Hwang further highlighted that both governments believe collaboration between Johor and Singapore can yield outcomes greater than the sum of their individual efforts. The primary goal of the JS-SEZ is to foster synergy between the two regions, creating a distinct value proposition through strategic cooperation. Initial efforts are concentrated on attracting new investments and supporting business expansion by addressing key challenges including talent shortages, improving the ease of doing business, and enhancing the cross-border movement of people and goods. "While current efforts are centered on rolling out early-stage initiatives, the JS-SEZ remains a dynamic project, with further measures expected to follow," the firm added. On the infrastructure front, current efforts are focused on enhancing efficiency at land checkpoints.
