Latest news with #JohorZoo
The Sun
4 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
School holidays bring opportunities to local economy in Johor
JOHOR BAHRU: The school holidays since May 29, which brought joy to students and families, are a boon for hawkers, homestay operators and local communities around tourist hotspots in the state. A Bernama survey of several popular locations including the Johor Bahru City Square, Johor Zoo and the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) City Forest found that the presence of domestic tourists has increased sharply since the start of the holidays, thus providing a surge in income for street food vendors, souvenir vendors and homestay operators. Food vendor Halimah Abu Bakar, 48, said her sales during the school holiday season increased by 50 per cent following the increase in the number of customers at her stall. 'On weekdays, we receive around 100 customers, but during the holiday season, the number increases to 150 a day. Most of the customers are from other states and Singapore. 'Although we have to open our stall early and return late at night, the effort is worth it because the daily income increased almost three times compared to normal days,' she said when met by Bernama at her stall located around Hutan Bandar MBJB here today. Meanwhile, ice cream vendor Hasimi Md Isa, 41, said the school holiday season is like the 'harvest season' that he has been waiting for. 'During this school holiday, my ice cream sales can reach more than RM50 a day compared to RM30 a day. This school holiday is indeed a much-anticipated moment for local hawkers following the increase in the number of tourists coming to the state,' he said. The presence of tourists from outside Johor, such as Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Pahang, also contributes to the increase in local economic activities, especially homestay operators around the hotspots. Homestay operator Suraya Abd Majid, 38, said all units advertised on digital platforms had been booked a week before the holiday began, showing high demand for affordable accommodation outside the countryside. 'Many families also choose to stay in homestays because they can cook and save money. Homestays are also a choice because their facilities are more family-friendly. 'For this school holiday season alone, my homestay in Kempas has been fully booked until June 7. In fact, I have often received calls from people wanting to book a homestay within two to three days recently,' she said when contacted by Bernama. On May 29, the media reported that Johor Unity, Heritage and Culture Exco, K. Raven Kumar, announced that 80 per cent of hotel room reservations in tourist hotspots in Johor had been filled in conjunction with the first term school holidays. The school holidays are expected to end on June 10, and local traders, hawkers and homestay operators hope that this momentum can continue ahead of Visit Johor Year 2026.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Johor govt to haul up contractors if high-impact projects are delayed
JOHOR BARU: Contractors will have to answer to the Johor government if their high-impact projects, including flood mitigation works, face issues or delays in completion. Housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said this was to ensure that any issues arising are tackled early on to avoid delays. 'The state government has allocated about RM100mil for high-impact developments this year, which involves more than 10 projects in various parts of Johor. 'These include flood mitigation projects at hotspots such as Kampung Mohd Amin with an allocation of RM9.8mil and the construction of an on-site detention pond in the low-lying Jalan Dato Sulaiman worth RM7.7mil,' he said after visiting the project sites on Thursday (May 15). He said RM10.3mil was also allocated to upgrade Johor Baru Hutan Bandar in three phases to improve its children's pool, campsite and jogging tracks; RM2.7mil to upgrade the Taman Merdeka park; RM7.3mil for phase two upgrades of the Johor Zoo; and RM9.3mil to widen Persiaran Abu Bakar Sultan from the existing four lanes to six. The other projects include the RM18.7mil Sungai Lebam upgrading works in Pengerang to turn the area into a tourism attraction with a children's water park and recreational facilities. He said most of the projects were scheduled for completion by the end of this year, also in time for Visit Johor 2026, which is set to kick off on Jan 1. 'We are monitoring the progress of the projects regularly to give monthly updates to Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi's office, as he is particular about meeting deadlines. 'If there are... delays, the contractor will be called in for questioning as the state government wants to ensure the projects' completion." Jafni, accompanied by Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad and government agency representatives, also visited several project sites such as the roadworks near the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar customs, immigration and quarantine complex, and repainting of the overhead pedestrian crossings in Skudai Kiri.
The Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Spruce-up for tourism spots across Johor
Onn Hafiz speaking on some of the infrastructure improvements to boost Johor's tourism appeal. — THOMAS YONG/ The Star Johor government has carried out 33 infrastructure projects since last year to improve local tourism spots. Construction as well as upgrading works have been implemented in Gunung Ledang National Park in Tangkak and Tanjung Piai National Park in Pontian. Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said all the projects were part of efforts to ensure the success of Visit Johor 2026 (VJ2026) which aims to attract 12 million domestic and international tourists. 'More than RM6mil has been allocated to upgrade public infrastructure at Gunung Ledang National Park where works began last August and will be completed this September. 'On a good weekend, the park is able to attract 15,000 visitors. 'We expect that once the upgrade is completed, the park will record an even higher number of visitors,' he said. Johor Zoo will soon be open at night. Onn Hafiz shared this with local tourism players during the VJ2026 townhall programme at a hotel in Johor Baru. He added that the state government had also allocated RM3.2mil to upgrade facilities at Tanjung Piai National Park where works began last August and are due to be completed this October. Nature lovers can also look forward to the official opening of Taman Botani Iskandar in Iskandar Puteri. For history buffs, there will be the opening of Royal Abu Bakar Museum at Istana Besar, Johor Baru. Another attraction to look forward to is the redevelopment of the century-old Kampung Sungai Melayu fishing village in Iskandar Puteri. Other improvements include the second phase of Johor Zoo's upgrading which will enable the attraction to extend its opening hours into the night. Onn Hafiz noted that many people had joked, especially on social media, of having nothing else to do in the state except eat. 'That perception needs to change and the government is taking measures to ensure this happens. While upgrades to Gunung Ledang National Park will be completed by September. 'It is time we elevate the state's tourism sector to the highest level because Johor has many attractive destinations that were previously under-promoted.' Onn Hafiz also expressed hope that players in the state's tourism industry would enhance hospitality standards when welcoming foreign visitors. 'In any business, it's all about service. We must ensure top-notch service so that tourists are encouraged to return to Johor. 'The ability to speak proper English is also a basic skill that we must improve on to attract more international tourists to Johor,' he said. The official launch of VJ2026 is set to take place this August, supported by a large-scale advertising campaign across the state.
Yahoo
09-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Official: Johor zoo to launch night safari before year is out
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 9 — Johor Zoo's night safari is set to open by the end of this year, according to state executive councillor Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor. The state government has approved RM5 million for phase two of the zoo's upgrading works, which will begin in the first quarter of the year. According to The Star, Mohd Jafni said the upgrades will include better facilities, making 80 per cent of the zoo more accessible for the elderly, people with disabilities, and parents with strollers. 'Additionally, we aim to launch the night safari in the fourth quarter of this year,' he was quoted as saying. He said the Johor Baru City Council (MBJB) is also planning to invest RM10 million to develop a new carpark opposite the zoo to accommodate an increase in visitors. Authorities are further considering using a parking area near the Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque and adding a pedestrian crossing for safer access to the zoo. Additionally, there are plans to create 200 more parking bays at the Ayer Molek Prison site, which currently serves as the zoo's main parking area. MBJB is exploring the possibility of converting the old prison into a weekend night market to complement the night safari. Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi previously mooted the night safari as a way to further increase visitors to the state's zoo. Johor Zoo, which houses 373 animals from 65 species, has welcomed 500,000 visitors since reopening on August 31 last year following RM9.6 million in upgrades over three years.
