17-07-2025
Maybank, SCCCI join forces to power up Johor-Singapore SEZ
[SINGAPORE] Local businesses looking to tap opportunities in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) can look forward to quicker bank account openings, green-lane financing, halal advisory services, and more.
The Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCCI) and Maybank Singapore on Thursday (Jul 17) inked a pact to promote economic development, investment and trade – with the massive 3,571-square-kilometre zone as a strategic focal point.
Some 5,000 SCCCI corporate members can benefit from capacity-building programmes in the areas of sustainability, halal advisory and financial services, aided by Maybank's dedicated JS-SEZ desk, a joint media release indicated.
Additionally, the bank will offer tailored solutions such as green-lane financing, trade finance, cash management as well as environmental, social and governance-linked products.
The two parties will also collaborate on initiatives such as meetings, visits, conferences, workshops and networking events.
The memorandum of understanding was signed at the SCCCI-Maybank Mid-Year Business Forum: Outlook 2025, held at the business chamber's auditorium.
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Speaking in Mandarin at the event, Minister of State for Trade and Industry Gan Siow Huang urged businesses to explore beyond traditional markets and better understand emerging ones – across regions such as South-east Asia and Africa – to find new growth areas.
SCCCI president Kho Choon Keng said: 'In the face of an increasingly complex and rapidly changing business landscape, strong financial capabilities and deep regional insight are critical.'
Noting the bank's dual-market advantage in Singapore and Malaysia, Maybank Singapore chief executive Alvin Lee reaffirmed the group's commitment to supporting businesses with banking solutions while identifying 'twinning opportunities for expansion' into the JS-SEZ.
With South-east Asia poised to become the world's fourth-largest economy by 2030, the region offers significant growth opportunities, with Malaysia positioning itself as a key investment hub for Singaporean businesses due to its diversified economy, SCCCI and Maybank said in the joint statement.
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