Pakatan Harapan seeks a mandate in the Johor state election to form a government aligned with the federal administration for smoother development.
PETALING JAYA: Pakatan Harapan (PH) is seeking a mandate in the Johor state election to form a state government aligned with the Federal Government, saying closer cooperation is essential to ensure development projects and policies benefit the people.
PH secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution said an aligned administration would allow federal initiatives to be implemented more effectively without unnecessary obstacles at the state level.
He said Johor was already reaping the benefits of several major Federal Government initiatives, particularly the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), which he described as a unique bilateral economic project jointly promoted by Malaysia and Singapore.
“The JS-SEZ is unique because it is located in Johor, but investment promotion is carried out by both countries. It could only happen because of close cooperation between the leaders of Malaysia and Singapore.
“Imagine if the Johor state government was not aligned with or complicated these efforts. It would not help when such significant benefits are waiting for the people,” he told reporters after the nomination procession for the Johor state election today.
Saifuddin, who is also the Home Minister, said preliminary figures showed encouraging investment inflows into the JS-SEZ despite the initiative only recently getting underway.
He said the long-term success of the economic zone would also depend on efficient cross-border transport and immigration systems.
Among the measures being implemented, he said, is the replacement of the ageing MyIMMs immigration system with the new MyNIISe platform following the completion of a procurement exercise worth more than RM1 billion.
“The new system will feature seamless immigration clearance and expanded AutoGate facilities to improve the movement of people across the Malaysia-Singapore border,” he said.
Saifuddin noted that approximately 300,000 people cross the Malaysia-Singapore border daily, with the number rising to around 350,000 on weekends and reaching as many as 500,000 during holiday periods.
“We can no longer rely on manual passport stamping. The Madani government is addressing this through the implementation of MyNIISe,” he said.
He also highlighted the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link between Woodlands and Bukit Chagar, which is scheduled to begin operations in December, as another major project expected to strengthen Johor’s economic growth.
“The RTS will operate using a co-located clearance system, allowing travellers to undergo immigration checks only once, with Malaysian immigration officers stationed at Woodlands and Singaporean officers at Bukit Chagar,” he said.
The rail service is expected to carry between 40,000 and 50,000 passengers daily when operations commence, with capacity to eventually increase to 150,000 passengers a day, accounting for nearly half of the current passenger movement through the Sultan Iskandar Building and Sultan Abu Bakar Complex.
Saifuddin said the projects demonstrated how coordinated planning between the Federal Government and the Johor administration could deliver significant economic and social benefits to the state.
“That is why Pakatan Harapan believes it is important to have both governments moving in the same direction and supporting the same development agenda,” he said.
Saifuddin accompanied PH candidate Maszlee Malik to the nomination centre for the Puteri Wangsa state seat at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bandar Dato Onn during the nomination process for the 16th Johor state election.
