KUALA LUMPUR: More than half of the RM76.98 billion in approved investments secured within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) between 2024 and the end of 2025 have already been realised.
Economy Minister Datuk Seri Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir said 57% of the cumulative approved investments in the JS-SEZ, comprising Iskandar Malaysia and Pengerang, have been implemented on the ground.
He said the Ministry of Economy’s priority this year is execution and delivery, with the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre-Johor (IMFC-J) focusing not only on attracting investments but also on ensuring projects are implemented.
“IMFC-J will continue to focus not just on attracting more investments but on realising the investments that come in,” he told reporters after the JS-SEZ Executive Forum yesterday.
Akmal also said that the JS-SEZ Blueprint and Master Plan have been finalised and received Cabinet approval, although the official launch has yet to take place.
“The document is complete and has received Cabinet approval. The Cabinet’s view is that although it is an operational document, it deserves to be launched at a higher level involving the leaders of both countries. We are also making way for the Johor state election,” he said.
He said the government is targeting a fourth-quarter launch, subject to the scheduling of a joint ceremony involving Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong after the Johor state election.
The Blueprint and Master Plan were originally scheduled to be launched in March but the rollout was postponed after the government said the documents required further refinement. Akmal stressed that the delayed launch has not affected implementation, with various committees and IMFC-J already executing the agreed framework and facilitating investments.
Akmal said the JS-SEZ is on track to exceed its original targets, with the goal of creating 20,000 skilled jobs likely to be achieved within three years instead of the five years initially projected.
“I think we are going to supersede the target. The 20,000 jobs target can easily be achieved in three years. The challenge is ensuring these are quality jobs supported by quality investments,” he said.
The JS-SEZ aims to facilitate 50 investment projects and create 20,000 skilled jobs within its first five years, with a longer-term target of attracting 100 projects over the next decade.
Johor recorded RM110 billion in approved investments in 2025, the highest among all Malaysian states, according to MIDA figures cited by Invest Johor.
