JOHOR BARU, Feb 6 — The Johor state government believes that the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) will be a game changer and a catalyst for economic improvement.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said that to realise that ambition, the state government plans to establish the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC) which will be in unison with the state’s agencies.

"Last year, the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (Miti) established the IMFC, which aims to unify and coordinate all aspects related to investment in Malaysia.

"Thus, the state government intends to establish an IMFC united with Johor agencies. The state government has requested the expertise of Miti to help the state government succeed in this initiative under the JS-SEZ framework,” he said in a post on his Facebook page today.

The post also stated that Onn Hafiz and the Johor state government’s delegation met with Miti Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz in Kuala Lumpur today to discuss JS-SEZ.

According to Onn Hafiz, other matters discussed in the meeting included the state government’s proposal regarding the details of the JS-SEZ policy such as optimising incentives and tax structures; encourage investment based on environmental sustainability; creating technological collaboration and innovation; and facilitate the integration and cooperation of both countries in the global market.

"All these ideas and suggestions have been taken into account, and even improved by YB Minister and the ministry itself. Coordination between the ministry and the state government is very important in ensuring that all work moves in parallel and according to the set timeline.

"Hopefully all these plans will bear fruit, in ensuring that Johor is able to become a developed state by 2030,” he added.

On January 11, Malaysia and Singapore signed a memorandum of understanding to make JS-SEZ a success in strengthening economic relations between Johor and Singapore. — Bernama