ISKANDAR PUTERI, Sept 26 — The Johor state government is finalising the details of a complete local transportation network in Johor Bahru (JB) with the Ministry of Transport (MOT) to complement the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link), scheduled to begin in January 2027.

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the initiative would connect the city to the other developments throughout the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

"We are also making good progress on ‘soft connectivity’, such as the implementation of a passport-free QR code clearance system and the adoption of digitalised processes for cargo clearance at land checkpoints, the results will attest to that.

"All of this could not have been done without the federal government’s continuous support in upgrading our infrastructure to a leading standard,” he said in his speech at the Invest Malaysia Iskandar 2024 here today.

Also present were Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Bursa Malaysia chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar.

The RTS Link project is a commuter rail network of about four kilometres with two stations, one at Bukit Chagar, Johor Bahru and the other at Woodlands North, Singapore.

With a capacity of up to 10,000 passengers per hour in each direction and a journey time of about five minutes between the two stations, RTS Link will provide an easy and comfortable journey between Singapore and Johor Bahru.

Commenting on the state’s economy, Onn Hafiz said Johor recorded RM5.2 billion in exports in July, involving petrochemicals and chemicals, electrical and electronics (E&E) and non-metallic materials from well-established industrial areas such as Pengerang, Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Langsat. "All of this creates further economic growth as they feed global supply chains, providing the energy and manufacturing materials for various other sectors,” he added.

He said Johor’s gross domestic product (GDP) growth outpaced the national average, expanding by 4.1 per cent year-on-year (y-o-y) in 2023, compared to Malaysia’s 3.6 per cent growth.

"The services and manufacturing sectors contribute 84 per cent of Johor’s GDP. Consumer spending and retail trade have been lifted by a rising middle class and increasing per capita income,” he said, noting that in 2023, the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) approved 751 projects in Johor totalling RM43.1 billion.

Onn Hafiz also said that the government’s decision to set up the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre (IMFC), located at the Forest City Special Financial Zone (FC-SFZ), is proof of Johor’s robust economic growth and its future contribution to Malaysia’s economy. — Bernama