BATU PAHAT, July 31 — The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) Master Plan is expected to be officially launched in conjunction with the Annual Leaders’ Retreat this December, said Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir.

He said that the launch will be jointly conducted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and his Singaporean counterpart Lawrence Wong, and is scheduled to take place in Malaysia.

He said the launch of the master plan is expected to boost JS-SEZ’s position as a major regional investment destination.

“We expect that the Annual Leaders’ Retreat will take place in December. So, one of the agendas highlighted during the retreat will be the launch of the JS-SEZ Master Plan.

“At the same time, I also held a meeting yesterday with Singapore’s National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat, and we also agreed that a meeting co-chaired at the ministerial level or the Johor-Singapore Cooperation Ministerial Committee (JSCMC) will be held in November,” he said.

Akmal Nasrullah said this when commenting on the latest development of the cross-border initiative at a press conference following the Launching Ceremony of the Targeted SDG Programme at the National Level in 2026 in the Southern Region, held here today.

Asked about whether issues related to Network School would affect Malaysia’s investment potential, especially in the JS-SEZ, he said the ministry is now focusing on continuing to build confidence and attract investors so that the investment received really benefits the country.

“I think we cannot get too caught up in the issue, as the focus at the level of the Ministry of Economy is to continue to build the strength and confidence of investors; thus, the cooperation with Singapore will continue to remain strong and healthy.

“So that is why that matter was not raised in our discussion yesterday because we see a bigger agenda impacting on how this JS-SEZ can continue to expand,” he said.

Commenting on Apex Securities’ analysis of the risk of disruption to shipping routes in the Strait of Malacca potentially affecting the national economy, Akmal said the government will continue to focus on maintaining the stability of the country’s energy supply to ensure economic activity continues.

Meanwhile, Akmal Nasrullah said Batu Pahat has been selected as a pilot city for the launch of the national-level SDG programme, with plans to extend the initiative to 12 other districts to ensure economic growth goes hand in hand with improving the quality of life at the grassroots level.

At the ministry’s level, he said the SDG goals are positioned as one of the core pillars of growth planning and effectiveness evaluation, including setting the target of achieving 40 per cent of official reporting under the 13th Malaysia Plan.

He said the implementation of this initiative also takes into account the positive achievements of JS-SEZ in strengthening sustainable development in the districts across Johor. — Bernama