KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 2 — Iskandar Malaysia expects to secure RM22 billion in investments in 2014 compared with RM21 billion this year, said Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) chief executive Datuk Ismail Ibrahim.

He said IRDA was optimistic that from its experience of economic growth over the years, it would continue to get more investment on a year to year basis.

“We have a target of RM383 billion worth of investments by the time we reach maturity in 2025, and we hope to see that from this year onwards, we will be able to receive an average of between RM20 billion and RM22 billion,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the Land Public Transport Symposium 2013 here today.

He said in the early years of its inception, IRDA received a lot more from foreign investment, at about 55 per cent against domestic investment of 45 per cent. But today, there was a gradual shift to 65 per cent domestic investment.

This showed greater and stronger confidence on the part of domestic investors, he said.

“There are two types of investment,” he said. “One will be new projects which we will be announcing soon and the other one is expanding the current investment because of the confidence gained by the investors.”

Legoland in Iskandar Malaysia www.mutiara-damansara.com

Ismail said the opening of Legoland Water Theme (pic) park and hotel and also the addition of more stores at the Johor Premium Outlets showed that investors were more confident in Iskandar Malaysia’s development.

“In the past five years, we have been covering the education, tourism and healthcare sectors,” he said.

“This year, with the opening of Primeworks Studios, we are hoping that next year, we could have more investors in the creative industry.”

IRDA was also looking for companies in the oil and gas, food and agro processing sectors. It will be introducing its halal hub next year. — Bernama