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JOHOR BARU, Nov 1 — Johor has been touted as one of Malaysia’s fastest growing states, but many Johoreans feel that the so-called economic powerhouse still lacks the job opportunities found in Kuala Lumpur or even in Singapore.
They also complained about unaffordable homes and the lack of public transport in the southern state.
For the coming Budget, employment opportunities, taxes, transportation and housing issues are among concerns Johoreans hope the government will address.
Here is what some of them said:
Decent salaries and job opportunities wanted
Despite Johor’s rapid development and growth, some have commented that the state still does not offer high-income employment as found in Kuala Lumpur or Penang.
Mock Ahmad, 32, a sales advisor for a boutique motorcycle brand in Johor Baru, said that the median salary scale and employment opportunities in the state capital and the wider Iskandar Malaysia area do not reflect Johor Baru’s growth.
“Talk of Iskandar Malaysia and its promises over the years will have people thinking that Johor Baru will be the next Kuala Lumpur.
“However, I personally don’t see this happening. I have worked in Kuala Lumpur for many years and Johor just can’t compete in the sense of job opportunities and even the salary scale,” he said.
Mock, who used to be in corporate banking, said that in the coming Budget, the government needs to spur the job market and promote the service sector here to make them competitive.
“The key here is having a similar salary range like in Kuala Lumpur and more service oriented jobs,” he said.
Lorry driver Amirul Zain, 35, agrees with Mock and said Johor’s employment market lacks the high-income attraction, especially for professionals and semi-professionals.
He said it was time for the new government to address this problem as many Johoreans who have the qualifications and skills end up working across the Causeway in Singapore instead due to better salaries.
“It is time the state government and also private sector start an initiative to stem the flow of skilled and semi-skilled workers to Singapore,” he said.
Skill-training with tax incentives needed
Snack stall owner Nora Khamis said Johor Baru’s development and growth could be felt over the past five to eight years, but believes that many Johoreans from rural and semi-urban areas were ill-prepared in the employment market.
“Johor, especially Johor Baru, is being developed at a very fast pace and we need the skills and also language capabilities to bridge the gap,” said the 48-year-old.
She hopes the government can put aside funding for training to at least help Johoreans improve their language skills, especially in conversational English.
She said most employers, especially multinational companies, were now looking for employees who have a good grasp of English and Chinese.
Popular Johor Baru-based florist Pauline Kim, 64, hopes the government can put aside more funds for a training scheme where senior citizens who are active entrepreneurs can share their skills with others.
“This would be an ideal time where the old can impart their knowledge and maybe even learn something new,” she said.
Kim said the private sector can kickstart such schemes, with tax rebates given to businesses that do so.
“For example, baking, cooking, floral arrangement and other skills that are now lacking among Malaysians should be promoted among the young.
“As Malaysians, we are sometimes too dependent on foreign labour and thus lack the skill for certain trades,” said Kim.
A Johor-based business development manager, Sharon YL Kim, said her wishlist for next year’s Budget is a special scheme for businesses to hire senior citizens or disabled staff.
“Many retired people are still employable and not all disabled people are unfit to carry out simple work. They don't have to be full-time staff, but can work for about four hours a day like what some fast food outlets in Singapore are doing,” the 36-year-old said.
YL Kim said owning a business is also a responsibility and part of that is to provide employment opportunities to such segments of society.
Johor housing woes
Grab driver B. Manivanan, 38, said the rising cost of living in Johor Baru has caused the housing market to be beyond the reach of many.
He considers himself middle class and said that the government’s efforts in addressing the state capital’s housing problem only focuses on low-wage earners.
“To be frank, most of the homes for middle-income earners like myself in Johor Baru are beyond what I earn.
“Most homes here are priced beyond my RM250,000 limit and it can be frustrating for an urbanite like myself who was born and bred in Johor Baru,” said Manivanan.
He hopes the government comes up with a housing scheme for middle-income earners in Budget 2019.
Mock, who is also in the market for a home in Johor Baru, agrees with Manivanan.
He suggested that the coming Budget provide subsidies for developers to build homes below the RM280,000 threshold for middle-income earners.
“It's sad to see that people like us (middle-income earners) are trapped when it comes to basic needs like home ownership,” he said.
Johor’s urban transportation needs
For 38-year-old Johor Baru lecturer Fazli Remon, Johor Baru and its surrounding districts are in urgent need of proper inter-city public transportation.
“Both the federal and state government should look into the sad state of the public transportation here.
“A comprehensive plan with a proper budget should be allocated to improve and develop the public transportation in Johor Baru and its surrounding areas,” he said.
Fazli said his wish is to see the implementation of an inter-city MRT or LRT that helps ease the growing issue of congestion in Johor Baru.
Reducing taxes on imported items
Freelance investment advisor and entrepreneur Andy Siah, 43, said reducing import taxes on certain items would be welcomed by entrepreneurs like him.
“For example, my family business is related to automobile and car parts, and lowering the import tax can actually spur more people to make the industry competitive,” he said.
Siah said this can be for most imported items, adding that such measures can encourage businesses to flourish and provide better pricing that benefits consumers.
