JOHOR BARU, Nov 29 — Johor Corporation (JCorp) needs to conduct a thorough feasibility study on a business it wants to venture into to identify its risks and long-term effects, the Sultan of Johor, Sultan Ibrahim Almarhum Sultan Iskandar said.
He said this was to prevent the state-owned company from getting involved in a business that “we know nothing about or a venture that is not well suited for the country’s environment”.
As a corporation that has long been involved in the state economic development, he said JCorp should learn from its past mistake when its venture into a deer farm project which flopped due to lack of expertise, while the animal could not adapt to the state’s environment.
“Hence, let me advise JCorp to be more careful by focusing on the original purpose of its establishment when planning new projects,” he said at the JCorp 50th Anniversary Gala Celebration at the Johor International Convention Centre here, today.
Sultan Ibrahim said he has the rights to replace JCorp chief executive officer, board members and other officials if they failed to perform their duties steadfastly as he was vested with the power and rights as enshrined under the Johor Corporation Enactment No. 4 1968 which did not stipulate that the ruler was interfering in administrative matters.
“But this is to ensure check and balance in the corporation. Moreover, since the appointment of JCorp chairman has been vested in the mentri besar, the appointment of the CEO must be free from political stranglehold so that the appointee will not be subservient only to the mentri besar,” he said.
Sultan Ibrahim asserted that he did not want what had embroiled in several federal government companies to happen in Johor.
“Let’s look at what had happened in some federal companies where the appointment of chief executives was made on a political basis. Hence, the CEOs were forced to toe the line to serve political interest and disregard the interests of the government and the people, as the saying goes ‘lembu di cucuk hidung’ (blindly obeying orders),” he said.
Sultan Ibrahim also wanted JCorp to focus on efforts to assist the government in carrying out property development tailored to the needs of the community, especially affordable housing for the people.
In fact, JCorp should not overemphasise profit like private developers, he said, adding that for example, if the government were to alienate land to JCorp land at low rates, it should offer lower house prices than that of private developers.
He hoped that the “Rumah Impian Bangsa Johor” project undertaken by JCorp could be expanded to other areas in order to provide each family with the opportunity to own their own homes.
At the event, Sultan Ibrahim also launched JCorp’s new logo. Present were the Permaisuri of Johor Raja Zarith Sofiah Almarhum Sultan Idris Shah, Tunku Panglima of Johor Tunku Abdul Rahman Sultan Ibrahim, and Tunku Putera of Johor Tunku Abu Bakar Sultan Ibrahim. — Bernama
