Johor leads Malaysia with record RM110b in approved investments, outpacing Selangor and Kuala Lumpur

JOHOR BAHRU, March 6 — Johor has recorded the highest investment volume in Malaysia’s history, with an approved investment value of RM110 billion last year, surpassing other states in the country.

Johor Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han said the figure is significant as it also represents 25.77 per cent of the total approved investments in Malaysia for last year.

He said this demonstrates Johor’s role as a key driver of the country’s investment growth and also national development, strengthening the country’s overall economic ecosystem.

“Within this ecosystem, Johor completes the national value chain through its strengths in advanced manufacturing, data centres, logistics, green energy as well as cross-border economic integration.

“Johor’s excellent performance is driven in particular by the growing momentum of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). 

“With the launch of the JS-SEZ Blueprint later this month and the recent introduction of a new incentive framework by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida), Johor is now in a more strategic position to attract high-quality investments from around the world,” he said in a statement today.

Lee, who has been instrumental in Johor’s growth for the past few years, was responding to the latest announcement by the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) today.

He was accompanied by Mida chairman and Senior Political Advisor to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz, who is also the former Investment, Trade and Industry Minister.

During the announcement, Johor’s approved investment value of RM110 billion for last year had surpassed other states such as Selangor at RM83.9 billion, Kuala Lumpur (RM63.3 billion), Penang (RM32.9 billion) and Kedah (RM27.8 billion).

Lee said Johor’s success is no coincidence and is the result of a combination of having the right timing, location and development strategy. 

He said the world is currently undergoing major changes such as the restructuring of global supply chains, the rapid development of the digital economy and the transition to green energy.

“Johor is moving in line with national development policies such as the New Industrial Master Plan 2030 (NIMP 2030), the National Semiconductor Strategy (NSS) and the National Energy Transition Roadmap (NETR).

“At the state level, all these efforts are systematically driven through the Maju Johor agenda and the Johor Economic Transformation Programme, which are the main frameworks to accelerate the state’s economic development,” he said.

Earlier, it was reported that Malaysia recorded RM426.7 billion in approved investments for last year, the highest level ever, up 11 per cent from RM384.4 billion in 2024, reflecting continued growth despite a cautious global climate.

Mida said Malaysia’s performance is anchored in tangible project commitments: 8,390 approved projects across the services, manufacturing, and primary sectors, expected to generate 244,902 new jobs.