JOHOR BAHRU, April 12 — Strong multi-stakeholder collaboration, anchored on a holistic ecosystem approach, is set to accelerate Johor’s economic transformation, particularly through the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
Malaysian Investment Development Authority (Mida) Singapore director T. Vinothan said aligning government, industry players and investors is critical to ensuring the seamless implementation of initiatives across investment, talent and digital transformation.
He said the Johor-Singapore Cooperation Ministerial Committee (JSCMC) has been established to oversee progress and deliverables under the JS-SEZ, supported by dedicated working groups focusing on digitalisation, talent development and ease of doing business.
“These working groups’ main responsibility is to ensure continued progress, including discussions on the relevance of the JS-SEZ over the next five to 10 years.
“The agreement signed with Singapore is not merely an MOU but a functional agreement. I strongly believe proper coordination within our ecosystem is essential to ensure this is not just a policy paper, but an initiative that delivers real results, with growth spread across Malaysia,” he said.
He was speaking during a session titled ‘Catalysing Regional Competitiveness: The JS-SEZ Blueprint for Cross-Border Innovation and Sustainable Industrial Growth’, held in conjunction with the Asia Summit Advanced Innovation & Manufacturing 2026, here.
Also serving as panellists were Johor Corporation chief talent officer Najmie Noordin and Malaysia Digital Economy Corporation (MDEC) Regional Digital Economy Office director Raja Segaran.
In a related development, he said ongoing initiatives such as passport-free QR code clearance systems, streamlined customs processes, and the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, expected to be operational by January 2027 will significantly enhance cross-border movement of people and goods.
He also highlighted the role of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J), a one-stop centre that brings together key decision-makers across ministries and agencies to facilitate investments.
“From January to December last year, IMFC-J handled more than 1,000 enquiries, with about 131 potential projects evaluated, reflecting strong investor interest. The goal is to ensure a seamless investment journey,” he said.
Meanwhile, Najmie said Johor offers a strong value proposition supported by talent availability, proactive leadership and federal-state alignment.
He said Johor produces approximately 35,000 to 36,000 graduates annually, with a significant proportion in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields, including technical and engineering disciplines.
He added that institutions such as Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) continue to play a key role in supplying skilled talent, supported by initiatives under the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC).
“Programmes such as Skills for Johor, with an allocation of about RM20 million this year, focus on upskilling and reskilling the workforce to meet industry needs, with support from training providers including Johor Skills and polytechnics,” he said.
He added that Johor’s diversified economy and growing talent pool provide opportunities for investors to develop and scale their businesses over time, with the state targeting to double its gross domestic product from RM150 billion to RM260 billion by 2030.
“Johor is at a critical juncture, and achieving developed-state status by 2030 will require strong participation from investors and industry players,” he said.
Meanwhile, Raja Segaran said MDEC continues to strengthen collaboration with the private sector, particularly in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence (AI).
He said opportunities for collaboration span the entire AI value chain, including infrastructure, graphics processing units, GPU-as-a-service (GPUaaS), data, foundation models and AI applications, with MDEC also supporting companies as a go-to-market partner.
“MDEC works closely with IMFC-J, Mida and Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) to ensure coordinated investment efforts and value creation for investors, including those from Singapore,” he said. — Bernama
