ISKANDAR PUTERI, Nov 23 — Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Singapore related to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEX) is scheduled to be signed on Jan 11, 2024.
At the Johor state legislative assembly today, he said the JSSEZ and Special Finance Zone (SFZ) in Forest City have been the catalyst to the state development, besides focusing on sectors that spur economic growth.
“The state government hopes an agreement to usher in the next stage of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone can be sealed no later than six months from Jan 11, and implementation at the beginning of 2025,” he said when presenting the Johor Budget 2024.
At the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in the republic last month, Singapore and Malaysia were reported to have conducted a feasibility study for strengthening the JSSEZ ecosystem.
Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the two countries are expected to ink the MoU related to the results of the feasibility study by early next year.
Onn Hafiz said the high-speed railway (HSR) and light rail transit (LRT) have to be implemented immediately to complete the ecosystem as a main investment destination in the region.
“I hope the federal government can give attention to the application (related to the HSR and LRT),” he said.
Malaysia and Singapore agreed to carry out the project in 2013 and signed the MoU for the HSR project in 2016.
However, construction was postponed in 2018 until December 2020.
Construction was suspended in January 2021 after both countries failed to reach an agreement on some amendments.
On May 11, Transport Minister Anthony Loke reportedly said that the government was examining the proposal papers for the implementation of the HSR project involving private investment.
