JS-SEZ key to Johor’s rise as regional innovation and investment hub

ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is emerging as a cornerstone of Johor’s transformation into a next-generation regional powerhouse, with the state offering a compelling value proposition to global investors in artificial intelligence (AI), data centres and high-value industries.

Johor Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han said the JS-SEZ, developed in close collaboration with Malaysia’s federal government and Singaporean counterparts, aims to harmonise cross-border regulations, unlock trade flows and ease talent mobility between the two countries.

“This zone will make Johor even more competitive and connected,” he said during closing remarks on the first day of the Nikkei Forum Medini 2025 here today.

He emphasised that Johor is not a passive recipient of federal or foreign policy, but an active agent shaping regional growth through coherent, long-term strategies rooted in clarity, consistency and capacity.

At the heart of this transformation is Medini, a flagship smart city that Lee described as a “public-private innovation lab”, attracting more than RM13 billion in cumulative investments to date in sectors such as healthcare, education, business services and smart infrastructure.

“Medini is more than just real estate, it’s a collaborative innovation platform. Now is the time to shift from dialogue to action through MoUs, pilot projects, and enduring partnerships,” he said.

Lee urged policymakers and institutions to recognise that sustainable, digital nation-building depends on integrated action across technology, energy, environmental, social and governance (ESG) frameworks.

“What we’ve built today reflects on the need for cross-sector coherence. Let us now move from consensus to execution,” he added.

Lee noted that Johor is undergoing a fundamental shift from a traditional industrial base into a next-generation economic powerhouse, driven by policy innovation, infrastructure readiness and investor confidence.

The two-day Nikkei Forum Medini 2025 forms part of broader efforts to position Johor as a regional innovation hub, supporting the JS-SEZ initiative to attract high-quality investments and integrate value chains between Malaysia and Singapore. – Bernama