ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ) has the potential to surpass its RM2 billion investment target this year, following the positive response received since its introduction.
In a statement, Forest City said that to date, the Malaysia Investment Facilitation Centre in Johor (IMFC-J) has received 260 inquiries from potential investors, mostly domestic, across the financial services, business, and single family office sectors.
It said Invest Johor, the state’s main investment agency, acknowledged that most investors are taking a medium to long-term approach given the scale and strategic position of Forest City SFZ within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ)
Invest Johor CEO Natazha Harris told Forest City that while not all inquiries have resulted in investments, several companies are in the final stages of negotiations and conducting feasibility studies.
"The value of potential investments under discussion is estimated to reach into the billions of ringgit, particularly in financial services, digital economy, green technology and high-value services,” he said.
Natazha noted that more companies involved in financial technology, wealth management, regional business services and smart city technologies are showing interest in exploring opportunities in Forest City SFZ.
He said the SFZ's strategic proximity to Singapore, competitive operating costs and the opportunity to leverage Malaysia’s position in the regional digital and financial ecosystem are among the main factors attracting investor interest.
"Renewable energy, carbon management and sustainable urban development are also gaining more attention, especially as global investors now place greater emphasis on environmental, social and governance factors,” he said.
Natazha, who has also played a role in Johor’s economic transformation, said investors now view the area not merely as a property development project but in a broader, more strategic economic context.
He added that the federal and state governments have strengthened investor confidence through various incentives, facilitation mechanisms and increasingly close Malaysia-Singapore economic cooperation.
"Although there are challenges, the shift in narrative from property-driven development to a future-oriented financial and digital economic hub is receiving growing attention and confidence from investors and industry players,” he said. - Bernama
