Johoreans must work together towards developed state status by 2030, says Onn Hafiz

JOHOR BARU: Johoreans of all races must work together to achieve the state's vision to be developed by 2030, says Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

The Johor Mentri Besar said the Year of the Dragon would be a good year for the state, especially with His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, taking the reign as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

"This year, we have all kinds of plans for Johoreans as we strive to realise our vision of making Johor a developed state by 2030.

"Soon, the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS Link) will be completed, and we will also have a special economic zone (SEZ). These developments will bring positive growth to the state's economy.

"As we work towards the vision, I urge all Johoreans, regardless of race, to come together and contribute towards achieving our goals," he said.

He said this in his speech during the Johor Baru Tiong Hua Association Chinese New Year celebration on Saturday (Feb 10).

State executive councillors Lee Ting Han and Mohd Hairi Mad Shah, the Singapore Consul-General in Johor Baru Jeevan Singh, and the Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Johor Baru Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto were also present.

He added that despite the challenges in the global economy, Johor has been doing well and is growing in strength.

"While we move towards making Johor a developed state, we also do not forget about the welfare of the people.

"As such, we have activated a program to have zero hardcore poor by the end of this year," he said, adding that there are some 2,000 hardcore poor in the state.

On a separate matter, Onn said that the state government will also give its fullest support towards getting the Chingay event a Unesco World Heritage status.

"We have no issues with this and will give our full support towards getting the status," he said.