Johor looking to Shenzhen for economic inspiration, says MB

ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor is looking at Shenzhen, China for inspiration on economic transformation, says Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

“My team and I were in Shenzhen in March and one of the things I learned there was about its growth and how it gets things done.

“There is a saying in Shenzhen that goes, 'in order to achieve extraordinary results, do things the extraordinary way' – and that is what we are trying to do in Johor,” he said in his speech at the opening of Ray Tech (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd here on Thursday (April 25).

The company is a subsidiary of Unicomp Technology China and is involved in X-ray assembly.

Onn Hafiz said Johor is aiming to expand just like Shenzhen, and added that the two share many similarities.

“In terms of geographical location and size, (the two are similar). Shenzhen is near Hong Kong while we are very close to Singapore.

“In regard to the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), we are working towards finalising the agreement's terms, and expect to sign it by the end of this year,” he added.

Onn Hafiz said that through JS-SEZ, the government wants to establish ease of doing business in the state and faster movement between Johor and Singapore.

He added that the government was also looking at introducing incentives for corporate and personal tax.

“The future is bright for Johor as in addition to the JS-SEZ, the Special Financial Zone (SFZ) is also happening as we speak. There are also ongoing and upcoming infrastructure projects here.

“Among them is the Rapid Transit System Link (RTS) which will be completed by the end of 2026. Some 10,000 people can travel between Johor and Singapore on an hourly basis,” he said.

Onn Hafiz also said that works to expand the North-South Expressway connecting Johor Baru and Kuala Lumpur from four lanes to six would begin very soon.