ISKANDAR PUTERI: The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) stands out globally due to the strong trust and cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore, as well as the zone’s political stability and policy clarity, says Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
“Look at this region, this SEZ. It would not have happened if the two governments, the two systems, do not share common interests in uplifting both countries.
“This is not an ordinary SEZ. You name me any economic zone that involves two countries based on total trust and working together as a team to uplift both societies and countries.
“And therefore I give credit not only to Malaysian leaders in Johor, but also our Singapore friends who have been articulating the support,” the Prime Minister said in his speech during the closing ceremony of the Nikkei Forum here.
While many countries offer better incentives than the JS-SEZ, he pointed out that not many have a politically stable system, a strong coalition, willingness to acknowledge past blunders and commit to clear policies moving forward.
“That is why the JS-SEZ is now known internationally, globally, as a new dynamo, because of this collaboration, infrastructure in place and because it is politically stable with clarity of policies,” he said.
Anwar, who detailed all the wars and turmoil around the world, said that Asean happens to be one of the most peaceful regions in the world which is vibrant and dynamic economically.
He said that trade and investments remain paramount and must be based on the multilateral arrangements.
The Prime Minister described Malaysia’s relationship with China as very close, adding that not many countries could record the visits of China’s President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang within a short span if relations were not extremely close.
“As a trading nation, we need all the investments, support, trading, and transfer of technology that China can offer, as the Japanese have offered for decades in the past,” he added.
