ISKANDAR PUTERI: Johor has rolled out a fresh round of aid and initiatives to help ease the cost of living with a RM138mil injection under Bantuan Kasih Johor (BKJ) Phase Four.
Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the new package would benefit over 600,000 people, including senior citizens, housewives, petty traders and students with disabilities.
He said Johor remained on a strong economic footing despite external challenges, recording the highest investment inflows in the country, creating over 80,000 jobs with a state GDP growth of 6.4%.
“State revenue has also surpassed RM2.6bil, with RM1bil already collected as of April.
“Every increase in state revenue will be returned to the people through high-impact initiatives that can be directly felt,” he said, adding that earlier BKJ phases rolled out over 100 initiatives worth nearly RM400mil.
Among key measures announced was the expansion of the Jualan Kasih Johor programme, with an additional RM30mil allocation, bringing the total to RM45.4mil.
The initiative offers essential goods packages at subsidised prices to benefit over 750,000 households statewide.
Onn Hafiz also highlighted housing assistance under the Perumahan Kasih Johor programme, which was allocated RM137.8mil this year, including cash aid for first-time homebuyers and renters, besides building and repairing houses for the needy.
The Infaq Jumaat Johor programme has also been significantly expanded, with funding increased to RM26.9mil this year.
The initiative implemented weekly at 538 mosques and surau, provides financial support at the community level.
Onn Hafiz pledged to continue strengthening assistance programmes to ensure sustainable development while protecting the well-being of Johoreans.
He also said investor confidence in Johor remained strong despite global economic and geopolitical uncertainties.
He said a recent working visit to China, which followed trips to Shanghai and Beijing last year, showed sustained enthusiasm among companies to expand to Johor, mainly under the “China Plus One” strategy.
“More than 30 companies have expressed interest in expanding their operations in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).”
He said feedback from global logistics company DHL confirmed Johor’s growing appeal, with the firm reportedly completing expansion targets within two years instead of the initially projected 15 years.
Onn Hafiz said the JS-SEZ, a joint initiative between Malaysia and Singapore, was increasingly seen by investors as a potential new engine of growth for South-East Asia.
