RM80bil JS-SEZ tech hub to yield 10,000 jobs

Caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi (third from right) officiating the Johor Tech Smart City. Looking on is Genting Property executive chairman Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay (second from right), its chief executive officer Datuk Indera Lim Keong Hui (right), caretaker Johor investment, trade, consumer affairs and human resources committee chairman Lee Ting Han (second from left), Johor state financial officer Datuk Mohd. Noorazam Osman (left) and Johor investment and economic advisor Datuk Seri Hasni Mohammad (third from left). — THOMAS YONG/The Star

KULAI: The Johor Tech Smart City is expected to create some 10,000 job opportunities, says caretaker Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi.

He said the landmark development, located within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), marks a significant milestone in Johor’s efforts to become a developed state.

“Once the project is completed, it will require a workforce of 10,000 and to facilitate that, we have the Johor Talent Develop­ment Council.

“This is where all federal and state agencies, universities, and technical and vocational education and training institutions come together to ensure that ­talent is not a problem in Johor,” he said in his speech during the launch of the smart city here yesterday.

He said the project, developed by Genting Property, is expected to create job opportunities in ­various fields, especially artificial intelligence (AI) and smart agriculture.

Onn Hafiz said he hopes the spillover effects of the project will also benefit local SMEs.

“Through the ecosystem that you are building in Johor, you must ensure that SMEs here ­prosper even as companies from China enter.

“While we welcome Chinese companies and friends from Singapore, our SMEs cannot be left out,” he said.

The RM80bil mega-project spans 931ha, integrating an AgTech Campus and a Knowledge AI Campus into a singular development focused on future technologies, advanced infrastructure and food security.

The project aims to combine smart farming, AI, advanced infrastructure and sustainable urban planning within a single master-planned development.

Onn Hafiz said the high-impact development is in line with the Maju Johor 2030 agenda, which aims to position the state as a leading hub for investment, technology, innovation, and talent development in the region.

The caretaker Mentri Besar also expressed his hope for Johoreans to give their fullest support to the state government.

“We are only at phase one of where we want to go.

“Whether we enter phase two or achieve the great vision that we have will depend on what Johoreans decide in the weeks to come,” he said.