Iskandar Malaysia
Benjamin Hasbie, Iskandar Malaysia federal
commissioner
Formerly known as the South Johor Economic Region, Iskandar Malaysia is envisioned as a balanced and sustainable development with a ‘dynamism that will be a new benchmark in the future’.
There are five flagship zones that have been designated as the key focal points for development within the Iskandar Malaysia, namely Johor Bahru City, Nusajaya, Western Gate Development, Eastern Gate Development and Senai-Skudai.
These flagship zones are envisaged to further strengthen the existing economic clusters as well as to diversify and develop targeted growth sectors.
“We plan to effectively address the economic imbalances between urban or city-led and regional development in Southern Johor.
It is designed with investors in mind, with state-of-the art facilities, infrastructure and a one-stop business centre to ensure business transactions for economic growth are seamless and convenient,” said Iskandar Malaysia federal commissioner, Benjamin Hasbie.
The Iskandar Malaysia covers an area of 2,217 sq km and is among the largest single development projects to be undertaken in this region.
Positioned as the emerging metropolis located at the southernmost tip of Peninsular Malaysia, adjacent to the neighbouring city state of Singapore.
Hasbie believed that, “Considering the close proximity of Singaproe and Iskandar Malaysia, one might think of the concept of ‘offshoring’ economic growth, as is the case with Shenzhen and Hong Kong.”
Through complementing one another, by 2025, Iskandar Malaysia was expected to win the greater proportion of global and regional investors’ interest in its aforementioned five development flagships.
The federal commissioner believed that a complementary mixture of brownfield and greenfield developments, which included ‘catalytic and even iconic’ projects were being planned and developed, according to Hasbie.
“This is in line with our Comprehensive Development Plan, which focuses on nine promoted economic clusters and investment sectors,” Hasbie remarked.
He noted that Iskandar Malaysia had concentrated its efforts on the electrical and electronic, petrochemical and oleo-chemical, as well as food and agro-based industries for the manufacturing sector.
On the other hand the service sector saw focus on financial, tourism, education, logistics, healthcare and creative industries.
The key projects within the corridor included the Johor Premium Outlet, MSC Cyberport City.
According to the Iskandar Malaysia website, these projects would lead to economic spin-offs and equal opportunities in employment and business to the surrounding areas.
To add to these projects, Hasbie believed that via the implementation of catalytic projects in Nusajaya and Medini by developers such as UEM Land Holdings Bhd and Iskandar Investment, the authorities had managed to spearhead the rapid development that could be replicated by other development flagships.
Overall, the establishment of corridor developments has spurred greater integration and coordination between the public sector, the private sector and the community in the execution and delivery of projects.