KUALA LUMPUR: The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) will be a 'game changer' for Malaysia's economic growth and social strategy with Singapore, says Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar, who chaired a Special Meeting on Johor Development with Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and other ministers today, said the JS-SEZ will also strengthen bilateral ties between both nations.
Commenting on the special meeting, he said this was also done previously with other state governments to hear their views and accord attention to the states' needs and priorities.
"This meeting had studied the status of the implementation of various initiatives to support national economic growth, particularly that of Johor," he wrote in a Facebook post.
He said the meeting discussed suggestions on how to realise the JS-SEZ, which among others aimed to improve cross-border travel, strengthen the business ecosystem and draw new investments.
"The government aims to finalise the JS-SEZ with the Singapore government based on the mutually-agreed timeline.
"This initiative will serve as a game changer for Malaysia's economic growth and social strategy with Singapore, as well as strengthen ties between both countries," he said in a Facebook post.
Anwar said the meeting also touched on developments related to the Forest City Special Financial Zone initiative implementation as well as the creation of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Center Johor (IMFC).
"I also took the opportunity to discuss the problems faced by Johoreans working in Singapore and studied new approaches to simplify cross-border travel from Johor to Singapore.
"The state government's efforts to help the people emerge from hardcore poverty in Johor was also discussed in order to to help the people obtain a better quality of life," he said.