BBC Calls For More Structured JS-SEZ Economic Spillover Plan

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 12 (Bernama) -- The MADANI Government Backbenchers Club (BBC) has proposed that the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Investment, Trade and Industry (MITI) consider a more structured economic spillover plan for the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

This is to ensure that other districts in Johor also benefit from investments.

Its chairman, Datuk Seri Dr Zaliha Mustafa, said the effort should include identifying opportunities to link businesses in northern Johor to the growing industrial supply chains, including through local vendor development, strengthening Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET), and developing value-added economic activities based on the strengths of each district.

She said the BBC would also like to obtain clarification on whether the government had mechanisms to measure investment outcomes by district, particularly in terms of the number of jobs created, wage growth and the participation of local micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

“I believe this data is important so that we can identify areas that still require development intervention and ensure that the benefits of economic growth are distributed more equitably,” she said when debating the Supply Bill 2027 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

At the same time, Zaliha, who is also the Member of Parliament for Sekijang, said the BBC is also keen on getting information from the Economy Ministry and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security on the coordination of development in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) with economic opportunities created through the JS-SEZ.

She said the BBC also wanted to know whether a specific plan was being considered to link the agrohub in Segamat to new markets in southern Johor through the JS-SEZ supply chain.

-- BERNAMA