JOHOR Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi said a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Malaysia and Singapore on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JSSEX) would be signed on January 11.

At the Johor assembly today, he said the JSSEZ and Special Finance Zone in Forest City have catalysed state development, prioritising sectors that spur economic growth.

“The state government hopes an agreement to usher in the next stage of the JSSEX can be sealed no later than six months from January 11, and implementation (will start) at the beginning of 2025,” he said when presenting Johor’s Budget 2024.

At the 10th Singapore-Malaysia Leaders’ Retreat in the republic last month, the two countries reportedly conducted a feasibility study for strengthening the JSSEZ ecosystem.

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the two countries were set to ink the MOU on the results of the feasibility study by early next year.

Onn Hafiz said the Singapore-Malaysia high-speed railway (HSR) and light rail transit (LRT) have to be implemented immediately to complete the ecosystem as a main investment destination.

“I hope the federal government can give attention to the application (for the HSR and LRT),” he said.

Malaysia and Singapore agreed to carry out the project in 2013, and signed the MOU for the HSR in 2016.

However, in 2018, construction was postponed to December 2020.

Construction was suspended in January 2021 after the countries failed to reach an agreement on some amendments.

On May 11, Transport Minister Anthony Loke reportedly said the government was examining the proposal to activate the HSR project involving private investment. – Bernama, November 23, 2023.