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Iskandar Malaysia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Not to be confused with Iskandar Puteri or Seri Iskandar.
Iskandar Malaysia
Special economic zone
From top, clockwise:
Johor Bahru CBD skyline, Kulai, Sungai Johor Bridge, Pasir Gudang, Iskandar Puteri
CountryMalaysia
StateJohor
DistrictsJohor Bahru
Kulai
Pontian
Government
 • Statutory bodyIskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA)
 • ChairmanAnwar Ibrahim
 • Chief Executive OfficerDr. Badrul Hisham Kassim
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
2,085,546
Time zoneUTC+8 (Malaysian Standard Time)
 • Summer (DST)not applicable
Postcode
79xxx-82xxx, 86xxx
Area codes+607 (07-2, 07-3, 07-5, 07-6, 07-7 and 07-8)
Websiteiskandarmalaysia.com.my

Iskandar Malaysia (Jawi: إسکندر مليسيا), formerly known as Iskandar Development Region (IDR; Malay: Wilayah Pembangunan Iskandar; Jawi: ولايه ڤمباڠونن اسكندر) and South Johor Economic Region (SJER; Malay: Wilayah Ekonomi Johor Selatan; Jawi: ولايه ايكونومي جوهر سلاتن), is the main southern development corridor in Johor, Malaysia. It was established on 8 November 2006.[1]

It is the first economic region established in Malaysia and has been growing rapidly since its inception by optimizing its position within Malaysia’s southernmost state of Johor that is primed with abundant land, natural and human resources, and enriched by a strong and sustainable living environment.

The region’s mission to be the preferred destination to invest, work, live and play focuses on holistic and comprehensive growth, understanding the importance of balancing economic prosperity, quality living and a resilient environment.

Comprehensive Development Plan (CDPiii) Iskandar Malaysia 2022 – 2030 continues to guide the development of Iskandar Malaysia with two main principles, resilience and inclusiveness, and introduces four (4) focus areas which are High-Value Economy, Productive Society, Climate Resilience and Carbon Neutral Region, and Integrated and Liveable City.

There are 5 local authorities within Iskandar Malaysia’s 2,300 sq. km area – Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB), Iskandar Puteri City Council (MBIP), Pasir Gudang City Council (MBPG), Kulai Municipal Council (MPKu) and Pontian Municipal Council (MPPn).

Its generous land area, strategic location and abundant ready infrastructure and resources boosted its 9 promoted sectors which are Electrical & Electronics, Petrochemical and Oleochemical, Food & Agro-Processing, Logistics, Tourism, Creative Industries, Healthcare Services, Education Services, and Financial and Business Services. The region is also home to many international and multi-national brands from around the world, a testament to its many advantages and offerings as an economic corridor.

Iskandar Malaysia is proposed to be part of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). The Special Financial Zone in Forest City is situated within the Iskandar Malaysia area.

The development of Iskandar Malaysia is planned, facilitated and coordinated by Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA).

Investing in Iskandar Malaysia is made faster and smoother through the Iskandar Malaysia Investment Service Centre (IMISC). IMISC is an integral part of the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor’s (IMFC-J) operation which focuses on investments in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

History

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The investment corridor of Iskandar Malaysia (IM)[2] grew out of a 2005 government requested feasibility study by the Khazanah Nasional which found that the development of such a zone would be economically, socially and developmentally beneficial.[3] The National SJER Planning Committee (NSPC), hearing Khazanah's findings, put it in charge of developing a sustainable, holistic approach to development in the region.[3] IM was singled out as among the high-impact developments of the Ninth Malaysia Plan, put into action by the then Prime Minister of Malaysia (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) in March 2006 to cover the period of 2006 to 2010.[4] In November 2006, the Prime Minister, Chief Minister of Johor, Abdul Ghani Othman and Khazanah revealed the Comprehensive Development Plan (CDP).[citation needed]

In 2007, the Malaysia-Singapore Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia (JMCIM) was established to meet annually and review cooperation and developments in IM.[5] During the 16th meeting of the JMCIM on 14 July 2023, it was announced that a task force, led by the Ministry of Trade & Industry from Singapore and Ministry of Economy from Malaysia, would be formed to study the feasibility of setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ).[5] Representatives of the two countries signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) on the SEZ on 11 January 2024.[6][7]

Area

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class=notpageimage|
Local government areas within Iskandar Malaysia

The development region encompasses an area of 2,300 km2 covering Johor Bahru District, Kulai District and part of Pontian District. 5 local government authorities have jurisdiction over the covered area, including Johor Bahru City Council, Iskandar Puteri City Council, Pasir Gudang City Council, Kulai Municipal Council, Pontian Municipal Council.

The population of Iskandar Malaysia is slightly over 2 million in 2020.

Population by local government area

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See also: List of local governments in Malaysia

The population table is based on the official census of 2020 for the local government areas within Iskandar Malaysia.

Local government area Local government body Population
Johor Bahru Johor Bahru City Council 858,118
Iskandar Puteri Iskandar Puteri City Council 575,977
Pasir Gudang Pasir Gudang City Council 312,437
Kulai Kulai Municipal Council 294,156
Pontian Pontian Municipal Council[note 1] 44,858
Iskandar Malaysia 2,085,546

Comprehensive Development Plan

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Comprehensive Development Plan (CDPiii) Iskandar Malaysia 2022 – 2030 continues to guide the development of Iskandar Malaysia with two main principles, resilience and inclusiveness, and introduces four (4) focus areas which are High-Value Economy, Productive Society, Climate Resilience and Carbon Neutral Region, and Integrated and Liveable City.

Major projects 2006-2025

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Transportation

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Air

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Senai International Airport in Senai, Kulai District.

The region is served by Senai International Airport which is located in Senai.[8] Six airlines, AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines, Malindo Air, Jin Air and Xpress Air, provide flights internationally and domestically.[9]

Train

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Johor Bahru Sentral Station in Johor Bahru.

The region consists of Johor Bahru Sentral, Kempas Baru and Kulai Station.[10][11]

Sea

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Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal in Kota Iskandar, Iskandar Puteri.

For cargo ports, the region consists of Johor Port in Pasir Gudang, Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Iskandar Puteri and Port of Tanjung Langsat in Pasir Gudang.

For passenger service boats, the region consists of Johor Bahru International Ferry Terminal in Stulang, Johor Bahru, Kukup International Ferry Terminal in Kukup, Pontian District, Pasir Gudang Ferry Terminal in Pasir Gudang and Puteri Harbour International Ferry Terminal in Kota Iskandar, Iskandar Puteri.[8]

Road

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Larkin Sentral Bus Terminal in Larkin, Johor Bahru.

Iskandar Puteri houses Gelang Patah, GP Sentral, Kota Iskandar, Taman U, Taman Ungku Tun Aminah terminals. Johor Bahru houses JB Sentral, Larkin Sentral, Taman Johor Jaya and Ulu Tiram terminals. Kulai houses Kulai Terminal. Pasir Gudang houses Masai and Pasir Gudang terminal. Pontian houses Pontian Public Transportation Terminal.[12] Grab operates in the city.[13]

The internal roads linking different parts of the region are mostly federal roads constructed and maintained by Malaysian Public Works Department. The five major highways linking the Johor Bahru Central Business District to outlying suburbs are Tebrau Highway and Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway in the northeast, Skudai Highway in the northwest, Iskandar Coastal Highway in the west, and Johor Bahru East Coast Highway in the east.[14] Pasir Gudang Highway and the connecting Johor Bahru Parkway cross Tebrau Highway and Skudai Highway, which serve as the middle ring road of the metropolitan area. The Johor Bahru Inner Ring Road aids in controlling traffic around the city center of Johor Bahru.[14] Access to the national expressway is provided through the North–South Expressway and the Senai–Desaru Expressway. The Johor–Singapore Causeway links the city to Woodlands, Singapore with a six-lane road and a railway line terminating at the Southern Integrated Gateway.[14] The Malaysia–Singapore Second Link, located west of the metropolitan area, was constructed in 1997 to alleviate congestion on the Causeway. It is linked directly to the Second Link Expressway, Johor Bahru Parkway, the railway station, and the North–South Expressway.[8] Further expansion of other major highways in the city were currently ie process.[15]

Iskandar Malaysia Bus Service (BIM) was a joint venture between the Johor State Government and the Iskandar Malaysia Public Transport Corporation (PAIM), under the supervision of the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) that operated 16 routes in 2014.[16]

Route Destination Via Operator
IM01 Larkin - Giant Jalan Suria Utama Maju
IM02 Giant Tampoi - Plaza Angsana - Giant Tampoi Causeway Link
IM03 Taman Ungku Tun Aminah - Bandar Uda Tampoi
IM04 AEON Tebrau - Desa Cemerlang Johor Jaya
IM05 Gelang Patah - Pendas CIQ, Tanjung Kupang
IM06 Bukit Indah - Lima Kedai - Kota Iskandar Maju
IM07 Gelang Patah - Kota Iskandar Medini Causeway Link
IM08 Taman Flora Heights - Today's Market
IM09 Today's Market - Megah Ria - Today's Market
IM10 Taman Sri Skudai - Taman Ungku Tun Aminah S&S
IM11 Taman Senai Utama - Johor Jaya Ulu Tebrau, Ulu Tiram, AEON Tebrau
IM12 Masai - Taman Desa Rakyat Kota Masai Maju
IM13 Kampung Pasir Putih - Masai Pasir Gudang
IM14 Masai - Nusa Damai Bukit Dahlia
IM15 Pasir Gudang - Kota Masai Taman Pasir Putih
IM16 Taman Ungku Tun Aminah - Taman Tampoi Utama Taman Impian Emas, Kempas S&S

See also

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References

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  1. ^ New township planned for Malaysia's Iskandar economic zone Archived 21 September 2014 at the Wayback Machine, Richard High, 4 July 2008, KHL Group
  2. ^ "An Overview of Malaysia's Investment Corridors". 9 April 2021.
  3. ^ a b Iskandar Regional Development Authority & Iskandar Malaysia Information Pack, 23 February 2007, Khazanah Nasional, pg 3, retrieved 3 March 2009
  4. ^ Rancangan Malaysia Kesembilan, Ministry of Information Malaysia, retrieved 4 March 2009
  5. ^ a b "Singapore, Malaysia to study setting up special economic zone in Johor". CNA. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  6. ^ "The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ)". HSBC Business Go. 3 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  7. ^ "Malaysia and Singapore strengthens economic connectivity with Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone". Ministry of Trade and Industry, Singapore. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Simon Richmond; Damian Harper (December 2006). Malaysia, Singapore & Brunei. Ediz. Inglese. Lonely Planet. pp. 247–253. ISBN 978-1-74059-708-1.
  9. ^ "Malaysia's new airline in $1.5bn deal with Bombardier". BBC News. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 17 August 2015.
  10. ^ "From Singapore to KL by train". The Malaysia Site. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  11. ^ "Singapore to Malaysia in just 5 minutes? It's now possible". The Straits Times/Asia News Network. Philippine Daily Inquirer. 5 July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Larkin Bus Terminal". Express Bus Malaysia. Archived from the original on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 29 July 2015.
  13. ^ Daniel Tay (22 August 2014). "Uber secretly arrives in Johor Bahru with free rides in hand". Tech in Asia. Archived from the original on 20 August 2015. Retrieved 20 August 2015.
  14. ^ a b c "Flagship A: Johor Bahru City". Iskandar Regional Development Authority. Iskandar Malaysia. Archived from the original on 27 July 2015. Retrieved 27 July 2015.
  15. ^ "Chapter 15: Urban Linkage System (Section B: Planning and Implementation)" (PDF). Iskandar Malaysia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 July 2015. Retrieved 28 July 2015.
  16. ^ Yumpu.com. "Sistem Perkhidmatan Bas Iskandar Malaysia". yumpu.com (in Indonesian). Retrieved 23 April 2023.
  1. ^ Only Mukim Serkat, Sungai Karang, Jeram Patu and Bandar Pekan Nanas are within the Iskandar Malaysia boundary.
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