Iskandar Malaysia

Iskandar Malaysia
Special economic zone
From top, clockwise: Johor Bahru CBD skyline, Kulai, Sungai Johor Bridge, Pasir Gudang, Iskandar Puteri
Country	Malaysia
State	Johor
Districts	Johor Bahru Kulai Pontian
Government
• Statutory body	Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA)
• Chairman	Anwar Ibrahim
• Chief Executive Officer	Dr. Badrul Hisham Kassim
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,085,546
Time zone	UTC+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)
Website	iskandarmalaysia.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).

www.iskandarmalaysia.com.my | FB/IskandarMalaysiaOfficial

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 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]

Johor

Johor Bahru

Iskandar Puteri

Pasir Gudang

Kulai

Pontian

Johor Bahru

Tampoi

Tebrau

Plentong

Permas Jaya

Iskandar Puteri

Tanjung Pelepas

Skudai

Gelang Patah

Pasir Gudang

Masai

Kulai

Senai

Sedenak

Pekan Nanas

Kukup

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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.

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

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.

• Iskandar Coastal Highway
• Johor Bahru East Coast Highway
• Johor Bahru Eastern Dispersal Link Expressway
• Johor Premium Outlets
• Kota Iskandar
• Larkin Sentral
• Legoland Malaysia Resort
• Senai–Desaru Expressway
• Asia Petroleum Hub
• Tanjung Bin Power Plant
• Iskandar Puteri HSR (shelved)
• Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System
• Forest City
• Princess Cove
• Ibrahim International Business District (IIBD)
• Puteri Harbour
• Iskandar Sentral
• Southkey Mall
• Gerbang Nusajaya
• Educity
• Sunway Iskandar
• Pontian bridge

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]

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

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]

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]

• Cahaya Jauhar
• Economy of Malaysia
• East Coast Economic Region
• Johor Bahru Conurbation
  • Iskandar Puteri
  • Johor Bahru
  • Kota Iskandar
• Malaysia Vision Valley
• Malaysian National Projects
• Ninth Malaysia Plan
• Northern Corridor Economic Region
• Sabah Development Corridor
• Sarawak Corridor of Renewable Energy