Iskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) welcomes the 2023 Johor State Budget tabled yesterday at the State Assembly. Themed ‘Maju Johor: Makmur Bersama Rakyat’ the State Budget presented a surplus budget of RM1.73 billion; an all-inclusive budget for all levels of society.
As a catalytic developer for Iskandar Puteri, IIB has played its role for more than 15 years in developing and successfully delivering signature and iconic projects. IIB has been playing its part in developing the Johor state by providing soft infrastructure through job creation, business opportunities for entrepreneurs, talent development and elevating the quality of life of the people of Iskandar Puteri. The State Budget for 2023 will augur well for IIB in achieving our business goals for our focused core business units, mainly Property Development, Property Investment, Education and Ecosystem Building.
As part of the Maju Johor Agenda, the tabled budget was seen as an inclusive budget for all levels of society. This outlines the state government’s strategy in restoring the country’s economy and empowering the people’s well-being through strengthening the education system, reinforcing the socio-economy, and elevating the standard of living for Johoreans. This coincides with IIB’s aspiration to provide opportunities for all levels of society and promote sustainable development that harmoniously blends heritage and environmental preservation.
The Johor State’s economic situation is once again vibrant during this time of recovery. Despite being plagued by economic uncertainty, Johor continued to show encouraging performance which is reflected by the reports from Menteri Besar, Datuk Onn Hafiz bin Ghazi. The state government’s strategies and initiatives for the upcoming year are comprehensive and address the issues to propel the State’s economic growth.
IIB also lauds the state government’s plans and initiatives to encourage more affordable housing development and the implementation of Fast Lane Approval to facilitate and speed up the approval period for public housing proposals. This is in line with IIB’s plan to create more affordable living in Iskandar Puteri which coincides with the government’s aspiration to provide opportunities for all levels of society to own high-quality and high-value homes at affordable prices. This development is hoped to allow communities of various ages, lifestyles and incomes to have access to facilities, infrastructure within a natural environment. Apart from that, Iskandar Puteri will also benefit from an allocation of RM2.5 million for landscape works and sculpture construction to create pleasant surroundings and improve the quality of life of the community as well as to entice more tourists into the township.
The state government is also giving focus on the younger generation. Initiatives to improve the education ecosystem are being planned through efforts in developing post-pandemic students and increasing the level of competence as well as the development of educators in Johor. Through IIB’s Education Division, EduCity Iskandar, we aspire to be the catalyst that alters the education landscape in Malaysia and we fully support the state government’s initiatives for the generation that represents the future of the nation. We hope that the allocated budget of RM2 million via various initiatives will strengthen the sustainable ecosystem and talent development in Johor.
“The Johor 2023 State Budget provides a balanced and pragmatic approach to the state’s finances, where it fully supports IIB’s efforts towards creating a sustainable future metropolis in Iskandar Puteri”, said Dato’ Idzham Mohd Hashim, President & Chief Executive Officer of Iskandar Investment Berhad.
