JOHOR BARU: A special meeting will soon be held between the Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Ministry (KPDN) and the state government to look into ways to further develop Johor’s economy near its border with Singapore and Indonesia.
Its minister Datuk Seri Salahuddin Ayub said that the meeting aims to identify available opportunities for Johor as well as strategic locations that could be developed to boost the state’s economy.
“I will contact the Mentri Besar (Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi) soon so that we can have this meeting in the near future.
“When we look at the situation after the Covid-19 pandemic and even before the pandemic, we can see that there are some small sectors, such as car washes, that are thriving.
“So why not explore other areas that could also be developed?” he said.
He said this at a press conference after handing over “korban” meat (sacrificial meat) to families under his Pulai parliamentary constituency at Bandar Uda Utama here.
“There is also a need to set up a task force so that we could develop the economic prospects and opportunities for Johor in relation to its border with Singapore and also Indonesia.
“We could also have an action plan to realise our potential in this area,” he said.
“Similarly, we will also have engagements with the Sabah and Sarawak governments to develop their border economies, as there is huge potential for these two states once Nusantara (Indonesia’s new national capital) has been developed,” he said.
On a separate matter, Salahuddin said that the ministry had only received one complaint so far about foreigners attempting to buy subsidised RON95 petrol.
“So far this year, the only incident that was reported was the one in Iskandar Puteri recently, but they were not successful in their attempt to get the petrol.
“Our policy is not to allow foreigners to use subsidised petrol and we take this matter very seriously. We will continue to beef up enforcement and monitor the situation,” he said.
On another matter, he also noted that there have not been any reports of a lack of basic goods, including sugar, chicken and eggs, in conjunction with Hari Raya Haji.
“However, if the public comes across such a situation or finds traders failing to adhere to the regulations that have been set, we urge them to make reports to the ministry,” he said.
