PETALING JAYA: Tengku Zafrul Aziz has urged critics not to turn the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) into a platform for political drama, saying the federal government has been doing the work behind the initiative.
In a video on social media, the senior political adviser to the prime minister said the JS-SEZ was a federal government initiative.
He said the federal government secured Singapore’s agreement to move forward together, created the initiative, and attracted investments through the Malaysian Investment Development Authority and related agencies.
“The state does have a role, and we respect its contribution, but do not erase the federal government’s main role simply because of an election,” he said.
Tengku Zafrul said almost RM77 billion in investments had been approved, with 57% already entering the implementation stage.
“So, if you want to know whether the (implementation of the) JS-SEZ is slow or not, don’t look at the drama. Look at the results,” the former investment, trade and industry minister added.
“We are focused on getting the work done.”
Johor menteri besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi had earlier accused the federal government of repeatedly delaying the launch of the JS-SEZ master plan.
Onn Hafiz, the Johor Barisan Nasional chairman, claimed that the master plan was a Malaysian government document and did not require Singapore’s approval for launch.
He said the blueprint had gone through the necessary consultation process with the Singapore government, and all that remained was for Putrajaya to launch it.
Economy minister Akmal Nasir said on July 2 that the JS-SEZ’s development was never stalled simply because the master plan had yet to be launched. He also pointed to a slew of initiatives undertaken by both Putrajaya and the state government, as well as their outcomes.
On July 3, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim criticised Onn Hafiz for using the JS-SEZ as campaign material for the Johor state election, saying it was a “silly” move on the menteri besar’s part.
