Will Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone take off?

June 01, 2025

Dear readers,

Singapore and Malaysia have tried working closely together before – think Iskandar Malaysia, or the Sijori Growth Triangle with Indonesia in 1990. Each initiative came with big ambitions, but ultimately fell short of long-term impact.

The new Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) might just be different, businesses and observers say – not because the challenges have disappeared, but because the stakes, context and approach have shifted.

With its goal of pairing Singapore's strengths in R&D and services with Johor's land and industrial capacity, the JS-SEZ targets the creation of 20,000 skilled jobs and aims to attract a new wave of investment to both sides of the Causeway.

What will it take to make that happen and how is it shaping up so far?

CNA TODAY takes a closer look at how this ambitious cross-border project is shaping up in this week's Big Read.

Yours faithfully,
Yasmine Yahya
Deputy Chief Editor, CNA Digital (TODAY, Lifestyle & Luxury)

Lessons from the past, geopolitical uncertainties can help Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone take off