Forest City centre eyes 100 firms, with RM200 million minimum investment per company
18 Feb 2025
The Malaysia Investment Facilitation Centre-Johor (IMFC-J) in Forest City, was launched today to streamline investments in Johor and strengthen its position as a regional economic powerhouse.
Backed by the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), Invest Johor and the Malaysian Investment Development Authority (MIDA), the centre aimed to accelerate approvals and attract high-value investors.
His Royal Highness Tunku Ismail, the regent of Johor, officially launched the centre today.
Present were Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi; Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Tengku Abdul Aziz; IRDA chief executive officer Datuk Noorazam Osman, and Invest Johor chief executive officer Natazha Hariss and State Secretary Tan Sri Azmi Rohani.
IMFC-J had received 88 inquiries, resulting in project expansions and new ventures that were expected to take off within a year.
Natazha described the centre as a key platform to tackle investment challenges and enhance investor confidence, besides supporting the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and Forest City’s Special Financial Zone.
He said the focus would be mainly on logistics, manufacturing, financial and business services, health, green economy, food security, tourism, renewable energy, digital economy and education.
The Johor government, through IMFC-J, had targeted to attract 50 companies to invest in the state in five years, and 100 within a decade.
“We hope to attract 50 projects in the first five years, with each company investing a minimum of RM200 million per project,” he said.
The centre is also projected to create 20,000 skilled job opportunities in Forest City, leading to a seven to eight per cent growth in its gross domestic product by 2030.
“IMFC-J aligns with the Johor Super Lane (JSL) framework, designed to further strengthen the state’s investment ecosystem and accelerate economic growth,” Natazha told the New Straits Times today.
“JSL is designed to streamline governance, fast-track business processes, and strengthen Johor’s status as a regional investment hub.
“The super lane will operate through IMFC-J, a one-stop centre for expediting investments and development,” Natazha said, adding that the JSL innovation would enhance the ease of doing business in Johor.
IMFC-J serves as a centralised facilitation hub, streamlining regulatory processes and offering direct investor support.
Located in Forest City, a key component of the Johor Special Financial Zone, the centre plays a critical role in leveraging cross-border economic activities, particularly under the JS-SEZ framework.
Meanwhile, Onn Hafiz said IMFC-J was revolutionising Johor’s investment landscape.
“Previously, project approvals took up to 24 months or more, but now, the process has been streamlined to just 14 months, making it faster, more efficient and highly effective.”
The launch of IMFC-J marked a milestone in reinforcing Johor’s commitment to becoming a key player in the regional economy and signalled the state’s ambition to dominate the global investment arena, he added.
Source: NST
