By Ying Xian Wong
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia--Malaysia and Singapore are finalizing the "master plan" for a special economic zone that has already netted over $17 billion in investment.
The Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone is proving to be a gold mine so far, drawing in global firms such as Kuehne+Nagel and ResMed with incentives like tax breaks.
It secured $17.31 billion in approved investments in the first nine months of 2025, emerging as a key beneficiary of multinational companies' efforts to diversify amid rising geopolitical tensions.
The zone was formed in January last year to develop high-value industries, letting investors leverage Johor's land and cost advantages alongside Singapore's strong financial services and infrastructure.
Since then, officials have been moving forward with measures to turn the area into a regional tech and business hub.
A key step in the push is finalizing the so-called investment blueprint and masterplan, which Malaysian officials said Friday will be launched in March.
The plan will outline priority sectors and an implementation roadmap, serving as a reference for investors and guiding strategic capital into the zone.
The update came after Malaysia's economy minister, Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir, met Singapore's minister for national development, Chee Hong Tat, to reaffirm their commitment to the partnership.
Write to Ying Xian Wong at yingxian.wong@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
01-30-26 0022ET
