11/06/2026
๐ฅ๐ ๐ฎ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐ง ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ญ ๐๐ง๐ง๐ฅ๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐ฎ๐ฒ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ฉ๐๐ฆ๐ง๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ก๐ค๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ฆ
The Forest City Special Financial Zone (JS-SFZ) is on track to exceed its RM2 billion investment target this year.
This will be driven by sustained investor interest and growing confidence in Johor's position within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
Invest Johor said the SFZ has recorded 260 cumulative investor enquiries through the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre-Johor (IMFC-J), including 48 enquiries received between January and April this year.
The enquiries span financial institutions, business services and single-family office sectors, with about 50 per cent originating from the domestic market.
Invest Johor Chief Executive Officer, Natazha Hariss said while not all enquiries had yet translated into confirmed investments, several were now at advanced stages of negotiation and feasibility studies.
"Based on previous official briefings, IMFC-J has received more than 200 investor enquiries related to the Forest City SFZ since its launch.
"While not all enquiries have converted into investments at this stage, several companies are in advanced negotiations and feasibility studies," he said.
He added that the total potential investment value under discussion is estimated to involve several billion-ringgit, particularly in financial services, digital economy, green technology and high-value service industries.
Natazha Hariss said investor interest was increasingly broad-based, covering fintech, wealth management, regional business services, artificial intelligence (AI), data-driven industries and smart city technologies.
He added growing traction in renewable energy, carbon management and sustainable urban development, reflected stronger global emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) compliance.
"Renewable energy, carbon management and sustainable urban development are emerging as important sectors as global investors place greater emphasis on ESG considerations," he said.
"Forest City is increasingly being viewed by investors as part of a wider regional economic strategy rather than a standalone property development".
He said both federal and state initiatives, including incentives and improved facilitation mechanisms, had strengthened investor confidence in the SFZ and the broader JS-SEZ framework.
"While challenges remain, the shift in narrative from a property-centric development to a future-focused financial and digital economy hub is gaining traction among investors," he said.
"Forest City was not positioned as a direct competitor to established financial hubs such as Singapore, Dubai or Hong Kong, but rather as a complementary regional centre".
He said its key advantages included lower operating costs, strategic proximity to Singapore, and access to a growing regional talent pool.
"The Forest City SFZ is positioned to cater to companies seeking expansion space, regional operational centres and emerging digital economy opportunities," he added.
Invest Johor and IMFC-J are also working to strengthen investor confidence through clearer policy frameworks and streamlined incentive packages under the SFZ and JS-SEZ initiatives.
