Johor Bahru: Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) play a vital role in the growth of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), as they stand to gain significantly from the spillover effects, said Minister of Investment, Trade and Industry Tengku Datuk Seri Zafrul Abdul Aziz. He noted that the JS-SEZ, the first cross-border economic zone of its kind, leverages the comparative advantages of both Malaysia and Singapore - particularly through Johor - and serves as a gateway for companies seeking access to the regional market.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Tengku Zafrul emphasized that SMEs can integrate into the broader supply chain ecosystem by supporting both multinational and local companies based in Johor, as well as by tapping opportunities arising from the Singapore side through the JS-SEZ. He assured SMEs of strong government support as they actively participate in the special economic zone.

'We want to see JS-SEZ growing, but that growth must be inclusive,' he said, adding that the government also wants SMEs to access the broader ASEAN market. Tengku Zafrul highlighted that one of Malaysia's key economic priorities as ASEAN chair is to upgrade the ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement (ATIGA) while encouraging greater participation of SMEs and micro-enterprises.

'JS-SEZ is an area or base where you have access to great logistics to support your exports to the ASEAN markets,' he noted. Earlier, Tengku Zafrul witnessed the exchange of two memoranda of understanding (MoUs) - the first between Tanjung Langsat Port (TLP) and Pertamina Energy Terminal (PET), aimed at achieving an annual trading volume of three million tonnes within the newly established JS-SEZ.

The second MoU was exchanged between Maybank Islamic Bhd, Malayan Banking Bhd (Maybank), and Perbadanan Usahawan Johor Sdn Bhd, with the objective of strengthening the local micro-SME ecosystem in line with the JS-SEZ's strategic economic focus. Also present at the forum were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister and Trade and Industry Minister, Gan Kim Yong.