JLand Group and Eco World International to jointly explore real estate projects in Malaysia and Australia

The Star

23-05-2025

From left: JLand Group managing director Datuk Sr. Akmal Ahmad, JLand Group managing director, property development Zamri Yusof, EcoWorld International Bhd (EWI) president & CEO Datuk Teow Leong Seng and EWI Chairman Cheah Tek Kuang.
KUALA LUMPUR: JLand Group (JLG), the real estate and infrastructure arm of Johor Corp (JCorp), and Eco World International Bhd (EWI) have signed a framework agreement to explore joint real estate development opportunities in Malaysia and Australia.
In a joint statement, the companies said the agreement reflects a shared ambition to unlock strategic value across both markets by leveraging the strengths of two forward-looking development platforms.
The non-binding agreement, signed through JLG Investment Holdings Sdn Bhd, paves the way for both parties to jointly evaluate high-potential projects and explore appropriate partnership structures for sites owned or identified by either side.
JLG has shown interest in EWI's residential site at Macquarie Park, a prime location just 18 kilometres from Sydney's central business district.
Meanwhile, EWI is considering involvement in a proposed 300-acre industrial development within Ibrahim Technopolis (IBTEC), JLG's flagship integrated township in Sedenak, Johor. Situated within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), IBTEC benefits from over RM34bil in committed investments.
JLand Group managing director Datuk Sr Akmal Ahmad said the framework agreement marks the next chapter in the company's deliberate regional growth strategy.
'Macquarie Park presents an opportunity to build on the momentum we've established in Australia, while IBTEC offers a compelling platform for global collaboration here in Johor.
'We remain firmly focused on our core mission to drive high-impact, sustainable development locally, and continue creating investor-ready ecosystems that attract the confidence of listed partners with international reach like EWI. This potential partnership reflects our commitment to scale with the right collaborators who share our long-term vision, values, and execution discipline,' he said in the statement.
EWI president and CEO Datuk Teow Leong Seng said: 'We are equally excited about the opportunity to participate in a strategic development within IBTEC, which is already among the country's most prominent smart and sustainable industrial zones.'
'We look forward to working with JLG to create opportunities that attract high-value industrial players. The framework agreement creates a platform for us to explore how we can pool our combined capabilities, strengths, and resources to capture a larger share of the rapidly growing industrial demand in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and Iskandar Malaysia as a whole,' Teow said.
Should the collaboration progress to formal agreements, it will represent EWI's first entry into Malaysian real estate development, and a continued regional stride for JLG—affirming that the group's formula for integrated, sustainable growth continues to resonate beyond domestic borders.