Latest news with #JohorBudget2026
New Straits Times
5 days ago
- Business
- New Straits Times
Johor drafting measures to tackle rising food, transport and housing costs
KULAI: The Johor government is formulating mitigation measures to address rising food, transportation and housing costs, particularly in Johor Baru. State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han said a discussion on the matter was held today with the relevant state executive councillors. The meeting also touched on efforts to improve public transportation services and expand the Muafakat Johor bus network, while seeking ways to ease the people's financial burden. "We take note of public concerns raised during on-the-ground engagement and through social media. "The people of Johor are worried about what's to come, given the state's rapid economic growth. "So, how do we ensure that people can benefit from this growth, so that everyone, especially the younger generation, chooses to remain in Johor and has access to promising career prospects? "These are some of the challenges we must address," he told a press conference after attending the Sirim Silaturasa 2025 event at the Sirim Johor office today. He was commenting on a recent statement by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who said that Johor Bahru's cost of living had surpassed that of several other major Malaysian cities. Lee said that supply and demand are among the factors contributing to the rising costs, in addition to the state's rapid economic growth. "On housing, we've received feedback that rental rates are quite high. "As announced by the menteri besar, we will accelerate the construction of affordable housing. "Initially, we aimed to build 30,000 units by 2030, but the menteri besar has raised the target to 100,000 units by that time. "We are now making plans to meet this target," he said. Lee said Onn Hafiz is expected to announce initiatives addressing these concerns in the upcoming Johor Budget 2026, scheduled in November. – Bernama
The Sun
6 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Johor drafting measures to tackle rising food, transport and housing costs
KULAI: The Johor government is formulating mitigation measures to address rising food, transportation and housing costs, particularly in Johor Bahru. State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han said a discussion on the matter was held today with the relevant state executive councillors. The meeting also touched on efforts to improve public transportation services and expand the Muafakat Johor bus network, while seeking ways to ease the people's financial burden. 'We take note of public concerns raised during on-the-ground engagement and through social media. The people of Johor are worried about what's to come, given the state's rapid economic growth. 'So, how do we ensure that people can benefit from this growth, so that everyone, especially the younger generation, chooses to remain in Johor and has access to promising career prospects? These are some of the challenges we must address,' he told a press conference after attending the SIRIM Silaturasa 2025 event at the SIRIM Johor office here today. He was commenting on a recent statement by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who said that Johor Bahru's cost of living had surpassed that of several other major Malaysian cities. Lee said that supply and demand are among the factors contributing to the rising costs, in addition to the state's rapid economic growth. 'On housing, we've received feedback that rental rates are quite high. As announced by the Menteri Besar, we will accelerate the construction of affordable housing. 'Initially, we aimed to build 30,000 units by 2030, but the Menteri Besar has raised the target to 100,000 units by that time. We are now making plans to meet this target,' he said. Lee said Onn Hafiz is expected to announce initiatives addressing these concerns in the upcoming Johor Budget 2026, scheduled in November. - Bernama
The Star
27-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
Johor reaps success as agri giant
JOHOR BARU: Johor contributed the highest value of agricultural output nationwide, with sales reaching RM27.2bil last year, says a state executive councillor. Johor agriculture, agro-based industry and rural development committee chairman Datuk Zahari Sarip (pic) said the figure was based on the 2024 Agriculture Census presented by the Statistics Department. He said the data was shared during the National Agriculture Exco meeting, which was chaired by Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu in Putrajaya recently. 'The meeting served as an important platform to align key policies and proposals to advance the agricultural and agri-food sector across the country,' he said in a statement yesterday. The Buloh Kasap assemblyman said Johor's strong performance reaffirmed its position as a national agriculture powerhouse and a critical contributor to food production and food security in Malaysia. Zahari also said the state government would remain committed to ensuring that the agriculture sector continues to grow. He added that Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi has repeatedly stressed the need for continuous efforts to boost the sector as a key part of the state's development plan. 'As part of the Johor Budget 2026, we will focus on empowering the target groups involved, such as farmers, livestock breeders, fishermen and agri-entrepreneurs,' he said. Zahari also said that during the meeting, he had raised the importance of food security within the broader framework of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) development. Zahari said food security was a key focus area under the JS-SEZ initiative, adding that efforts would include promoting high-tech agricultural practices. 'Our goal is to scale up the production of quality and competitive agri-food products by embracing innovation and sustainable methods,' he said. In recognition of Johor's role, Zahari said the Agriculture and Food Security Ministry has approved a special allocation of RM23.4mil for the state. 'The funds will be used to implement 20 programmes and agricultural projects throughout 2025, with the aim of accelerating development and improving farmers' livelihoods. 'The state government is grateful for the support and will ensure the effective and smooth implementation of all initiatives under this collaboration,' he said. Zahari also said that he had called for improvements in disaster assistance management, especially for farmers, breeders and fishermen affected by floods and other natural disasters during the meeting. He said that faster aid delivery would enable them to resume affected projects quickly and safeguard their income sources and output capacity. 'The state government will continue giving its full commitment to elevating the agriculture sector in line with the Maju Johor agenda,' he added.
