Hasni: Johor polls a vital pre-condition to continue state's economic growth

Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Hasni Mohammad said the COVID-19 pandemic had affected a major contributor to Johor's economic vitality, namely the close relationship between Johor and Singapore, when the border was closed, apart from the tourism and industrial sectors.

He said Johor has various natural resources and to continue efforts to develop the economy, the state needed to be more careful in formulating the right measures.

"Today we are already in a situation where the signs of recovery are clear... that is why it is not a mistake to hold the state elections," he said on Bernama TV's "Suara Johor" programme today.

Earlier, Hasni said the dissolution of the state legislative assembly (DUN) was needed to get a new mandate from the people of Johor to make it a developed and economically vibrant state.

During the Suara Johor programme, he noted that Johor was a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) with more than 16.7 per cent and the state also recorded the highest foreign investment in the country from 2013 to 2018.

Hasni said the federal government had put in place various efforts to support Johor's economic development, including developing the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex, making the Iskandar region a success through the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA), East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) and the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle (IMT-GT).

Hence, he said it is vital for the state to vigorously develop its economic development and continue to be a major economic contributor not just for Johor but for the country's economy.

"Imagine, at one point, Johor being the southern gateway, the busiest gateway in the world, closed.

"Therefore, it is the responsibility of all parties to see that the economic vibrancy or economic position in Johor is not severely affected by the pandemic through the steps we take in the face of the current situation," he added.

The Menteri Besar said at one point, Johor had 300,000 people commuting to Singapore for work and it made the purchasing power in Johor Bahru City higher than in Kuala Lumpur.

"Johor was advancing rapidly and more infrastructures were needed to meet the needs of development such as water and electricity supply, so everything was running smoothly at some point, this cannot be stopped and must continue.

"So, through the Ibrahim Johor Economic Council, we plan what we need to do, which sector we need to open, which sector we need to focus on, and that is why the idea was born to make Johor a food-producing hub for the nation," he said.

He said looking at the vibrancy of the online business sector, there was an urgent need to immediately continue to equip technology infrastructure, improve communication as well as internet access, hence, the Johor Digital Agenda was formed.

Hasni said there are many local talents and young people from local universities who are capable of succeeding in the robotics sector, drone sector, and digital technology who could be called upon to make the Johor Digital Agenda a success.

"In the face of various challenges, that's what we do. That is why in Ikhtiar Barisan Nasional (BN) (for PRN Johor), we take the term ikhtiar (endeavour), that is because once the mandate is given by the people, we do not wait for anyone, we do not procrastinate.

"Ikhtiar BN is a pragmatic and realistic action plan that we can do and implement once we have decided to form a government," he said.

Hasni said if the BN government were given the mandate by the people, then Johor's economic development efforts would be implemented immediately.

"We don't need to be in the meeting room anymore, we don't need to review what needs to be done, what needs to be implemented, why this is good, why not that, why not this, all that I had completed when I was administering the state," he said.

On March 1, 2022, BN launched Ikhtiar BN Johor, where the party made five offerings to the people in conjunction with the PRN.

It covers economic progress, people's wellbeing, special initiatives for young people, cultivating an administration with integrity, and implementing political reforms.

The Election Commission has set polling day for March 12, while early voting will be on March 8.