New Straits Times 22 Jun 11;
IT is believed that those who visited Johor Baru five years ago might get lost at the southern gateway if they were to visit it today.
This second biggest city in the peninsula after Kuala Lumpur has undergone a metamorphosis in the past five years. It is probably like Singapore, another red dot city.
Works on the new Coastal Highway connecting Danga Bay and Nusajaya is under way. Once completed, the highway will enhance accessibility to the southwestern part of Johor.
For city folk, the anticipated Eastern Dispersal Link will help ease travel woes from Pandan to the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine checkpoint at the Sultan Iskandar Building.
An EduCity has been planned in Nusajaya and several institutions of higher learning are poised to set up their campus in Iskandar Malaysia.
The Legoland in Nusajaya is scheduled to open next year, while the first Premium Outlet in Southeast Asia will open its door in Kulaijaya by the last quarter of this year.
The Iskandar Malaysia project, launched in 2006, has sparked off many vibrant changes.
"Next year is important in the calendar of this region's growth as many infrastructure projects are scheduled for completion," said Menteri Besar Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman.
Johor Baru member of parliament Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad is confident that more investors, expatriates and Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) programme participants will move to Johor Baru-Iskandar Malaysia.
Skudai assemblyman and Johor DAP chairman Dr Boo Cheng Hau believes there are vast business opportunities for foreigners, too.
Based on the statistics from the Immigration Department, there are 5,289 expatriates living in Johor as of June 15, of whom 4,456 are residing in Johor Baru.
Singaporeans, Japanese, Indians and Filipinos make up the bulk of the expatriates, who are mainly employed in the manufacturing and services sectors.
Most of the MM2H participants favour Johor Baru to Singapore as the cost of living in the southern city is deemed more affordable.
A survey by the London-based ECA International on annual cost of living recently placed Johor Baru as the 37th most expensive city in Asia for expatriates this year, as compared with 41st last year. It is slightly behind Kuala Lumpur, which ranked 33rd, and ahead of George Town, which placed 40th in the ranking.
Johor Baru's immediate neighbour, Singapore, is in sixth position. The republic's ballooning property market and food bills, coupled with inflation and higher currency values, are bitter pills which even the locals find hard to swallow. Some have opted to stay or shop in Johor Baru to cushion the impact.
The Singapore factor has, therefore, raised the competitive edge of Johor Baru. Johoreans know well that the Singapore factor is also the cause of their "suffering", which started when the Singapore dollar started to appreciate in the late 1970s. One had to pay RM1.05 for every S$1.
Most Singaporeans cross the Causeway to spend their money, just like the northerners who like to lavish themselves across the border during the weekends.
On average, about 100,000 people use the Causeway daily, making it the busiest land entry point in the world.
With all the changes taking place, it makes sense that Johor Baru has been re-branded "Iskandar Malaysia". Will there be a name change?
MP Shahrir firmly said: "No way."
Johor Baru was founded in 1855 when the sovereign ruler of Johor, Temenggong Daing Ibrahim, established his administrative headquarters there. It was then known as Tanjung Puteri. His son and successor Temenggong Abu Bakar renamed it Johor Baru in 1866
"History shows that Johor Baru is a royal town and state capital. It is a name that cannot simply be changed or replaced," stressed Shahrir.
"Moreover, Iskandar Malaysia encompasses areas beyond Johor Baru, such as Senai, Pasir Gudang, Nusajaya and parts of Pontian."
