PONTIAN (Nov 11): The government will establish a new economic corridor in Johor that will encourage development while giving a boost to economic activities in small districts in the state, beginning next year.

Economic Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Azmin Ali said he was briefed on the proposal yesterday and would present it to the Economic Action Council (EAC) and Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

“We will create new nucleus of development to develop the small towns, up till Johor.

“As I mentioned earlier, we do not want the development to be concentrated only in the Klang Valley or in the cities but these small districts need the government’s attention to be developed too as it can benefit the people,” he told reporters here, yesterday.

He said this after attending the ‘Sembang Santai Mesra Harapan’ with the residents of Kampung Bakar Arang, here, which was also attended by Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) vice-president Datuk Mahfuz Omar and Pakatan Harapan (PH) candidate for the Tanjung Piai parliamentary by-election Karmaine Sardini.

Mohamed Azmin, who is also PKR deputy president, said the new economic corridor was a long-term plan that could extend beyond 10 years, to ensure rapid economic growth.

He said, currently, development could be seen in coastal areas such as Muar and Batu Pahat and he wanted to see similar development in rural areas.

“The number of towns to be developed is still being discussed and I think Tanjung Piai will not be excluded,” he said.

On the Tanjung Piai development plan as proposed by Home Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Mohamed Azmin said he had taken note of the matter and the proposed plan would be examined at the ministry and EAC levels.

He added as of now, about RM20 million allocation had been approved for the development in the Tanjung Piai parliamentary constituency, and the amount was approved during former Tanjung Piai MP, the late Datuk Dr Md Farid Md Rafik’s tenure.

News Source: EdgeProp, 11th November 2019.