(May 1): Johor must push for a higher rate of automation, adoption of new technologies as well as higher wages across the board to capitalise on the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), Deputy Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Liew Chin Tong said.

There is little point in complaining about Malaysian firms losing workers to Singapore. Instead, local companies should create more quality jobs with better pay for Malaysian workers, he said in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

Liew, who is also Iskandar Putri member of Parliament, said JS-SEZ is part of efforts by the federal government to create new developmental impetus in Johor.

“Johor is at the forefront of Malaysia’s national economic takeoff. The world has shifted its attention towards Southeast Asia and Malaysia is the lynchpin in Southeast Asia.

“Within Malaysia, Johor is the second economic capital in the making, like Osaka to Japan, Melbourne to Australia and Busan to South Korea,” he said.

However, he said investments alone are not enough and efforts must be expanded to improve wages, productivity and technology adoption.

“Investments, whether domestic or foreign, are brought in because we want to create better jobs with better pay, and to create stronger Malaysian businesses and industrial capabilities,” he said.

He said the country, in general, needs to move away from the vicious cycle of low pay, low productivity and low adoption of technology.

“We should instead be in the virtuous cycle of higher wage, higher productivity and higher adoption of technology,” he added.

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