JOHOR BAHRU: The West Coast Expressway (WCE) which stretches from Banting, Selangor, to Gelang Patah, Johor, is set to drive economic growth in Johor, especially in the Free Commercial Zone (FCZ).

Johor's State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs, and Human Resources Committee chairman, Lee Ting Han, noted that the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) and Forest City Special Financial Zone (Forest City SFZ) are among the economic initiatives that will benefit directly from the project.

"The positive impact of this project includes increased investment and trade activities in industrial and commercial areas along the WCE route.

"The WCE also improves access between the country's two major ports, namely the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor and Port Klang in Selangor," he told Bernama today.

He added that the highway would facilitate the flow of goods and strengthen supply chains, thus attracting more domestic and foreign investors in the logistics and manufacturing sectors.

On Oct 18, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, while presenting Budget 2025, announced that the Banting-Gelang Patah WCE project would be prioritised next year through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) approach.

Aside from the WCE, other projects utilising the PPP approach are the construction of Sultanah Aminah Hospital 2 in Johor and the Juru-Sungai Dua elevated highway in Penang.

Meanwhile, Johor Truck Operators Association (JTA) president Chai Pei Yoon said that the WCE would improve logistics efficiency and reduce traffic congestion between the capital and the southern region.

She said the project could strengthen the logistics sector cooperation between Malaysia and Singapore, further boosting trade activities between the neighbouring countries.

"JTA hopes that the government will consider the logistics industry's needs in implementing this project to ensure the smooth transportation of goods.

"We believe the WCE project will bring long-term benefits to the logistics sector and the national economy," said Chai.

Currently, the only highway linking Johor to the Klang Valley for road transport, including trucks, buses, cars, and motorcycles, is the North-South Expressway (PLUS), which has been in operation since 1994.