PUTRAJAYA, December 23 – YAB Prime Minister Ismail Sabri chaired a virtual meeting of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) members in Putrajaya today which was also attended by the Co -Chairman, YAB Dato ‘Haji Hasni Mohamad who is also the Menteri Besar of Johor and was attended by several Cabinet Ministers. The meeting was informed that IRDA has embarked on an initiative to develop Mukim Sedenak, located in northern Iskandar Malaysia, to accelerate growth in the area and nearby districts.
Currently, most of the development in Iskandar Malaysia is concentrated in the southern part of Johor Sedenak will be the sixth ‘flagship’ in Iskandar Malaysia after Johor Bahru City Center; Iskandar Puteri; Tanjung Pelepas and Tanjung Bin; Pasir Gudang and Tanjung Langsat and Senai-Skudai. Each ‘flagship’ has its own development focus and Sedenak will focus on the agrotechnology industry; high technology; research and development as well as low carbon activities.
The Sedenak development will also benefit the local community as well as strengthen the access network between Johor and other states. This will contribute towards making Johor a food supplier hub and an international gateway for Malaysia. Iskandar Malaysia has also implemented various initiatives to maintain or improve the income and living standards of those affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout 2021, a total of 5,000 Malaysian Family members in the Iskandar Malaysia region have received assistance in the form of salary matching grants, business start -up grants, training and capacity building.
Through the ‘Iskandar Malaysia Employment Grant’ (IMEG), a total of 252 companies have retained or hired a total of 1,811 new employees including women, the unemployed, the disabled and retirees. Meanwhile, a total of 1,425 entrepreneurs have participated in various training programs while 117 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) have received grants to support their business operations under the Iskandar Malaysia Dynamic Entrepreneur Program. A total of 140 B40 participants participated in the Iskandar Malaysia Urban Farming Program (IMURFARM) and managed to record an average income of RM2,800 per harvest while 730 participants of the IM Makmur program recorded an average income increase of between 25% to 65% through income generation schemes.
IMRENT (rent payment grant), IMSTART (business start-up grant) and IMYES (youth entrepreneur grant) are among the financial assistance and training for certain groups under the inclusive economy agenda in Iskandar Malaysia. For the purpose of further intensifying assistance for the people, IRDA also suggested the need to continue the development of transit homes targeted at people who have just started working, starting a business or family.
Looking at the trend of the current generation who are more interested in renting than buying a house, this home rental scheme allows them to live in safe and affordable housing while they stabilize their resources for a stronger future. The scheme has proven successful through Rumah Iskandar Malaysia, located in Gelang Patah, where almost all 1,500 apartment units have been inhabited and utilized by the people.
The COVID-19 pandemic also continues to put pressure on Iskandar Malaysia’s sustainability agenda and initiatives. Therefore, the IRDA Authority Members agreed for the region to continue and expedite key initiatives such as Iskandar Rapid Transit (IRT), Iskandar Malaysia Urban Observatory (IMUO), Iskandar Malaysia Smart City, Low Carbon Society, Green Community Program and Carbon Reduction and Iskandar Malaysia Ecolife Challenge (IMELC). These initiatives promote a comprehensive approach to sustainability in economic, social and environmental terms.
