No business as usual if opposition wins Johor: Anwar

ARCHIVES 2013

By admin-s On Apr 23, 2013

(Today Online) – Mr Anwar said businesses in Iskandar will have to be “more transparent” and the opposition will “generate interest and participation (in the commercial projects) for the locals”.

Responding to remarks from the Barisan Nasional (BN) camp that the opposition will stymie the progress of the Iskandar region if Johor falls into opposition hands, Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim yesterday dismissed these as scaremongering attempts and reiterated that the opposition wants the Malaysian economy to continue to grow and commitments would be honoured.

However, he said “investors, including (those) from Singapore, cannot assume that business must be as usual” should the special economic zone come under opposition rule. Among other things, he wants more opportunities for Malaysians. Speaking to TODAY while campaigning in Selangor, Mr Anwar said: “The politics of fear is always a tactic of the ruling establishment. Of course, our concern is that the economy continues to grow (and) whatever commitments were given have to be honoured.”

Nevertheless, should the opposition win Johor, there will be changes in policies. Mr Anwar said businesses in Iskandar will have to be “more transparent” and the opposition will “generate interest and participation (in the commercial projects) for the locals”.

“These are issues which will not in any way hinder investment or development,” he said.

Iskandar Malaysia was developed in 2006, and Singapore is the largest single foreign investor there.

According to statistics from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority, Singapore companies have set up more than 300 manufacturing projects there so far. Some Singapore companies have reportedly said that they will adopt a wait-and-see attitude in investing in the Iskandar region, with the elections underway.

Johor is known as a BN fortress. Going into the elections, the ruling coalition held 25 out of 26 parliamentary seats, and 50 out of 56 state seats. But political analysts have said that the opposition could make deeper inroads given the political developments since the last general election in 2008.

In recent weeks, UDA Holdings Chairman Nur Jazlan Mohamed and Malaysian Chinese Association president Chua Soi Lek have warned Johorians that investments worth billions of ringgit received by the Iskandar region and Johor would be stopped if the opposition is voted in.