SEGAMAT, July 6 — Johor North must no longer be left behind and should be developed as a key growth corridor for the state, said YB Yuneswaran Ramaraj.
He said that for many years, development in Johor has been heavily concentrated in the southern region, particularly Johor Bahru, while districts in the north such as Segamat, Tangkak and Muar have not enjoyed balanced progress despite contributing to the state’s economy.
According to him, true development should not only be measured by skyscrapers, commercial hubs or GDP figures, but by whether every district benefits from quality jobs, infrastructure, investment inflows, modern transport links and improved living standards.
He noted that many young people from Johor North are still forced to migrate to Johor Bahru, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore in search of better employment opportunities, while local entrepreneurs face high logistics costs that affect competitiveness.
Yuneswaran welcomed the reactivation of the Segamat Inland Port (SIP) by the Ministry of Transport, describing it as a significant step toward strengthening Johor North’s logistics ecosystem. He said the initiative could help reduce transportation costs and improve supply chain efficiency, especially for industries such as furniture manufacturing in Muar and surrounding areas.
However, he stressed that SIP alone is not sufficient, and called for a comprehensive development package for Johor North, including:
- Full operation of the Segamat Inland Port as a national logistics hub
- Completion of flood mitigation projects to support resilience and investment confidence
- Extension and improvement of ETS rail services to Johor Bahru
- Upgrading of key road networks including Tangkak–Segamat routes
- Development of new industrial zones to attract domestic and foreign investors
- More affordable housing projects for young people and middle-income families
- Greater investment in modern agriculture and agro-based industries
- Strengthening value-added agricultural production in Segamat
- Leveraging Segamat’s potential under the East Coast Economic Region (ECER) framework
He said Johor possesses strong fundamentals, including land resources, agricultural output, strategic location, workforce capacity and logistics potential, but requires stronger political will to ensure more balanced development.
“Development in Johor cannot end in Johor Bahru. Johor North must become the next growth engine connecting agriculture, manufacturing, logistics and trade,” he said.
Yuneswaran added that he will continue to bring the voice of Johor North residents to Parliament and relevant ministries to ensure equitable development for all districts in the state.
— MINUTESMY
