Maybank steps up financing push for Johor-Singapore SEZ with RM15 billion pipeline
Investment interest totalling RM5.35 billion to go towards Iskandar region
[KUALA LUMPUR] Maybank is facilitating more than RM15 billion (S$4.7 billion) of investments into the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) through a combination of committed financing and interest from clients.
This underscores its role as a major financial anchor in the cross-border growth corridor.
Malaysia’s largest lender by assets, Maybank said the support comprises around RM10 billion in committed financing and up to RM5.35 billion in investment interest through letters of intent (LOIs) from clients over the next three to 10 years.
These clients span small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), mid-cap companies and multinational corporations involved in priority sectors such as high-value manufacturing, digital services, healthcare, logistics and food security.
As part of its financing roll-out, Maybank has also offered funding totalling RM120 million to five Johor-based companies.
They are electronic manufacturing services provider Cape EMS, construction company Haily Construction, plastic packaging supplier NES Packaging, mechanical and electrical contractor MCH M&E, and precision equipment manufacturer TSH Manufacturing Solution.
A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU
Friday, 8.30 am
Asean Business
Business insights centering on South-east Asia's fast-growing economies.
Maybank also set up its 67th touchpoint in Johor with the launch of its Forest City Service Centre on Monday (Nov 10). It was officiated by the state’s Chief Minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi and the lender’s president and group chief executive officer Khairussaleh Ramli.
Khairussaleh said the bank has spent the last two years collaborating with agencies and regulators in both Malaysia and Singapore to strengthen SME supply chains and attract investments aligned with JS-SEZ priorities.
The latest service centre “reinforces our commitment” to the JS-SEZ and Forest City Special Financial Zone (FCSFZ), he added.
SEE ALSO
“Together with stakeholders, our vision is to position both zones as a gateway to invest and trade in Asean – boosting competitiveness, resilience and regional integration.”
Iskandar receives RM5.35 billion in investment interest
Meanwhile, Maybank has facilitated up to RM5.35 billion in LOIs channelled towards the Iskandar Regional Development Authority.
The lender on Monday said this sum includes RM3 billion in investment interest from Equalbase, a sustainable industrial real estate developer based in Singapore. It plans to expand 2.2 million square feet of green-certified facilities in Senai.
Alpine Renewables and Edible Oils, Centurion Corporation and Thomson Medical Group are also planning projects in the region. Their LOIs come up to RM2.35 billion.
To back these commitments, Maybank is extending financing, advisory and transaction support.
Wealth and halal ecosystem development
Within the FCSFZ, Maybank has stepped up its advisory services to clients establishing single family offices (SFOs) there. Such moves form a key component of the JS-SEZ’s ambition to attract wealth, capital and investment management activity.
Two SFOs – One KL Management and Beach Capital – have already been set up with the bank’s support, with 13 more in the pipeline.
It has also been making moves within the Islamic finance and halal economy segment.
Maybank Islamic is advising Johor-based businesses such as Holiday Inn Johor Bahru and Kopi Rakyat, a food and beverage player, on halal certification. The aim is to enable these companies to scale and access regional markets.
The bank said it continues to receive inquiries from both Malaysian and regional firms seeking to establish halal-certified production bases in the JS-SEZ.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
