No more cheap kopi: The price of Johor’s investment boom
As Malaysia’s southern state transforms into an investment powerhouse, rising rents, traffic and costs test residents’ resilience
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[KUALA LUMPUR] Johor’s transformation into Malaysia’s most dynamic growth corridor – powered by foreign direct investment, data centres and the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) – is coming with a steep price tag.
As capital floods the country’s southern gateway, recalibrating the state’s economy, it is pushing rents and living costs higher for local pockets.
“It’s the price we pay for progress,” remarked Invest Johor chief executive Natazha Harris. These challenges include a higher cost of living, congestion, infrastructure strain and rising housing prices, he said.
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