Johor: An Oasis of Stability in a (Dis)Orderly World?

MALAYSIA STUDIES PROGRAMME SEMINAR

About the Seminar

Following the historic May 2018 elections that some would see as a mini-revolution, Malaysia has had to navigate some turbulent economic headwinds. These include the Sino-US trade conflict, uncertainty caused by Brexit, as well as pockets of geopolitical tension and the impact of climate change. Domestically, in addition to needing to continue with fiscal consolidation, as well as enact productivity-enhancing reforms to fully embrace Industry 4.0, the Malaysian government is still in a period of transition.

With this as a backdrop, this seminar will look at the state of Johor’s economy, as well as emerging opportunities for investment and growth in the state. This includes planned strategies and investments arising from the 2020 budget speech for Malaysia and Johor, as well as high-impact, niche areas that may require foreign capital for expansion or take-off.

The seminar will then look at the strategy for investment and business development of JCorp, the Johor state government’s investment arm. Long active in residential and industrial real estate, agri-business, logistics, and fast food, and with investments in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific, JCorp is seeking to deepen its capabilities. This includes further developing its network of industrial parks, as well as moving into new sectors such as ecotourism and adventure park management.

The discussion will end by looking into what it would take for Malaysia and Johor to achieve their ambition of attaining high income status.

About the Speaker

Azrul Azwar Ahmad Tajudin is a Malay College Kuala Kangsar alumnus and a graduate from the Université d’Orléans, France with a B.Sc. in Economics and MSc. in Finance. He is an economist by training with more than 20 years of experience in economics, financial markets, and Islamic finance. Prior to his employment at Johor Corporation as its Chief Economist, he was attached, mostly as economist/analyst, to the Selangor Menteri Besar’s Office, Institut Rakyat, Bank Islam Malaysia Berhad, Sime Darby Berhad, the Islamic Financial Services Board (IFSB), MIDF Berhad and a handful of other domestic financial institutions. 

Registration

For registration, please click here. Registration closes on 21 November 2019.