Onn Hafiz claims JS-SEZ master plan does not need S’pore approval

PETALING JAYA: Johor Barisan Nasional chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi has claimed that the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) master plan is a Malaysian government document that does not require Singapore’s approval to be launched.

The Johor menteri besar said the blueprint had gone through the necessary consultation process with the Singapore government, and all that remained was for Putrajaya to launch it.

“What remains is merely its launch by the ministry or at an event decided by the federal government.

“The prime minister’s (Anwar Ibrahim) suggestion that this master plan still needs to be agreed upon at the Leaders’ Retreat, and subsequently require the signatures of the prime ministers from both sides, is inaccurate and misleading,” he said in a statement.

On Wednesday, Onn Hafiz accused the federal government of repeatedly delaying the launch of the JS-SEZ master plan.

In response, economy minister Akmal Nasir said the blueprint was expected to be launched by the fourth quarter of this year.

He said the master plan had been approved by the Cabinet, which decided that the blueprint should be unveiled by the leaders of both Malaysia and Singapore given its significance to bilateral cooperation.

Yesterday, Anwar criticised Onn Hafiz for using the JS-SEZ as campaign material for the Johor state election on July 11, describing the move as “not intelligent”.