JOHOR BAHRU — Pakatan Harapan (PH) has officially launched its highly anticipated policy manifesto for the upcoming July 11 state election, anchoring its platform on a sweeping macroeconomic transformation designed to position Johor as the “Shenzhen of Southeast Asia”.
The strategic framework explicitly draws inspiration from the rapid historical evolution of Shenzhen, which successfully evolved from a quiet border area into a hyper-dense global technology hub and China’s third most populous city, after decades of trailing behind neighbouring Hong Kong. Under the campaign banner “Johor for All,” the coalition’s platform focuses heavily on structural economic rebalancing, high-value industrialisation, and comprehensive social safety nets.
Engineering a Reverse Brain Drain and Industrial Modernisation
A cornerstone of the coalition’s economic vision is a targeted demographic repatriation programme. PH aims to systematically lure 20,000 highly skilled Malaysian professionals currently working in Singapore back to Johor by 2031 through a curated mix of specialized job placements and high-value entrepreneurship incentives.
To support this talent influx and elevate the domestic market, the manifesto details substantial financial injections into local commerce and the younger workforce,
- Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises – The coalition will allocate a sovereign fund of RM1 billion to help local entrepreneurs launch new ventures, modernise existing businesses through automation, and rapidly expand Johor’s export footprint into the broader ASEAN market.
- Youth and High-Tech Training – A dedicated RM500 million fund has been earmarked for various youth-centric programmes. This includes premium technical and vocational education (TVET), artificial intelligence (AI) training, and digital skills mastery designed to benefit 200,000 young Johoreans while providing free tuition for B40 students.
Through these AI-driven upskilling initiatives, automation, and smart logistics, PH pledges to create 250,000 new, high-paying local jobs, with the ultimate target of raising Johor’s median income by approximately 30% over the next five years. The state’s agricultural backbone will also be modernised to transform Johor into a primary national agrofood producer, while simultaneously boosting downstream sectors like furniture production, the creative economy, tourism, and oil and gas.
Comprehensive Social Welfare and Mass Transit Overhauls
To address immediate cost-of-living pressures, the manifesto introduces an extensive public healthcare safety net, pledging to cover 500,000 Johoreans with up to RM100,000 each in public health insurance. This facility will specifically target individuals within the B40 and M40 income brackets, as well as persons with disabilities (OKU).
The social safety net further extends to young families and working bridges through a series of direct state interventions. PH has committed to building 80,000 affordable homes over the next five years, backed by a scheme giving RM8,000 in downpayment assistance to 50,000 young families alongside easier rent-to-own financing structures. Additionally, the coalition plans to distribute a RM1,000 cash bonus for every child born in the state and establish 250 Madani childcare centres to eliminate barriers keeping women from returning to the active workforce.
The manifesto also addresses the grueling daily commutes endured by the local population. PH plans to fully integrate the state’s internal transport networks with the Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link and the Electric Train Service (ETS), setting a firm administrative goal to slash border crossing wait times by 50%. This logistics overhaul will be reinforced by introducing a dedicated network of RTS feeder buses across critical economic corridors, including Skudai, Kulai, Kempas, and Pasir Gudang—a move projected to directly benefit more than 300,000 Johoreans who commute daily to Singapore for employment. To further ease transit costs domestically, a RM50 monthly public transport pass will be introduced for students, senior citizens, and the disabled.
A Realistic Blueprint for Shared Prosperity
Defending the economic feasibility of the ambitious proposals, coalition leaders stated that the manifesto represents a highly realistic, implementable, and mathematically sound plan tailored to the diverse needs of the state’s population. The state election leadership emphasised that the policy protections cover all segments of society, ranging from families residing in rural Felda settlements to urban industrial workers navigating the daily causeway commute.
“The manifesto’s theme is ‘Johor for All,’ because Johor does not belong to cronies alone,” coalition representatives stated during the unveiling ceremony. “This manifesto is fundamentally about shared prosperity, closing regional wealth gaps, and firmly safeguarding Johor’s long-term economic future.
