00:01Two days, 10 sessions, more than 20 influential speakers from across Asia.
00:07This was the Nikkei Forum Medini 2025 held here in Johor that brought global attention
00:13to the state's growing role in the region's economic future.
00:16Held in Sunway City, Iskandaputri, the forum revolved around one key idea,
00:21positioning Johor through the Johor Singapore Special Economic Zone
00:25as a launchpad for innovation, investment and cross-border growth.
00:29A major theme was Johor's competitiveness as a business location,
00:34offering geopolitical stability, lower costs, strategic access and scalable infrastructure.
00:40I think naturally because of the location,
00:43because of the strong relationship between Malaysia and Singapore with all the nations.
00:50We are friends with everybody.
00:53So I think we are in a very good position to capitalize on this.
01:00However, for long-term investors, stability remains just as important as incentives.
01:06The need for consistent, transparent policy making was a recurring point,
01:10especially in light of recent political shifts.
01:12We, as a business, as a member of the business community,
01:16we like to see continuity in policy.
01:19And again, especially as an infrastructure company, right,
01:22our investments are long-term.
01:24So clarity and also continuity of policy, very, very important.
01:31The forum also highlighted growing Japanese engagement in Johor's development.
01:37Japan's Ambassador Noriyuki Shikata pledged support in areas like AI-powered traffic systems
01:43and low-emission cooling technologies for data centers,
01:46part of a broader push to position Johor as a regional technology hub.
01:50That commitment was formalized through a new memorandum of understanding
01:55between Invest Johor and Tokyo-listed tech firm Neo Japan Inc.
02:00The partnership will see the creation of a Southeast Asia center of excellence
02:04set to train 1,000 digital talents and create 300 high-skilled jobs within the zone.
02:10With support from both local and international partners,
02:13Johor is steadily laying the groundwork to become a leading note
02:16in Southeast Asia's next wave of sustainable and innovation-led growth.
02:21Dhanush Rajariza, FMT.
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