KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 13 — Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia have begun discussions on trilateral cooperation under the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), said Investment, Trade and Industry Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz.
He said that during a meeting with Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and Industry Gan Kim Yong, and Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Airlangga Hartarto at the recent ASEAN Summit, the three parties agreed to study the idea in greater detail before moving to formal discussions.
“Senior officials from all three countries will now examine the opportunity in depth. While the concept has been discussed before, this will be the first time it is being studied comprehensively,” he said at a press conference after presenting MITI’s report card for the third quarter of 2025.
He noted that the JS-SEZ has already seen positive development and that expanding it trilaterally could bring significant benefits, but emphasised that careful analysis is needed first.
“Logically, it should be possible. If we expand it, it could bring more advantages, but we need a detailed study before any formal steps,” he said.
On Oct 24, Gan said Singapore is exploring a tripartite collaboration with Malaysia and Indonesia to attract investors and businesses to the JS-SEZ, as well as the Batam, Bintan and Karimun (BBK) islands.
The JS-SEZ is a collaborative initiative between Malaysia and Singapore to boost cross-border economic growth, while the BBK is a special economic region in Indonesia, where Singapore is a major investor.
The JS-SEZ covers major development zones such as Iskandar Malaysia, Forest City, the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex, and Desaru, with a total land area spanning approximately 357,128 hectares.
