Housing, jobs and business support: Johor BN unveils 63-point manifesto ahead of state elections

JOHOR BAHRU: Johor Barisan Nasional (BN) has launched its manifesto for next month’s state assembly elections, laying out a 63-point programme centred on housing access, job creation, business support, and education, with Johor BN chairman Onn Hafiz Ghazi positioning the coalition’s track record in leading the state as the foundation for its promises.

According to Free Malaysia Today (FMT), the manifesto is built around six thrusts: governance, economic development, social safety nets, basic amenities and essential needs, security, cleanliness and environmental sustainability, and youth development.

Housing: Rent deposits and low-income homeownership

Two housing-related pledges stand out. The first is a house rent deposit scheme for those below the age of 35, aimed at helping younger residents meet the upfront costs of securing rented accommodation. This is a common barrier for young workers and families in an environment of rising living costs.

The second is an allocation of RM100 million (S$31 million) to help low-income families build state-subsidised houses on their own land, including on second-generation Felda lots, with the aim of expanding homeownership among those who own land but lack the means to build on it.

Jobs: 200,000 new positions, with Johoreans first

On employment, the manifesto pledges to create 200,000 new high-quality jobs, including 100,000 high-income opportunities specifically for Johoreans. The emphasis on local beneficiaries is a recurring theme in Onn Hafiz’s framing of the manifesto, with the BN chairman explicitly stating that Johor’s economic expansion must translate into better wages, stronger skills development and improved career prospects for residents, with Johoreans remaining the primary beneficiaries of the state’s growth.

This promise is particularly important given Johor’s current situation of rapid development.

With billions in investment flowing into the state through the JS-SEZ, data centres, and hi-tech manufacturing, there is a real risk that high-value jobs created by foreign investment end up filled by workers from outside the state, or outside the country, rather than by Johoreans themselves.

Prioritising local employment not only addresses this concern directly, but also ensures that the economic gains from Johor’s growth are felt on the ground, keeping wages and consumer spending circulating within the local economy rather than flowing out with workers who remit income elsewhere.

Business: Free licences and interest-free financing

To lower the barrier to entry for small businesses, Johor BN pledged to waive first-year licence fees for hawkers and small traders. An additional RM100 million in interest-free micro-financing, to be channelled through collaboration with financial institutions, was also announced to help reduce startup costs for small and micro enterprises.

These upfront costs can be prohibitive for new hawkers and small traders operating on thin margins, and the fee waiver addresses one of the most common early barriers to getting a business off the ground. By removing licence costs in the first year, the policy gives small enterprises breathing room to build a customer base and generate revenue before having to absorb the full cost of operating

Education: RM100 million fund and student incentives

Under education, the coalition pledged RM100 million to a Johor youth education fund aimed at expanding access to higher education, technical and vocational education and training (TVET), and professional certification. The manifesto also committed to continuing the RM200 Johor student incentive for those pursuing studies at public higher education institutions, polytechnics, and community colleges.

Why this matters beyond Johor

For Singapore, a Johor state election is never purely a domestic Malaysian affair. With the JS-SEZ deepening economic integration across the Causeway, the policy direction of whoever governs Johor has growing implications for the cross-border investment and labour landscape that Singapore businesses and commuters operate within.

The manifesto’s emphasis on job creation for Johoreans, particularly high-income roles, reflects an ambition to ensure that the economic benefits of the JS-SEZ and Johor’s data centre and manufacturing boom are felt by local residents rather than absorbed largely by external investors or foreign workers. How that commitment affects international investors who see Johor as one of Southeast Asia’s most-watched economic zones will be one of the key points to watch as the state heads to the polls.

Read also: Malaysia moves to secure Johor’s water future as data centres and industrial growth strain supply