Semiconductor ‘queen bee’ to potentially create more high-value job opportunities with premium salaries in Johor: Johor chief minister

JOHOR BAHRU: A “queen bee” company from the semiconductor manufacturing industry is said to be entering Johor in the near future, thanks to the attention the Johor–Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) is getting.

Johor chief minister Onn Hafiz Ghazi told Bernama in an interview at his official residence, the Saujana, that when this happens, it will bring an entire semiconductor ecosystem that could potentially help the state “offer more job opportunities” — with companies he described as able to “offer premium salaries.”

Mr Ghazi said salaries in the industry could range between RM10,000 and RM15,000 monthly to experienced workers, though the said roles would also demand a high level of productivity. This, he said, keeps employees satisfied, providing significant economic benefits to locals.

“We are also looking at the computing and information technology (IT) sectors,” he said, adding that these sectors offer attractive salaries to the talent the state government is targeting and have drawn positive interest from investors looking to enter Johor.

The JS-SEZ agreement, signed in January 2025, spans 357,128 hectares across development areas including Iskandar, Forest City, the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex, and Desaru. 

Mr Ghazi said the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) has also received over 1,000 investment enquiries under the JS-SEZ, across sectors such as manufacturing, tourism, data centres, and semiconductors.

When the deal was signed in January last year, the project was expected to create 20,000 skilled jobs over the next ten years. However, Mr Ghazi said they are now looking at about 80,000 job opportunities for locals.

Meanwhile, he said a few hundred small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are already benefitting from the investments and investors entering Johor.

“This is something that we continue to work on, and this is only the beginning,” he said.

He noted, “There are many more efforts we need to make so that the foundation of the JS-SEZ becomes stronger, and one of the key things is to ensure enough talent and to ensure ease of doing business.”

Mr Ghazi added the state government is currently prioritising preparing Johor’s workforce through upskilling and reskilling initiatives such as the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC), Bangsa Johor Pioneer Schools, partnerships with higher education institutions, and upgrades to vocational colleges across the state.

Previously, Johor was behind Selangor and the Federal Territories, but it became Malaysia’s fastest-rising investment hub after attracting RM110 billion in approved investments last year.

“When we talk about Johor’s glory, the time is now,” Mr Ghazi said. /TISG

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