Germany Eyes Johor As ASEAN Gateway, 70 Business Delegates To Explore JS-SEZ Opportunities
ISKANDAR PUTERI, May 13 (Bernama) -- Johor is increasingly being viewed as a strategic gateway into ASEAN as Germany seeks to diversify global supply chains and expand investment partnerships in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) amid the global supply chain crisis and conflicts in West Asia.
German Ambassador to Malaysia Silke Riecken-Daerr said 70 business delegates would explore business and investment opportunities in the economic zone.
She said the high-level “Team Germany” delegation was in Johor for a two-day joint visit to explore investment conditions in the JS-SEZ.
"As a trading nation, we really have an interest in diversifying our supply chains, forging new partnerships and investment opportunities, and I think Johor is a very good candidate for that," she told reporters after a meeting with Johor Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han at Bangunan Dato Jaafar Muhammad here today.
Also present were Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi and German Ambassador to Singapore Bettina Fanghanel.
Riecken-Daerr and Fanghanel were also accompanied by representatives from the Malaysian-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Singaporean-German Chamber of Commerce, German Business Council Johor, German Centre Singapore, Germany Trade and Invest, as well as representatives from 55 German companies based in Malaysia and Singapore in the joint visit which began today.
Riecken-Daerr said there are currently about 750 German companies operating in Malaysia, including around 90 companies in Johor.
She said the delegation observed growing cross-border interest among German companies based in Singapore to expand their operations into Johor, particularly within the JS-SEZ.
Riecken-Daerr also highlighted Johor’s maritime connectivity, land availability and multilingual skilled workforce as among the factors making the state an attractive investment destination.
Meanwhile, Lee said most of the German companies operating in Johor were in the logistics and chemical industries.
He said the state had also received many high-impact investments from Germany last year, including SICK AG with an investment of over RM1 billion and 2,000 job opportunities.
In this regard, Lee said the meeting with the ambassadors would not only have a great impact in terms of investment, but also cooperation in developing local talent through courses in the oil and gas sector.
He said the collaboration is apt given Germany is one of the world's great powers in terms of industrial strength and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET).
"For now, the focus is on the oil and gas industry, but of course, for advanced manufacturing such as automation, EVs and automotive, where Germany is very strong, we can discuss further to establish collaboration," he said.
-- BERNAMA