This Post is Brought to You by Iskandar Regional Development Authority

“For us, 2012 has been an exciting year. I am tempted to say that we have crossed the first bridge.” These are the words of Datuk Ismail Ibrahim, the Chief Executive of Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) in an interview with Bernama on 25 September, and his quiet optimism is something of an understatement.

Ibrahim is the man leading the huge development project that will see an area of Johor three times the size of neighbouring Singapore being transformed into a “mega region,” the largest of its kind in Southeast Asia. Wheels were put in motion back in 2006, and although the project will only reach completion in 2025, this past year has been a particularly remarkable one for the region, with many people discovering that there is much to see and do within Iskandar Malaysia already.

The most recent and hugely anticipated event to draw attention to this 2,217sq km area was the launch and official opening of Legoland Malaysia, the first of its kind in Asia. This international theme park, which opened its door in September, is a serious asset for the country in terms of tourism and entertainment, but is by no means the only milestone reached by the IRDA in 2012.

November will herald the opening of an indoor theme park at Puteri Harbour where children’s favourite animation characters such as Hello Kitty will be on hand to delight the little ones. To cater for the adults, the Johor Premium Outlets, which opened at the tail end of 2011, offers designer goods at unbelievable discount prices and has welcomed a huge surge of excited bargain-hunters during 2012.

April saw a key coastal highway opening up its clear, tarmacked roads to travellers, and the six-lane highway now easily connects Johor Bahru city with Nusajaya, a green-field area in which many of the new development projects are based. One such area of industry is the EduCity, and this international education hub had a great year as Newcastle University Medical School sent its first batch of students off into the world in September, while August saw the arrival of the University of Southampton’s Malaysian campus. In the same month, the opening of the very first overseas campus for the exclusive Marlborough College caused a flurry, especially as the school has been made famous thanks to one of its former students, Kate Middleton, becoming the Duchess of Cambridge earlier this year.

The blossoming EduCity is just one of five flagship areas that will cater for entertainment, lifestyle, health, and work needs, and these combined will create a region that is set to attract residents and investors from all over the globe, as well as delighting the local population.

“Five years ago today,” continues Ibrahim in his Bernama interview, “few people would have believed that Iskandar Malaysia would happen the way it has today.” He is not one to rest on his laurels though, and he goes on to assure the public that the IRDA still have a “lot on our plate.”

His words are supported by the multitude of massive development projects still to come, and the area is set to change still more dramatically in the coming years as the second phase of the project gets into its stride. The 300-bed Gleneagles Medici Hospital, complete with impressive facilities such as a rehabilitation centre, will join the Colombia Asia Hospital in the Medini area of the development. Meanwhile, the entertainment world is buzzing with the prospect of a Malaysian branch of the world-famous Pinewood Studios – home of James Bond and venue for such films as Harry Potter and Sherlock Holmes – coming to the region.

These and many more projects are on the way to turn this area into an extraordinary hub, and with such great infrastructure already in place – an international airport, various ports, townships, and industrial parks fall within Iskandar Malaysia – the region is going to be a huge asset to the country and the generations to come. Not only will the benefits be experienced by the individuals and their families, the economy is going to enjoy the boon too. The investments are pouring in, with the numbers already nearing the RM100 billion mark, heady progress against the RM385 billion aim by 2025.

“Despite the uncertain global outlook and the Euro crisis, we have been doing well and we will leverage on the momentum we have now,” Ismail said. All sights are set are on pushing onwards and upwards, but a moment should be taken to marvel at how far Iskandar Malaysia has already come – and to toast an excellent 2012.

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Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA)
G-01, Block 8, Danga Bay,
Jalan Skudai, 80200 Johor Bahru
Tel: +607.233 3000
Fax: +607.233 3001

Iskandar Service Centre
Tel: +603.2260 6777
Fax: +603.2260 7999
All consultancy and assistance is given free of charge.
Toll Free: 1-800-88-3010
International: +607.218 3010
Email: [email protected]
Web: www.iskandarmalaysia.com.my

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Source: The Expat November 2012

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