Currency | Malaysian Ringgit (RM or MYR) |
---|---|
Statistics | |
Population | 4.19 million (2024) [1] |
GDP | RM 148.2 billion (2023 [1] ) |
GDP growth | 3.4% (2022/23) |
GDP per capita | RM 41,902 (2023) [1] |
0.404 (2021) [2] | |
0.794 (2022) high [3] | |
Unemployment | 2.4% (2022/23) [4] |
Main industries | Services, manufacturing, agriculture and construction [5] |
External | |
Exports | RM 314.06 billion (2023) [1] |
Export goods | Refined petroleum, integrated circuit boards and electricity and electronics products [6] |
Imports | RM 249.25 billion (2022/23) [1] |
Public finances | |
RM 222.39 million (2020) [7] | |
Revenues | RM 1.804 billion (2023/24) [8] |
Expenses | RM 1.799 billion (2023/24) [8] |
All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars. |
The state of Johor is strategically located in southern Malaysia, bordering one of the regional economic powerhouses Singapore. Johor is the third-largest economy in Malaysia after Selangor and Kuala Lumpur, accounting for 9.6% of the nation's gross domestic product, valued at RM 148.2 billion in 2023. [9] The economy is primarily driven by manufacturing and service sectors, covering almost 80% of the state GDP. [10]
Johor's economic history can be traced back to the early 16th century when it was part of the Malacca Sultanate. Following the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese in 1511, the Sultanate of Johor was established by Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. [11] During this period, Johor became a significant trading hub due to its strategic location along the Straits of Malacca, facilitating trade between the East and the West. [12]
In 1914, Johor became a de facto British protectorate. Thereafter, large-scale agricultural activities were gradually introduced, particularly the cultivation of pepper and gambier, which were highly sought after commodities. Refugee labour from China played a crucial role in developing these plantations. The extension of the railway from the tin and rubber belt of the Malay Peninsula to Singapore in 1919 further integrated Johor into the regional economy. [13] This greatly facilitated the export of agricultural products, particularly rubber, which became a major economic driver in the early 20th century. Following Malaysia's independence in 1957, Johor continued to diversify its economy. The state capital, Johor Bahru, emerged as a regional industrial and commercial center. [14]
Johor is the largest agriculture output contributor at 17.5% in Malaysia. The main agricultural sectors in the state are palm oil plantations, rubber plantations, and produce. Its palm oil plantations cover almost three-quarters of the agricultural land in the state. [15] Johor Plantation Group (JPG) is the leading corporation in the palm oil industry, which owns 55,904 hectares of land and made itss debut on the Malaysian stock market in 2024. [16] [17]
Johor is also the biggest fruit producer in Malaysia, with a total fruit plantation area of 414 km2 (160 sq mi) and total harvesting area of 305 km2 (118 sq mi). There are around 25,000 registered fruit farmers in Johor and the top five most grown fruits are pineapple, durian, white guava, papaya and banana. [18] In 2021, the total production is 736,136 tonnes, including 569,004 tonnes of fruits and 167,174 tonnes of vegetables. [19]
Johor has a relatively vibrant tourism industry, receiving more than 16 million foreign visitors in 2023, with the bulk of them being Singaporeans. [20] Six segments have been identified by the government to be crucial in attracting new tourists, namely ecotourism, sports tourism, medical tourism, education tourism, historical tourism and culinary tourism. [21]
On 11 January 2024, Malaysia's Economy Minister Rafizi Ramli and Singapore's Trade and Industry Minister Gan Kim Yong signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to work on a Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ). [22] One goal of this cooperation is to build one-stop business investment centre, in terms of less administrative procedures for movement of goods and labour and more favourable business incentives. [23] The ongoing construction of the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System would also greatly benefit further interaction of the two countries. [24]
Forest city in Johor has been desingated by the government as a Special Financial Zone, thanks to its geographical proximity to the regional economic powerhouse Singapore. [25] The government gives business-friendly incensives such as tax breaks to promote development of the local financial industry. [26]
Malaysia is a modern concept, created in the second half of the 20th century. However, contemporary Malaysia regards the entire history of Malaya and Borneo, spanning thousands of years back to prehistoric times, as its own history.
The economy of Malaysia is an emerging and developing, upper-middle income, highly industrialised, mixed economy. It ranks the 36th largest in the world in terms of nominal GDP, however, when measured by purchasing power parity, its GDP climbs to the 30th largest. Malaysia is forecasted to have a nominal GDP of nearly half a trillion US$ by the end of 2024. The labour productivity of Malaysian workers is the third highest in ASEAN and significantly higher than Indonesia, Vietnam, and the Philippines.
The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 800 kilometres (500 mi) long and from 65 to 250 km wide, between the Malay Peninsula to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connecting the Andaman Sea and the South China Sea. As the main shipping channel between the Indian and Pacific oceans, it is one of the most important shipping lanes in the world.
Pahang, officially Pahang Darul Makmur with the Arabic honorific Darul Makmur is a sultanate and a federal state of Malaysia. It is the third largest state in the country and the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia, and the ninth most populous. The state occupies the basin of the Pahang River, and a stretch of the east coast as far south as Endau. The state borders the Malaysian states of Kelantan and Terengganu to the north, Perak, Selangor and Negeri Sembilan to the west and Johor to the south, with the South China Sea is to the east. Pahang is separated from the west coast states by the Titiwangsa Mountains that forms a natural divider between the peninsula's east and west coasts from north to south, and from Terengganu in the east by the Pantai Timur Range. The state's highest elevation culminates at Mount Tahan in the eponymous Tahan Range, which is 2,187 metres (7,175 ft) high. Although two thirds of the state is covered by dense rain forest, its central plains are intersected by numerous rivers, and along the coast there is a 32-kilometre (20 mi) wide expanse of alluvial soil that includes the deltas and estuarine plains of the Kuantan, Pahang, Rompin, Endau, and Mersing Rivers.
Selangor, also known by the Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 states of Malaysia. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east, Negeri Sembilan to the south, and the Strait of Malacca to the west. Selangor surrounds the federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, both of which were previously part of it. Selangor has diverse tropical rainforests and an equatorial climate. The state's mountain ranges belong to the Titiwangsa Mountains, which is part of the Tenasserim Hills that covers southern Myanmar, southern Thailand and Peninsular Malaysia, with Mount Semangkok as the highest point in the state.
The Port of Singapore is the collection of facilities and terminals that conduct maritime trade and handle Singapore's harbours and shipping. It has been ranked as the top maritime capital of the world, since 2015. Currently the world's second-busiest port in terms of total shipping tonnage, it also transships a fifth of the world's shipping containers, half of the world's annual supply of crude oil, and is the world's busiest transshipment port. It was also the busiest port in terms of total cargo tonnage handled until 2010, when it was surpassed by the Port of Shanghai.
Malacca City is the capital city of the Malaysian state of Malacca, in Melaka Tengah District. It is the oldest Malaysian city on the Straits of Malacca, having become a successful entrepôt in the era of the Malacca Sultanate. The present-day city was founded by Parameswara, a Sumatran prince who escaped to the Malay Peninsula when Srivijaya fell to the Majapahit. Following the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate, the city drew the attention of traders from the Middle East, South Asia, and East Asia, as well as the Portuguese, who intended to dominate the trade route in Asia. After Malacca was conquered by Portugal, the city became an area of conflict when the sultanates of Aceh and Johor attempted to take control from the Portuguese.
Jasin District, formerly known as Southern District, is one of the three administrative district in Malacca, Malaysia. It borders Tangkak District of Johor to the east, Tampin District of Negeri Sembilan to the north and Alor Gajah District and Melaka Tengah District to the west. The district capital is Jasin Town.
Johor Corporation (JCorp) is Johor’s principal development institution for the State of Johor, Malaysia. Headquartered in Johor Bahru, its operations extend across multiple countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei, Australia, Thailand, Cambodia and Bangladesh.
Pontian District is a district located in southwest part of the Malaysian state of Johor. It borders Batu Pahat and Kluang Districts to the north and Kulai and Johor Bahru Districts to the east.
Melaka Tengah District, formerly known as Central District, is one of the three administrative districts in Malacca, Malaysia. It borders Alor Gajah District to the north and Jasin District to the east. The capital of the state, Malacca City, is located in this district. This district is the major destination of tourists in Malacca as most historical spots are situated within it.
Malaysia–Netherlands relations refers to interstate relations of Malaysia and the Netherlands. Netherlands has an embassy in Kuala Lumpur, and Malaysia has an embassy in The Hague.
Malaysia–Singapore relations refers to the bilateral relations between Malaysia and the Republic of Singapore, after the expulsion of Singapore from Malaysia in 1965. Singapore has a high commission in Kuala Lumpur and a consulate general in Johor Bahru, while Malaysia has a high commission in Singapore. Both countries are full members of the Commonwealth of Nations and ASEAN.
Johor is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. It borders with Pahang, Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the north. Johor has maritime borders with Singapore to the south and Indonesia to the east and west. As of 2023, the state's population is 4.09 million, making it the second most populous state in Malaysia, after Selangor. Johor Bahru is the capital city and the economic centre of the state, Kota Iskandar is the state administrative centre and Muar serves as the royal capital.
Malacca, officially the Historic State of Malacca, is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, facing the Strait of Malacca. The state is bordered by Negeri Sembilan to the north and west and Johor to the south. The exclave of Tanjung Tuan also borders Negeri Sembilan to the north. Its capital is Malacca City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 7 July 2008.
Since its formation in 1963, Malaysia's economic performance has been one of Asia's best. Real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by an average of 6.5% per year from 1957 to 2005. Performance peaked in the early 1980s through the mid-1990s, as the economy experienced sustained rapid growth averaging almost 8% annually. Malaysia's economy was greatly impacted by the 1997 Asian financial crisis, but recovered.
Kluang, formerly Keluang, is a town in Kluang District, Johor, Malaysia. Kluang was founded in 1915 as the administrative capital of central Johor by the British. It is located in the centre of the state and is within 90 minutes of all major urban areas of Johor. Kluang, combined with Batu Pahat, encompasses central Johor with a market catchment of over 700,000. Over the 20th century, Kluang's economy transitioned from rubber to palm oil and now has some of Malaysia's largest organic farms. The industrial sector has also grown significantly with multinational investment and a critical mass of tile manufacturers enabling the district to be called the 'tile capital of Malaysia'. The organic farming sector has also boosted Kluang as an ecotourism destination with key farms such as Zenxin, UK Agro and Kahang Organic Rice Farm.
The economy of Sarawak is the fourth-largest of the states of Malaysia, making up 9.3% of the Malaysian gross domestic product (GDP) in 2022. Meanwhile, Sarawak is home to 7.9% of the Malaysian population based on the 2020 census.