ISKANDAR PUTERI: The state government tabled the Johor Budget 2025 with a surplus of RM5.12 million at the Johor State Legislative Assembly sitting here today. The budget, themed ‘Maju Johor, Rakyat Sejahtera’, marks the third consecutive surplus budget presented by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi. The state government anticipates a revenue of RM2.005 billion next year, with an expenditure estimate of RM1.999 billion.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, the budget outlines RM1.271 billion for operating expenses and RM728 million for development expenses. Onn Hafiz emphasized that the Johor Budget 2025 is guided by the principle of prioritizing the welfare and well-being of Bangsa Johor. The budget will focus on six thrusts of the Maju Johor agenda, incorporating 244 initiatives.
Johor has achieved record revenue receipts exceeding RM2 billion this year, attributed to collaborations among state and federal agencies. Onn Hafiz expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the federal go
vernment for the RM4.8 billion allocation for Johor’s development expenditure under the Fifth Rolling Plan (2025) of the 12th Malaysia Plan, encompassing 143 new projects and 433 extension projects.
The state’s economy showed a growth of 4.1 percent in 2023, surpassing the national growth rate of 3.6 percent, with a GDP value of RM148.2 billion, up from RM142.4 billion in 2022. Imports increased by 16 percent to RM290 billion, and the total imports and exports were valued at RM561.6 billion, positioning Johor as the second largest contributor to national trade.
The construction sector demonstrated robust growth, with a value of RM17.1 billion compared to RM10.8 billion last year, maintaining a low unemployment rate of 2.3 percent in the third quarter of this year. Over the past two years, Johor attracted investments totaling RM113.7 billion, creating over 35,000 new jobs. The Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ) and Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) initiatives are projected to generate ove
r 100,000 job opportunities.