Johor Drafting Measures To Tackle Rising Food, Transport And Housing Costs

KULAI, July 18 (Bernama) -- The Johor government is formulating mitigation measures to address rising food, transportation and housing costs, particularly in Johor Bahru.

State Investment, Trade, Consumer Affairs and Human Resources Committee chairman Lee Ting Han said a discussion on the matter was held today with the relevant state executive councillors.

The meeting also touched on efforts to improve public transportation services and expand the Muafakat Johor bus network, while seeking ways to ease the people’s financial burden.

“We take note of public concerns raised during on-the-ground engagement and through social media. The people of Johor are worried about what’s to come, given the state’s rapid economic growth.

“So, how do we ensure that people can benefit from this growth, so that everyone, especially the younger generation, chooses to remain in Johor and has access to promising career prospects? These are some of the challenges we must address,” he told a press conference after attending the SIRIM Silaturasa 2025 event at the SIRIM Johor office here today.

He was commenting on a recent statement by Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi, who said that Johor Bahru’s cost of living had surpassed that of several other major Malaysian cities.

Lee said that supply and demand are among the factors contributing to the rising costs, in addition to the state’s rapid economic growth.

“On housing, we’ve received feedback that rental rates are quite high. As announced by the Menteri Besar, we will accelerate the construction of affordable housing.

“Initially, we aimed to build 30,000 units by 2030, but the Menteri Besar has raised the target to 100,000 units by that time. We are now making plans to meet this target,” he said.

Lee said Onn Hafiz is expected to announce initiatives addressing these concerns in the upcoming Johor Budget 2026, scheduled in November.

-- BERNAMA