KUALA LUMPUR – The Johor government has dismissed speculation that a casino will be built in Forest City, Johor Bahru, as well as its participation in any discussion surrounding it.
Instead, Johor Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said the city will boost the state’s economy through the Special Finance Zone (SFZ) and Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone’s (JS-SEZ) development.
He added that the reports were laced with elements of sabotage and ill-intent, aimed at tarnishing the reputation of both Forest City and the state.
“As mentioned before, the Johor government is confident that Forest City will give a breath of fresh air and that economic activity will boom with the development of the SFZ and JS-SEZ,” he said in a statement today.
“The state government, with the federal government’s support, is striving to stimulate and improve Johor’s economy to provide a positive impact for the state, such as quality and highly skilled job opportunities.”
Onn Hafiz said the state government never received an invitation to discuss the matter, let alone attend or be involved in one.
He added that Johor had a long-standing stance against casinos, as several have shut down since past state rulers’ administrations.
“History proved that since the reign of the late Sultan Sir Ibrahim, three casinos in Johor have shut down.
“Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim also ruled that he would not allow the opening of any casino in Johor. This clearly shows Johor’s stance on this matter.”
Yesterday, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said Putrajaya would not approve any licence for a casino in Forest City.
Earlier today, Berjaya Corporation Bhd executive chairman Tan Sri Vincent Tan also denied claims that he participated in discussions about a possible casino in Forest City.
He also refuted “inaccurate claims” in the articles published by Bloomberg LP and The Edge Singapore yesterday.
Bloomberg’s report said Anwar had met Tan and the Genting Group’s Tan Sri Lim Kok Thay last week to discuss opening a casino in Forest City, which is said to be struggling to attract property buyers and investors.
Citing unnamed sources familiar with the talks, Bloomberg also said a representative of Sultan Ibrahim was also present, as he is a shareholder in the joint venture with Chinese firm Country Garden as Forest City’s master developer.
The US$100 billion (RM480 billion) project, which began in 2006, has been dubbed a “white elephant” by some media.
In August last year, Anwar said Forest City would be made into an SFZ. Along with the JS-SEZ, he said it would give Malaysia a competitive advantage in attracting foreign investments. – April 26, 2024