Plan for wage boost in Johor-S’pore SEZ needs to be backed by mandatory law or incentives: Experts

SINGAPORE – A plan by Johor to encourage highly skilled Malaysians to work in the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) by offering higher salaries is not likely to pan out, unless employers are bound by new regulations or given big financial incentives to pay these pumped-up wages, experts say.

The move to boost salaries in Johor is tied to the government’s plan to attract high-value employers, such as data centres and family offices managing the wealth of the super rich, thereby stemming the flight of skilled workers seeking higher-paying jobs abroad, including in next-door Singapore.