ISKANDAR PUTERI: Menteri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi detailed the items contained in the state's RM 4.7 billion allocation under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP).
While tabling the 2024 state budget at the state assembly sitting at Bangunan Sultan Ismail today, he said the funds will be channelled towards 368 ongoing projects and 142 new projects, which included the construction of Sultanah Aminah Hospital 2 (HSA2).
The project will resolve the burden in medical services sector in the state capital and alleviate congestion in existing healthcare facilities.
The allocation will also be used to expand the North-South Expressway by adding two additional lanes to the existing four lanes from Sedenak to Simpang Renggam, said Onn Hafiz.
There will also be allocations for the construction of Universiti Sains Islam Malaysia's (USIM) Teaching Hospital Complex in Kota Tinggi and People's Housing Programme in Kluang.
The menteri besar said Johor will establish the country's first artificial intelligence (AI) faculty at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).
Allocation will be channeled to support the transformation of the Pengerang Integrated Petroleum Complex (PIPC) into a hub for chemical and petrochemical sector development, with incentives provided in the form of special tax rates or investment tax allowances.
Onn Hafiz said funds will be spent to further improve Malaysia My Second Home (MM2H) applications' existing conditions and to establish a single national border agency, to streamline entry administrative processes.
He also expressed the state government gratitude to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for the development expenditure allocation of the Rolling Plan 4 (2024) under 12MP.
