THE Forest City Special Financial Zone (SFZ) is expected to surpass its RM2 bil investment target this year following encouraging investor interest since its establishment.
To date, the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre-Johor (IMFC-J) has received 260 cumulative investor enquiries related to the Forest City SFZ, including 48 enquiries recorded between January and April this year.
The enquiries have primarily come from the financial services, business services and single-family office sectors, with about half originating from domestic investors.
Invest Johor chief executive officer Natazha Harris said many investors were taking a medium- to long-term view of the project, given Forest City’s strategic position within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).
“Based on previous official briefings, IMFC-J has received more than 200 investor enquiries related to the Forest City SFZ since its launch.
“While not all enquiries have translated into confirmed investments, several companies are understood to be in advanced stages of negotiations and feasibility studies,” he said.
According to Natazha, the potential investment value under discussion amounts to several billion ringgit, particularly in sectors such as financial services, the digital economy, green technology and high-value services.
He said investor interest has been strongest in financial services, artificial intelligence, data-driven businesses, family offices, fintech, wealth management, regional business services and smart city technologies.
Renewable energy, carbon management and sustainable urban development are also emerging as key areas of interest as investors place greater emphasis on environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.
Natazha pointed out that Forest City’s location near Singapore, competitive operating costs and access to regional markets have made it increasingly attractive to investors.
He added that investors now view Forest City as part of a broader economic and financial ecosystem rather than solely as a property development project.
“The shift in narrative from a property-centric development to a future-focused financial and digital economy hub is gaining traction among investors and industry players,” he remarked.
Natazha stressed that Forest City is not intended to compete directly with established financial centres such as Singapore, Hong Kong or Dubai.
Instead, it aims to complement these markets by offering lower operating costs, regional connectivity and opportunities for business expansion.
He added that both the Federal and Johor governments have strengthened investor confidence through policy incentives, facilitation measures and closer Malaysia-Singapore economic cooperation under the JS-SEZ framework.
Invest Johor and IMFC-J are also working to further strengthen investor confidence through clearer policy frameworks and streamlined incentive packages under both the SFZ and JS-SEZ initiatives. ‒ June 11, 2026
Main image: Free Malaysia Today
