BMCC Visits Members and Stakeholders in Johor – July 2026

As part of BMCC’s ongoing commitment to strengthening business ties and fostering strategic partnerships across Malaysia, the Chamber conducted a series of engagement visits in Johor with key industry leaders, academic institutions, and government agencies. The visit focused on exploring opportunities arising from the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ), deepening relationships with members and stakeholders, and identifying areas for collaboration in investment, talent development, innovation, education, and economic growth. Through these productive discussions, BMCC reaffirmed its role as a trusted connector between the UK and Malaysia, supporting initiatives that drive sustainable business success and regional competitiveness.

BMCC visited Port of Tanjung Pelepas (PTP) and met with Chief Executive Officer Mark Hardiman, alongside Prakash Thurairasasingam, Dr. Wilson Lee Gain Loon, and Sofia Ahmad Shahir, for a strategic discussion on logistics, trade, and talent development.

As one of the region’s leading transhipment hubs, PTP currently handles approximately 14 million TEUs annually and is targeting 16 million TEUs by 2027, supported by a workforce of around 6,500 employees.

Discussions focused on the growing challenge of attracting and retaining skilled talent, particularly given Johor’s proximity to Singapore. Recognising this shared priority, BMCC will continue discussions with PTP’s talent team and the BMCC Talent Network to explore practical solutions and collaborative initiatives.

The meeting also identified opportunities to facilitate connections with multinational companies operating within PTP’s ecosystem, including Marks & Spencer and Unilever, while both parties agreed to continue discussions to explore broader areas of collaboration.

We met with Randy Nickcolas Constantine, General Manager, together with Room Division Manager Sena Meewature Gedara Prabath Chaminda Senavirathe, to explore opportunities for collaboration and strengthen BMCC’s presence within Johor’s growing business community.

The discussion covered potential partnerships in event organisation, with the hotel expressing enthusiasm to host and support future BMCC initiatives in the southern region. Both parties also explored opportunities to expand BMCC’s Johor network through greater engagement with local businesses and stakeholders.

The meeting also highlighted the hotel’s interest in supporting talent development through Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) initiatives for younger students, as well as exploring exclusive seasonal offers and value-added benefits for BMCC members.

BMCC looks forward to developing these opportunities and fostering stronger connections within Johor’s hospitality and tourism sector.

BMCC visited the University of Reading Malaysia and met with Professor May Tan-Mullins, Provost and CEO as well as APVC ASEAN, to discuss opportunities for deeper collaboration between academia and industry.

The university shared plans for the establishment of the Reading-ASEAN Hub, an initiative that will strengthen regional partnerships across research, recruitment, and knowledge exchange. Discussions also explored opportunities to co-organise industry events and facilitate internship placements that connect students with BMCC member companies.

The engagement reflects BMCC’s ongoing commitment to supporting closer collaboration between higher education institutions and industry while strengthening talent development across Malaysia and the wider ASEAN region.

BMCC met with Professor Dennis Wong, Regional Provost and Group CEO (East and Southeast Asia), together with Premila Nair, Chief Operating Officer, to discuss developments within the university and opportunities for future collaboration.

The university shared its continued growth over recent years, with increasing international student participation, particularly from Australia. It also highlighted the strong employability of its graduates, with around 40% typically securing placements within the UK’s National Health Service (NHS), while all eligible applicants in 2026 successfully obtained NHS placements.

Discussions also explored plans to expand beyond medicine into emerging disciplines such as data science and sports science, alongside efforts to establish local housemanship opportunities through collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and Ministry of Health.

BMCC also discussed opportunities to support student internship programmes and strengthen engagement between academia and industry, reinforcing the shared commitment to developing future-ready talent.

BMCC met with the leadership of Invest Johor and the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) to strengthen collaboration in promoting investment, talent development, and business opportunities within Johor.

The engagement served as an opportunity to formally introduce BMCC and its leadership while exploring avenues for collaboration between BMCC members operating in Johor and the state’s investment promotion agencies. Discussions also covered Johor’s broader economic priorities, bilateral trade, and opportunities arising from the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

A key outcome of the meeting was the commitment to begin preparations for a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Johor Talent Development Council (JTDC), focusing on talent development and retention to support the long-term success of the JS-SEZ.

BMCC looks forward to working closely with Invest Johor and its partners to create meaningful opportunities for businesses and strengthen the UK-Malaysia economic partnership.

BMCC visited Forest City for a briefing on the latest developments within the integrated township and emerging opportunities associated with the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

The session provided an overview of Forest City’s status as a Special Financial Zone (SFZ), including incentives such as zero-percent tax structures for family offices and preferential income tax rates for eligible skilled professionals. Discussions also covered the island’s duty-free retail offerings, transport connectivity with Singapore, and current customs and immigration facilitation.

Both parties also explored potential areas for future collaboration, with BMCC looking forward to further discussions as part of its broader Johor engagement and efforts to support investment and business growth within the region.

BMCC met with representatives from the Iskandar Regional Development Authority (IRDA) to discuss investment opportunities and strategic collaboration within the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ).

The meeting provided an overview of IRDA’s investment facilitation services, including strategic coordination with MIDA, one-stop support for statutory approvals, and collaboration with the Invest Malaysia Facilitation Centre Johor (IMFC-J) to streamline investment processes.

IRDA also shared insights into its nine priority economic sectors, including electrical and electronics, logistics and aviation, the digital economy, healthcare, education, tourism, financial and business services, creative industries, and advanced metallurgy. For British businesses considering expansion into Johor, IRDA identified financial services, business services, and healthcare as sectors with particularly strong growth potential within the JS-SEZ.

The engagement reinforces BMCC’s commitment to supporting its members in exploring new opportunities while strengthening bilateral trade and investment between the UK and Malaysia.

BMCC visited Dyson’s Johor campus and met with Sen Meng, General Manager, to gain insights into the company’s continued growth and innovation in Malaysia.

The visit highlighted Dyson Malaysia’s strong focus on home technology products and the remarkable expansion of its research and development capabilities, growing from a 350-square-metre facility to a world-class 35,000-square-metre campus housing 22 specialised testing laboratories.

Discussions also centred on talent attraction and retention, with competition for highly skilled engineers remaining a key challenge as technology companies continue to compete for the same talent pool. The team also reflected on Dyson’s participation in the BMCC Business Excellence Awards, sharing valuable feedback that will help shape future engagement and strengthen the awards programme.

BMCC looks forward to continuing its engagement with Dyson and supporting innovation, talent development, and the UK’s technology ecosystem in Malaysia.