BY ZAZALI MUSA

Tee (seated left) and Maulizan (seated) with other guests at the Hari Raya open house organised by Tebrau Umno.

ULU TIRAM: Johor will benefit immensely from the High Speed Rail (HSR) project connecting Kuala Lumpur and Singapore when it is up and running by 2026.

State Tourism, Trade and Consumerism committee chairman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said tourism would be one of the economic sectors which could expect a spillover from the project.

He said improvement in connectivity between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore would encourage more people from the Klang Valley and to some extent the northern states of the peninsula to travel to Johor.

“The HSR will bring positive impact to other parts of Johor, including to secondary towns namely Batu Pahat and Muar,’’ Tee said at a Hari Raya open house organised by Tebrau Umno here.

There are three HSR stations in Iskandar Puteri, Batu Pahat and Muar – all in Johor – and Ayer Keroh, Malacca, Negri Sembilan’s Seremban, Bandar Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore’s Jurong East.

He said the direct and indirect economic spillover would not only be created during the construction of the project but also when the project was completed.

“This is in line with the state government’s objective to bring development not only to Iskandar Malaysia in south Johor but also to other areas in the state,’’ added Tee.

He said Batu Pahat and Muar towns, with historical and heritage buildings which have colonial, Malay, Indian and Chinese architectural elements, would attract visitors to the towns.

Tee said Iskandar Puteri, meanwhile, with outdoor and indoor theme parks, shopping complexes and golf courses, would attract not only locals but also foreign visitors.

Meanwhile, Tebrau Umno division chief Datuk Maulizan Bujang, who is also Tiram assemblyman, said there were about 20 traditional villages in the Ulu Tiram area which were in need of basic infrastructure.

He said Ulu Tiram, under the jurisdiction of the Pasir Gudang Municipal Council (MPPG), was unique as it has traditional villages, adding that Ulu Tiram was close to Johor Baru.

“We hope the government and MPPG would consider improving infrastructure in the area and also look into ways to improve traffic flow, especially in Ulu Tiram town,’ said Maulizan.