Johor's food & rental prices rising due to 'thousands' of S'poreans grocery shopping at JB: Johor chief minister

The chief minister of Johor shared that tackling inflation will be a key focus for the state after noting the increase in the cost of living.

According to The Star, Chief Minister Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said that the cost of living, especially in Johor Bahru, has increased for the locals compared to other parts of Malaysia.

He noted that prices of food and rental prices are going up, adding that thousands of Singaporeans cross the border into Malaysia, especially over the weekends, to do their grocery shopping.

"For example, a plate of nasi lemak with fried chicken here is around RM9 (S$2.71) , which the same dish in Kuala Lumpur costs only RM7 (S$2.11).

That clearly shows Johor is becoming more expensive."

A developer also told Onn Hafiz that his housing project of about 300 units was completely sold out, showing that properties there were "selling like hotcakes."

"But at the same time, property prices in Johor are either rising or already higher than some in Singapore. We need to develop more affordable housing so that locals still have a chance to own a home," he said.

Onn Hafiz added that his administration is working on a mechanism to tackle inflation without stopping growth, Malay Mail reported.

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