Tired of Causeway commute? Let’s find ways to work from Johor instead, candidates urge voters

As the Johor state polls approach, candidates are not only encouraging Singapore-based residents to cast their votes but are also actively campaigning for them to return and work in Johor, aiming to boost the state's economy. The Pakatan Harapan (PH) coalition has outlined a "Return to Johor" initiative in its election manifesto, pledging to offer employment and entrepreneurship benefits to lure back 20,000 Johor professionals currently based overseas and in Singapore within the next five years.

Andrew Chen, PH's incumbent assemblyman for Stulang, believes that while technical details like job incentives and tax benefits can be refined, attracting high-quality investments is crucial for creating high-income jobs. "If the federal and state governments are on the same page, high-income jobs will come from more investors and high-tech industries in Johor," he told The Straits Times.

The daily commute of approximately 300,000 people across the border is largely driven by the favorable exchange rate of the Singapore dollar, which has been worth more than RM3 since 2015. However, this financial advantage comes at the cost of significant time spent traveling, reducing time available for family.

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If the federal and state governments are on the same page, high-income jobs will come from more investors and high-tech industries in Johor.

Warren Yap of Barisan Nasional’s Malaysian Chinese Association supports developing Johor into a place with quality jobs. He has proposed novel remote work ideas, suggesting that certain desk jobs could become work-from-home opportunities. This would allow Malaysians to work in Johor a few days a week while earning a Singaporean salary, potentially with a reduced pay, such as S$1,000 less on a S$4,000 monthly wage.

Boo Wei Han, a candidate for Parti Bersama Malaysia, has personally experienced this return, having moved back to Johor to restart his career after working as a remisier in Singapore for over seven years. While acknowledging his return in 2014 coincided with an opportunity to establish his facilities management business, he highlighted the potential for digital solutions and government collaboration to facilitate such transitions.

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This could mean shaving S$1,000 off a S$4,000 monthly wage.