The announcement of a Johor-Singapore special economic zone (SEZ) at the Joint Ministerial Committee for Iskandar Malaysia on July 14, 2023 was greeted with excitement on both sides of the border. This committee, co-chaired by Economy Minister Mohd Rafizi Ramli, on the Malaysian side, and Minister for National Development Desmond Lee, on the Singapore side, proposed a number of areas of joint cooperation, including industrial development, tourism activities, innovation facilitation and improved connectivity.