JOHOR, Malaysia — As Malaysia prepares to develop an economic zone with Singapore here in a bid to revitalize the region, it also hopes to breathe new life into a struggling decade-old urban development project nearby by turning it into a financial center.
The two countries are expected to ink a final agreement by year-end on developing the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone. The area, planned to be four times the size of Singapore, aims to promote industries including logistics, health care and financial services.