Kota Iskandar to host Johor govt administration

JOHOR BARU: The state’s new administrative capital in Nusajaya will be officially known as Kota Iskandar when the Sultan of Johor launches it tomorrow.

The project, previously known as the Johor State New Administrative Centre (JSNAC), is over a sprawling 129ha complex that features a combination of Moorish-Andalusian architecture, and also comprises the new Johor state assembly building and the mentri besar and state secretary’s office.

Part of the project includes the Dataran Mahkota (Ceremonial Plaza) and two clusters of state government office complexes.

Nusajaya assemblyman Datuk Aziz Sapian said some of the government offices had already started operations at the new centre over the past two months.

“The last batch of government servants started work at the complex beginning April 1 from their present offices at Bukit Timbalan,” he said.

More state government departments from Johor Baru were expected to move to the new complex by the end of the year, he said.

The total development cost of the centre is about RM1.5bil and would take several more years to be fully developed.

The project is undertaken by UEM Land Bhd’s subsidiary Cahaya Jauhar Sdn Bhd, which is a joint venture company with the Johor state government.

Most of the state government agencies will be operating from the new centre in the coming months while the offices for the federal agencies will be completed within the next two years.

Aziz said that to ensure the centre was more accessible, a six-lane 30.6km coastal highway was under construction between Johor Baru and Nusajaya.

Asked about the possibility of Johor Baru becoming a ghost town especially with the opening of the new Sultan Iskandar CIQ complex and relocation of the government offices to Nusajaya, Aziz said the state government had plans to redevelop and upgrade the city centre.

(Source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/15/nation/3697652&sec=nation)