Latest news with #JohorZoo
New Straits Times
10-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Night safari planned under Johor Zoo's RM7mil re-do ahead of Visit Johor 2026
JOHOR BARU: The Johor Zoo is undergoing a transformation that will bring new life to its century-old grounds, including its first-ever night safari experience under a sweeping RM7 million revamp. The phase 2 redevelopment is aimed at making the zoo a top-tier urban wildlife attraction for Visit Johor Year 2026, with works slated for completion by Dec 15, this year. State Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Jafni Md Shukor said works that began in early May were progressing well. It will elevate the country's oldest zoo into a modern, family-friendly destination with interactive, educational and immersive experiences. Among the upgrades under Phase 2 are improved animal enclosures, disabled- and stroller-friendly pathways, and the much-anticipated night safari dubbed "Zoo Malam". Jafni said the night-time zoo experience will allow visitors to observe nocturnal animals in a safe and engaging setting. "This is more than a facelift. We are reimagining Johor Zoo as a competitive, internationally benchmarked city zoo that celebrates heritage while embracing the future," he told the New Straits Times. The redevelopment comes on the back of the zoo's impressive performance since its reopening on Aug 31, last year. There have been over 500,000 visitors since its reopening following a four-year closure for major refurbishment. Spanning 12 hectares, the 96-year-old facility reopened with the support of RM9 million in the first phase redevelopment, with funding from the Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang city councils. Jafni said, buoyed by the strong turnout, visitor projections were estimated to surpass 1 million within a year, which is a 150 per cent surge. It has also driven a sharp revenue increase from RM1.5 million to RM7 million, a milestone that would place the zoo on a self-sustaining path. "The revitalised city zoo is fast regaining its place as a key tourism draw, setting the stage for further growth ahead of Visit Johor Year 2026. "The remarkable turnaround was achieved through a people-first approach and upgraded facilities that keep guests coming back," Jafni added. The zoo's central location in Johor Baru, combined with enhanced accessibility such as e-ticketing systems, shuttle bus services and newly themed zones, has attracted not only local visitors but also tourists from Singapore and beyond.
New Straits Times
10-06-2025
- New Straits Times
Night safari plan in RM7 million zoo revamp ahead of Visit Johor 2026
JOHOR BARU: The Johor Zoo is undergoing a transformation that will bring new life to its century-old grounds, including its first-ever night safari experience under a sweeping RM7 million revamp. The phase 2 redevelopment is aimed at making the zoo a top-tier urban wildlife attraction for Visit Johor Year 2026, with works slated for completion by Dec 15, this year. State Local Government and Tourism Committee chairman Datuk Jafni Md Shukor said works that began in early May were progressing well. It will elevate the country's oldest zoo into a modern, family-friendly destination with interactive, educational and immersive experiences. Among the upgrades under Phase 2 are improved animal enclosures, disabled- and stroller-friendly pathways, and the much-anticipated night safari dubbed "Zoo Malam". Jafni said the night-time zoo experience will allow visitors to observe nocturnal animals in a safe and engaging setting. "This is more than a facelift. We are reimagining Johor Zoo as a competitive, internationally benchmarked city zoo that celebrates heritage while embracing the future," he told the New Straits Times. The redevelopment comes on the back of the zoo's impressive performance since its reopening on Aug 31, last year. There have been over 500,000 visitors since its reopening following a four-year closure for major refurbishment. Spanning 12 hectares, the 96-year-old facility reopened with the support of RM9 million in the first phase redevelopment, with funding from the Johor Baru, Iskandar Puteri and Pasir Gudang city councils. Jafni said, buoyed by the strong turnout, visitor projections were estimated to surpass 1 million within a year, which is a 150 per cent surge. It has also driven a sharp revenue increase from RM1.5 million to RM7 million, a milestone that would place the zoo on a self-sustaining path. "The revitalised city zoo is fast regaining its place as a key tourism draw, setting the stage for further growth ahead of Visit Johor Year 2026. "The remarkable turnaround was achieved through a people-first approach and upgraded facilities that keep guests coming back," Jafni added. The zoo's central location in Johor Baru, combined with enhanced accessibility such as e-ticketing systems, shuttle bus services and newly themed zones, has attracted not only local visitors but also tourists from Singapore and beyond.
The Sun
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
School holidays bring opportunities to local economy in Johor
JOHOR BAHRU: The school holidays since May 29, which brought joy to students and families, are a boon for hawkers, homestay operators and local communities around tourist hotspots in the state. A Bernama survey of several popular locations including the Johor Bahru City Square, Johor Zoo and the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB) City Forest found that the presence of domestic tourists has increased sharply since the start of the holidays, thus providing a surge in income for street food vendors, souvenir vendors and homestay operators. Food vendor Halimah Abu Bakar, 48, said her sales during the school holiday season increased by 50 per cent following the increase in the number of customers at her stall. 'On weekdays, we receive around 100 customers, but during the holiday season, the number increases to 150 a day. Most of the customers are from other states and Singapore. 'Although we have to open our stall early and return late at night, the effort is worth it because the daily income increased almost three times compared to normal days,' she said when met by Bernama at her stall located around Hutan Bandar MBJB here today. Meanwhile, ice cream vendor Hasimi Md Isa, 41, said the school holiday season is like the 'harvest season' that he has been waiting for. 'During this school holiday, my ice cream sales can reach more than RM50 a day compared to RM30 a day. This school holiday is indeed a much-anticipated moment for local hawkers following the increase in the number of tourists coming to the state,' he said. The presence of tourists from outside Johor, such as Kuala Lumpur, Melaka and Pahang, also contributes to the increase in local economic activities, especially homestay operators around the hotspots. Homestay operator Suraya Abd Majid, 38, said all units advertised on digital platforms had been booked a week before the holiday began, showing high demand for affordable accommodation outside the countryside. 'Many families also choose to stay in homestays because they can cook and save money. Homestays are also a choice because their facilities are more family-friendly. 'For this school holiday season alone, my homestay in Kempas has been fully booked until June 7. In fact, I have often received calls from people wanting to book a homestay within two to three days recently,' she said when contacted by Bernama. On May 29, the media reported that Johor Unity, Heritage and Culture Exco, K. Raven Kumar, announced that 80 per cent of hotel room reservations in tourist hotspots in Johor had been filled in conjunction with the first term school holidays. The school holidays are expected to end on June 10, and local traders, hawkers and homestay operators hope that this momentum can continue ahead of Visit Johor Year 2026.
The Star
15-05-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Johor govt to haul up contractors if high-impact projects are delayed
JOHOR BARU: Contractors will have to answer to the Johor government if their high-impact projects, including flood mitigation works, face issues or delays in completion. Housing and local government committee chairman Datuk Mohd Jafni Md Shukor said this was to ensure that any issues arising are tackled early on to avoid delays. 'The state government has allocated about RM100mil for high-impact developments this year, which involves more than 10 projects in various parts of Johor. 'These include flood mitigation projects at hotspots such as Kampung Mohd Amin with an allocation of RM9.8mil and the construction of an on-site detention pond in the low-lying Jalan Dato Sulaiman worth RM7.7mil,' he said after visiting the project sites on Thursday (May 15). He said RM10.3mil was also allocated to upgrade Johor Baru Hutan Bandar in three phases to improve its children's pool, campsite and jogging tracks; RM2.7mil to upgrade the Taman Merdeka park; RM7.3mil for phase two upgrades of the Johor Zoo; and RM9.3mil to widen Persiaran Abu Bakar Sultan from the existing four lanes to six. The other projects include the RM18.7mil Sungai Lebam upgrading works in Pengerang to turn the area into a tourism attraction with a children's water park and recreational facilities. He said most of the projects were scheduled for completion by the end of this year, also in time for Visit Johor 2026, which is set to kick off on Jan 1. 'We are monitoring the progress of the projects regularly to give monthly updates to Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi's office, as he is particular about meeting deadlines. 'If there are... delays, the contractor will be called in for questioning as the state government wants to ensure the projects' completion." Jafni, accompanied by Johor Baru mayor Datuk Mohd Haffiz Ahmad and government agency representatives, also visited several project sites such as the roadworks near the Bangunan Sultan Iskandar customs, immigration and quarantine complex, and repainting of the overhead pedestrian crossings in Skudai Kiri.
The Star
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Star
Spruce-up for tourism spots across Johor
Onn Hafiz speaking on some of the infrastructure improvements to boost Johor's tourism appeal. — THOMAS YONG/ The Star Johor government has carried out 33 infrastructure projects since last year to improve local tourism spots. Construction as well as upgrading works have been implemented in Gunung Ledang National Park in Tangkak and Tanjung Piai National Park in Pontian. Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi said all the projects were part of efforts to ensure the success of Visit Johor 2026 (VJ2026) which aims to attract 12 million domestic and international tourists. 'More than RM6mil has been allocated to upgrade public infrastructure at Gunung Ledang National Park where works began last August and will be completed this September. 'On a good weekend, the park is able to attract 15,000 visitors. 'We expect that once the upgrade is completed, the park will record an even higher number of visitors,' he said. Johor Zoo will soon be open at night. Onn Hafiz shared this with local tourism players during the VJ2026 townhall programme at a hotel in Johor Baru. He added that the state government had also allocated RM3.2mil to upgrade facilities at Tanjung Piai National Park where works began last August and are due to be completed this October. Nature lovers can also look forward to the official opening of Taman Botani Iskandar in Iskandar Puteri. For history buffs, there will be the opening of Royal Abu Bakar Museum at Istana Besar, Johor Baru. Another attraction to look forward to is the redevelopment of the century-old Kampung Sungai Melayu fishing village in Iskandar Puteri. Other improvements include the second phase of Johor Zoo's upgrading which will enable the attraction to extend its opening hours into the night. Onn Hafiz noted that many people had joked, especially on social media, of having nothing else to do in the state except eat. 'That perception needs to change and the government is taking measures to ensure this happens. While upgrades to Gunung Ledang National Park will be completed by September. 'It is time we elevate the state's tourism sector to the highest level because Johor has many attractive destinations that were previously under-promoted.' Onn Hafiz also expressed hope that players in the state's tourism industry would enhance hospitality standards when welcoming foreign visitors. 'In any business, it's all about service. We must ensure top-notch service so that tourists are encouraged to return to Johor. 'The ability to speak proper English is also a basic skill that we must improve on to attract more international tourists to Johor,' he said. The official launch of VJ2026 is set to take place this August, supported by a large-scale advertising campaign across the state.
