PETALING JAYA, 15 January 2026 — Malaysia’s 2026 push for “execution” must be fast enough to unlock growth but practical enough to work on the ground for businesses and consumers, Transport Minister YB Tuan Loke Siew Fook told property developers at REHDA’s Annual Property Developers Conference, as he positioned mobility infrastructure as a core lever of real estate value creation, tourism performance and national competitiveness.
Delivering a ministerial keynote at the CEO Series 2026 (Annual Property Developers Conference) hosted by REHDA Institute at Le Méridien Petaling Jaya, Loke framed transport as more than a public service function, describing it as “an engine of economic enabling” that determines how effectively Malaysia can move people, goods and capital across growth corridors.
“Year of execution” meets ground realities
Loke acknowledged a tension that has sharpened as government reforms and infrastructure rollouts accelerate: some stakeholders feel reforms are not moving fast enough, while others feel change is happening too quickly, particularly for SMEs adjusting to new compliance and digital processes.
He said the answer is not simply “faster” or “slower,” but better execution, including clearer sequencing, stronger coordination across agencies and industry, and practical on-the-ground implementation that reduces friction for businesses.
The keynote came as the CEO Series 2026 convened more than 400 senior leaders from government, banking and finance, manufacturing, construction, real estate and property development to discuss growth, investment and innovation in Malaysia and ASEAN.
Transport and property are one ecosystem
At the centre of Loke’s message was the idea that transport infrastructure and property development are inseparable. Rail stations, airports, ports and integrated hubs do not just improve connectivity, they change land economics, alter demand patterns, and lift the commercial viability of surrounding developments.
He urged developers to treat mobility nodes as long-horizon economic assets, and encouraged greater private-sector collaboration to ensure station precincts and surrounding buildings are stitched together into walkable, investable districts, rather than fragmented projects that leave value unrealised.
The CEO Series agenda placed strong attention on transit-oriented development (TOD), cross-border residential demand and industrial ecosystems, especially in the context of the Johor-Singapore integration theme.
RTS: From rail link to cross-border economic operating system
Loke highlighted the Johor Bahru–Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) as a structural project that goes beyond transport, enabling the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone (JS-SEZ) to function more like an integrated labour and business ecosystem.
He described the RTS as a capacity upgrade for cross-border movement, aimed at reducing congestion and improving reliability for commuters and visitors, while stressing that the project’s success will be defined by clearance speed and operational integration, not only engineering completion.
A major determinant, he said, is the single-stop clearance concept, where passengers complete both sides’ immigration and related checks at one location, a design that requires operational coordination and enabling legal frameworks on both sides.
ETS, corridor towns and the next wave of station-led development
Beyond the RTS, Loke pointed to the growing role of intercity rail connectivity, including ETS expansion and corridor station catchments, in reshaping development geography.
He said developers are increasingly looking beyond established city cores, as improved rail travel times expand the radius of “commutable” property demand. That shift, he argued, will reward projects that combine transport access with jobs, services and liveability, instead of relying on housing supply alone.
He also underlined a policy priority that infrastructure must create economic density, not just mobility: industrial bases and logistics activity are needed along major corridors to generate sustainable demand, freight volumes and employment, themes that were also featured in the conference’s focus on investment and new-economy assets.
Government land assets: Partnering, not competing
Loke signalled that transport-linked agencies holding strategic land parcels should work with private developers rather than compete with them. The role of government-linked landowners, he said, is to enable orderly, high-impact development through partnerships that unlock value and improve network sustainability, especially where land can support TOD, ridership growth and commercial clustering.
Last-mile mobility and the “human-centred” city
He also returned to a recurring pain point in public transport outcomes: last-mile connectivity. With car ownership still high, Loke said Malaysia cannot “build its way out of congestion” with roads alone, calling for more development models that integrate micromobility, shaded and climate-resilient walkways, and seamless pedestrian links into station planning.
The underlying goal, he said, is not vehicles, but people: productivity, wellbeing and inclusive access to jobs and services.
