Asian Insider Podcast

From pineapple farms to data centres: Johor’s changing landscape

Since 2021, Sarawak Gold 1 (SG1) featuring a smaller crown, was introduced in Miri.

ST PHOTO: FILE

Li Xueying

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Synopsis: Every first Friday of the month, The Straits Times catches up with its foreign correspondents about life and trends in the countries they’re based in.

Talk about what’s new with Johor nowadays and one usually ends up with a five-letter acronym - JSSEZ, or the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone.

But all the excitement about rising opportunities has also hastened the demise of what traditionally has juiced up Johor’s economy - pineapple farms. Land packed with the hardy, spiky fruits are making way for more profitable oil palm plantations, data centres as well as other commercial and industrial activities.

Malaysia is not giving up on pineapples though, it’s the No 2 export fruit after the mighty durian. Sarawak has earmarked 20,000 hectares just for growing the fruit.

In this episode, ST’s foreign editor Li Xueying speaks to Malaysia Correspondent Lu Wei Hoong about his love affair with pineapples and why it means so much to Malaysians.

Highlights (click/tap above):

00:56 A special fruit to Malaysians

05:00 The closure of Lee’s Pineapple Juice

07:03 The rise of data centres

12:42 From Johor to Singapore: the pineapple connection

Read Lu Wei Hoong’s article here:

https://str.sg/zby2

Read Li Xueying’s articles:

https://str.sg/iqmR

Follow Li Xueying on LinkedIn:

https://str.sg/ip4x

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