The year-end usually brings hordes of Singaporeans to Johor Bahru, but this holiday season, the city feels unusually quiet, according to business owners in the capital of the Malaysian state of Johor.
They believe this is due to the stronger Malaysian ringgit, with the drop becoming especially noticeable since last month.
Besides the ringgit’s strong performance, other factors included the unpredictable weather.
Advertisement
“November and December have always been the busiest period for businesses here, but that does not seem to be the case this time.
“The crowd from Singapore is missing, even on weekends. This is probably the worst year-end crowd we have seen since the Covid-19 pandemic,” business operator Robin Jian said.
Advertisement
The third-generation owner of a cafe popular among Singaporeans said the stronger ringgit was largely responsible for the drop in customers.