By Carolyn Hong, Malaysia Bureau Chief

PUTRAJAYA, MALAYSIA - Iskandar Malaysia is bringing in a prestigious British boarding school as the economic zone revs up efforts to woo investors to south Johor.

Marlborough College, which has a long list of famous alumni, will accept its first pupils in 2012 in Nusajaya, a township just across the Tuas Second Link.

It will be Iskandar Malaysia's first international venture.

Marlborough College's chairman, Sir Hayden Phillips, signed the agreement with Ms Arlida Ariff, chief executive of Iskandar Investment Berhad, the developer of the economic zone.

Ms Arlida told The Straits Times that the venture was a major boost for Iskandar as Marlborough College is a prestigious school known for high-quality education.

'Beyond financial reasons, what most senior company officials look for when they relocate, are public amenities, and facilities for their family. That's education, health care, entertainment and job opportunities for spouses,' she said.

Ms Arlida heads the government-owned company that is tasked to undertake 'catalyst' developments to attract big-name investors.

The company has already inked joint ventures to build Newcastle University's medical faculty, a Dutch Maritime University and a Legoland theme park.

Iskandar Malaysia is an economic zone three times the size of Singapore, but the initial focus is on the area closest to the Second Link. It was launched three years ago to be a new growth centre by leveraging on its low cost and proximity to Singapore.

The progress has been slow so far. The Malaysian government has poured in billions of dollars to build infrastructure, a new Johor administrative centre, and residential areas. Most of the big amenities are slated to open in 2012.

To further boost its attractiveness, Prime Minister Najib Razak last week announced that 'knowledge' workers in Iskandar will have their income tax capped at 15 per cent, compared to 26 per cent for those in the rest of the country.

Ms Arlida described this as a huge boost and also a bold move that will attract investors. Details have yet to be announced.

The biggest investments are from the Middle East. A second theme park is slated to be announced soon, she said.

A Singapore education institution is also in talks with Iskandar Malaysia.

But other than that, Singapore interest has been slow, partly because of Johor's high crime rate. The government has promised to strengthen the police force, while Nusajaya has come up with its own security measures such as gated enclaves.

Ms Arlida said they hoped to attract Singaporeans or expatriates based in the Republic to the Marlborough College Malaysia.

'Singapore will be an important market for the school because of its location. It's just 10 minutes away from the Customs, Immigration and Quarantine checkpoint (on the Second Link),' she said.

The co-ed boarding school for students aged between five and 18 will take in the first 350 students in 2012, with a target enrolment of 1,300 by 2020.

Its fees will be comparable to those of other top international schools in Malaysia, ranging from RM35,000 (S$14,320) to RM50,000 a year.

The school will follow the British curriculum, and its teaching staff will comprise foreigners and Malaysians. The student mix is expected to be 70 per cent foreigners and 30 per cent locals.

Ms Arlida said the investment cost will be finalised only in a few months, with Iskandar building the infrastructure that will be transferred gradually to Marlborough College over the next 30 years.

The college, which was founded in 1843 in Wiltshire, England, boasts famous alumni, including Poet Laureate Sir John Betjeman, aviator Sir Francis Chichester and Princess Eugenie of York, 19, the younger daughter of Prince Andrew.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.