Tropical climate
Hot and humid all year with about 2,350 mm of annual rain, concentrated in the monsoon periods.
The city forms Zone A of Iskandar Malaysia, the country's largest special economic zone by investment value, and is part of the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the Indonesia-Malaysia-Singapore Growth Triangle. Heavy industry sits at Pasir Gudang, home to Johor Port with a liquid terminal, and further east at the Pengerang complex, so Zone 1 work is outside the city centre. Distribution partners for Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang are being identified ahead of the Q4 2026 launch of the IS-04Z1.
Pre-launch · certification in progress · Launching Q4 2026
Short answer. Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang has no appointed SAMS distributor yet: the IS-04Z1 is pre-launch (certification in progress, no certificate issued, launch planned for Q4 2026), and distributor applications are open.
Current position: certification in progress, nothing issued, launch targeted for Q4 2026. A buyer's engineering review is separate from the certificate. Certification status. Place facts reviewed October 2026.
| Check | What to look for | IS-04Z1 today |
|---|---|---|
| Zone | 0, 1 or 2 for gas; 20, 21 or 22 for dust | Designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 |
| Gas group | IIA, IIB or IIC | IIC (target) |
| Area drawing | The operator's own classification drawing | Decided by the site operator |
| Where it applies | Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang: Refinery and petrochemical process units (Pengerang), Fuel and chemical storage, Port liquid bulk terminals | Classified by the site operator |

An intrinsically safe Android smartphone designed for Zone 1 and Zone 21 hazardous areas in Johor Bahru. It is pre-launch: IECEx, ATEX and NEC 500 certification is in progress ahead of the Q4 2026 launch.
The companies on site and the hazardous-area types a handset is likely to meet there.
Hot and humid all year with about 2,350 mm of annual rain, concentrated in the monsoon periods.
The Pasir Gudang estate covers about 8,000 acres and houses petrochemical, engineering and other industries, away from the city core.
Pengerang became a special local authority area in January 2017 and a municipal council in January 2020, covering about 128,830 hectares, so permits and site rules there come from a newly formed local authority.
With a 2020 population of 858,118, Johor Bahru is Malaysia's largest state capital by population, and the surrounding district is the country's second-largest by population and economy, giving a deep local labour pool.
Johor Bahru has an equatorial climate with steady temperatures, daily averages between about 26 and 28 degrees Celsius, high humidity all year, around 2,350 mm of rain a year and no cyclones.
Local industries include plastic manufacturing, electrical and electronics and food processing, so the city is a base for factory and warehouse work, while the heavy petrochemical sites lie further out in Johor.
A hazardous area is a place where flammable gas, vapour or combustible dust may be present. Standards divide these into zones: Zones 0, 1 and 2 for gas and vapour, and Zones 20, 21 and 22 for dust. Zone 1 and Zone 21 are the tier where an explosive atmosphere is likely to occur in normal operation, which is where the IS-04Z1 is designed to work. Anything carried in must be marked for the zone, gas group and temperature class of the area.
No certificate has been issued for the IS-04Z1 yet, so it must not be taken into a classified area until the certificate covering it exists and the site operator has accepted it.
In Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang. The classified areas in the Johor Bahru belt include port liquid bulk terminals, petrochemical and oleochemical plants, refinery and petrochemical process units at Pengerang and fuel and chemical storage. Operators classify these, not SAMS. Zone 1 work lies outside the city centre, so ask each plant for its drawings.
A distributor for Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang would carry the IS-04Z1 after certification completes; the Q4 2026 launch is the planning date and no appointment has been made. SAMS reviews applicants one by one and prefers companies with their own Ex-competent technical and service staff, since certified devices must not be repaired outside approved channels.
No. Nothing can be bought or taken into a classified area today: certification is in progress and launch is planned for Q4 2026. What is available now is the datasheet, the written certification schedule and evaluation units for safe-area use.
SAMS has not published a price. Any figure you are offered for an uncertified Ex phone should be treated with caution; written indicative pricing is available for a defined quantity and site.
Zone 1 and Zone 21 (gas and dust) with gas group IIC and temperature class T4, subject to certification. It must not be used in a classified area before its certificate is issued and the site has accepted it.
Likely candidates are port liquid bulk terminals, petrochemical and oleochemical plants, refinery and petrochemical process units (pengerang), fuel and chemical storage. Which areas are classified, and to what zone, is set by the site operator's own area classification drawings.
Apply through the distributor page with your company details and the territory you cover. SAMS reviews applications company by company and has not yet granted a territory for Johor Bahru and Pasir Gudang.
An equatorial climate with high humidity, around 2,350 mm of rain a year and steady warm temperatures means moisture ingress and condensation are the main concerns. Devices typically need good sealing and cleaning routines, subject to the plant's rules.
Its position beside Singapore, the Iskandar special economic zone and the Causeway make cross-border supply practical, though customs procedures and border queues apply. Confirm duty treatment, radio type approval and site gate requirements with your freight agent.
No. Pasir Gudang is an industrial estate with a port and many plants, while Pengerang is a separate complex east of Johor Bahru. Each operator sets its own procurement, HSE and classification rules, so ask the specific plant for its requirements.
Other guides for Johor Bahru, other places in Malaysia, and the pages behind them.
Tell us what you need to equip and where. The SAMS team answers by email with the datasheet and where each certification route stands.
Name the site and the operator and we will send what is available before launch.