let's not argue too much about this. there are always 2 sides to a story and 2 sides to a coin. so who is right and who is wrong here?
i used to have a very negative perception of JB. I say used to cos in the past I only read about the crimes and negative things about JB in the papers and hear about the "horror stories" from fellow sinkies about JB. I never bothered to go into JB back then, even for short weekend trip. Cos my thinking was what kind of savings can I get by buying fuel, groceries, and what-have-you- in JB? not much, so why bother going to JB at all.
However all this changed after I was persuaded to follow a friend to JB to look at his brand new Semi-D which he bought to stay in JB for good. After that trip and hearing his side of the story why he choose JB, buy a house there and spend most of his time in JB and only occasionally return to JB when he misses "home" , I feel there is a compelling and convincing reason that he did what he did. And i have a first hand look around JB and didn't find such an ugly , dangerous , dirty place as most people made it out to be.
In the end I myself end up buying a house in JB and moving there soon. No doubt there are many adjustments to make in life moving from Sinkapore to JB but then i see what I like , i go for it.
to be honest, i doubt that businesses will suffer so much, if singaporeans decided not to go to JB to spend money. the population of JB is able to sustain the local economy itself. Pasir gudang port is a thriving port and being the largest palm oil depot in the world.
JB has also a large Japanese and Koreans expat community.
having said this, I seriously do not think that Singaporeans will not go to JB, no matter what. It is not the savings they can get from food, fuel, groceries etc - this are just the benefits they get from visiting JB. What i think they are looking for is a short drive by car to a neighbouring city, to get away from the ever congested singapore roads and shopping malls. ALso i believe, most of them feel there is this invisible burden of pressure lifted of their shoulders once they are out of singapore. and to get this by just a drive (despite the causeway traffic jam) in an hour or so is as beneficial to the soul as to the wallets.