JOHOR BAHRU, May 29 -- In Senai's sprawling industrial belt, Gardenia Malaysia's massive bakery sits alongside warehouses operated by tech giant Seagate and e-commerce heavyweight Shopee.

The facility, located 45km from the Tuas Second Link, is run by Singapore-listed QAF Group, owner of the Gardenia brand.

Last week, the bread maker announced it would shift production from its Pandan Loop facility in Singapore to Johor Bahru, a move resulting in 141 retrenchments in the republic.

Gardenia said the relocation aims to improve efficiency and maintain competitiveness in a challenging global market.

While the company has not disclosed the exact site for the transferred production, its Senai plant is currently its only major Johor facility...